Midlife

• 
  Midlife Crisis Queen: It's never too late to find out who you might have been!

• Stepping WAY outside of your box!

  midlifecrisisqueen

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:21 am

  I wish the Oprah Show was always as inspirational as it was yesterday! She brought on a few women who had been feeling midlife awful, with issues like divorce, single motherhood and job loss. They were feeling helpless and hopeless, like victims in their own lives.  One women described herself as “paralyzed by fear.” Oprah gave Ali Wentworth the means to help these women step beyond their own internal limitations.  She introduced them to their new selves. The women first tried a few rounds of roller derby, then took a sky dive together, and finally disrobed on a beach and ran…

• The Midlife Crisis Queen turns two today!

  midlifecrisisqueen

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

  I cannot believe my blog turns two today!  To celebrate this fantastic event (plus passing 90,000 hits!) I decided to present you with a whole new and improved website! I’m in the process of re-directing my blog to a self-hosted site.   It’s a lot more spacious and open compared to the old one.   Of course, the URL stays the same.

• Blogging Boomers #137

  midlifecrisisqueen

  2 Nov 2009 | 11:07 am

  Go see our cool new blog carnival over at Fabulous After 40!

• Rasta turns one!

  midlifecrisisqueen

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:21 am

  My brilliant puppy (you know, the mud eater!), Mr. Rasta, just turned one this week. Of course he hasn’t a clue what that means, but we love him all the same. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RASTA!

• More on diet and depression

  midlifecrisisqueen

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

  Here’s a new study from England which links eating a lot of processed foods with an increased risk for depression.  Interesting findings!  It seems the Mediterranean diet is the way to go!

• 
  The New Old Age

• The Bright Side of C.C.R.C.'s

  By Paula Span

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  One couple's rationale for moving to a C.C.R.C.

• 'Mom Always Liked You Best'

  By Paula Span

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

  Why the favored child, not the most qualified, becomes the caregiver.

• Limited Mobility of Another Sort

  By Paula Span

  28 Oct 2009 | 12:28 pm

  In a continuing care retirement community, the nursing home is close at hand, but that doesn't make it easy for residents to move there.

• Maybe Grief Isn't So Bad After All

  By Paula Span

  22 Oct 2009 | 9:30 am

  An optimistic new book finds that grief is something people cope with "often more easily than they thought possible."

• Easing Tensions in the Nursing Home

  By Paula Span

  19 Oct 2009 | 9:12 am

  Conflicts between family members and nursing home staff may be familiar, but they are not inevitable, researchers say.

• 
  The Midlife Gals

• Couples Therapy - Will He Go??

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:58 am

  Were I still happily married to Mr. Three (and that number should give you pause regarding any couples advice I might espouse), I could speak to the success of couples counseling. Would that this approach had helped.Trying to get your male partner into therapy is like persuading him to ask for directions...the perfect metaphor. When...not if...he gets lost, he’s bound and determined to fix that problem all by himself. No matter that you graduated with a Masters degree in Directional Road Intelligence or that you’re southern, which allows you to sweet-talk ANYone into helping you no matter…

• Happy TurkleWeenThanksmas

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am

  You’ve probably bought your turkey for Thanksgiving by now, yes? Good, because these holidays happen FAST! Before you’ve even dismantled the blow-up pumpkin with Casper inside, it’s time to buy the rust-colored fake dry leaves to adorn the Thanksgiving table where the turkey will make its appearance...for about 3.5 minutes before it too will be ‘dismantled’ into our stomachs until there are only bones left. I realize that was kind of a long sentence, but it’s like these holidays...they just go on and on, bleeding into each other until Jan 1...after the black-eyed peas have been…

• Fall Back AGAIN!

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:46 am

  Must we change our clocks AGAIN? Who decides that we mess with the natural cycle of Mother Nature and her clock? Besides, I don’t like it when it’s dark at 5 pm! I don’t like changing all the clocks and alarms. I can’t remember all that. And, for days and days, I walk around saying to myself, “Okay, it’s 9:30, except that it’s really 10:30 pm.” My sleep pattern gets all screwed up, tipping my 8 hours to either 7 hours or 9 hours depending on the season. And, The Ancient One gets so confused about the time difference that you’d think she has nothing else to dwell on. Well,…

• Boo Humbug

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:55 am

  I don’t know if this happens where you live, but in Texas we take holidays VERY seriously. The minute the calendar strikes October 1, out come all the Halloween lawn decorations...the now requisite giant spiders clinging to trees and windows, white-sheet ghosts of all sizes hanging from every available branch and bush, and plastic heads resting on the ground as if they’re poking up from the grave. Gone are the simple, hand-carved pumpkins. That’s so yesterday. If you don’t have a standing mummy on your porch that slowly screams or mumbles as the terrified toddlers approach the front…

• Directions - Asking, Giving, Reading & Misinterpreting

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:56 am

  I’m not talking about inquiring how far it is to the next Boot Scootin’ Billy’s Truck Stop/Laundry & Turquoise Boutique. I’m curious if there is anyone else out there who enjoys giving LIFE direction to others as much as I do. I probably shouldn’t admit that, but show me some suffering, manic depressive, angry (yet receptive) individual, and you couldn’t blow the smile off my face with dynamite.It’s not that I enjoy others’ suffering, its just that those who enjoy their OWN suffering are my target market. They can’t enjoy their suffering too much though, because then…

• 
  The Midlife Gals Videos

• Caregiving The Ancient One

  19 Oct 2009 | 9:16 am

  Oh God! A star is born and she’s ready for her close up!!!

• Laughter IS the Best Medicine

  6 Oct 2009 | 8:31 am

  Tickling should be done every day!

• What Makes US Ladies?

  6 Oct 2009 | 8:28 am

  What DOESN’T???

• You’ve WON!!!!!!

  23 Sep 2009 | 9:07 am

  There’s one born every day.............SUCKAH!

• The Midlife Caucasian Boogie

  15 Sep 2009 | 5:46 am

  Here’s how one of our Youtube fans describes this video: “Well it ain't bikini wrestling, but for some reason I can't not look. Sort of like a car wreck....”Apparently, we’ve done our job!KK and Sal

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  MidLifeBloggers

• Blog World Expo and not H1N1

  byjane

  29 Oct 2009 | 4:27 pm

  Next year at BWE10, I suggest that, at the least, the beer be icy cold. Oh, and a couple of near-naked dudes be sent to the various venues wander around for the viewing pleasure of the ladies. Is that too much to ask?

• Returning to High School: The Reunion Show

  BoomerPie

  20 Oct 2009 | 12:48 pm

  There on my computer monitor, staring at me in bold, cheerful color appeared a reunited assembly of my former classmates. My first thought was: Who are all these old, gray haired people?

• The Boys Are Back

  byjane

  9 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm

  It's a love story between a father and his sons....It's about family in all its messy glory when each member is valued as an individual. It's about males without women but not in a way that demeans either gender.

• Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a MidLife Crisis

  byjane

  7 Oct 2009 | 11:54 am

  It’s called coming to a crossroads. You don’t know whether to turn left or right.

• Pink-slipped in Midlife: Who do you turn to?

  Lia

  30 Sep 2009 | 11:14 am

  Here she was -- the latest in the string of middle-aged women laid off, retired, let go, fired, since the economy nose-dived last year.

• 
  Over 50 Website

• Medicare Health Supplements 2010 Changes

  admin

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am

  What’s New For Medicare Health Plans in 2010 Change isn’t always well anticipated by Medicare beneficiaries, but you can be sure that CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid) is working for seniors and other Medicare recipients. Most US Seniors do rely on Medicare for their health insurance, though many purchase a private supplement to help manage costs for things that the basic Part A and Part B do not cover. If you do have a Medicare supplement, it is important for you to stay updated on your plan and your options. Finding Medicare Health Insurance Quotes and Information You can…

• Cheap Meal Planning Ideas Contest

  admin

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:45 pm

  Join the forum discussion on this postDo You Have Cheap Meal Planning Ideas? Do you have any great ideas for simple and inexpensive meals? If you don’t have any ideas, or if you feel as if yours are overused in your home, would you like to get some more. Frugal Mavens is running a contest you may really enjoy. I know that my family is stick of spaghetti, but I still make it once a week because it is inexpensive, affordable, and quick to prepare. The general guidelines ask for affordable, simple, and healthy meal plans. Beyond that, you can come up with anything that you think other…

• Who Needs A Website (at your age)?

  admin

  25 Oct 2009 | 8:52 am

  Join the forum discussion on this postAre Websites Just For Younger People? Do you need a website at your age? Well, you may be surprised to know that lots of middle aged, and even retirement aged, people are starting websites. It is pretty easy these days, and costs little or even nothing to get started online! One great way to make extra money by building upon what you already know is through publishing a website or blog. A blog is really a website, it is just built upon a type of content management system that makes is simple for non-technical people to publish articles. Did you know that…

• Home Business For Seniors

  admin

  15 Oct 2009 | 6:51 am

  Can Seniors Make Money From Home This is the first year in decades that social security beneficiaries have not gotten an increase. There is talk that Obama is pushing another $250 one time payout to retirees, but this may not go that far when many seniors spend 1/3 of their social security checks just for medicare health plans. So is there anything that older people can do, even if they have limited mobility, to make some extra money? I started thinking about this after I read this article about simple home business ideas. That article was intended for a general audience, and spoke to…

• Who Will Health Reform Help Now?

  admin

  6 Oct 2009 | 11:54 am

  Is Health Reform Still Alove and Kicking? I think that most of us who pulled with YES switch on Obama, or at least the Democratic party, were attracted by promises of finally getting a health reform bill passed. When Hillary Clinton said it might not be so easy, we did listen. And now she is probably having a great time saying, I told you so! But the health reform bill still seems to be slogging through Congress, though not exactly the way we thought it would be! Some Americans Health Care Reform Could Help Do you think you know who health reform will help? You may be overlooking some groups…

• 
  The Boomer Chronicles

• Friday Links Variety Show (November 6, 2009)

  Rhea

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:32 am

  Hattie uses a Kindle now to read, and gives us quick reviews of some of the works she’s read lately. This is horrifying but we can’t turn away from this issue. A 50-something mom writes about the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richmond, California How healthy is green tea? The Science Blog knows. Americans are not ready for retirement. So what else is new?

• Call Me Crazy. I Love Deadlines.

  Rhea

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am

  I’ve been a journalist for many, many years, so I’ve always had deadlines. I kind of like them. They motivate me. Sometimes I even like to leave something until the last minute just to see if I can get it done in time. Well the axe is falling today, my friends. I have a big work deadline for a publication I am responsible for. Hence, the light posting this week. So today I offer you The Best of The Boomer Chronicles: The Orange Cones of Death Strange Affliction Strikes Many Older Men and Women Things That Are Older Than You: A Boomer Chronicles Pictorial

• Dan the Early Retired Man Embarks on a Search for Decent Customer Service

  Rhea

  4 Nov 2009 | 5:47 am

  My cousin Dan from Minnesota, who retired early from the U.S. Postal Service this year at age 53, has more gripes about bad customer service. Customer service continues to elude me. The label clearly stated, “To refill this prescription, call (phone number).” A computer answered, of course. I punched in my prescription number, birthday and zip code then the computer proudly announced, “Your prescription will be ready for pickup at 10:30.” I arrived at the counter, gave them my name but there was no bag for me. “Our central pharmacy refill service has refilled your prescription but…

• How Neighbors Can Really Help Each Other

  Rhea

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am

  As you know, your faithful correspondent always has her finger on the pulse of the new and the cutting edge. So let me tell you about my latest project. I have joined a group in my neighborhood of Jamaica Plain called a Common Security Club. The club is part of a budding nationwide movement whose theme is “Coming together to prepare for economic change.” Basically, you get together with people in your neighborhood to learn more about the economic strife we’re in as well as to offer mutual aid and to do social action. The movement is very young, but it’s growing. Here…

• It’s Dark Early Again

  Rhea

  2 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm

  I was up early this morning thanks to changing the clocks on Sunday. I took the Canine Prince to the dog park and got there before 6:30 a.m. But this is the first weeknight where it gets dark early. Oh, dear. Coming home from work in the dark is so dreary, isn’t it?

• 
  Whose shoes are these anyway?

• Man Shoots Up Orlando, Fla., Office, 1 Dead

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am

  CNN is streaming it and WFTV Channel 9, Orlando, Fla, has the latest local updates on another shooting. Today's shooting occurred at Reynolds, Smith & Hills, an engineering firm, and the alleged shooter, Jason Rodriguez, 40, was at one point at large, being called "armed and dangerous." Authorities just announced he's been apprehended. News sources further report that Rodgriguez may be a former

• Photo of Alleged Fort Hood Shooter

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pm

  See updates here. The alleged shooter is not dead, according the U.S. Army. Furthermore, officials now believe only one shooter may have been involved.As previously reported at this blog and at BlogHer.com, the killer in the Fort Hood mass shooting was killed. News sources have identified as a soldier and psychiatrist, Major Malik Nadal Hasan. He has been killed and two other soldiers have been

• Fort Hood Shootings, CNN and KCEN Texas Confirm

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm

  CNN confirms slain shooter at Fort Hood was both a soldier and a licensed psychiatrist. This story is cross-posted with updates at BlogHer.com. The latest news ups death toll to 12, wounded to 31. One of the three apprehended suspects has been identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan, per ABC newsVia Twitter @KCENNews and now on CNN, multiple shooters opened fire at a Fort Hood theater/sports dome

• Together Again: Janet Jackson's Song Fits Losing MJ

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  4 Nov 2009 | 5:48 pm

  I'm sure somebody else online somewhere has already said it. Perhaps that someone was even me and I've forgotten, but while I was writing tonight, I started playing "Together Again" by Janet Jackson. Even though I previously associated this song with losing a romantic companion to death who you now believe is up in heaven, I reapply this song now to Michael. This song is quietly joyful song with

• OMG! She's Doing NanoWriMo

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pm

  While I've been petrified to admit it, I confess now that I am indeed participating in NanoWriMo. That's National Novel Writing Month for you uninitiated. Yes, I am trying to put a stop to my constant refrain, "One day, I'm going to write a novel," in the most positive way possible, by just doing it. I am joined to the throng trying to produce a 50,000-word book in 30 days.File this under my

• 
  Twenty Four At Heart

• Getting My Life Back?

  Twenty Four At Heart

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  ** On Monday evening at 10pm EST/7pm Pacific time I'm being interviewed by Karl Erikson on Secondhand Radio (on Talkshoe).  There will be a Live Chatroom and/or you can call in with questions or comments.  If you are unable to listen to the show live, it will be available on iTunes shortly after being recorded.  You can find out more about the show by going hereAll but my newest readers know I've faced some difficult challenges over the last three and a half years.  Since my car accident I've gone through six surgeries, breathtaking pain, and forfeited my "normal"…

• The Red Cup

  Twenty Four At Heart

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  Do you remember last week when I wrote a post titled The Unspoken Coffee Cup War?It was a topic which obviously resonated with a lot of you.  Many of you took the time to leave a comment or send me an email regarding your very own War on the Homefront.  (By the way, your comments and emails were both enlightening and very amusing!)Briefcase was out of town when I went public with our marital war regarding The Red Cup.  When he called home while on his trip he never mentioned my post at all.  I assumed he was busy working and never saw it.  A few nights later Briefcase was back home…

• I'm Talking Rabbit Sex and Not The Good Kind

  Twenty Four At Heart

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  I recently got an estimate for installing artificial grass in our backyard.Artificial grass is pretty damn pricey and Briefcase and I are in the process of arguing over discussing the matter.Before you moan and groan and ask, "How can you even consider such a thing?" let me tell you I have several good reasons.First of all, California is in a drought and we are constantly being asked to conserve water.  Grass requires water ... lots and lots of water.  We have a pretty large grass area surrounding our pool.  Therefore, reason #1 is The Green Factor.Reason #2 is The Dog Factor.

• Birthday Wrap Up

  Twenty Four At Heart

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  I will be back to regular posting (whatever that is!) tomorrow.  Today is a hodgepodge post in the wake of my 24th birthday celebration yesterday.First things first ...Thank you to everyone who participated in yesterday's birthday celebration.  There were two hundred entries in my contest.  I really enjoy giving things away.#1  The contest winners are as follows:$100 Amazon Gift Card = Jan$ 60 Amazon Gift Card = Dogmother$ 40 Amazon Gift Card = Lorna$ 40 Amazon Gift Card = BallerinatoesCongratulations to all four winners!  Please email me with the email address you would like your…

• 24th Birthday Contest & Celebration!

  Twenty Four At Heart

  2 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  Yippee!I'm 24 today!  (Again!) I love birthdays!I can't tell you how much I enjoy writing Twenty Four At Heart.  All of you who take the time to stop by for a few minutes each day make me so happy.  There doesn't seem to be a better time to say thank you than on my 24th birthday.To show my appreciation I am giving out $240 worth of Amazon gift cards today.  (24 with a zero behind it!)  It seems like Amazon has something for everyone, right?  And just in time for the holidays too.I've made this as simple as I can.  This is how it works:You must leave a comment (any…

• 
  Anali's First Amendment

• Bloggers In Boston

  Anali

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pm

  Thursday night, I finally got the chance to meet Carol Gillot, the blogger behind Paris Breakfasts, one of my favorite blogs. She had the opening reception to kick-off an exhibit of her paintings called Paris Façades at the French Library in Boston.Paris Breakfasts was one of the first blogs that I discovered. I remember looking at her paintings wishing for one. Then a couple of years ago she did a swap. I traded a tea cup for an original watercolor. I love it so much! And last night it was such a joy to finally meet Carol in person. She was so nice to take time out to sit and talk with me,…

• Macoun v. Braeburn: The Results

  Anali

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am

  Before I get to the taste test, let's look at some more pictures of fall here in Massachusetts. So pretty!And now to the apples. I'm not a huge apple fan. I like them. I know they're good for me, but berries are really my fruit of choice. But it's apple season. So I'm going with the flow. Both Macoun and Braeburn taste pretty good.Ultimately, my vote has to go to Braeburn. Side by side, I noticed a clear difference in taste. Braeburn apples are very sweet. And for someone with a sweet tooth like me, they hit the sweet spot perfectly. Next time I get some apples, I'm going for the…

• Tasty Treats & A Spa Giveaway

  Anali

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:48 pm

  Recently I had the chance to try something new from Pepperidge Farm. Read my BlogHer review of these new treats and find out more about my giveaway by clicking here.Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.This Post’s LinkLike what you see? Subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

• Apple + Yogurt Breakfast

  Anali

  31 Oct 2009 | 10:41 am

  Apple + Yogurt BreakfastOriginally uploaded by anali02170It's fall. The trees are changing and apples are everywhere. There are so many different apples out there. I decided to experiment a bit. Red + Gold Delicious, Gala, and Macintosh have become old hat. So I figured that I'd give Macoun and Braeburns a try. I'll be blogging the results soon!Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.This Post’s LinkLike what you see? Subscribe to this blog by clicking here.

• Falling For Fall

  Anali

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:17 pm

  Fall is all around us. Though I've lived through dozens of autumns, I'm still astounded by the beauty each year. From that first time in late August, when I notice the newly filtered look to the sun. The slight chill in the air in the mornings and evenings in September. To that one day in October, when suddenly leaves look like flames. The scent of smoke in the air from indoor fireplaces instead of outside barbecues.I'm not a fan of cold weather, but there's something special about the fall. Apple cider suddenly appears in grocery stores. Along with winter squash, pumpkins, and eggnog.

• 
  art of allowing mindset

• Make it a what if day from a positive focus

  BZ Riger

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:12 am

  What if… we spend a lot of our time what iffing, we string together a long chain of all the things that could go wrong or make life even more difficult for us. So today lets play with making it a what if day from a positive focus. Start moving through your day and thinking about all [...] Related posts:emotional stress swirling in your life? the power of positive thinking is innate to you- turn it back on Things are changing very rapidly in our world. The global shift that is occurring is affecting each of us...Look and you will begin to see what you thought was Un-Seeable There is so much…

• walk don’t run to inspired success

  BZ Riger

  8 Oct 2009 | 6:45 am

  Where are you headed in the story of your life? Are you rushing to get away from or to something in your life? Stop for a moment- Breathe- Wiggle your toes- Now begin again… and move at a pace that lets you open up to what is with you in the moment. Rushing, running around being [...] Related posts:what are you inspired by? Last night I lay in bed, summer sounds drifting through the window. I noticed little luminescent flashes of light...Be surprised and inspired when you review 2008 with this process We are in the final few days of 2008, you may have many labels for the year just…

• only we create our limits

  BZ Riger

  7 Oct 2009 | 4:49 am

  How would you describe yourself? Do you have an openness to possibilities, to a strong belief in yourself… Do you believe in the limitlessness of your experience as a human- or do you create limits for yourself. There are so many people who have “disabilities” that move through their lives inspired, happy and doing what they want. Their [...] Related posts:You are responsible for the success you create If I were to say to you- “You are responsible for the success you create in your life- in 2007”...inspiration- we find it in the pathways and windows that open to us How…

• headlines: you create the ones in the story of your life

  BZ Riger

  18 Sep 2009 | 9:53 am

  Headlines are meant to grab our attention and set the tone. In the way of old style marketing they are meant to play on our fears and push our buttons. Which is good because then the advertisers can sell you things you think you need now because you are focused on the tone of fear and stress [...] Related posts:Soar like an eagle in your minds eye over our planet – all of life Life is full of so many interesting and wonderful things. Even moving through your regular routine if you look, really...emotional stress swirling in your life? the power of positive thinking is innate to you-…

• 
  Average Jane

• Things Average Jane Learned from TV & Music

  Average Jane

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:22 am

  Sesame Street's 40th anniversary is this week, which got me thinking about the other PBS show that influenced me as a child: The Electric Company. I recall that it was geared for a slightly older audience than Sesame Street, but it was still full of educational short film clips and skits. One thing I didn't realize at the time is that two of my favorite grammar videos were written and performed by satirist Tom Lehrer, who is best known for songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," and "The Masochism Tango." Lehrer was a favorite humorist of my grandparents and…

• Average Jane Falls Back On A Meme

  Average Jane

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Yeah, I know. It's only Thursday and I've already run out of post ideas. I actually had to go in search of a meme I could glom onto and I chose this one, partly because who could resist the beautiful donuts?   1. It's early morning, about 2:00 AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?I definitely run it, especially if it's a long red light.2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?Hmmm, maybe I would limit myself to one giant…

• Average Jane Shares A Retro Recipe

  Average Jane

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

  In the early 1990s, my grandmother published a cookbook of recipes spanning five generations of our family. They range from rabbit stew with dandelion root from my pioneer great-great-grandmother, to a handwritten recipe for pancakes from my then-six-year-old third cousin (who is now a chef). There's one chapter for each generation, and each chapter is divided into sections by cook. In my grandmother's own section there's a recipe that I remember having only one time, but it made a big impression on me because it had booze in it! and I got to have a piece even though I was just a…

• Average Jane's Latest Band Update

  Average Jane

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:43 am

  I haven't talked much about the band with which I'm currently singing, but things are going quite well. It's a four-piece (guitar, bass, drums and vocals), and we all seem to be equally professional, mellow and serious about learning our own parts. We're still finalizing a name and trying to decide which songs to record for our demo while we get our set list worked up to the minimum 40 songs we'll need to play an entire evening. The first gig we have on the books so far is Saturday, December 12th at an American Legion Hall. If you've been wanting to see us but…

• Average Jane on Weird Song Covers

  Average Jane

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:35 am

  At breakfast yesterday with my husband (okay, I'll admit it: we had "breakfast" at 12:30 p.m. and it was pizza), we were listening to the classic rock music pumped over the restaurant's sound system and talking about songs that would be fun to play. We got on the topic of Rod Stewart and he brought up, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy." We agreed that neither of us would ever be able to hear it again without thinking of Mike Myers' rendition of the song in "So I Married An Axe Murder," complete with bagpipe solo. Which, of course, reminded me that I can no longer hear "Come Sail Away" by Styx without…

• 
  ByJane

• BlogWorld Expo & Not H1N1

  ByJane

  29 Oct 2009 | 4:28 pm

  Shuffle, shuffle...creak, creak. Those sounds are me trying to get upright and in the saddle again after several (SEVERAL!) weeks off. First, I was at BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Vegas--about which more anon. Then I was at death's door (okay, slight exaggeration) from the dreaded flu. Well--not The Flu. But some flu. Here's what I wrote before I got sick: It has become the convention for bloggers that after a conference, one writes a roundup of sorts, in which one links to all those new and exciting people one met. One does this; I, however, do not. It's just another example of how…

• The Boys Are Back

  ByJane

  9 Oct 2009 | 4:08 pm

  ...and so am I. At least occasionally. This is cross-posted from MidLifeBloggers but I don't know who reads that or who, if anyone, reads ByJane.People who know me know that I'm a real snippy critic when it comes to movies. Much of what the film industry puts out earns Three Snorts from me. So when I tell you I thought a movie was terrific, trust me--it was terrific. Last night I went to a screening of The Boys Are Back. I didn't expect anything special. Didn't really know much about the film except that it starred Clive Owen and had boys in it. To what end, I wasn't sure--and really, that…

• BlogHer'09: The Good, The Bad and The Meh

  ByJane

  1 Aug 2009 | 10:28 am

  I liked seeing all my online friends in the flesh. Just wish there had been more time and opportunity to really sit down and talk. That there wasn’t, I think, is a function of the size and intensity of the conference. Not only is the BlogHer schedule jam-packed, but the number of outside parties and such seemed endless.The sessions—so many choices, so little time. Just wish they had been less general. I know that BlogHer prides itself on the conversational tone of their conference sessions. The emphasis for speakers is less on presentation and more on dialogue with the audience. That…

• Are We Done?

  ByJane

  8 Jul 2009 | 1:28 pm

  I wasn't going to post today, because--well, I just wasn't. Then I read this by MaggieDammit and she voiced so much of what I'm feeling about ByJane and MidLifeBloggers. I offer it to you just to let you know where my mind is--sorta--and that I don't know if I'm done here forever.

• Pimp That Post!

  ByJane

  1 Jul 2009 | 12:17 pm

  Which is what I'm doing right now: pimping my most recent post for More.com....in which I whine about why I'm bad at pimping (my mama done brought me up right)--and why it's crucial to this here internets thing. The drill is this: go read the post (okay, you don't have to read it; just look at it). Click on the "I Like This" icon (you may have to sign up first but only the first time and honestly, you'll be entered in a contest to win Michael Jackson's sixth grandchild.) Then comment....and send the link to your friends... Because the more People Who Like my post, the--the--the -------…

• 
  carolynbahm.com

• Almost trick-or-treat time

  Carolyn

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:04 pm

  Almost trick-[or-treat time, originally uploaded by cbahm. Caitlyn, in the costume she tho\ught of and put together all by herself: Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Homemade costumes are the BEST. And Caitlyn? She rocks. Halloween, 2009, our front yard.

• 10 Tips on Apologizing

  Carolyn

  22 Oct 2009 | 8:12 am

  originally uploaded by ☼emmaphotos. When is “sorry” not enough? It’s easy to stop restraining your own temper and hurt someone else because you’re tired or having a bad day. It’s often directed at the people with whom we’re the most comfortable and secure. I’ve certainly done it – usually at my mother, children, or husband. And later, what a weak, mean schmuck I feel like. So if you’re like me, you apologize and move on, right? And you get to feel all relieved, while the other person licks his/her wounds and has to just get over it. It helps if you know how to give…

• 6 Things You Didn’t Know about CPAP Masks

  Carolyn

  9 Oct 2009 | 10:18 am

  My ridiculous pic from the first night of the sleep study. Rocking the sex-ay. I’ll start wearing a CPAP mask and using the machine soon when I sleep; for now, I’m just waiting for the unit to arrive. My first mask will be the “pilot type” mask that covers both the mouth and the nose since I have allergies, frequently have a stuffy nose, and mouth breathe sometimes. And I really don’t want to wear a chin strap to keep my mouth closed. (Oh, I need to wear it all the time — days, too? Shut UP, y’all.) Here are some pearls of wisdom I learned from my two…

• IE vs Firefox for Viewing My Blog

  Carolyn

  5 Oct 2009 | 11:32 am

  Well, it looks nice in Firefox. ;o) Right now, Internet Explorer is showing the archives and categories below the last post, instead of neatly in the sidebar where they BELONG. I’ll work on it some more tonight. Grr.

• The year of the bat-o’-lantern

  Carolyn

  4 Oct 2009 | 3:05 pm

  Caitlyn and one of her very best friends got together in my kitchen this afternoon and made a grand and glorious mess, carving pumpkins. Who could deny them? They roasted pumpkin seeds and then cleaned up after themselves (mostly) afterward. See more photos in the slideshow here.

• 
  Cindy La Ferle's Home Office

• Barbarian Mom

  Cindy

  31 Oct 2009 | 6:45 am

  Children are a great comfort in old age, and they help you reach it much faster, too.” — Lionel M. Kaufman Take it from a seasoned parent. There comes a time in every mother’s life when she realizes parts of her wardrobe shouldn’t be flaunted in front of teenage boys. And I’m not talking [...]

• Art, Magic, Halloween

  Cindy

  21 Oct 2009 | 6:20 am

  Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before. — Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Like the perfect pumpkin waiting for a master carver, Halloween never fails to stir the imagination. Not surprisingly, it’s a favorite holiday among the creative souls in my family. [...]

• Fanfare for another homecoming

  Cindy

  14 Oct 2009 | 6:06 am

  You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it’s all right.  ~Maya Angelou When my son Nate first left home for college, I felt strangely out of place in my cleaner, quieter house. I wasn’t ready to call myself “an empty nester,” and my early coping strategy [...]

• Thinking about pink

  Cindy

  7 Oct 2009 | 11:51 am

  My cancer scare changed my life.  I’m grateful for every new, healthy day I have. ~Olivia Newton-John October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the media won’t let us forget it. This month, you can’t look at a magazine or a newspaper without being reminded that the disease will strike some of the women [...]

• Courage in our pockets

  Cindy

  4 Oct 2009 | 7:07 am

  A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of the one who has it. – Proverbs It was one of those simple gestures you remember for years. I was sifting through the day’s mail, just a week before I was scheduled for major surgery. Hidden between the bills and catalogs was a small envelope from [...]

• 
  McEwens

• My Nephew -Trial of Murderer Number 1

  Pancake

  21 Oct 2009 | 3:51 pm

  There always has to be some amount of good in life's trials. However, at times, you have to spend a long time searching for it. I have decided one of life's greatest tests is to remain seated when those that have murdered someone you love, show no remorse, and in fact, smile and wink at you! I don't know how my brother was able to remain seated and not reach over and choke the kid! That would be the good (he didn't kill the kid and end up in jail.... see searching DEEPLY, you find the good) Interestingly enough, even though he didn't meet ANY of the 5 requirements -the judge dropped the kid…

• What good could possibly come from tragedy?

  Pancake

  12 Aug 2009 | 6:29 am

  Many of you have sent emails wondering where I have been. Thank you for those emails... . And no Gwen, I wont have my last blog entry with a woman sitting on a toilet!I have written and rewritten this entry many times over the last few weeks. Each time the tears begin to freely flow down my cheeks.On May 30th, my nephew was murdered. Chris was 14 years old. He was riding his bike home . He was almost home.... almost as in one block away. It was the middle of the day on a Saturday. Six gang members surrounded him and beat him to death. It has been devastating...... I have decided murder is so…

• Do you ever suffer from.... Blogstipation ???

  Pancake

  6 May 2009 | 6:36 am

  Do you ever suffer from blogstipation ... where you have an idea for a post and not matter how hard you try, it just doesn't come out.Maybe you are a sufferer of irregular BLOG syndrome. Where the urge to blog takes you by sudden surprise! Hopefully you are in a place where you have some paper handy!Maybe you are a sufferer of blogarrhea .. where the posts just keep coming and coming. You just cant help your self! I think I need some blog-lax. Wonder if it tastes like chocolate? Seriously.. I will be suffering from irregular blogsyndrome for the next several weeks. I have a TON to do ....

• Da BoYz

  Pancake

  1 May 2009 | 5:06 am

  While all three of my sons were home I thought I would take some pictures. What was I thinking, three boys.... and pictures. Before viewing said pictures, I want you to know I DID hire a photographer for the occasionHowever Mother Nature thought it would snow a few FEET in the mountains... Wimpy Photographer cancelled on me....SO.....Pictures by Pancake.....Hey guys.... come here for a pictureDon't they look THRILLED??Day 1...... Its all about WHO is taller....Lets try this again.....Day 2Dont they look like something you would find in the post office? Yo, come hereNothing like ELF ears to…

• Noblesse Oblige

  Pancake

  28 Apr 2009 | 6:43 am

  The little award that packs a big punch.Pseudonymous High School Teacher, from http://phhhst.blogspot.com/, has passed on the Noblesse Oblige Award to me. It is quite an award! If you haven't been over to Pseudo's blog, you should. She is an amazingly talented women. A Breast cancer survivor, who recently had quite a scare. I am grateful that nasty disease hadn't returned. She has a lot of great posts and pictures of Hawaii. She has the ability to write and keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next! One of her funniest post (I think) Is here. The best part is,…

• 
  Coming2Terms

• The Ultimate Test

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:58 pm

  Amadeus... That's a clue for my answer to some complex questions that came this weekend from Silent Sorority readers. The ideas and emotions contained in their questions were remarkably familiar -- so much so they could have come straight out of my own head a few years ago. I guess, by now, I shouldn't be startled by the depth of the shared infertility experience. I'm sure they'll evoke some deja vu for you, too. The questions pose the ultimate test for infertiles who don't succeed with treatment -- overcoming anger and finding peace. First came this email:"I've been having a rough go of it…

• Fertility Clinic Funnies

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  23 Oct 2009 | 4:35 pm

  You know you are pretty far along the acceptance curve when you can laugh about things that once made you want to: a) scream b) cry c) commit Hari-Kiri or d) all of the above. I offer as evidence the Open Salon piece I wrote about the fertility industry, which led to the following online exchange with that oh so rare creature -- a man who openly discusses infertility. Here's how it went:Him: As far as I could tell, the main function of a fertility clinic is to transfer money from infertile couples to the fertility clinic. They are remarkably effective at that. A fairly rare side effect of the…

• Hell Hath No Fury Like a Womb Scorned

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  19 Oct 2009 | 7:38 am

  It's been quite a while since I felt compelled to include a blog post in the "Memo to the Fertile Community" category, but what comes next fit like a glove and then some. BTW: credit for the blog post title goes to my guy. There I was last week innocently starting my Sunday morning, feeling all it's Sunday! I was about to pour a large mug of coffee and dive into The New York Times when ... BAM. You can read what happened next at Open Salon along with some interesting comments.I also encourage you to check out Loribeth's post, The Dark Side of Positive Thinking, which highlights Barbara…

• Tough Talk: Living Without Children After Infertility

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  7 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Infertile folk will never quite measure up on the yardstick of life used by "fertile" folk -- what with such things as pregnancies, baby firsts, kid kibbitzing, and parental back slaps among the many markings. So what's an infertile to do? Get a new measurement system! That's only one of the "ah has" I've learned in reconciling infertility. It's also just one of the many discussion topics you'll hear in the radio segment: "Deciding to Live Involuntarily Childfree" (Note to the childfree by choice tribe: I know you get downright hot under the collar when infertiles co-opt your childfree label,…

• How Big Is the Elephant in Your Room?

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  2 Oct 2009 | 7:00 am

  Constance? Earnest? Stalwart? Fred? I haven’t named my elephant yet, but I really should since it’s been with me in whatever room I seem to occupy for quite some time now. Yes,infertility comes with its very own elephant – as if we need things to be any more crowded in the places we occupy, or worse yet, in doctor office waiting rooms (Can you just picture it? A room full of couples and their elephants??!)Editor's Note: You can read more of my latest Barren Not Beaten column at Fertility Authority. ...

• 
  Diary of a Midlife Crisis

• The Power of Shoes

  Midlife Virgin

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pm

  There are men’s shoes sitting at the foot of the bed. That was enough to send me into a really weird place last night.I was shooting a web series/short film in my apartment all day yesterday. It’s based on “Mastermind”, the one act play I directed over the summer that I absolutely fell in love with. The original actors are returning, the writer has given his blessing and I have a fantastic crew involved. The shoot went great. Had some issues, which every shoot has, but nothing huge or panic-inducing. Just ordinary production crap.At the end of the shoot, my lead actor, Brad, was…

• Darkest days

  Midlife Virgin

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:13 pm

  The darkest days are these ones, the ones where I think it was all my fault and I deserved the treatment I got. The days where I have to fight picking up the phone and calling him, being casual, saying, hey, let’s get together, let’s talk. The days where I want to beg him to take me back, for us to be us again. The days when I think maybe I made up all the bad things. Where maybe his treatment of me wasn’t as bad as I make it out to be. The days where I wonder if I just blew things out of proportion and turned him into a monster so I wouldn’t have to take responsibility for the things…

• Embracing my dark side

  Midlife Virgin

  20 Oct 2009 | 10:50 pm

  It all started about a week ago. Brad, one of my favorite men, was sitting on my couch, talking to me about the “Mastermind” shoot coming up, working on translating the character from stage to screen. The fireplace was lit, it was very quiet in the house and our conversation meandered from the shoot to just whatever it is that two friends sit and talk about. Brad has the most calming personality yet he’s not afraid to talk about whatever is on his mind -- or mine. And we talked long after we were done with business. When he left, I could feel the absence of him in my living room.And it…

• Meandering thoughts

  Midlife Virgin

  18 Oct 2009 | 1:05 am

  I’m restless and moody tonight. Wow, how unusual. On one hand, I’ve had the most amazing couple of months of my life. “Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” was hugely successful, critically, creatively and financially. I have never had such a successful piece and something that was so well-received across the board. I had an amazing cast who took my basic direction during our extremely limited rehearsal period and ran with it. So much of the credit for the success of the show lies with them because of what they added to what I saw in my head. I couldn’t be more proud of…

• Reflections of...

  Midlife Virgin

  20 Sep 2009 | 10:20 am

  I saw someone in the mirror yesterday morning as I was getting ready for a very long day.It was the woman I want to be. She is strong, confident, with a quiet power that doesn’t need to shout out, “look at me! See how amazing I am! Acknowledge how amazing I am!” She doesn’t need that because she knows who she is and what she is capable of. She is mature in the best way. Knows she doesn’t have to prove her maturity by meeting others’ expectations. Knows she shows her maturity by pursuing what she wants and accomplishing her goals without compromise. She has the kind of maturity…

• 
  DuchessOmnium - Island to island

• A happy Halloween

  Duchess

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:55 pm

  In the UK they don’t really understand the US version of Halloween, and for a long time politicians, the police and the church all regularly denounced it as a tradition that encouraged a combination of juvenile delinquency and devil worship.  At best it was described as an “unwelcome American import”. Nevertheless, it is catching on, bit by bit, and in many neighbourhoods these days children go trick or treating.  Sometimes they are met with surprise and occasionally with anger, but usually sweeties are doled out and everyone is happy.  It doesn’t always work the way you expect,…

• Spent storms

  Duchess

  27 Aug 2009 | 12:12 pm

  Huricane Bill has made his way over the Atlantic, and what is left of him is blowing the trees about in an ineffectual sort of way.  Bill’s rain is what the Brits like to call “wetting” rain.  I know what they mean: the effort feels half hearted, but it doesn’t half soak you. I knew Bill was coming, so this morning I lugged up the tow path my two toilet cartridges – what the boaters call, “shit suitcases”.  I thought I’d do it early because I prefer to stay dry when I sluice my effluent. The cartridges were surprisingly heavy, and their contents were all mine. …

• There will always be an England

  Duchess

  20 Aug 2009 | 1:56 pm

  Just as soon as I find out where I have packed my knickers, I promise to describe the last hours at Hedges and my move to Pangolin. Did I say? Pangolin is the name of my boat and Hedges is the name of my house, rented as of yesterday.  In the days when my ex husband and I were trying to run a business from home I thought the house - and hence the business - ought to have a more grown up address.  I knew there wasn’t a lot I could do about the lines “Buckland, near Faringdon” but I was sure I could at least get a house number.  With some difficulty I found out who…

• Concrete art, conceptual art, or a big mess?

  Duchess

  10 Aug 2009 | 3:33 pm

  I am thinking of entering my house for the Turner Prize.  In just 8 days my tenants move in.  Do you think it is time to start panicking?

• Not waving, but drowning

  Duchess

  9 Aug 2009 | 2:42 pm

  Please send chocolate.

• 
  Good & Plenty - Candelaria Silva's Blog

• A Diamond in Dorchester

  Candelaria

  31 Oct 2009 | 1:18 pm

  I met a young girl waiting on the bus in Dorchester to go to Fields Corner. (Some mornings I do the 20 minute walk down to Fields Corner but not this morning.  I’m glad I didn’t or I would have missed meeting Diamond.) brought the sun out on a chilly day.  She was so personable and bubbly.  The conversation started when she told me and another woman standing there, that we’d missed a bus.  She’d forgotten her bus pas, ran home to get it and saw the bus going down Adams Street on her way back.  In between crunches of the cereal she was munching from a…

• Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are: Friends Lost Along the Way

  Candelaria

  26 Oct 2009 | 7:10 pm

  Today I’ve been thinking about friends I’ve lost.Some have passed on and “I’ll meet them on the other shore,” as we used to sing in church when I was growing up. Others I’ve lost touch with.  They’ve moved.  The addresses, emails and phone numbers I had for them no longer work. These were people I cared about, deeply.  I think about them frequently.  I haven’t found them when I’ve looked for them on the various social networks that I belong to.  You would think that if you cared about people deeply, shared strong connections over time,  the…

• I Know a No in Disguise

  Candelaria

  19 Oct 2009 | 7:06 pm

  “A no in disguise.”* I’ll get back to you on that. I don’t have my calendar with me.  Let me check it give you a date.  have to check with so and so about such and such… In other words: you don’t want to meet with me, you don’t plan to follow-up on the project and you are full-of-manure, fake, phony...  You might be on of those people always talking about what you’re “fittin’” to do, who just want to go on record as being interested and helpful even though you don’t plan to follow through and do anything.  (You know who you are.)It’s a no in…

• I Love Fall Most of All

  Candelaria

  14 Oct 2009 | 5:36 pm

  While each of the seasons has its unique beauty, events, and tone, I love fall most of all.                 Fall is when I first came to New England (Boston to be specific) to go to college as a 17 year old freshman.  I happened upon the Highland Park section of Roxbury and used to visit the small library located in the Parish Hall behind the First Church in Roxbury Even though the Dillaway-Thomas House in John Eliot Square had not yet been remodeled and was boarded up, there was a grand stateliness and…

• The N- (and other colorful) words

  Candelaria

  11 Oct 2009 | 5:06 pm

  (Dear readers, I will occasionally have guest posts that I think are provocative, informative or just plain hilarious. This guest post is written by  Christina, friend and sister blogger, who blogs at Cool It Now.)*Coon.* Yea, I said it. I'll say it again. COON. The enigma of racial language is funny to me. Not amusing, but definitely laughable at times. Are you appalled? Squirming in your chair? Not sure what to feel about this word and/or my usage of it? Don't worry you're not alone. Consider this a taste test. So you don't like this taste, if the n-word was used would you feel…

• 
  Granny Sue's News and Reviews

• Squirrel and Leeks

  Granny Sue

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:42 am

  Last night I planned to make squirrel gravy, but instead opted to try something a little different.Larry had been squirrel hunting recently and brought a couple home. Now I know many people cannot envision eating squirrel, but for those who have tasted it, you know it's an amazing meat, tender and tasty and better for you than many other meats.We have plenty of leeks in the cellar. Leeks are a member of the onion (allium) family and they grow tall, like an extreme version of a green onion. Their growing season is long too, so they are in the garden a long time. After looking into various…

• Good-bye, Blue

  Granny Sue

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:43 am

  Photo is from Brother Blue's website, www.brotherblue.com I remember the first time I saw him, an ageless man in flowing blue robes and butterflies. Butterflies everywhere. He came up to me and took my hand. “You are beautiful,” he said. I smiled and stammered something silly because compliments so direct are as hot as a coal in my hand. Others passing smiled at my embarrassment. They knew Blue, you see. He insisted, “You really are beautiful. You are a gift. A gift.” Later I learned his name was Blue. Brother Blue. Everyone knew him in storytelling world. Blue the street rappin’…

• Wordless Wednesday: Misty Morning, Grafton, West Virginia

  Granny Sue

  3 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pm

• Storytelling Road Trip: Alabama and Home Again

  Granny Sue

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:50 am

  during my trip to Alabama last week, I told stories at two elementary schools. Both were fairly large schools by West Virginia standards, but the second school, Creekside Elementary, was huge--over 1000 students in grades K-5. There were 10 classes of first grade students and those were the ones I told stories to. The kids were into stories! They especially liked Jack and Old Fire Dragaman and Sody Sallyratus, both Appalachian tales with a lot of action and humor.On the table, left to right, clockwise: my CDs, Larry father's miner's certificate, miner's safety lamp, miner's lunch bucket and…

• The Athens Storytelling Festival

  Granny Sue

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:59 am

  What a good time! Storytelling by some of the best tellers in the country, music by one of my favorite folk musicians, attentive audiences and a welcoming, supportive community. What's not to like? The festival is set up in the middle of the downtown district. One of the streets around the courthouse square was closed, and a huge circus-type tent erected on the street. The Storytelling Store and Headquarters for the festival was located in the Boys and girls Club on the same block, allowing attendees to easily get their tickets and shop for books and CDs. The whole festival is a compact,…

• 
  It's a Mad Madge World

• Born From My Heart

  Madge

  27 Oct 2009 | 1:31 pm

  Even though he's eleven J11 still likes a good snuggle now and then. He crawled into bed with me this morning just before it was time to get up and I wrapped my arms around him and said, "You are a kid after my own heart."He replied, "Well, I was born from your heart, so that makes sense." I hugged him tight, then carried his reply with me the rest of the day.

• October

  Madge

  20 Oct 2009 | 5:49 am

  I wrote this in college. It was an imitation exercise in freshman comp class. I don't remember the piece it was based on. It's the only thing I'm proud of that I wrote in college. Or maybe ever:In the first place, October makes me feel content. Autumn does have this effect. Autumn brings cool evenings, and it is cool evenings that relieve the restlessness of summer nights. They are not chilling, these fall nights, they are only refreshing; the air is brisk, not to mention startling, and it hurries me along to my room, even as I look up into the sky and notice the intense brightness of the…

• My Anchor, My Compass

  Madge

  16 Sep 2009 | 5:43 am

  We read Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel every night before bed. Most nights D7 lays next to me, his head resting on my shoulder. The more he gets to know the story, the more questions he asks. What happened to the other steam shovels? Where are the pictures of Kipperville and Kopperville? What does the word "rather" mean (Henry B. Swap smiled in rather a mean way)? J11 wanders around the room getting ready for bed, setting up his Bionicles, interrupting the story. We read three books every night. D7 and I. I also try and read out loud to J11 every day. Once stories are done, they each get…

• Grace in Small Things

  Madge

  12 Sep 2009 | 6:21 am

  Have you seen the Grace in Small Things site? I've been reading Schmutzie for a while and have been wanting to participate in GIST, but hadn't gotten started. Because I am so webstupid it's taken me a couple of days to figure out how I wanted to do this or where I wanted to do it. So first I tried it on this blog, then I started another blog just for GIST, then I finally figured out the best place for me to do this was actually at the GIST site. So, in case you are interested here's where I'm participating.Are you still reading this? And by the way. Coming up with five things every morning…

• Grace In Small Things - Part 1 of 365 (?)

  Madge

  10 Sep 2009 | 5:28 am

  I've been meaning to do this, but don't really have the faith in myself that I can keep it up. Still, think I'll try. You can see what it's all about at Grace In Small Things.1. A new scarf started.2. My overgrown lavender in the front yard (and the challenge of saving it)3. Parker Palmer's A Hidden Wholeness4. Football starts tonight!5. J11 telling me loves me -- when no one else is around and when I least expect it.

• 
  Jan's Sushi Bar

• Three Cheese Manicotti with Meatballs

  Jan

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am

  We are having so much fun here at the Sushi Bar with Jolly and Little Guy!  There will be more pictures very, very soon, but I can’t let a week go by without at least one recipe.  This is a good one, and since I made it for dinner last night, it’s still pretty fresh in my mind. I’ve mentioned before that Italian is my least favorite ethnic cuisine.  Which, according to a survey Beloved read recently in the Podunk Suppository, is directly contrary to the rest of the country – Americans apparently love their pasta.  And really, I suppose I should qualify this all: …

• Baby in Da Sushi Bar

  Jan

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  So, Jolly and Little Guy landed at Cleveland airport safe and sound at 2:30 p.m., EST, Tuesday.  Little Guy slept the entire 50 minute drive home.  He woke up briefly when we got home, ate and went back to sleep.  Woke up 3 hours later, ate, and went back to sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. He woke up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just as Beloved and I were hauling our tired, middle-aged asses to bed, at about 10:30 p.m.  As I write this, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, he is sound asleep.  I’m expecting a repeat performance tonight. Normal 2 ½ month-old baby schedule + flying…

• 26 Years and Counting

  Jan

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  Grandchildren are a parent’s reward for not killing their children. I’m an old parent, and I’ll be the first to admit it -  I’ve been doing this job for 26 1/2 years.  It recently dawned on me, as I spoke with Jolly on the phone when she had a question about Little Guy, that I will continue to do it until the day I am no more.  That’s something you don’t think about when you have a baby:  you don’t stop being a parent when your youngest turns 18 or graduates from college or even when they have children of their own.  Being a parent is a lifetime…

• Holy Macro!

  Jan

  3 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  So, yesterday evening after we left the office, I got my (current) heart’s desire. A macro lens for my camera. I think I’ve just forfeited any Christmas and birthday presents for the next two years, but that’s okay because I really, really, REALLY wanted one.  And I wanted one before Jolly and Little Guy got here (this afternoon, as a matter of fact). Why, you might ask (if you’re not already bored to tears by what is shaping up to be yet another post full of photographs – not that you’d be wrong or anything)?  Well, for at least two reasons. Reason #1…

• A Parental Coup de Grâce

  Jan

  2 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  Last night, I convinced The Young One the french fried onions on top of the green bean casserole were Funyuns. After 26 years, I still rock.

• 
  Growing Older, Sexier, and Skinnier

• Back On The Scale At Long Last

  ladybeams

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:16 pm

  This was the mother of all weigh-ins today. LOL. I haven’t had a scale for almost 6 months, but now we moved into a place that had one in the garage, and it seems to work just fine. Especially since I weighed less with all my clothes on than I did the last time I weighed myself necked.  It must be accurate. Actually now that we’re doing our own cooking and I’m back on fat-free cream cheese, when I use it, and the same for skim milk vs. whole, that alone can make a heck of a difference. We use Shedd Spread instead of butter and the fast food is almost non-existant. Except…

• I Was Gonna…Eat Right. LOL.

  ladybeams

  22 Oct 2009 | 9:38 pm

  I was all prepared to come on here tonite and tell you all how well I’ve been doing and how much healthier I’m eating now that we’re cooking for ourselves in our new home. I went out to the kitchen to get something to drink before I started on this, and the significant other has made “Cheeseburger Macaroni” Hamburger Helper for dinner! LOL. God Bless him that he cooked while I’m trying to get “caught up” but good grief… So, at least it’s 1) homemade so it’s not as bad as the 400 calorie cheeseburgers we’ve been eating…

• Getting Back on the Weight Loss Track

  ladybeams

  26 Sep 2009 | 12:36 pm

  It’s true. The poorer you are the less you can afford to eat healthy and take care of yourself. Here in Silicon Valley for the last week channel 5 here has been doing a special about living on $4.00 a day for food. The consumer advocate put herself on a budget of $4.00 a day because our unemployment is up over 12% and many, many people are on food stamps. That is their allotment. One of the first things she noticed was she had to switch from fresh fruit to frozen. The other thing she did was fill up on more starchy food for fullness versus healthier food. I’m not sure I would have…

• International Bacon Day

  ladybeams

  6 Sep 2009 | 7:45 am

  Bacon on the hoof Obviously, those of us who have had to restrict what we eat (diet), understand that bacon is not diet-friendly unless you’re only counting carbs. It is however one of America’s best loved foods, and evidently so much so someone has decided it to be worthy of it’s own holiday. Sept. 5th was International Bacon Day! It seems appropriate for kicking off a 3-day holiday weekend. For many of us, the regular weekend is all we need to forget the healthy food we ate for breakfast all week long and chow down on bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, toast, maybe pancakes, etc.

• I Knew Alli Was Too Good To Be True!

  ladybeams

  25 Aug 2009 | 7:43 am

  Well, that’s not completely honest. I just knew I wasn’t going to try it because the warning about “anal leakage” scares the hell out of me. LOL. I’m sure anyone in the diet world has heard the news that broke yesterday (I think). They’re saying Alli may cause liver damage. According to the newswires, regulators are assessing at least 32 reports of liver problems between 1999 and 2008 in patients taking the weight-loss drug orlistat (I wonder if that’s the same fake fat they use to make a lot of foods fat-free? No, that’s orlean. Is it the same?

• 
  Midlife Slices™

• Scary Faces of Halloween

  Midlife Slices

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:13 pm

  A Little Halloween Fun. X I was in Oklahoma so I only have pictures of the Oklahoma grands.  Aren’t they cute?  Scary?  Freaky?  Of course none of these compare to this.  Oh my! x This is the Booty Shaker and I at her little brother’s funeral this week, but we still managed to find something to smile about. [...]

• A Foot On The Dash and A Broom In The Eye

  Midlife Slices

  30 Oct 2009 | 3:39 pm

  Update on the N1H1 and new baby crisis:   All is well *so far* and as of this very second everyone is healthy.  Stubborn can go back to school Monday and Buddha Belly baby is healthy and happy as a little clam.  Thank you all for your comforting words and concern.  Muah! x According to Hunka Burnin Love, [...]

• I’ve Got Some ‘Splainin To Do

  Midlife Slices

  24 Oct 2009 | 1:21 pm

  I’m freaking out because N1H1 has hit our family.  My 5 year old grandson, aka Stubborn, has it now.  His mom was all over it quickly so they all started taking Tamiflu right away but I’m really worried about my 2 month old grandson aka Buddha Belly (BB) because I just so happen to have [...]

• This Is Progress, Right??

  Midlife Slices

  11 Oct 2009 | 8:27 pm

  We ARE making progress on the guest house but it’s still not as far along as it should be.  It’s been a matter of keeping everything running on schedule but there’s always that one (or sometimes two) that throws a big monkey wrench in the whole works and brings progress to a halt. S In this case [...]

• Let’s Hope I Don’t Get Bored

  Midlife Slices

  6 Oct 2009 | 2:06 pm

  My sister has been here for 4 days and left this morning.  I miss her.  HBL leaves tomorrow for 5 days.  I’ll miss him too. x The plumber and electrician just finished today so the rest of the sheetrock didn’t get put up so that means the tape and texture person can’t finish which means I can’t [...]

• 
  Nanny Goats in Panties

• Maybe I Just Have a Hole in My Lip

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pm

  Have you ever had the feeling that any minute now, love will find a way? That the answer is just blowing in the wind? That bananas will remain yellow for more than 28 hours in the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter after you've brought them home from the grocery store? Yeah, me neither. You would think that after forty-some-odd years, I would acknowledge my drinking problem and stop wearing white clothes out to dinner. Upon my second sip of some Pinot Noir at Roxy the other night, I gave up trying to taste the wine, and decided it was far more important to wear it. I need an intervention,…

• Goat Thing of the Day: Thunderboxes

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am

  You know, for the life of me, I can't figure out why an outhouse would be called a Thunderbox, but here you go. (via Sparky of My Thoughts Exactly) Somebody said seeing this one might give me a clue. Nope. Still don't get it. FYI: These outhouses were part of a traveling art project earlier this year called Thunderbox Road. 

• It's Not Easy Being Green

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:43 pm

  I can't stand it when I order a single pea pod by mail and Peas Pods R Us insist on sending it a box the size of a small rhino. It's so wasteful. Earlier this year in Hawaii, I arrived at the car rental place just wanting to get to the condo after a long flight. I grabbed the keys from the car rental lady, not paying much attention when she said, "This is all we had". I was just hoping it wasn't a motorcycle, since there were three of us. Counting parking space numbers, I was disheartened to see this in our designated space. photo credit Yep. That's a Hummer H3, all right. Navigating a…

• Goat Thing of the Day: Haiti

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  31 Oct 2009 | 8:12 pm

  Sometimes I just drown in the goat stuff you guys send me. So while I did save this first photo, I can't for the life of me find its source link, although I do know that it was in some Florida newspaper, it was about goats going to help Haiti and that the photo was taken by one David Tucker. Oh, and that it was sent to me by my friend Dane. Hello there! Goats sure like to ham, don't they? Or is it pigs? Anyway, if we're on the subject of Haiti (and I believe we are), Owen from Magic Lantern went to Haiti in 1997 and showed me his goat photos like this piece of Haitian folk art made of iron: I…

• Of Grandmas and Chocolate

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:44 pm

  I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth. So my palate wasn't exactly...evolved. When I was a kid I hated German chocolate cake. Actually, I didn't like chocolate at all, but add that funky coconut or whatever it was that made a cake German chocolate and.....BLEH! My favorite cake was yellow cake with vanilla frosting. The same thing with ice cream. My favorite flavor was vanilla. Plain old vanilla. Or maybe sometimes strawberry. But never chocolate! And leave the nuts off the sundaes, please. Also? I didn't like the taste of coffee as a kid. So forget coffee candy or the ick of icks: rum…

• 
  Not What it Seems

• Bittersweet

  Denise

  27 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am

  The fall is here. So is my seasonal nostalgia. Somebody, somewhere said the word, bittersweet, and I remembered going out with my mother and her clippers; cutting this plant and decorating the house and the front door.She loved bittersweet but always told me it was illegal to cut. Is this true? I'm not sure because she also told me it was illegal to drive barefoot. We don't have bittersweet here on the island. Our soil, if it can be called that with the high amount of sand in it, is different than that which I grew up with too. Here, when I dig I find shells. At home, my hands came out of the…

• Addiction

  Denise

  25 Oct 2009 | 4:07 am

  I have neither sympathy nor empathy for addicts of any kind. Unpopular as that opinion may be since the advent of the belief system that addiction is a disease, I cannot change my mind.Growing up I was surrounded by alcoholics, raised by children of alcoholics and watched many family members become addicts of some type or another. Even my own daughter.Underlying the addiction of most people is a mental illness. That is the disease that causes self-medication by drugs or alcohol.When you see yourself losing everything; jobs, family, friends, respect and you still indulge your "disease" you are…

• Space

  Denise

  22 Oct 2009 | 3:08 am

  I am not talking about the final frontier. I am speaking of mental space. I have some. It pleases me.

• I must have missed something

  Denise

  28 Sep 2009 | 5:59 am

  The other day I headed out to the bank; drove right up to where the drive-up ATM is, and IT'S GONE! POOF! So, I drive back around the parking lot to the drive-up window and see a new ATM, in front of the bank. One where you must get out of your car and walk-up. " Oh, I guess we will have two now. They must be getting ready to put in a new drive-up one as well."When I get to the window with a real live person, I ask. And the answer is no, they are NOT installing a new drive-up ATM. We are going back in time here folks. I did a quick check in the mirror to see if I, too, had gone back in time…

• I know what's on Santa's list

  Denise

  18 Sep 2009 | 7:29 am

  One of the most charming qualities of living here is that people will talk to you anywhere and tell you stories.While waiting at the bus stop for the boy yesterday, a man pulled up in a truck with his little Jack Russell terrier sniffing out of the window."I grew up in this neighborhood, right over in that house. There used to be a chicken house there, and one over there. And there was a general store too, right on that corner. They bootlegged out of it. And see that gray house down the end of the street?"He pointed down the lane at my daughter's house."There was a lady bootlegger lived…

• 
  Out On The Stoop

• Senior Health Info form the National Institute of Health

  Gena

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:58 am

  More stuff from the conference to pass on. The National Institute of Health has a website designed specifically for seniors.This is reliable health care information from the government. In addition, there is a speedy way to change the text size. There is an option to change the contrast on the page; in this case you can have a high contrast black or white web page. You also can have have the page read itself to you or your relative. You don't have to be a senior to appreciate some of the features.

• Paying It Forward - Census Job Information

  Gena

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am

  I participated in the prior census and it was a hoot. It might be a tad more challenging this time around but I hear that there are a few folks looking for work so what the heck.I attended the California Library Association Conference. Well, I could only afford the Exhibit Hall. I made my visitations and notice that the Census Bureau had a table. I like to pick up the CD copy of the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Yeah, I'm wired that way. I'll read anything. It is actually kind of cool and you can get ideas for stories and such stuff.Anyway, I glance down and there is stuff about…

• Start Out Impossible and Work My Way Up

  Gena

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:31 am

  Every Sunday I have this list of things to do. And every Sunday evening I feel like a failure. There is the home stuff and the reading/researching stuff and the fuck it I want to take a nap stuff and the when do I get time to create stuff and on and on and on.So today, I think I am going to try something different. No list. Just time units. 10 minutes of one thing and they do something completely different. Seeing how there are sixty minutes in an hour I should be able to get six things done. In theory. Now, I know me. I'll start in on something knowing that I only have 10 minutes and next…

• Mathematical Pi on the Halloween Freakout

  Gena

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:20 am

  Now sure I could post some of the usual suspects for the start of the consumption season. But I'm not one to always go down the well worn path. So today, in honor of the moon, moon pies, cherry pies, and especially chocolate coconut cream pies I thought a little appreciation should be shown to the smallest pi of them all 3.14 and a bunch of digits.After all, you can't have much of anything without a circle, no matter what the square boys say. For those of you who are traditionalists, I don't want to leave you hanging so...Now I know number and math phobias are not what Halloween is about but…

• Search Engine Tips - How To Use Intitle Operator

  Gena

  29 Oct 2009 | 7:01 pm

  This was an experiment I did to see if I could make a short video explaining a topic. I want to get better at creating informational videos and screencast.At some point you have to take a chance. The first steps are the hardest.I looked at Ask.com, Bing and Google and made this short video screencast on using the Intitle search operator.Feedback welcomed.

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  Seasonality: The Common Sense Guide to Living the Good Life

• BONJOUR!

  Hill Country Hippie

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am

  "All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." - GuntherThe above quote is one which I painted on the only piece of pottery I ever made - a coffee mug. It is a sentiment I have always believed to be true. Apparently the French would agree.In the first chapter of his book Joie de Vivre, Robert Arbor discusses how the French begin their day. His attitude is, since you are going to eat breakfast every day, you might as well make it nice - a time to savor. Any kind of pressure at breakfast starts the day off on the wrong foot, but a simple and pleasant breakfast "lifts you right into the day's…

• GUILT

  Hill Country Hippie

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:16 am

  John was super quiet when he got back from California, which can mean one of two things - either he's not feeling up to par, or he's stewing about something. When I'd try to pry it out of him, he'd say "I'm fine, just a little tired from the long drive."Finally, after he got back to Houston, he sent me an email in which he fessed up. It seems that the combination of the kids both being financially shaky right now, his volunteering to go on half-pay temporarily in order to avoid laying anyone off at his company, and our investments taking another nosedive, just when we were hopeful that the…

• LONG TIME, NO SEE & DOIN' MY PART

  Hill Country Hippie

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

  I'd all but forgotten the beauty of a misty morning here in the Hill Country - the way the sun creeps up and catches the low-lying mist that is tucked into all the crevices, and which follows the path of the creek as it snakes in and out of the hills. Of course, you gotta have some water in the creek, and temps well below 107, if you want to glimpse one of these mornings, so it's been a while!The cantina garden is beginning to come together. They added stucco to the arch yesterday, and the cedar posts have been delivered and dropped into their pockets. Now they just need to be leveled up and…

• WE NOW RETURN YOU TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

  Hill Country Hippie

  3 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pm

  Let's see. Where were we? Ah yes! We were discussing joie de vivre, and having a give-away! Shall we continue?Robert Arbor was born and raised in France, but decided he needed to see the world. While in Hong Kong, he met and married a young American who was in the fashion business. He followed her back to New York, and since he needed something to do, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, he worked in various French restaurants, then took a peach of a job at Chase Manhattan Bank's private corporate dining room, so that he could actually spend some time with his wife.

• THINK I'LL KEEP HER

  Hill Country Hippie

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:54 am

  Well, my darling daughter is finally back in Texas. Woohoo! In fact, she's back in the house here with me for the time being, until she manages to land a job. So the question is, can we both adjust to being roomies again, after each having spent several years ruling our own roost, doing whatever we want, whenever we want? Time will tell!One thing is for certain though - it sure is nice to have someone around who knows more about computers than I do. She saved me from putting my boot through that sorry son of a gun just yesterday. I can deal with the fact that things don't always work right…

• 
  Telling It Like It Is

• Earn Extra Money From Home in Your Spare Time Freelance Writing Online

  Lin

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Do you need to make online cash? A lot of people feel the need to make money online and if you are someone who wants to earn extra money from home in your spare time or on a full-time basis to help pay the bills, freelance writing should be at the top of your list of things to learn how to do. There are a lot of ways to make money from home, and I’m not referring to stuffing envelopes, doing paid online surveys or trying to make money mystery shopping. Nor am I going to recommend any kind of “earn money at home” job that is nothing but a scam. If you want or need to earn money from…

• Freelance Writing Guide to Freelance Writing – Get Paid to Write Online

  Lin

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Do you want to become a freelance writer and get paid to write online or offline as a well paid writer? Do you know what freelance writing is and how much money you can make as a freelancer? Do you want to quit your job and work from home writing freelance articles, perhaps as a newspaper or magazine writer, and get paid to write? Maybe you are a stay-at-home mom or you lost your job in the recession and want to know how to become a freelance writer and work for yourself without the stress and worry of where the next paycheck will come from. Well then, you should seriously consider the fact…

• How to Manipulate Parents and Get Parents to Do What You Want

  Lin

  29 Oct 2009 | 8:21 pm

  Learning how to manipulate parents, and doing whatever is deemed necessary to get parents to do what kids, teens and adult children want, sometimes turns into a virtual war between kids and parents. Manipulating parents, often referred to as emotional extortion, means that there are kids of all ages who will do just about anything to get parents to say yes to something, even when saying yes puts parents in a precarious position. Do children manipulate parents? Oh yes they do, and adult children are just as good at stooping to whatever level they see fit to get their parents to do what the kid…

• Genealogy, Family Tree Maker Family History Software, Genealogy Records Research

  Lin

  28 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

  Genealogy research and tracing my family tree history has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. October is Family History Month and there is no better way to celebrate but to begin creating a family tree of your own with names, stories, photos, vital records, birth dates, marriages, divorces, deaths etc for a complete family history of your ancestry and roots. Genealogy or ancestry research can seem rather daunting for a beginner, especially when you consider the time it takes collecting family documents and records kept in old Bibles, going to libraries checking through large…

• Need a Divorce Lawyer? Common Divorce Mistakes Women Make

  Lin

  24 Oct 2009 | 3:33 pm

  Amy writes, “Do I need a divorce lawyer or can I represent myself?” After 30 years of marriage her husband wants a divorce, which begs the questions: Do you need a divorce lawyer to handle your divorce case? Why? When should you hire a divorce lawyer, and when is it okay to get a do-it-yourself divorce with or without the help of divorce books or online divorce forms? Divorce laws are different in each state, and while you can get a divorce without a lawyer, doing so can be very risky if you don’t know what you are doing. One of the biggest mistakes women (and men) make in matters…

• 
  Hot Flashes

• Be Honest, How Many Sizes Do You Keep In Your Closet?

  fabmom

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  This is NOT just a question posed for women. Men over 30, I am talking to you too. You know you keep those old jeans around out of nostalgia, in the hopes that the beer belly you gradually have acquired gets tapered down from all those sporting activities you still partake in. (Okay, that last comment was directed specifically at my husband!)   As for women, I am among the legions who hold on to favorite items of clothing even though those cute clothes are a size (or two) down.   After my divorce many years ago, I didn't have any appetite and lost quite a bit of weight. I was…

• Fatal Atrractions: Being Stupid By Trying to Get Some on the Job

  fabmom

  30 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am

  I posted a blog not long ago about my opinion of David Letterman being a sexual predator because he was coming from a position of power in a working environment. I unleashed a bunch of anger for calling him that. But now it looks like I was right. Just read this interview to get a clue. Some of us understood what Letterman did all those years was more than "two consenting coworkers dating" as many of my commenters suggested. ( a naive blinders-on viewpoint if I ever heard one) It's coming to light, with stories such as this, that Lettman created a very uncomfortable work place for females,…

• Dream/Nightmare of Teeth Crumbling and Falling Out Comes True

  fabmom

  26 Oct 2009 | 6:01 am

  I recently read on a website that one of the most common nightmares is the one I have had recurring since I was a small child. It is one where you dream very vividly that your teeth all crumble and fall out, and you wake up thinking you are toothless. This means, according to dream analysts, one of two things: I am vain about my appearance, or I have anxiety about embarrassing myself. Well, I am a bit vain, thanks to a combination of a mother who made me that way focusing on looks; and spending my important formative years being yucky looking and getting teased. So while I do care about my…

• Another Pet Peeve: Rubbernecking and Other Scary Driving Habits

  fabmom

  22 Oct 2009 | 6:01 am

  The other day I came "this close" to being in an accident. You know the scenario - you slam on the brakes and see that you were, by just inches, mercifully spared from the grief of an accident, but even so your heart is pounding like crazy and your adrenaline is pumping away.   The cause? Some people on the freeway were rubbernecking, causing a major backup on two lanes of the road, and people were swerving right to get on a better lane. So some idiot, probably on his cell phone as well and not paying attention cut me off. As mad as I was at that driver that almost collided with me,…

• Balloon Boy and Gosselins: When Using Kids for Fame Takes a New Low

  fabmom

  18 Oct 2009 | 8:53 am

  I hate to say I called this, but at least I was skeptical from the get-go as the rest of the nation was riveted by the "balloon boy" saga. Once I read that the family appeared on "Wife Swap" not once - but twice, and that they wanted a reality show of their own, I figured it was a big publicity stunt. It was hard for me to believe a child could get "accidentally" on a balloon that became airborne. This usually only happens in Pixar/Disney movies like "Up." (A-Ha! This is where they got the idea for their stunt!) Once these wacky parents got a taste of fame, they just couldn't live without it.

• 
  Queen of Planet Hotflash

• Ridin the Crazy Train

  QueenofPlanetHotflash

  13 Oct 2009 | 1:31 pm

  Okay when I last left off on the tale of the MIL we had a blow up over MIL and ex brother in law asking for money to buy a house, my hubby flipping out ( which he NEVER does) and we left to get some Tylenol for me. While we were out “getting Tylenol” and my hubby started to mellow out we decided to stay in a hotel that night . I went back in to MIL apartment ex BIL had went somewhere and MIL was on the phone, as I tried to explain to her that we felt it would be better to stay in a hotel so we could discuss what she and Ex BIL had asked us, she just shooed me away and said, “alright!!

• Queen's Paradise

  QueenofPlanetHotflash

  8 Oct 2009 | 11:28 am

  Thank~You everyone for the comments and support I needed it. Hubby supports me but ya know he loves me and doesn't want to rock the boat in the menopause sea haha. But anywayyyy..We moved two weeks ago and it has lifted my spirits to the max, however,(isn't there always a however or a but?) I moved away from two of my children and three of my grandgirls and that tore at my heart,I also knew it was time for me and my hubby to start a life for us, not that my kids & grands won't still be in our life, but we have been married five years and have never been alone always had a kid in and out. So…

• Mama's melt down at the weddin rehearsal

  QueenofPlanetHotflash

  5 Oct 2009 | 2:41 pm

  My baby married in August. I love her with all my heart and soul after all she is my baby. But she always seems to find ways that hurt my heart,and I am not so sure she is oblivious to the fact that she does it. First she and my ex husbands wife went and picked out her wedding gown without asking me to go with. Granted I live in a different state but if asked I would have swam the Mississippi to be there to help my daughter pick out her wedding dress. All I got though was a text message and a text photo of " here's my wedding dress" Tater also sent a text saying,"Pizzle(name for the ex's…

• Comes sliding in full of Piss n Vinegar

  QueenofPlanetHotflash

  4 Oct 2009 | 2:14 pm

  Four months!!!! Four friggin months, did she vanish from the face of the earth? Noooo but I am sure there are some that crossed their fingers and toes wishing hahaha. I am back living in a new location, feeling 110% better and working on life in general.Tater got married end of August I had a hormonal breakdown which I will relate in another post. Moved to Florida and L-O-V-I-N-G it!!! Okay I hafta do somethings but more tomorrow.IS ANYONE STILL READING ???? Waving HellooooGonna catch up on all my missed readings soon too.

• Geessshhh she's here then she's NOT

  QueenofPlanetHotflash

  15 Jun 2009 | 10:38 am

  Sorry about that, I quit in the middle of my MIL Drama but ..I had back surgery, I have degenerative disc disease and I fell in the winter and surgery now, I shall be back as the famous words were said .. feeling better, able to move around more, drugs are awesome..

• 
  Talk2Bev

• Quality Over Quantity in Social Media

  BeverlyM

  23 Oct 2009 | 6:45 pm

  One of the things I've come to learn over the years is success isn't always defined by the number of people who show up for your Event. Having a standing room only crowd is what we, as event organizers hope for, but if that doesn't happen you can still claim victory if you have provided a quality program.On Saturday, October 17 at the Capital City Club in Raleigh, NC, a small, intimate audience was priviledged to receive valuable information from six of the finest women and four of the most terrific men in social media. HeatherO, Olalah Njenga, and Deidre Hughey from NC demonstrated why they…

• Does the Good Ol' Boy Network Exist in Social Media?

  BeverlyM

  6 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Certainly, you've heard of the good ol' boy network. According to Wikipedia, good ol' boy describes a system of social networking and perceptions alleged to exist prevalently among certain communities and social strata in the United States.So, is it just me or are there others wondering if there are men in cyberspace who are trying to corner the market on social media? I see this happening on Twitter. There seems to be a certain group of men who have created a network within a network--while making it difficult for women to crack their code.The research tells us that men network differently…

• Social Media and Married Couples

  BeverlyM

  23 Sep 2009 | 12:38 pm

  My husband isn't really into online social networking (as you can tell by the number of friends he has) but he did join Facebook and Twitter. The other day I happened to visit his Facebook page and noticed that he was connected to his ex-wife. I immediately wanted to know WHY? He said, very nonchalantly, she sent him an invitation and he accepted it. That opened up a can of worms for me. Why would his ex wife feel the need to be connected to him online? It didn't make any sense to me and I asked him to defriend her--which I'm happy to report, he did.That incident brings me to a few points I'd…

• What to Do When Your Reputation is Tarnished

  BeverlyM

  15 Sep 2009 | 8:18 pm

  Last weekend, my husband and I traveled to Wilmington, NC for a mini vacation getaway. Without going through the whole story, I'm just going to cut to the chase. The hotel we stayed at, Courtyard by Marriott, was not up to our standards. This was quite a surprise because I have stayed in a number of Courtyard by Marriott hotels and they have always been top notch!But not this one---the first room we were given smelled like mildew. I complained and was given a second room--which smelled of smoke. Mind you, this was supposed to be a non-smoking hotel. Finally, the third room we were given was…

• Is it OK to Steal Ideas?

  BeverlyM

  10 Sep 2009 | 2:24 pm

  When I joined my first online networking site in 2006, I did so because I had a purpose. I was trying to sell my book: Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age. I had no idea what all would be involved. I just felt I had a great book and wanted others to know about it.It was only after I realized that no one cared about my "great book" that I had to figure out a strategy. Why weren't they interested? That's when I started lurking around--checking out people I respected to see what they were doing online. This is what I discovered: Too many people use internet internet marketing only…

• 
  Baby Boomer Talk & other stuff

• Your First Job

  BeverlyM

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm

  Viewers of WFAA-TV in Dallas got a real treat today when they got to see the Queen of Daytime TV on their TV screen. Instead of doing her daily show, Oprah co-anchored the 5pm news. This was all a part of her "Celebrities Go Back to their First Jobs" segment.Actually, being a TV anchor wasn't Oprah's first job. According to her website,her first job was really in Nashville where she worked at the corner grocery store next to her father's barber shop. I guess the grocery store isn't there anymore.It got me to thinking about my very first job. It was for a marketing company who sent out…

• The Road Map of Life for College Students

  BeverlyM

  2 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

  Ever since my daughter was little, I always wanted her to see the best that America has to offer. That's why we traveled a lot. As a baby boomer mom and journalist who's been there and done that, I figured if she is going to be one of the future leaders of our great nation, it would be in her best interest to learn more than what she reads in a text book. Even now that she's in college I tell her not keep herself couped up in her dorm room--get out and explore the new town she's living in. It's not only an adventure, but you never know when you just might have an emergency that will call for…

• My Grandson's Birthday Makes Me Think...

  BeverlyM

  6 Sep 2009 | 1:50 pm

  On September 6, my grandson, Jarod, turned three-years-old. Just like most children, he had a birthday party filled with family and friends. What I love about my grandson is he will play with anybody. Unlike adults, he doesn't see race or sex--he just enjoys the idea of being a sociable little boy. That's why I so appreciate the fact that he has white playmates who also appreciate him for just being someone they like to play with.But here's the deal. That is going to change at some point. Jarod is going to grow into a black male who may become someone whites are fearful of for no other reason…

• The Old Fashioned Ways Still Work

  BeverlyM

  29 Aug 2009 | 10:06 am

  Now that I am back to being the primary caregiver for my two-year-old grandson, (while his mom is away at college), I am back to keeping up with his day-to-day routine.I am also doing my best to keep him relatively germ free as we move into flu season. One thing I must've forgotten over the years is how cold and flu season keeps a child sneezing, coughing and a runny nose to boot. As a baby boomer mom and grandmom, I didn't grow up with hand sanitizers (that I don't personally think work). The old fashioned remedy of keeping yourself germ free comes from washing your hands with good old soap…

• Career Advice I Never Forgot

  BeverlyM

  21 Aug 2009 | 2:45 pm

  I recently read a very good article by a guy named Steve Toback on how advice given by others helped shape his career. He outlined 10 pieces of advice he was given over the years. It got me to thinking about my own life and career path. As I reflect, I have come to realize that a lot of advice I received early on was NEGATIVE but it actually pushed me to strive harder to achieve my goals.Here are some of the things people have said to me over the years that stuck with me and helped play a role in the person I have become."If you think affirmative action is going to get you a job--you better…

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  BOOMER WORLD

• Why We Vote

  BeverlyM

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:34 pm

  I didn't realize it was election day until I drove past a neighborhood church and saw "Vote Here Today" signs on the lawn.To tell you the truth, I didn't see the point in voting. I mean, I spent all of my energy last year on the most important election of my lifetime and now that it's over, what's the point? Well, obviously there were many others who felt the same way as me. In a precinct that has more than 2000 registered voters, I ended up being voter #115. Pretty sad.THE POINT IS EVERY ELECTION SHOULD BE DEEMED AS IMPORTANT. The country was so focused on getting the Republicans out of…

• Walmart Saving You Money in Death

  BeverlyM

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:48 pm

  Walmart wants to make sure they get your last dollar--literally. The leading discount store has announced it is now selling coffins online. This is good news for baby boomers who may be looking to save money for retirement and beyond. Prices for the caskets range from $999 to $1,699. Surprisingly, Walmart isn't the first to sell caskets. Costco led the way and has a whole website dedicated to the handling of this delicate matter. Here are some of the Q&A's on their site:Q: Why is Costco Wholesale selling caskets?As a service to our members.Q: If members have more questions, where do they get…

• Baby Boomers, Need a Tax Write off for 2009?

  BeverlyM

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:29 pm

  I stumbled across an interesting article recently called the 10 Wackiest Tax Write Offs of 2008. The author called them wacky--but upon reading the list, I thought some of the write-offs had some merit. Take the lawyer, for example, who wrote off a $50,000 deduction for a party he gave in which many of his former and present clients were invited. Certainly they were talking business while sipping on the finest champagne and eating filet mignon.After careful thought I decided to create my own list to give my fellow baby boomers some ideas on how to stick it to Uncle Sam this year:Single Boomer…

• Why Chicago Didn't Get the Olympics Bid

  BeverlyM

  9 Oct 2009 | 7:10 pm

  Let me start off by giving you this poll: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America 2008New Orleans Camden, NJ Detroit St. Louis Oakland Flint, Mich. Gary, Ind. Birmingham, Ala. Richmond, Calif. North Charleston, SC Clearly, Chicago isn't on the list but, no doubt, it ought to be. Did you know the number of people murdered in Chicago during 2008 was larger than the number of U.S. soldier deaths in Iraq during the same period? 314 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq; 509 people were murdered in ChicagoWho would want to go to a city where their safety would possibly be in jeopardy?Do you think Mayor…

• Jesus on Twitter?

  BeverlyM

  24 Sep 2009 | 12:20 pm

  When I saw this headline the other day: What Would Jesus Tweet?---it immediately caught my attention. I went on to read the article---which was one preacher's take on using social media to spread the Word of God. Since Twitter has become all the rave, more and more people are coming up with interesting ways to tie the social media site to their own agenda. But I do think connecting Jesus to Twitter is over the top. Asking what would Jesus tweet means every time we write 140 characters, we should ask ourselves if this is a message Jesus would put out there. Would Jesus be an IN YOUR FACE kind…

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  Boomer Diva Nation

• Oprah is Fat, Can Anyone See That?

  Beverly

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am

  Guest Post by:  Leslie Ungar ***The views expressed in this article are soley those of the writer’s and does not reflect the opinion of Boomer Diva Nation***  Oprah is fat, period. That’s OK. Most of us struggle with weight and end up on the losing end at some time. There are two things that are not OK. One [...]

• 7 Work At Home Guidelines for the New Economy

  Beverly

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am

    With unemployment in the US reaching almost 10 percent, many people are transitioning from employee to entrepreneur. According to business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of When The Little Things Count…And They Always Count, “Out of necessity people are establishing their own businesses. Many of these new entrepreneurs are working from home and having to be [...]

• Save Your Business During Flu Season

  Beverly

  27 Oct 2009 | 11:26 am

    No one likes to get sick.  Depending on how bad you feel, you could be out of commission for awhile.  That’s definitely not good if you’re a woman in business who is responsible for paying bills and feeding the family. While the official flu season doesn’t start for a few months, the H1N1 flu is already [...]

• Overworked?

  Beverly

  6 Oct 2009 | 7:08 pm

    Special Post by:  Dr. Patricia A. Farrell  The Japanese have a word for it, karoshi (???). It means, literally, being worked to death by your employer. It’s been a legal reason for lawsuits in Japan since the 1990s. The first case noted of karoshi was of the death of a married worker in a major newspaper [...]

• Non Verbal Communication

  Beverly

  18 Sep 2009 | 2:13 pm

    Guest post by:  Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D A recent study from the University of Chicago found that the more gestures babies used at 14 months (shaking a head “no,” raising arms to be picked up, pointing at an object of interest, etc.), the more words they had in their vocabulary at 31/2 years old. Which is no [...]

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  Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis

• Surrender

  Kip de Moll

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:51 am

  I am raised in a family of achievers.Before the age of five and entering kindergarten, I knew well it was my German ancestor, a century earlier, who had “invented” the concept that children, like flowers, should be raised in a garden of opportunities to discover, whose hand carved pony in our living room I could rock so fast. Long before a picture surfaced on the internet as proof, I believed

• Let Go, Let Love

  Kip de Moll

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am

  For a lifetime, I have had my mother to talk over the joys and pains in my world. Even with four other sisters vying for her attention, she always had an ear for me.There was the usual and customary place at the end of the kitchen counter where I stood on a little foot stool—no matter the age—and shared my stories while she cooked dinner. A great marble table was the energetic center of the house

• Broken Armor

  Kip de Moll

  29 Oct 2009 | 1:04 pm

  This accident was no accident.The morning began with the composition of an essay about my father, the first written step towards admitting all was not as safe and secure in my childhood as the legend describes. When the writing reached a culmination of intensity, I stepped to the piano and caressed the form of a song out of my head, a shimmer of joy grown a little more solid.All morning the need

• Status

  Kip de Moll

  12 Oct 2009 | 5:47 pm

  Despite the brilliance of leaves turning and dropping, this time in Vermont can be very gloomy, thick with clouds, heavy with rain, dreary with the thundering silent approach of winter. At least this year, rather than dreading the struggles of cold and snow, I anticipate the pleasure of skiing with my Skatter Monkies.Like a squirrel counting his nuts, this seems a time of taking stock, measuring

• Up, Up & Awa-a-ay

  Kip de Moll

  17 Sep 2009 | 7:33 am

  Fall nudges its way into our lives, a few leaves at a time, one brilliant branch spreading to another. In a mere eight weeks, our skis will have likely touched snow.Over the summer (that some call miserably wet, but I think was more than half dry), I heard Jackson Browne, Emmy Lou Harris and several others sing to their hearts’ pleasure on a hillside meadow at The Shelburne Museum, their backs to

• 
  ask allison: the middle-Aged woman’s go to girl

• Women And Community

  admin

  30 Oct 2009 | 4:33 am

  After a long, hot, and challenging summer, I am suddenly feeling there is light at the end of the tunnel.And, I am awash in gratitude that the fog seems to be lifting.I’m getting really excited about my real estate gig and the people I’ve affiliated with, they are SUCH smart business people all the way round, I can see I’ll be learning a TON about real estate AND business in general. But, as I’ve mentioned, I also have such neat women committed to contributing regularly to WomenBloom.I will be telling you all about them, but I have this feeling deep inside that the friendships I’m…

• 51 Years Old, Going On 14

  admin

  22 Oct 2009 | 7:45 pm

  I know that whenever I go home to visit Mom and Dad, I feel as though I’m about 14 again.  Mom gets all excited and asks me what I want to eat, and then cooks all my favorites.  She has nice new sheets on the beds, and lets me sleep in (as well as I can since I can’t really sleep anymore past about 7 anymore but it’s the thought that counts). I admit that in this situation I let her have her way with me.  I like it.  I’m not stupid. But, one would think that once you hit at least your 40s for sure, your parents would finally have learned to see you as the adult you are.  You…

• VERY Funny Take On Men’s And Women’s Brains

  admin

  6 Oct 2009 | 1:37 pm

  Whanh, whanh!  This is a very funny guy with alot of funny videos on the differences between us women and men.  Now, we KNOW we’re different, anyone can see that, but if we all approached it like Mark Gungor, our relationships would probably be alot better.  At least they’d be funnier This one explains the BASIC difference and I think we all know about the ‘nothing’ box in men’s brains Enjoy!

• Is There Simplicity On The Other Side?

  admin

  1 Oct 2009 | 8:05 am

  My life has been pretty simple for the past number of years.  Single, no kids, parents still independent and since moving out of my house a couple of years ago to share a friend’s house, no big house upkeep responsibilities.  I’m busy since I like my time full, but really that isn’t the same as being complicated. But these past months, I have had an eye opening look into just how complex our lives really are.  And, I think it’s REALLY not good for us. I’ve said for a long time one reason it’s hard to find a lasting relationship in midlife is because we have so much baggage. …

• Inevitable Signs Of Aging? Not Necessarily

  admin

  24 Sep 2009 | 12:30 pm

  This is a bit of a weird duck post, but I am betting many of you have aches and pains you think are just inevitable aging signs.  Well, read on… In late July, I headed to the Texas beaches with Tall Slow Talkin’ Texan man and his 27 year old daughter and 12 year old son for a few days.  Dangerous combination.  Daughter inherited her Dad’s athleticism and has been doing fitness boot camps for months.  What I’m sayin’ is she looks like a powerful sleek young goddess and seeing her in her swimsuit for several days made me oh so nostalgic for the days when I too was in fab shape…

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  AARP Bulletin Today

• UMaine clinic vaccinates at-risk students

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  ORONO, Maine -- A two-day H1N1 flu vaccine clinic at the University of Maine got off to a smooth start Thursday, with about 300 high-risk students getting an injected dose of the scarce vaccine. The clinic, held at the Cutler Health Center, will be open again today, but all available doses already have been assigned. According to Wayne Maines, director of safety and environmental management at the Orono campus, a total of 800 doses of H1N1 vaccine were available this week for any university students who fit into high-risk categories established by the U.

• Mainer recalls time as hostage in Iran 30 years ago

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  MOUNT DESERT, Maine -- Moorhead Kennedy still remembers in vivid detail the day three decades ago when he and more than 60 other Americans were taken hostage at the U. S. Embassy in Iran. Working as an economist for the U.

• UPDATE WITH VIDEO

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:57 am

  GRUNDY CENTER -- It took a Grundy County jury just over two hours to convict Michelle Kehoe on charges she killed her 2-year-old son Seth and tried to kill her other 7-year-old son Sean. Kehoe, 36, of Coralville, was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and child endangerment resulting in serious injury. Kehoe's hands trembled before she wiped tears from her face as District Court Judge Bruce Zager read the verdict forms.

• Big City: Happy Times at the Dog Run, Now Coming to an End

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:28 am

  It’s considered impolite, yet everyone slips up occasionally. How can anyone be blamed for mixing up the name of a dog with that of its owner, especially when the dog is Henry and his owner goes by Rags. Even still, Dick Sebastian resolved he would not make that particular mistake, or any similar one, at the small-dog run in Washington Square Park he started frequenting a few years ago with his wife, Susie, and his dog, Kitty (grounds for more confusion, but that was someone else’s problem).

• IRS owes refunds to 969 in state

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:25 am

  The Internal Revenue Service is trying to track down 969 Connecticut taxpayers who are owed a collective $1. 2 million in undelivered tax refunds. The IRS Thursday released its annual list of taxpayers who are owed refunds.

• 
  Midlife Musings

• Guts or Balls?

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm

  Since we are all interested in using the right words, thought this would interest you. Guts or Balls? There is a medical distinction. We've all heard about people having guts or balls, but do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definitions are listed below: GUTS - Is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?" BALLS - Is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your…

• 39 Things

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:41 pm

  Well, Dr. Jekyll left yesterday at about 3pm. I am having the best time... OMG. I hate to say it but I am just enjoying the peace and quiet. Being with Dr. Jekyll is like having a parent again. Are all marriages like this, or am I overreacting?? *sigh* I dunno. Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments yesterday. I felt so much better after I read them. Some of you gave me food for thought, and I am ruminating on them and will post some more later.I got a gift certificate to my favorite spa from my staff for Boss's Day last month. Sometimes it's GOOD to be King! er....Queen in my case.

• Is it bad that I'm excited that he'll be gone for a week?!?

  29 Oct 2009 | 8:34 am

  Well Dr. Jekyll's company has a new line of equipment that is coming out, and he needs to train on it, so that when he goes into the field to fix them, he can actually fix them. Makes sense, right?Normally, these trainings are held at the main shop here in town. This time, the training is being held in their Roseville office, which is 2 hours from here and too much for commuting daily to the five-day training. Next week, Dr. Jekyll will be going to Roseville beginning Sunday afternoon and won't return until Friday afternoon.Can I say Woot?? Can I get a yahoo?? Is it bad that I'm this excited…

• A kinder, gentler trainer?

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:18 am

  So, one of the many and varied reasons I refuse balk at exercise, is the whole gym thing. I am so not a gym person, and the thought of exercising among all those hip, young, toned bodies just intimidates the hell out of me. The thought of actually working out in a gym causes me serious flashbacks to high school locker room trauma. Yes, even women have locker room trauma; that isn't limited to men only. Although, clearly a penis measuring contest isn't something that is a problem. In a girls' high school locker room, it's more about breast size and personal competition than anything else. High…

• They get you in the end . . .

  23 Oct 2009 | 7:28 am

  I've been absolutely slammed at work, so no time for a long post. I usually post either from work or in the evenings, but I have been so busy at work I haven't been able to stop to breathe, let alone blog. And evenings ...well you know, I'm seriously addicted to SL. SO.... anyway. Plus I've had a really bad cold. Ugh.I had my colonoscopy...and it was not bad at all. It was no big deal. They give you some medicine and away you go into la-la land. I wasn't completely out but I don't remember much. No biggie. I freaked out over nothing, people. NOTHING. The prep, now...that's another story. The…

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  BoomerCafé ... it's your place

• Household Sex

  Cafe

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:46 am

  Dr. Bill RoiterLet’s be honest: probably most of us have spent our lives chasing sex. With dates, with spouses, whatever. So what happens when the chase is over and the sex grows routine? Dr. Bill Roiter says, do the dishes, or wash the car. Why? Because your partner might then come up to you and say, “Hey, sexy … ” Want to do the dishes or maybe wash the car? Most of us men know that some women are turned on when their men do housework, and a study published in an October online issue of Journal of Family confirms this. Dad doing the dishes or vacuuming the living room can give…

• A Boomer’s Run With The Mountain

  Cafe

  21 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am

  Talia Carner One thing about us boomers that no one in any generation can deny: we are not just inventive, not just energetic … but we are undefeated. This doesn’t always matter, but when storyteller Talia Carner hurt herself on a ski slope, it mattered big-time. We’re only as old as we feel. Not a cloud in the sky. The air is crisp and cold, neutralized, devoid of any smell from a world that is not just pure white and powdery. I fill my lungs. In the silence, all I hear is the swoosh, swoosh, swoosh of the snow scrunching under my skis. Swoosh to the right, swoosh to the left, what…

• Greg’s Dispatch from Europe

  Cafe

  10 Oct 2009 | 8:49 am

  Greg Dobbs, co-founder and publisher of BoomerCafé, has been traveling across Europe to report for HDNet’s World Report about two major issues of relevance to Americans. In his spare moments, Greg has jotted some notes and observations to share with family and friends: October 2009, from somewhere over Europe…. sometimes perhaps on it…. and in all likelihood for the last part of the letter, high above the Atlantic, heading home … Dear Family and Friends, I am starting this letter on a flight from Amsterdam to London. But it’s a short distance and thus a short flight, and…

• Henderson Makes Sense of Online World

  Cafe

  9 Oct 2009 | 4:55 am

  Talk show host Jim Bohannon (left) with David E. Henderson BoomerCafé co-founder and publisher David E. Henderson’s new book, “Making News in the Digital Era,” is of particular relevance to baby boomers because it helps to decipher what’s happening in today’s complex world of online social media. A communications strategist and journalist by profession, it’s David’s 4th book on the media and how any organization or person can build awareness: By David E. Henderson I like radio talk show host Jim Bohannon (in photo on the right). Always have.

• Best Employers for Baby Boomers

  Cafe

  8 Oct 2009 | 2:27 pm

  Before the recession kicked into high gear, officials at Cornell University faced an imminent staffing problem: retiring baby boomers, reports U.S. News & World Report. “We started out the year expecting a very high level of turnover,” says Mary Opperman, the university’s vice president for human resources. Instead, they got an economic tsunami. The school saw its endowment plunge 27 percent during the 2009 fiscal year. Officials soon had a very different problem: They needed to cut jobs. Click for the full story.

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  Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty

• Over-the-Road Trucks Need Boattail to Be Sleeker and Greener

  goinglikesixty

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am

  We live near an interstate and often jump on exit 26 near our house and run down to exit 24 to avoid low-speed traffic. We also like to go to Nashvegas fairly often on the interstate. And you have wondered the same thing when you are sharing the road with the behemoths of the roadways… Why aren’t over-the-road trucks more aerodynamic? Some truck makers and after-market dealers have tried to make the truck more aerodynamic with body panels that knife through the air or swoop it up over the trailer. But the trailer is the drag, literally! Just look at all that open space under the…

• Random Headlines Are Random

  goinglikesixty

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm

  Retail gas prices highest in a year (AP) from Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories AP – Retail gasoline prices chugged higher Friday to a new peak for the year, forcing consumers to dig deeper into already-thin wallets to pay for fuel. OSHA fines BP a record $87M for Texas refinery fix (AP) from Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories OSHA fines BP a record $87M for Texas refinery fix (AP) from Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories AP – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Friday imposed a record $87 million fine against oil giant BP PLC for failing to correct safety hazards after a 2005…

• Rush Limbaugh Fat-o-meter

  goinglikesixty

  1 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm

  I’ll do my best to keep you up-to-date on the Rush Limbaugh Fat-o-meter. Seems the pot-shot Bloviator is currently bloated again after a bout with anorexia. You might like these too...Raise Your Hands if You DriveLet's Be Careful Out There Owen SchmittImagine I'm In Your House with a Hose.Random Headlines Are RandomWaterboarding is Torture: Mancow Bookmark It

• Hey Restaurant Servers; Want a Bigger Tip from Moi?

  goinglikesixty

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am

  For bigger tips, servers in restaurants should follow these guidelines from the New York Times via The Savvy Boomer… Examples: 7. Do not announce your name. No jokes, no flirting, no cuteness. 8. Do not interrupt a conversation. For any reason. (emphasis mine) Especially not to recite specials. Wait for the right moment. 14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right. 17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait. There are other tips that folks in…

• Big Day at the Rancho de Howler: Should be living in Mobile.

  goinglikesixty

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:18 am

  Bulbous decided that she is just sick and tired of blowing her nose in the morning. We have concluded she needs a nose catheter. I’m thinking we could adapt her CPAP hose and mask for the purpose. I just need to get an electricial engineer to reverse the polarity on the Continuous Positive Air Pressure pump so it blows. It already sucks. Or so it sucks, because it already blows. It blows so it sucks. Since the therm-o-meter is touching the zone of freezing, 30-35 degrees, I’m thinking this would be a handy gizmo for myownself too. I drove yesterday! Nancy had hauled me around in…

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  A Boomer in the Pew

• The Prophet Elisha, Chariots of Fire, and Angels all Around Us

  David A. Porter

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pm

  2 Kings 6:14-17 - So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain…

• Stop the Abortion Mandate - Today is THE Critical Day!

  David A. Porter

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  Today is the day! Without a loud, and sustained scream from the electorate, we are going to get government funded abortions. You MUST call your congressperson now! Clink this link to act: http://tinyurl.com/yg6jot5

• Then Shall all the Saguaro of the Desert Sing for Joy

  David A. Porter

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:04 am

  Psalm 96:12b - ...then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.As we began hiking around the desert, I found myself continually under the sneaking suspicion that the Saguaro were trapped in their prickly confinement, and were longing for the day when they might be released to become the Lord's herald.  We know that creation groans for that day.As I was reading Psalm 96 this morning, I thought of my Saguaro friends.I remember one day hiking through what could only be referred to a Saguaro forest, and I can imagine them all singing for joy, with their arms already raised, on that…

• Why Should I the Burden Bear?

  David A. Porter

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

  I don't know about you, but I love to learn, and in particular, I love to swim in the minds of greatness.One such beach that regularly grants me bathe is Google Books.  This morning, I found Our Favorites from the Elder Poets with a few Newer Friends; A Selection, by Matilda Sharpe, 1881.I found this elder text as I was doing a Google Search for John Newton, and happened upon this hymn.The greatest of all sin, born from the lying Serpent of Eden, is pride.  One of the significant byproducts of pride is fear.In our longings to become god-like, we found ourselves cast out of Eden, alone, and…

• What is the One Thing That we are to Learn from Elijah?

  David A. Porter

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

  It was just a few days ago that I was introduced to Elijah, as I continue my journey through my ESV Study Bible.I find myself with two frustrations, and a question: frustration #1 - reading the Bible in a year puts you on a track whereby you are running so fast that you pass by events very quickly. frustration #2 - I am not as amazed, as I should be, at Elijah's final scene.  Somewhere, in my mind, this narrative gets lost in folklore, a child's story, and fact.  I believe it to  be fact, but then where is the wonder? Question:  what is the one overarching thing that we should know of…

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  Catskill Cottage Seed

• Pause…Play

  Richard Reeve

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

  Image via Wikipedia Once a practice is established, taking a break (or to put it into the vocabulary of the tech space, hitting pause) has an interesting effect. It’s like damming a river. One’s energy gets collected in the manner that water is gathered in a reservoir. Hitting play after such a pause (like the one I’ve enjoyed this week) gives one the opportunity to regulate the release of contents moving forward with a new sense of control.

• Telepathy and Dreams

  Richard Reeve

  3 Nov 2009 | 6:40 am

  Image by Chris Gin via Flickr “I have found by experience that telepathy does in fact influence dreams, as has been asserted since ancient times.” Carl Jung, General Aspects of Dream Psychology, CW VIII, par 503. The unconscious acts in ways beyond our ability to explain or control, including the ability to deliver messages that are telepathic.  Often, as Jung points out, these are tied to powerful affective events, but not always.  Regardless of how or why it happens, Jung’s position clarifies two things.  First, there’s no need to get tripped up on…

• Aspects of the Dream

  Richard Reeve

  1 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

  Image by Loving Earth via Flickr Jung teaches that dreams have both a compensatory and a prospective aspect. “But when the individual deviates from the norm in the sense that his conscious attitude is unadapted both objectively and subjectively, the – under normal conditions – merely compensatory function of the unconscious becomes a guiding, prospective function capable of leading the conscious attitude in quite a different direction…” Carl Jung, General Aspects of Dream Psychology, CW VIII, par. 495. When working with a dream it’s useful to consider how…

• Purpose, Scope and Value of #dreamlog

  Richard Reeve

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

  Image by 1f2frfbf via Flickr As #dreamlog embeds itself into my practice, certain questions arise regarding purpose, scope and value.  These are not questions that have a set answer in my mind, but instead one’s I’m still sifting for.  What’s interesting though, is that a mind that engages the world with framed questions tends to uncover answers. As to purpose: #dreamlog is becoming an easily accessible repository of dreams shared on twitter.  It’s in no way exhaustive.  Instead it simply tags the dreams that pass my observing eyes.  Others are starting to tag…

• Dream Motifs in Twitter Search

  Richard Reeve

  30 Oct 2009 | 11:38 am

  Image via Wikipedia Having worked with the #dreamlog all week, certain dream motifs are now appearing quite regularly.  The value of searching by motif was not immediately   evident to me.  But now that I’ve been scanning tens of thousands of tweets the patterns are appearing.  These searches are a good start when trying to cut the data by motif. Dream Zombie Dream Teeth Dream Horse Dream Flying The parental motifs are interesting, but these “leak” all sorts of bitterness and animosity.  And then there are a ton of sexual motifs (Freud would be pleased).  I’ll…

• 
  Nourishing Relationships

• Are Your Kids Hooked on TV?

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:14 am

  The latest Nielsen figures indicate that children are watching more television than ever - those aged 2 to 5 are watching more than 32 hours a week while for those 6 to 11, it drops slightly, probably due to school hours, to more than 28 hours a week. That's still, on the average, more than 4 hours a day. These numbers include VCR and game console usage but not time on the computer or playing hand-held video games.Are you concerned about these numbers? Children's healthcare advocates certainly are. They have warned that this increased television watching may be linked to two childhood issues:…

• Childhood Lies

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am

  It's been said that young children tend to lie at least once every two hours - sometimes to get something they want or to gain attention but usually to avoid getting in trouble and being punished. Often the lines between make-believe and reality become blurred. But when do youngsters' little 'white lies' become teenagers' big destructive whoppers? And how do those teens behave as young adults?The Josephson Institute of Ethics releases studies of American high school students every two years and finds that the levels of lying, cheating and stealing have steadily increased. Results from their…

• Feeling Stressed? So are the Kids

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am

  Raising children has never been easy for Sandwiched Boomers, but do you think it's even harder today? Parents have always had to deal with providing for their offspring - food, clothing and shelter as well as a supportive and loving environment where the kids could grow into their full potential. Today, in addition, mom and dad are faced with handling the stresses of an unstable economy and volatile social situations. And the worries we feel are felt by our youngsters as well. A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and reported by the American Psychological Association found that 75%…

• Choose a Topic and Read Some Blog Posts

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:01 am

  There won't be a blog post today as we're both traveling - Rosemary is flying from Philadelphia to Chicago and I'm off to to Morocco. But tune in tomorrow as we'll be back on schedule.In the meantime, why don't you look around the blog. Scroll to the upper left-hand corner of the blue banner at the top of this page and type in the subject that interests you in the white space - empty nest, sandwich generation, mother-in-law, aging parents, woman's conference? Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to some posts you may enjoy reading.

• Raising Children

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am

  My daughter sent me this piece by columnist and author, Anna Quindlen. Reading it made me reflect and brought up tons of memories. Want some nostalgia?"All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to…

• 
  Silver Planet

• Veterans Deserve the Best Mental Health Care

  rlarsen

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:34 pm

  It is difficult to imagine the sacrifice and horrors our heroes, past and present, have faced, but we must never forget. They have protected and taken care of us. It’s inconceivable that we would not do the same for them.After our vets come home, the physical and mental scars do not go away. In fact, they affect the family they come home to also.read more

• Aging Drivers Need Tech; Caregivers Need to Provide It

  rlarsen

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am

  Here’s the truth about cars: As a society, we're not getting any younger. And our driving is going to imperil us, sooner or later, as this Times article painfully illustrates. On the positive side, older drivers are not responsible for the bulk of traffic accidents—adults age 20-34 have that distinction—and they experience fewer fatal crashes per licensed driver. That's the good news.read more

• In the Scam World, Woodchucks Are Rodents of a Different Kind

  Florence Klein

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:38 am

  We’ve written about watching out for contractor scams before, but we recently learned a new term that describes a particular kind: woodchucks.

• Olive Oil: Help Your Heart the Mediterranean Way

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Today’s Mediterranean diet is thought to lower the risk of heart disease. One study completed in the United States in 2007 concluded that both women and men who followed this diet had reduced their risk of death from cancer as well as heart disease.

• Elder Abuse: An Overview

  rlarsen

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pm

  Last year, I was privileged to attend a training course on elder abuse with some of Colorado Springs’ finest. Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, 50 or so police officers, detectives, and I spent two days of intense immersion into the social crisis of elder abuse. The statistics were grim; the videos horrific. We left with an increased awareness and recognition of the tactics that abusers use to victimize those over 60 years of age. My next several blogs will convey some of what I learned.read more

• 
  Aging As a Spiritual Practice

• Five Great Fears 1

  lewrich

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm

  I have written before about Buddhism’s Five Great Fears; they are fear of death, fear of illness, fear of losing your mind, fear of loss of livelihood, and fear of public speaking.  I think that reason Buddhism calls these “great” fears is because each of them mobilizes the full force of our nervous systems’ threat [...]

• The Three Stages of Aging

  lewrich

  16 Oct 2009 | 12:24 pm

  A recent contributor with his own health problems recently wondered at what point WE become our aging parents? In other words, when do the difficult problems we have with our parents regarding their illnesses, need for home or skilled nursing care, their end-of-life issues and losses, become OUR problems? Early on in the launching of this [...]

• Aging Parents 2

  lewrich

  5 Sep 2009 | 4:18 pm

  The last post on aging parents garnered more comments than any other in the history of this blog, so clearly this is a topic that touches many people.  The experiences people have  range from the touching and poignant (“Do you know who I am, Mom?”  “Yes, you’re my baby”)  to the heartbreaking (the father whose [...]

• Aging Parents

  lewrich

  24 Aug 2009 | 11:08 am

  Recently on the Tricycle “Aging as a Spiritual Practice” forum which I moderate  (http://community.tricycle.com/forum/topics/aging-as-a-spiritual-practice ) there has a been a lot of discussion about elderly and aging parents.  Certainly there are a myriad of practical problems that come up—nursing homes, dementia, medical decisions, and so on—but underlying these there are more basic spiritual issues.  How [...]

• Lonely But Never Alone

  lewrich

  29 Jul 2009 | 4:23 pm

  Loneliness often increases as we grow older.  Certainly when those we know begin to pass away (which may start when we are in our 50s) there is a kind of loneliness that comes and cannot easily be assuaged.  Their loss is permanent. I have a thumbnail summary of Buddhism that I have mentioned here before and [...]

• 
  AOL: Retirement News

• Social Security Payments to Stay Flat

  15 Oct 2009 | 3:55 am

  The Social Security Administration has some tough news for seniors. In 2010, there will be no cost of living increase for Social Security recipients, the first year without one since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.

• The Right Way to Unretire

  23 Sep 2009 | 11:43 am

  Has a portfolio swoon put a crimp in your comfortable lifestyle? Maybe it's time to get a job. Try these techniques to help you land one that works for you.

• 6 Ways to Ease Retirement Plan Costs

  11 Sep 2009 | 12:40 pm

  MANY SMALL-BUSINESS owners are making considerable sacrifices to keep their doors open, including working a second job and forgoing their own paychecks. So cutting retirement benefits may seem like a relatively simple and direct way to eke out extra cost savings , but there are palpable consequences to that move, which could be felt long after the downturn.

• How Much Do You Need to Retire?

  4 Sep 2009 | 8:01 am

  Americans have lost trillions -- with a "T" -- of dollars in the stock and housing market collapses. The average person with a 401(k) plan has lost five years worth of their savings! No wonder people are nervous about whether they have enough money saved for retirement. Today, Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com have a surprising answer to the question "How much money do I need in retirement." The conventional wisdom is dead wrong, they say -- listen to it and your retirement dream could become a nightmare.

• How to Get Promoted in a Recession

  28 Aug 2009 | 9:59 am

  Several months ago, asking your manager for a raise may have gotten you an incredulous stare. But with the worst of the economic downturn seemingly behind us, today you may have a better chance. Since the recession began in December 2007, 6.7 million workers have lost their jobs, according to the Department of Labor. Some economists project the unemployment rate, which stood at 9.4% in July, will reach double digits by 2010.

• 
  RetirementRevised

• COBRA extension gains ground with Senate bill

  Mark Miller

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am

  Legislation extending the federal subsidy of COBRA health insurance benefits was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill largely mirrors the provision of legislation already introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pennsylvania). The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Robert Casey (D-Pennsylvania). Click here to read details on [...] Related posts:How COBRA subsidy would be extended under Sestak billHouse health care bill extends COBRA, not the subsidyBill to extend COBRA health subsidy introduced

• Six mistakes older job hunters make

  Mark Miller

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm

  Baby boomers intend to work well past retirement age. Most were saying so even before the economy crashed last year, deflating retirement savings and real estate values. Now, working longer has become an imperative for many. The question is, where? The jobless rate for adults age 55 to 64 has more than doubled since November 2007, [...] Related posts:Recommended reading: New report on 50+ employment challengesOlder entrepreneurs and the Great RecessionJobless rate has doubled for older workers since 2007

• My guide to retirement in hard times is on the way

  Mark Miller

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:51 am

  The baby boom generation is approaching retirement just as the economy has pivoted in a direction most of us didn’t anticipate. The Great Recession crash has unraveled the assumption that good economic times would carry boomers into a comfortable retirement, and while the economy will recover eventually, we’re not likely to see the type of [...] Related posts:Guide to universal designWhatsNext.com offers free career change guideTop ten retirement trends to watch in 2009

• Nearly half of job changers cashed out of 401(k) accounts in 2008

  Mark Miller

  30 Oct 2009 | 1:05 pm

  Wondering why Americans haven’t accumulated more wealth in 401(k) accounts? Here’s one good reason: nearly half of people who changed or lost jobs last year cashed out of their accounts on the way out the door. A study by Hewitt Associates reveals that 46 percent took cash out of their accounts on their way out the [...] Related posts:Final tally on 2008 retirement accounts shows 24 percent dropHalf of Americans expect to outlive their moneyMinimum distribution rules for 401(k) accounts suspended for 2009

• House health care bill extends COBRA, not the subsidy

  Mark Miller

  29 Oct 2009 | 12:53 pm

  The health care reform bill introduced in the House of Representatives  today would allow COBRA participants to extend their coverage until 2013, when new health insurance exchanges would come on line. But the bill doesn’t embrace an extension of the current federal COBRA benefit subsidy–yet. Currently, companies provide former employees with access to their health plans [...] Related posts:Bill to extend COBRA health subsidy introducedHow COBRA subsidy would be extended under Sestak billCOBRA health insurance subsidy may be extended

• 
  The Midlife Gals

• Couples Therapy - Will He Go??

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:58 am

  Were I still happily married to Mr. Three (and that number should give you pause regarding any couples advice I might espouse), I could speak to the success of couples counseling. Would that this approach had helped.Trying to get your male partner into therapy is like persuading him to ask for directions...the perfect metaphor. When...not if...he gets lost, he’s bound and determined to fix that problem all by himself. No matter that you graduated with a Masters degree in Directional Road Intelligence or that you’re southern, which allows you to sweet-talk ANYone into helping you no matter…

• Happy TurkleWeenThanksmas

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am

  You’ve probably bought your turkey for Thanksgiving by now, yes? Good, because these holidays happen FAST! Before you’ve even dismantled the blow-up pumpkin with Casper inside, it’s time to buy the rust-colored fake dry leaves to adorn the Thanksgiving table where the turkey will make its appearance...for about 3.5 minutes before it too will be ‘dismantled’ into our stomachs until there are only bones left. I realize that was kind of a long sentence, but it’s like these holidays...they just go on and on, bleeding into each other until Jan 1...after the black-eyed peas have been…

• Fall Back AGAIN!

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:46 am

  Must we change our clocks AGAIN? Who decides that we mess with the natural cycle of Mother Nature and her clock? Besides, I don’t like it when it’s dark at 5 pm! I don’t like changing all the clocks and alarms. I can’t remember all that. And, for days and days, I walk around saying to myself, “Okay, it’s 9:30, except that it’s really 10:30 pm.” My sleep pattern gets all screwed up, tipping my 8 hours to either 7 hours or 9 hours depending on the season. And, The Ancient One gets so confused about the time difference that you’d think she has nothing else to dwell on. Well,…

• Boo Humbug

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:55 am

  I don’t know if this happens where you live, but in Texas we take holidays VERY seriously. The minute the calendar strikes October 1, out come all the Halloween lawn decorations...the now requisite giant spiders clinging to trees and windows, white-sheet ghosts of all sizes hanging from every available branch and bush, and plastic heads resting on the ground as if they’re poking up from the grave. Gone are the simple, hand-carved pumpkins. That’s so yesterday. If you don’t have a standing mummy on your porch that slowly screams or mumbles as the terrified toddlers approach the front…

• Directions - Asking, Giving, Reading & Misinterpreting

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:56 am

  I’m not talking about inquiring how far it is to the next Boot Scootin’ Billy’s Truck Stop/Laundry & Turquoise Boutique. I’m curious if there is anyone else out there who enjoys giving LIFE direction to others as much as I do. I probably shouldn’t admit that, but show me some suffering, manic depressive, angry (yet receptive) individual, and you couldn’t blow the smile off my face with dynamite.It’s not that I enjoy others’ suffering, its just that those who enjoy their OWN suffering are my target market. They can’t enjoy their suffering too much though, because then…

• 
  Menopause Mafia

• A bad week…

  AnneElliot

  27 Oct 2009 | 12:27 pm

  You know it’s been a bad week when these are going through your head: Alone it’s a weapon but with a mitt and ball it’s a baseball bat, so be smart when you premeditate! Is is considered going postal if you don’t work at the post office or is there another term? The three martini lunch is making a comeback…pass it on! What the hell was I thinking, fuck this career thing, I want to be a housewife! Am I the only one here breathing oxygen? Wait, I’m the only female, so YES I am. Standing up in a meeting and saying ” You, sir are a Fucktard!” in my…

• Handsome is as Handsome Does

  jodibrooks

  25 Sep 2009 | 1:01 pm

  I recently heard a young friend of mine say something that I found disturbing. She was talking about who she wanted to date and stated “I’m only dating white boys from now on, they treat you better.” This of course freaked me out because I couldn’t see the correlation between being a particular color and having character. After all, I have only ever dated (or married) white men and we all know how well that’s turned out. The thing I want you, my younger friends, to think about is a man’s character. That is what we should be checking out. Who is the person…

• Food Porn

  AnneElliot

  10 Sep 2009 | 5:11 pm

  It’s never a boring night when my friend D and I venture out without her rocker husband. In fact it’s normal for us to have slightly odd nights that become the stories we tell at other peoples cocktail parties. We had one of these nights last week at our  local Japanese Steakhouse (one of our favorite dinner as theater gigs). Everything’s business as usual, hour or wine and conversation in the bar and then we wander over to the table for dinner, another glass of wine and a little sushi to start. And then he showed up—on the surface he looked just like the other chefs…

• Discover What You Crave in Akron

  jodibrooks

  9 Sep 2009 | 8:22 am

  We’ve been seeing a whole slew of new restaurants in downtown Akron in the last couple of years, but it’s Crave that  brings innovation to the city’s cuisine. The first thing you will notice when you walk into this hot spot is the decor. Trendy, sleek and beautiful with hand blown glass light fixtures and a breezy curtain wall that separates the entrance from the dinning room. There’s a giant high-top table that can seat eighteen and a sexy bar that makes you want to have a drink. All together the place makes you feel like you’re doing the trendy downtown thing…

• On Exercise

  jodibrooks

  4 Sep 2009 | 7:00 pm

  I have unlimited texting. It’s a good thing too since I keep up with friends and what they are up to with this concise and sometimes spicy communication tool. Here is a recent chat I had with a friend that has me rethinking my exercise regime. Me: What’s up? WK: at park- going to run Me: I don’t run unless someone is chasing me WK:  that’s colorful even 4 u Me: I’m a deep well WK: It that’s the motivation you need I’m more than willing to chase you through woods Me: Always willing to take one 4 team WK: Do I get I catch you? Me: Someday but not today…

• 
  Fiftyshift

• One reason to love your daughter's boyfriend (and miss Boston Legal)...

  fiftyshift

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:23 am

  He may be tattooed/unemployed/a video game addict/dropout.  But here is what your daughter's boyfriend is not:  Levi Johnston. Who, apparently, is now a tweeting Keats. At least to hear William Shatner tell it. (Update: Now Johnston's lawyer is saying the tweets are fake! Quelle surprise!) read more

• Getting yourself out there

  fiftyshift

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:39 am

  Just did a quick interview about websites and self-publishing with Francesca Rhiannon, whose terrific Writer's Voice radio show is produced at UMass Amherst, and syndicated around the country. If you're in business or on the job anywhere, it pays to think about how to get yourself out there in the media--and that means not just online, but in the so-called "old media," radio and newspapers and magazines. (In fact, we've received our best traffic on days when we've been in the local newspaper. So go figure.) read more

• Life in the blender

  fiftyshift

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:54 am

  by Katherine Mayfield   read more

• Booty call

  fiftyshift

  30 Oct 2009 | 9:02 am

  I love my  trusty Muck Boots (in classic English gardener green) because they're warm, fit well, and suit me fine for those winter days when I have to walk the final half-mile on my dirt road because things are just too icy/snowy/muddy to be passable. read more

• Managing those pesky flyaways

  fiftyshift

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:11 am

  Nick Nolte having a bad-hair night (among other problems) in L.A. in 2002. Don't let this happen to you. (Police mugshot from  The Smoking Gun. read more

• 
  About.com Senior Living

• Remember Michael Jackson in 1969?

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm

  With Michael Jackson's untimely death and the debut of the hit film, This Is It--about preparations for the concert tour he died too soon to make--many people only think of Michael Jackson as an odd but talented adult. We remember Michael Jackson before he became the King of Pop and a controversial figure. It was 40 years ago when Michael Jackson made his public debut as the cute 10-year-old prodigy and lead singer of The Jackson 5 (in August 1969), and when he and his brothers released their first single (in October 1969) and their first album (in December 1969). It doesn't seem like 40…

• CDC Says Older Adults Unlikely to Need Early H1N1 Vaccine

  29 Oct 2009 | 10:09 pm

  The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people age 65 and older do NOT get early doses of the H1N1 vaccine, for two main reasons: Older adults are not in the high risk group for the H1N1 virus (also known as swine flu). The CDC reports that so far in 2009, only 1.3 people out of 100,000 people age 65 or older have contracted the H1N1 virus. There is currently a shortage of the vaccine, and medical and government officials want to make sure there are enough H1N1 vaccine doses for people in high risk groups, including children, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses.

• Need Help Remembering If You Took Your Pills? Pat Your Head

  28 Oct 2009 | 4:04 am

  Have you ever taken a pill--vitamin or medication--and immediately forgotten that you took it? Me too, and forgetting if you took your pills must be fairly common. Or researchers at Washington University in St. Louis wouldn't have done a study about it. The study revealed that older adults who have to do something every day--like taking a pill, for example--often have no trouble remembering to do it. They just can't remember if they did it. Forgetting can lead to taking another pill--and the dangers of overmedication. Read more...Need Help Remembering If You Took Your Pills? Pat Your Head…

• In National H1N1 Emergency, Don't Forget Your Seasonal Flu Shot

  24 Oct 2009 | 2:20 pm

  President Obama has signed a declaration making the H1N1 virus a national emergency. The declaration can make it easier for local governments and health agencies to set up alternate sites to provide the vaccine and treatment for huge numbers of people who are expected to want the vaccine. With all the publicity for H1N1, don't forget about your seasonal flu shot. Read more...In National H1N1 Emergency, Don't Forget Your Seasonal Flu Shot originally appeared on About.com Senior Living on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 21:20:47.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• HHS to Create National Resource Center for LGBT Older Adults

  22 Oct 2009 | 9:28 am

  To address a national need for culturally-sensitive community support and services for lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults age 60 and older, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced plans to establish the first national resource center. Read more...HHS to Create National Resource Center for LGBT Older Adults originally appeared on About.com Senior Living on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 16:28:33.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• 
  All Articles | PowderRoomGraffiti.com

• Kate's Dates - Part Six: Kate's Dates - Part Six

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm

  Well now, Inever expected to like a man in a suit. Rock lsquo;n' Roll boys with scruffy hairand torn jeans, yes. Men in suits that work in the finance district: no.Finance Man single handedly managed to change all that and I'll tell you how.

• Oh My Go-ssip Girl: Oh My Go-ssip Girl

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  Gossip Girl is a popular TV show here in the States (based on a bookseries of the same name). Its primary audience is, as you might imagine fromthe name, teenage girls. I have to be honest in that I have never seen the showso I looked it up on TV.com where it is described as a peek into the world ofprivileged teenagers at an elite private school in New York City.

• An Interview with Mandy Garner: An Interview with Mandy Garner

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  As editor of flexible working website WorkingMums.co.uk, MandyGarner is usually on the asking rather than the receiving end of interviewquestions. Here we get to turn the tables as Mandy talks about her early influences, and her busy life as an editor and a press officer. As if doing two jobs and raising 3 children wasn't enough, Mandy is also an honest and entertaining blogger. Read More

• Much Ado About Nothing: Much Ado About Nothing

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm

  I think it's a good idea, but I am going to have to quarantine you.'My friend nodded seriously, lsquo;That's fine, I'd expected that. What do youthink, 10 days in a tent in the garden'I pondered, lsquo;Yes, that should do it, I'll be able to leave food for youin a box outside the back door.'We smiled at each other, relieved that we'd got it sorted.

• Time to Explore: Time to Explore

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  She has fame beyondeveryone's dreams (if fame is what you dream about) so why does Nicole Kidmanfeel the need to tell us about how kinky her love life has been, and her lsquo;strangesexual fetish' encounters Does she have a movie coming out She's now 42 - perhaps she's feeling the pressure of being a lsquo;woman in Hollywood' and has topull the kinky rabbit out of the hat. Read More