Boomers

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  Small Business Boomers

• Do Baby Boomers Want Smaller Vehicles for Personal & Business Use

  Mary Emma Allen

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Ford’s prediction seems to be that Baby Boomers will continue to want smaller vehicles, even if gas prices don’t increase and the economy improves.  Apparently Ford is betting some of its production and sales predictions on this. Image: sxc.hu Many Boomers now are empty nesters without the need for vans and larger vehicles.  As they face retirement, there may be a need to downsize. Where do you stand on this? Personally, I prefer something larger, usually an SUV.  For a number of reasons: I feel safer.  We were in a serious accident several years ago and hit head on by a…

• Get an ID When Giving up Driver’s License

  Mary Emma Allen

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:19 pm

  A friend has to move her mother, with Alzheimer’s,  from Florida to their home in Vermont.  image: sxc.hu However, there has been a delay because Mother doesn’t have a Motor Vehicle issued ID or a passport.  It’s impractical to drive Mother those many miles, so they planned to fly.  Because Mother doesn’t have the proper ID (never thought of getting one when she didn’t renew her driver’s license), she can’t fly on the airlines in this day and age. (I recall several years ago having to get my mother-in-law an official ID so we could take her and…

• Are More Boomers Delaying Retirement or Getting Parttime Jobs?

  Mary Emma Allen

  15 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pm

  With the current economic crunch, more boomers seem to be delaying retirement (if they have this option), getting another job (possibly parttime) or starting their own business.  Deli job image: sxc.hu Perhaps they have a mix or two or all three of these. Do you fit into any of these categories?  Has life affected you differently in recent years than you had planned? We can either moan about it or treat it as an exciting adventure! I took a parttime job in a supermarket delicatessen this summer, and it’s continued into winter.  It actually takes me back to my roots, since I worked in…

• Boomers, Take Care of Your Health

  Mary Emma Allen

  13 Nov 2009 | 8:37 pm

  Health has become one of the great concerns of boomers.  Boomer exercise image: sxc.hu As they age, they begin to realize their vulnerability to ailments they hadn’t considered in their youth and middle years.  They may find they’re slowing down, tire more easily, and thus discover it’s a chore to run a business. However, with attention to health and healthy living, they also may find they’re in better condition and have more endurance than they did in younger years.  “How do you keep going the way you do?” friends and business colleagues often ask me…

• Honoring Our Veterans Today

  Mary Emma Allen

  11 Nov 2009 | 7:55 pm

  Today was Veteran’s Day in the U.S.  Without their service to our country, from the Revolutionary War forward, we might not be able to have the freedom to conduct our businesses and enjoy the choices in our life. Image: sxc.hu Many thanks to all those, including my husband, who have served and are serving so that we might have our freedom and that others around the world might experience some of what we have. Some business owners may be participating in parades today (a lovely warm sunny one in NH), may be watching parades, may have flags flying in the breeze, and may be sharing…

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  Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Boomer Consumer

• What's in the Senate health care bill?

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:52 pm

  Baby boomer consumers need to follow the health care debate in Congress and let their members of Congress know about their needs. Boomers ages 50 to 63, who aren't eligible for Medicare, face significant challenges because they may lose their jobs and their health benefits, experience reduced benefits even if they continue to work, be denied health coverage because of preexisting conditions, and pay more for insurance due to their age.

• Are you an "unretired" baby boomer?

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:39 pm

  How are you being treated as an older worker? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

• State staff calls for big reductions in proposed Puget Sound Energy electric and gas rate hikes

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:29 am

  Electric and gas rate increases being proposed by Puget Sound Energy need to be cut substantially, the Public Counsel Section of the state Attorney General's Office and the staff of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission recommend.

• Low vitamin D levels may lead to heart disease and strokes, study shows

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:01 am

  A new research study suggests that inadequate levels of vitamin D may significantly increase a person's risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who've never had heart disease.

• Top 10 headlines of the week for baby boomer consumers

  13 Nov 2009 | 9:43 pm

  Read about rats in toilets, overdraft fees, canceled credit cards, alcoholic energy drinks, overweight boomers unable to do chores, and boomers may face high disability rates.

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  Boomer Cafe...It's Your Place

• The Golden Ear Mouse

  Cafe

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm

  When we boomers say, “We’re different from our parents’ generation; we’re more active, more flexible, more youthful,” we mean it. But are our bodies always listening? Not necessarily, at least not yet. That’s why we’re fascinated by research we read about at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Boomer Professor of Otolaryngology Bob Frisina leads a team that has created a “Golden Ear” mouse that says, “Squeak, Squeak – Can You Hear Me Now?” And there are good implications for us! What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse…

• AARP Tries to Take Boomer Lead

  Cafe

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:17 pm

  AARP has been around for 50 years, but it is only now showing Baby Boomers the weight of its influence. AARP tried and failed a decade ago. Now, the group is trying again. For most Baby Boomers, turning 50 years old and getting that membership invitation to join AARP was like getting a mean-spirited birthday card greeting — that AARP invitation must mean you were really getting over the hill. And, for most Baby Boomer joiners, membership has meant access to discounts to rent a car or hotel room or a cruise. But AARP’s mission as watchdog of public policies that affect its members…

• The Case Against Retirement

  Cafe

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:08 pm

  Ah, retirement! Before the 1950s it was something only the wealthy could afford to do. Everyone else needed an income, and most folks struggled to get by in the industrial economy as their faculties deteriorated. Back in the days before 401[k)s — let alone Social Security — older people faced the kind of pressures portrayed by filmmaker D.W. Griffith in his melodramatic 1911 silent film What Shall We Do With Our Old? It’s a sad tale of the setbacks endured by an elderly couple, the wife ailing, the husband tossed off the assembly line to make way for a younger worker. The…

• Remembering a First Kiss

  Cafe

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am

  Have you ever found that what troubles you the most is not the mysteries of tomorrow, but the nagging “things done and left undone?” That’s what Eliot Smith felt when he turned fifty. And nothing nagged at him more than the recollection of his first real kiss. Here is an excerpt from Gary Carter’s new novel “ELIOT’S TALE.” It takes place as he goes back to his hometown. Debbie was known as the make-out queen of Hope Springs Elementary School and an expert in the exotic art of the French kiss with a tongue that could reportedly tickle your tonsils. As a result, she…

• A Boomer Who’s Still 17 at Heart

  Cafe

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm

  Who framed Roger Rabbit? Tim Eaton did. Eaton also inflicted multiple stab wounds on Goldie Hawn. He caused several tornadoes, too. Oh, and he sank the Titanic. “It’s a living,” he sighs. Eaton framed Roger Rabbit in a visual, not criminal, sense. Same goes with the Goldie Hawn stabbing, the tornadoes and the sinking of the Titanic. He is one of those people whose name scrolls up the big screen after most people have left the theatre — the special effects technicians who imbue Hollywood blockbusters with extra whiz-bang. He summoned the tornadoes for Twister, punctured…

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  Blogging for Boomers

• Google Goodies #7-What Time is it?

  Old School

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am

  This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Google GoodiesThere you are sitting at your computer at 1:19 pm in New York City. But oh my you need help resizing your picture. You decide at that moment to call your friend in Washington State  to help you while your brain cells are still alive. But then you stop and wonder will you be waking her up? You know how she gets if it is too early. You don’t have a  fancy watch on your arm and you haven’t figured out all the features on your cell phone yet.  So you go to Google and type in  Time Washington State in the search box. There…

• Are You Using Feedburner Email Opt-in on Your Sites?

  Old School

  13 Nov 2009 | 9:26 pm

  Are you using Feedburner for your RSS email opt in form? I have it on several sites but tonight realized I did not have that opt-in on all my sites. So I am in process. I like Feedburner because it provides an easy email optin form that helps folks get your feeds when  they are not sure how to do it with a reader. Feedburner is powerful and I encourage you to spend time looking at all the cool features. Now, if you set up a Feedburner account a while ago and have not returned you need to go back. Feedburner was purchased by Google and you MUST have a Google account. Ok, I am off to place a…

• How To Add An Opt-In For a Newsletter or Report to Your Facebook Profile

  Old School

  10 Nov 2009 | 9:42 pm

  So you want to ask your friends to opt-in to your newsletter or special report? Well, there are applications on Facebook that can help. I decided to share a short tutorial using one of the applications. What You Will Need You will need a program that generates the opt-in script. I strongly recommend Practice Pay Solutions or Aweber. Both will generate the code for you without being a programmer. Of course if you have a programmer in your back pocket you probably should not waste time reading this at all. You will need make up your mind that you can do this and will do it before you shut off…

• Dailymotion Video Site Has a Blog!

  Old School

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:48 pm

  Dailymotion is an awesome video hosting site that provides a unique way to share your videos online. Well tonight I discoverd that they have a blog. This site gives great updated information and tips for using their site. For example, if you want to go beyond the unprofessional to the creative professional video check out their Official Content Feature discussed on their blog. Or, have you ever heard of a Video Wall? So go and visit but only after you sign up and upload some videos. Tweet This Post

• How To Add Your Facebook Fan Page To Your Blog

  Old School

  1 Nov 2009 | 7:10 pm

  Facebook makes it real simple to add your Facebook Fan page to your blog. After all your Facebook Fan page gives you an opportunity to showcase your business, niche, causes and other areas of interest. There just might be others that share the same interest or need your service. I have presented the steps in screen shots below. 1. Sign into your Facebook Page and click on the Wall Tab then click on the fourth link on the left under your logo. 2. Select the Facebook Page you want to promote by clicking on the drop down options. Also, complete the other options. 3. Select WHERE you want your…

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  Advertising to Baby Boomers

• My Ad Council

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:41 am

  From: Hilary R. Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 1:24 PM To: nyrenagency@gmail.com Subject: Tina Fey + Social Media + Social Good + Innovation = My.AdCouncil.org Hi Chuck, Wanted to put something on your radar that was unveiled last night by Tina Fey at the 56th Annual Public Service Awards Dinner - The Ad Council's “My Ad Council.” ... I've included the press release that went out this morning below: Ad Council Unveils New Website Through My Ad Council, users can quickly and easily share the Ad Council's PSA videos and images via social media platforms. OK – I guess I’m doing that…

• Interactive Guide to Baby Boomer Marketing/Advertising Goes Copper

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:06 pm

  I made that up.  On Scribed, my free Interactive Guide to Advertising/Marketing to Baby Boomers now has over 1000 downloads.  If it ever reaches 5000, I’ll scream that it “Went Nickel” – whatever that’ll mean.  To help the cause, click: An Interactive Guide to Baby Boomer Marketing/Advertising News & Resources And as I type my book has shot up from #5 to #3 on my publishers’ Bestsellers List. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. What should I do for an encore?  Probably just rest on my wobbly laurels.

• No News News Redux

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm

  I’m one of the few bloggers to take pride in bringing you no news news.  I’ve been offering my readers no news news for years: 8.02.2005 No News News If any of this surprises you..... Culled from a report by Jupiter Research, Internet Retailer reports Baby Boomers spend more online than other age groups. 11.03.2006 Another Same Old, Same Old  6.06.2008 The Crystal Ball of Common Sense 12.01.2007 The Same Old, Same Old Redux 4.17.2008 How Well Do You Know Boomers? 12.12.2008 No News News Now there’s more no news news (and it’s not news for two reasons – the first being that…

• Chronologically Gifted

  15 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pm

  I was thumbing through (for those too young to know what that means – it’s sort of like web browsing) the print catalog, Signals. They know their market.  Almost everything would appeal to Baby Boomers – and these are the folks who’d still be getting the catalog in the mail. Even smarter: While they have dozens of T-Shirts & Sweats available on their online catalog, the ones picked for the print versions are the ones that would appeal to Boomers. And they know what’s on the minds of this demo – age discrimination.  That sounds rather serious (it is), but the casual…

• Henry Stewart Talks: Citations

  13 Nov 2009 | 4:58 pm

  From: A___  Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:19 AM To: nyrenagency Subject: Henry Stewart Talks: Citations Dear Chuck, I am writing to update you on citations for talks appearing within The Marketing and Management Collection (www.hstalks.com/go). The Marketing and Management Collection, of which your talk forms part, is used as an educational resource by academic institutions and commercial organizations worldwide. Following both customer and speaker feedback we have generated citations for every talk in the collection to enable speakers and viewers to reference the use of talks in…

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  Boomer News

• Becoming Human & Erroneous Beliefs

  george

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:20 am

  Kids, we did our own version of Becoming Human before the PBS mini series was aired. One of the objectives of our five chapter series, was to explore when the first human abstract conscious thought occurred. Our Chapter 5 was not too far off from the final PBS Becoming Human episode of the mini series. We are the only one of our species still standing and the only one to acquire abstract conscious thought. Thanks to the Max Planck Institute, we are now pretty certain that Neanderthal did not achieve abstract conscious thought before becoming extinct. Over 100,000 years ago a great ice age…

• United World Religions … Why Not?

  george

  11 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am

  In war and in conflicts, every religious institution should be held to Abraham Lincoln’s logic; “Pray that we are on the Lord’s side …not that God is on our side”  To shout “God is great” and then start murdering as Muhammad Atta and Nidal Hasan did, is so incredibly counter to Religious teachings, it’s mind boggling. These were mature very well educated men. In the aftermath of the killings at Fort Hood Texas, the need for a “United World Religions” organization is still just a dream. On 9-12-2001 I wrote an editorial…

• Chapter 8

  george

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pm

  Generation to Generation Do seniors citizens my age believe in weird things? You bet!  Some how we seniors feel that we can turn the clock back to a simpler time. Seniors my age like to point out that it was NOT us seniors who took: The melody and understandable lyrics out of music, The pride out of appearance, The courtesy out of driving, The romance out of love, The commitment out of marriage, The responsibility out of parenthood, The togetherness out of family, The learning out of education The service out of patriotism The civility out of behavior The refinement of  language The…

• Chapter 7

  george

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:34 pm

  ” … And let it Begin With Me” What are weird beliefs? If I told you that the world was flat …you would think I had suddenly lost my mind. Yet is was 1500 before educated people recognized that the world had to be round. Before that … basically everyone assumed the world was flat. It wasn’t until 1800 that the knowledge that the world was round became wide spread. Weird things hang on for a long time. A  3 part PBS mini series called “How we became  human” is being shown this November. The scientific artifact findings  from 6 million years ago…

• Chapter 6

  george

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pm

  Why do people believe in weird things? * Good morning class … I’m Tom Longford … I’ll be substituting for Mrs. Louise Spina this week. This is the senior class in social studies and I believe I have you for an hour today. I see some familiar names here on the attendance list  … There are 10 or 11 of you that I remember from Mr. Plunkett’s 5th grade class when I was his assistant.I won’t be sticking to your social studies text book. I gave Mrs. Spina a head’s up on my topic, which she said was okay. I’m just assisting  Mrs. Spina. …

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  Google News: Boomers

• Taylor Swift, BMI Sue Idaho Bar - Boise Weekly

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm

  Just Jared Jr.Taylor Swift, BMI Sue Idaho BarBoise WeeklyYesterday, TMZ.com reported that an agent for BMI—Broadcast Music Inc.—was doing a little desert recon and found Lewiston bar Boomers' Sports Cellar in philly2philly.com sets the record straight on Taylor SwiftPhilly2Philly.comTaylor Swift Not Suing Sports Bar After AllJust Jared Jr.all 4 news articles »

• Baby Boomers at Work: Met Life Study Finds Boomers Extended Working ... - Examiner.com

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm

  Baby Boomers at Work: Met Life Study Finds Boomers Extended Working Examiner.comWhile many Baby Boomers have adopted the attitude that they will work until they drop or at least a lot longer than they had planned, a new Met Life study

• When the baby boomers turn 70 - The Australian

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am

  When the baby boomers turn 70The AustralianThe original boomers will expect to be pampered in retirement. The parents of the new baby boom will expect their share of the handout cake as well.

• Teabaggers and Boomers Don't Matter - Huffington Post (blog)

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:45 am

  Teabaggers and Boomers Don't MatterHuffington Post (blog)Eighteen to 30-year old voters will soon outnumber the remnants of baby boomers who are beginning to look like peculiar artifacts to a generation that is A Generation of “Trophy Children”Indiana Daily StudentCONFESSIONS: Will our generation be any different?The RacquetDessert: The shortchanged generationTimes Press Recorderall 5 news articles »

• Cambage fronts Boomers romp - ABC Online

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:42 am

  Cambage fronts Boomers rompABC OnlineThe Boomers extended their record to a league-best eight wins and one defeat, Liz Cambage leading the way with 30 points. Bulleen was upset by Sydney Uni at and more »

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  Boomer Girl Stories

• Get rid of the "turkeys" in your closet

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:12 am

  It’s almost Turkey Day and some fashion experts say it’s the perfect time to get rid of those “turkeys” in your closet.

• Calories in holiday food revealed. Uh, yippee??

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:20 am

  Just in time for Thanksgiving, here's a handy little Holiday Calorie Calculator you can print and carry in your purse. (C'mon. You know you'll do it.)

• Pink Pepper and Anise in your Cucina

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am

  I was a big fan of Fruits & Passion's soap and hand lotion in their original Coriander and Olive Oil fragrance. Now comes a new scent that makes it even more of a pleasure to wash your hands while cooking.

• Let 7-year-olds run the world

  15 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am

  What if all American retailers took a page from the Girl Scouts of America cookie sales playbook?

• Stretch your budget and find jeans that fit

  11 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am

  Clearly, the idea is to find affordable jeans that don't fit like the pair in this unfortunate picture.

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  Boomers

• In Memoriam: Dr. Gene Cohen, A Creative, Thoughtful Visionary For Boomers and All Aging Generations

  Brent Green

  9 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pm

  Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. has forever changed the field of geriatrics while successfully challenging misconceptions about aging as a lifestage of inevitable decline and loss. His scientifically-derived conclusions and insights about aging brains are voluminous. His trendsetting research and thoughtful analyses are inspiring new industries. His influence will persist for generations as society evolves more optimistic models of the aging process. A member of the Silent Generation at 65 (not quite a Leading-Edge Boomer by one year), Dr. Cohen passed away on Friday, November 6, 2009, after a…

• Automotive Advertising to Boomers and Ford's Lincoln MKS - Burnin' for You

  Brent Green

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:16 pm

  We can critically analyze many ramifications of “advertising to Baby Boomers” by surveying the fields of consumer psychology, generational sociology, cultural anthropology, and age demographics. We can seek informed authorities on psychosocial development, cohort effects, life-stage interventions, brain changes due to aging, and emotional processing. We can do all this just to warm up. We can also flip off all the left-brain analysis for a moment and just take a look at some ads that have powerful branding energy. So I’ve selected two ads for your viewing enjoyment, ads built…

• The National Parks, Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan and Baby Boomers

  Brent Green

  14 Oct 2009 | 11:55 pm

  My previous two posts reviewed the extraordinary lure of Europe to members of the Baby Boomer generation. Whereas Boomers are positively predisposed to travel to Europe, this generation is also today confronting enormous economic hurdles, making European travel less accessible and attractive. One alternative for travel-hungry but budget-conscious Boomers unfolded before a national television audience beginning September 27 in a spectacular documentary series by filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan: The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. During six consecutive nights and twelve hours of…

• Boomers and Travel in Europe on Just $500 Per Day

  Brent Green

  28 Sep 2009 | 4:29 pm

  When you’re down and troubledAnd you need a helping handAnd nothing, whoa nothing is going right.Close your eyes and think of meAnd soon I will be thereTo brighten up even your darkest nights. As we walked under a low archway heading down a narrow passageway on an ancient cobblestone street, I heard lyrics as true and clear as James Taylor had ever sung them. I assumed someone was listening to one of Taylor’s albums, perhaps in a nearby apartment, and his ballad echoed brilliantly off surrounding brick walls. Then, at the end of the passageway, we came upon a young Italian street…

• Boomers and Business in the U.S. and Europe: It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll

  Brent Green

  10 Sep 2009 | 8:20 am

  Baby Boomers in the U.S. and Europe are changing aging as profoundly as they changed youth. Their demographic might, coupled with a revolutionary spirit, guarantees radical changes ahead for institutions and businesses worldwide. Over 45 years ago this generation chose rock music as its preferred form of entertainment and a force for social change. And the soundtrack of their lives is still influencing who they are today, even as they age. And I'm running down the street of lifeAnd I'm never gonna let you dieAnd I'm never ever gonna get old British songwriter and performer David Bowie, author…

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  Aging Fabulous

• FlexNow Joint Formula

  Lucie Larancuent-Domenech

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:21 pm

  As we get older, our bones and joints can get achy and unfortunately, even break! I never thought I’d be reviewing FlexNow Joint Formula at this stage of the game, but several weeks ago I fell down (don’t ask…lol) and severely broke my ankle. I have been battling the discomfort ever since. I decided to give FlexNow Joint Formula a try due to the fact that they are so confident that you will get relief that they offer a money back guarantee. “Complete Relief…or Complete Refund”…that got my attention. Image: FlexNow FlexNow Joint Formula is patented, all natural and clinically…

• Pure Romance Daily Facial Care Set

  Lucie Larancuent-Domenech

  14 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm

  Pure Romance is the leading in-home direct sales company specializing in relationship enhancement products. Founded in 1993 by Cincinnati intimacy expert and CEO Patty Brisben and headed by her son and President Chris Cicchinelli, Pure Romance is the nation’s fastest growing woman-to-woman in-home direct sales company. Image: Pure Romance The company has now launched a high-end spa product line built around advanced body and skin renewal called Pure Romance Facial Care Line. The Pure Romance Facial Care Line includes the following products: pH Balancing Face Wash: This is used by pouring a…

• Get Longer, Thicker Lashes With LATISSE

  Lucie Larancuent-Domenech

  11 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pm

  As you get older, your lashes aren’t as long and lush as they used to be. That’s why many women are turning to products to help grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker. Many beauty experts, celebrities and other women around the country believe in LATISSE, a prescription treatment especially for hypotrichosis (another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes). Image: LATISSE This product is available only by prescription and any doctor can prescribe it. From LATISSE… In most US states, consumers can purchase LATISSE from their prescribing doctor. In…

• Skin Care for Your Skin Type

  Lucie Larancuent-Domenech

  10 Nov 2009 | 1:22 pm

  To keep your skin healthy and looking its best, you need to customize your skin care routine for your skin type. Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist in Danville, Calif., provides these basic skin care tips and suggestions. “No matter what your skin type, using daily moisturizer and practicing year-round sun protection are vital to maintaining healthy, glowing skin,” said Dr. Badreshia-Bansal. Image: istockphoto “That’s because with adequate hydration and use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen, the skin has the advantage of protecting itself from free radicals and harmful…

• Homemade Anti-Aging Treatments

  Lucie Larancuent-Domenech

  8 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pm

  You don’t always need to head to the spa for a facial or beauty treatment. Sometimes you can find the anti-aging treatments you are looking for right in your very own kitchen. Here are three homemade beauty recipes that you should give a try. Banana Against Wrinkles Mash 1/2 banana and 1 Tablespoon of milk until very creamy. Spread mixture all over your face. Lay back and read a magazine for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, followed by a splash of ice cold water. Lemon-Egg Mask Image: sxc.hu To even out your skin tone and banish age spots, nothing beats this treatment. Beat one…

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  Time Goes By

• How Well Do You Sleep?

  Ronni Bennett

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:35 am

  As I have undoubtedly mentioned here from time to time, I don't sleep worth a damn. If it's not that I need to pee, it's waking at ungodly early hours - like 2:30AM - without a chance of going back to sleep. On nights when that doesn't happen, the cat's circadian rhythm has him poking me by 4AM or 4:30AM with breakfast in mind. He is the personification of persistence. In just the past two weeks, however, I've regularly been sleeping for seven or eight hours without interruption. Even the cat has slept past 4:30AM on a few occasions. I can't say what changed, but I'm grateful for it. Even so,…

• The Cult of Manhattan Tower

  Ronni Bennett

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:35 am

  Two or three times over the life of this blog, I have written about a 1945 recording titled Manhattan Tower. I was a little girl of no more than five or six when my parents obtained it when it was first released, and I adopted it as my own. I played those two 78s hundreds of times and I am convinced it is what began my love affair with New York City – nothing else explains my yearning to live there from earliest childhood. The album is a love story to New York City, a suite composed and conducted by Gordon Jenkins with the lead performances sung by Eliot Lewis and Beverly Mahr. Never heard…

• The Secret War on Social Security and Medicare

  Ronni Bennett

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:38 am

  Certainly you recall that back in 2004 and 2005, then-President Bush put all the substantial muscle of his office into Social Security “reform.” He and his surrogates spent more than year flitting about the nation spreading lies that Social Security was in “crisis,” that it was “broke.” The solution to this non-problem, he said, was to privatize Social Security. Younger workers would be allowed to divert a portion of their Social Security contribution into private accounts and invest it as they chose. Ignoring Wall Street history that includes a decade-long, ruinous Depression and…

• Social Media Jabberwocky

  Ronni Bennett

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:35 am

  There is hardly a moment in Crabby Old Lady's online life when she is not being exhorted to tweet, Digg, Facebook, Yahoo Buzz, etc. everything she reads, hears, eats, believes and thinks. It's not just blogs anymore, it's newspapers big and small, political sites, health sites, commercial sites - pretty much any website: They all post a bunch of little links at the bottom of their stories begging people to spread the word of their brilliant prose or to “follow me on Twitter.” Crabby joined Facebook and Twitter a couple of years ago to see what they are and how they work. She wasn't…

• Medicare Sign Up Starts Now, and More on Elderblogs

  Ronni Bennett

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:35 am

  MEDICARE SIGN UP The annual enrollment in Medicare Part B (Medigap, also called supplemental) and Part D (prescription drug) is open now and until 31 December. As noted in a post here a month ago, almost all premiums are increasing and some policies are increasing or adding co-pays. Others are adding deductibles and some coverage is being discontinued. So it behooves us all to check our current coverage, see what else is available and decide if we want to make changes. The Part D Prescription Drug Plan Finder is here, and the Part B Medigap Finder is here. If you missed it on Saturday, Saul…

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  ChangingAging.org

• Power-Up Friday

  Al Power

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

  I’m in Providence this week. I had a chance to address the exciting 3rd Annual RI Generations Culture Change Symposium. Check out the husband and wife acting duo of Karen Stobbe and Mondy Carter–”In the Moment”. They regaled us after lunch with a collection of original sketches about aging, from humorous to heart-tugging. Be sure to catch them if they are in your area! For my post this week, I’ll refer you to a classic aging sketch that has tickled us for a half century:

• Remembering Gene Cohen

  Kavan Peterson

  16 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pm

  From National Public Radio’s Joe Shapiro: One of our favorite thinkers about what it means to grow old died the other day. Geriatric psychiatrist Dr.Gene Cohen enjoyed debunking the myth that aging means an inevitable decline of mind and body. Cohen’s research showed us that old age can be a time of creativity. One study showed that older people involved in community-based arts programs were healthier and more independent after a year, than people of the same level of health who didn’t take part. This made sense, he said, because science shows that brain cells do not die off…

• Drugs, Dementia and the UK

  Dr. Bill Thomas

  13 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am

  Jane Ashcroft with Anchor Trust in the UK writes with the news on a boiling controversy surrounding the inappropriate use of medications as chemical restraints in the UK. Anti-psychotic drugs to people with dementia In response to the publication of the review of the use of anti-psychotic drugs to people with dementia, Martin Green, Chief Executive of ECCA, appeared on BBC’s 24 news at 5.40pm yesterday evening.   Barchester Healthcare, an ECCA member, has also been featured in the news.  The following clips feature Barchester’s Derham House in Upminster as an example of a care home…

• Power-Up Friday

  Al Power

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:08 am

  Thanks to my friend June Burgess, Eden Coordinator for the UK and Ireland, for alerting me to this news release. The BBC highlighted the problems with antipsychotic drug overuse in people living with dementia in the 11/12 BBC online edition. The article highlights the problem in the UK, which is also reflected in the US and throughout the industrialized world. There were 180,000 people given antipsychotics for dementia in English nursing homes and it was felt that 85% of these prescriptions were unnecessary. Furthermore, the drugs were felt to have contributed to death in 1% of those…

• The Dancing Grandmother

  Dr. Bill Thomas

  12 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

  This mashup really pulses with energy. I love the dancing grandmother in the middle. Also watch for the surprise at the end… The name of the group is Pomplamoose (it means “grapefruit” in French) is a Bay Area indie jazz-pop band and is compromised made up of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, who do what they call VideoSongs. For those who don’t know, a VideoSong is a new medium with (as Jack puts it) two rules: 1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice). 2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds). The unsigned band is fast…

• 
  Older, but no wiser

• Looking the wrong way

  andy

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pm

  "Shall I tell you the secret of the whole world? It is that we have only known the back of the world. We see everything from behind, and it looks brutal. That is not a tree, but the back of a tree. That is not a cloud, but the back of a cloud. Can't you see that everything is stooping and hiding a face? If we could only get round in front."- G.K. ChestertonOh, to have the imagination to use such simple imagery to express something so profound.Hat tip to whiskeyriver.

• Fiddling

  andy

  30 Oct 2009 | 6:41 am

  With so much potential on so many fronts for global catastrophe, doing anything other than something which just might help avert just one of the doomsday scenarios feels like fiddling whilst Rome burns.We wring our hands helplessly, and carry on fiddling.Work continues to be as purposeless and unfulfilling as ever. But I dutifully fiddle nonetheless. It seems the only option.I gaze longingly at the crate of rock climbing gear in the garage and wonder if I’ll ever use it again. But anyway, it would only be fiddling.My bass guitar looks at first sight like a metaphorical fiddle. Yet art –…

• Change

  andy

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:58 am

  I might change my Internet Service Provider. It would be a worthwhile cost saving, but I'd lose the hosting service for the photos which appear on this blog, so all that would be left would be those little squares marking the place where something's missing. The blog's a mess anyway - the template was designed in the days when 800 x 600 pixel screens where commonplace. It's obvious too that I have very little to say these days; I've changed, I'm not the person I was when I began blogging. I'd delete the whole thing and forget about it, except for one thing. The comments. If I look back over…

• Maybe...

  andy

  9 Oct 2009 | 12:16 pm

  ...I should just acknowledge that I can't do this any more.

• Sidestreet

  andy

  27 Sep 2009 | 1:36 pm

  A chance snapshot in Bury St Edmunds at the weekend.

• 
  Rosie's Boomer Review

• Super Soups-Chicken and Dumplings by Betty Lynch

  Rosie

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am

  Our Guest blogger is Betty Lynch of My Country Kitchen.  Check out this soup and go make it so you can feel good. This dish is easy, combines vegs, and fits on one large spoon. Some of you might say that Chicken and Dumplings is not a soup but I vote for it to fit in that category. Below is a wonderful, easy recipe for that down home comfort food.  Chicken and Dumplings using your crock pot.  I tried this recipe on my office.  Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe.  Several people told me that I could bring that dish anytime.  What I loved is that it only took about 15 minutes to put…

• 10 Great Jobs For Baby Boomers

  Rosie

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:38 pm

  This post really says 10 Jobs For Midlife Women but the positions related to  both men and women. It is encouraging and hopeful. Baby boomers still have a lot of use for their skills. In addition it is not too late to retool and reinvent ourselves. Read this news post about jobs with great salaries that are great for baby boomers. ShareThis

• Super Soups -Tin Can Soup by Betty Lynch

  Rosie

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:02 pm

  Guest Blogger Betty Lynch shares her famous Tin Can Soup. Read her comments and recipe below. Then try it out! Here is my “Tin Can Soup” recipe 2 cans minestrone soup, undiluted 2 cans Ranch style beans 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 2 cans Veg-All mixed vegetables 1 can Rotel tomatoes including juice 1 can tomato sauce In a large saucepan or crockpot, mix together all of the above ingredients.  Simmer over low heat until hot and bubbly.  Serve with cornbread or crackers. This recipe is also known as the scrapbooking soup.  Whenever family and friends get together to…

• Super Soups-Turkey and Squash

  Rosie

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

  Here is a re ceipe I found online and plan to do. It is a healthy Turkey and Squash. ShareThis

• Super Soups For Baby Boomer Family and Friends

  Rosie

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am

  Soups Warm You Up! I love soups. They feel good in the winter, satisfying and easy complete meals. So, I have decided to learn how to make more soups this winter. The other great thing about soups is they are great for taking to someone who is sick and shut in. What a great gift for the family. I am excited about pulling my old crockpot out and letting it go on auto while I am working away on the computer. There are other great things that can be done with soups and please share them as a comment. This will, I hope, be a series where you can share your favorate soup recipes. Be a guest…

• 
  Baby Boomer Talk and Other Stuff

• School Fundraising Project Comes Under Fire

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

  A donation of $20 could raise a student's grade at one North Carolina Middle Schhol. It was supposed to be a fundraiser to help the school generate some much needed money for supplies:Rosewood Middle School price list♦A $20 donation buys 10-point credits to be used on two tests of the student's choice.♦A $30 donation buys the test points and admission to a 5th-period dance.♦A $60 donation buys students test points, the dance invitation, and a "special 30-minute lunch period with pizza, drink and the choice to invite one friend to join them."♦Photo ops with Rosewood principal Susie…

• Sad Ending to the Shaniya Davis Story

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am

  I, like many others in North Carolina, am shocked, saddened and even outraged over the death of little Shaniya Davis. This is the five-year-old who was being used as a sex slave by her mother, 25-year-old Antoinette Davis. Shaniya's body was discovered Monday in a rural area---several days after her mother reported her missing from their mobile home. Here's the timeline according to Fayetteville Police:Davis called police at 6:53 a.m. one week ago today to report that her daughter was missing.Davis told police the last time she saw the child was at 5:30 a.m. inside their mobile home.At 6:11…

• Your First Job

  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. 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 advertising mailers to residents. I was…

• The Road Map of Life for College Students

  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...

  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 Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

• Top 10 Thanksgiving Tips

  Rita Robison

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm

  Need help to figure out how to have the best Thanksgiving celebration ever?Here are 10 ideas to help you.1. Tasty recipesTry some exciting new recipes. Some ideas are Herb-Roasted Turkey with Cider Baste; Turkey Cutlets with Spinach, Crab, and Asiago Cheese Sauce; Roasted Diced Yams With Smoked Paprika; and Pumpkin Cake With Snow Glaze and Spiced Vanilla. Read the recipe two or three times to understand it before preparation or practice the recipe a week before Thanksgiving.2. Harvest table decorationsUse small white pumpkins, a candle placed atop a pumpkin and surrounded with flowers, or…

• How to choose a facility for your mammogram screening

  Rita Robison

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm

  Years ago, when I wrote about the possible dangers of radiation doses from mammograms, I followed the consumer recommendations to call facilities that offer mammograms and ask about the age of their equipment, equipment certification, and technician training.In recent years, I’ve been lax about this important consumer research.However yesterday, when listening to reports on National Public Radio about the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, I heard a doctor talk about the importance of selecting the best facility to do your mammogram.The quality of mammography…

• New breast cancer recommendations offer helpful advice to baby boomer women on what to do about breast cancer screening

  Rita Robison

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:45 am

  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force revised guidelines on breast cancer screening recommend against universal screening mammography for women aged 40 to 49, recommend every other year screening for women 50 to 74, rather than annual screening, and recommend against teaching breast self-examination.I believe the new recommendations provide valuable information for baby boomer women as they access their breast cancer screening needs.Among the groups that agree is the National Breast Cancer Coalition. For over a decade, the coalition has had the position that over-emphasis on the…

• Should baby boomers buy an Apple computer or a PC?

  Rita Robison

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:37 pm

  My friends Margaret and Jim are in the market for a new computer. I’ve been offering advice because I bought an Apple desk top in January of 2008. The Apple has worked pretty well for me. It has a 24-inch screen. I can get a blog post on the screen and look up articles in the space beside it; both are full size. I’ve only had a few problems with my iMac. When I started blogging, I couldn’t figure out how to make links underneath highlighted words. I struggled and struggled. Finally, I determined it was the Safari browser. You needed to do special steps in the TypePad blog platform if…

• Recall of the Week: Maclaren strollers recalled after 12 fingertips severed

  Rita Robison

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:29 pm

  About one million strollers, distributed by Maclaren USA Inc., of South Norwalk, Conn., are being recalled. The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.The firm has received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.The recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers. The word “Maclaren” is printed on the…

• 
  Midlife Crisis Queen

• I’m beginning to dread a lot about Christmas…

  midlifecrisisqueen

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:54 am

  We had barely gotten past Halloween when the onslaught of  “holiday” commercials began.  I think it was a Walmart ad.  All I remember clearly was the personal panic that immediately set in. It must be my age.  Every year I now face the “holidays” with increasing dismay and trepidation instead of the usual joy.  They make me tense and uncomfortable instead of those visions of sugar plums I seem to recall from my ancient past.  I used to absolutely love Christmas, what happened? I guess it was a combination of good old American hard sell in their desperation to…

• After the kids leave – long distance loving

  midlifecrisisqueen

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am

  Because I have no experience with an empty nest, and this issue is such an important part of many baby boomers’ midlife transition, I asked my friend Quinn to share her own feelings on her son’s 25th birthday.  Quinn is great at capturing the emotions of missing your kids as they venture out on their own: After the kids leave – long distance loving,  by Quinn Tomorrow, my son is celebrating his 25th birthday.  A group of his friends have booked a private room at a Sushi restaurant followed by a surprise party at his house.  His Dad and I will not be at the party because…

• Michael Jackson’s “This is it”

  midlifecrisisqueen

  14 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm

  I went back and forth about seeing this movie.  As it turns out, I’m very glad I saw it!  I didn’t realize until halfway through it, why it was an important film for me to see right now. I knew I would love hearing Michael’s music again.  He really was an amazing song writer and performer, a Baby Boomer with an astounding amount of energy and passion! But what the audience gets from this film is an up close and personal view of the vast amount of creativity and just plain hard work that goes into producing one of the largest, most complex multi-media productions ever…

• What is wrong with our health care system…

  midlifecrisisqueen

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:35 am

  In the past two weeks, I learned in full detail what does not work about our health care system, and why it is most certainly killing people.  Here’s what happened to us: Mike woke up last Monday (two weeks ago!)  with serious difficulties breathing.  He saw his GP twice last week, receiving a chest x-ray and a useless dose of antibiotics.  Next we saw a pulmonologist twice.  He offered one additional chest x-ray and a stronger dose of antibiotics.  When those failed to help, they gave up and sent us to the emergency room. It was only after SIX HOURS in the ER, many tests,…

• One woman’s search for her passion

  midlifecrisisqueen

  13 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am

  We have a Colorado-based writer who likes to give talks about finding your passion. Shari Caudron found herself at a crossroads when she turned forty.   She tried out many new activities, but could not figure out what she loved to do.  She tried Scrabble, showshoeing, Buddhism, and bridge, just to name a few. She said, “Through all these years…and hobbies, nothing ever took hold and swelled into a grand, all-consuming, get-a-load-of-this obsession.  Once I hit forty, I was no longer obsessed with finding a job, snaring a mate or buying a house–I’d done all that, …

• 
  The New Old Age

• The Continuing Car Key Debate

  By PAULA SPAN

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am

  Older people restricted from driving at night had half the crash risk of those that were not restricted, a study found.

• 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."

• 
  Midlife Bloggers

• Jane’s World-Famous Award-winning Best-Ever Pecan Pie

  byjane

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:54 am

  Okay, gather 'round while I give you The Secret...

• Wednesday Writer’s Workshop: Purpose, or Why Do You Write?

  byjane

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pm

  Writing isn’t some mysterious phenomenon that happens when the good fairy graces you with her presence.  It isn’t some arcane procedure that only dead white males (and a few chosen, but robust females) are truly ...

• Dialectic: Poetry, Philosophy, Collage

  Beth P

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am

  The walls of human understanding have various purposes, textures, designs. But their intent is often to keep something...safe from challenge and on-going discovery of the truth of inherent polarity.

• Wednesday Writer’s Workshop

  byjane

  11 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm

  I got the idea for starting a Writers Workshop on MidLifeBloggers when a friend, Merlot Mom, wrote on her blog about finding her own way to write rather than bowing to conventional wisdom of ...

• Breast Cancer Bonanza: Stop the Greed

  50 Is The New

  9 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pm

  Stop the greed. Please take a minute to tell Eli Lilly to “stop milking cancer” .

• 
  Over 50 Website

• Do Any Diet Foods Actually Work?

  admin

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am

  What Diet Foods Actually Help People Lose Weight in a Healthy Way? Well, if you have been to the grocery store lately, you know that you can select from dozens of foods with labels that advertise them as “LITE”, “DIET”, “LOW CARB”, “LOW FAT”, or “LOW CALORIE”. But since we Americans have a weight problem, and since we buy a lot of these so-called diet foods, we have to ask if diet foods work! Diet Foods That Do Work Doctors are studying the types of diets that actually help people stay healthy, feel satisfied, and keep weight in…

• 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…

• 
  The Boomer Chronicles

• What Does Dr. Susan Love Think of the New Mammography Guidelines?

  Rhea

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:42 am

  Did the new mammography guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force come about because a review of the scientific evidence shows that there is no data to support the idea that the benefit of mammography outweighs the risks for women between the ages of 40-50? Or was it a political decision? Whenever I’m confused about what to think when it comes to breast cancer, I always check what expert Dr. Susan Love thinks. Her response is too nuanced to summarize here, so I will direct you to her website so you can read her post on the current controversy over mammography. Here’s…

• An Ode to My Dentist: She Rocks!

  Rhea

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am

  I’ve been going to a very cool dentist for the last, I don’t know, eight years or so. A friend recommended her. She’s Marilyn McDevitt (first photo), 53, and she has a nice office in Boston, right at the base of the Prudential Center. Marilyn is not your average dentist. She’s fun, funny and happy. Oh, and she’s a good dentist, too. And she posed for this pic. Here are some other photos that I took this morning during my six-month examination and cleaning. (The woman in the last pic is Marjorie Madera, dental hygienist.)

• The Economy: We are So Screwed

  Rhea

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am

  This morning I read a piece by Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University, that was astounding. If you think the economy is going to turn around anytime soon, you are mistaken. Above, I’ve linked to Roubini’s entire piece and I recommend you read it. In the meantime, here are a few highlights: …We can expect that job losses will continue until the end of 2010 at the earliest. While the official unemployment rate is already 10.2% and another 200,000 jobs were lost in October, when you include discouraged workers and…

• I Admit It: I Was a Home Depot Addict

  Rhea

  17 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am

  When I bought my first house in the summer of 1994, I would venture out several times a week with a friend to the local Home Depot. I would spend scads of money and come home after dark with a car full of stuff — paint, concrete, plants, light fixtures, and on and on. It was fun and exhilarating. I was one of that rare breed: someone who actually loved working on the house and spending money on it. I’ve since sold the house and have no place to work on since I’m renting. I can’t wait to own again. And I’m sure I will be haunting the aisles of the local Home Depot…

• Stuff Unemployed People Like

  Rhea

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:40 am

  Someone had to do it: create a Stuff Unemployed People Like blog. Here is a clever post from the site: Ironically Celebrating Labor Day. However, the person who owns the site must be either employed elsewhere or unconscious because he or she posts so infrequently. Therefore, I am happy to offer you a few other hand-selected unemployment blogs, each distinctive in its own way. Unemploymentality Recession Wire Pink Slips are the New Black Daily Job Cuts Fired For Now

• 
  Whose Shoes Are These Anyway?

• My Big Crush for Old School Friday

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:20 am

  I'm trying to stick to my favorite meme, Old School Friday, because it gives me the opportunity to share personal details sometimes about myself, something I usually avoid. This week's theme was kind of hard for me. It's "I Had a Crush On" and it left me in a quandary. See, the only singer that I went totally crushing insane for was Michael Jackson, and that was when I was nine. After that, for

• Novelist Bernice McFadden Resists 'Seg-book-gation'

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:37 pm

  Critically acclaimed author of multiple novels, Bernice McFadden, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her first novel, Sugar, landing on bookshelves, and she's asking potential readers to save African-American literary writers. ... Read more at the African-American Books Examiner.

• U.S. District Court Rules Against Army Corps for Katrina Flooding

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:48 pm

  It's being called a "landmark decision." A federal judge ruled November 18 in favor of New Orleans residents and one business, the plaintiffs, and against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a Hurricane Katrina flooding lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr, decided that the Corps failed to maintain the levees that breached during Katrina, flooding St. Bernard Parish and the

• Father Executes Son, Gunshot to Head, For Weirdness with 3-year-old Sister

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm

  I don't know what to make of this story, but BlackVoices reports a man shot his 15-year-old son for lying down on top of his 3-year-old sister. No rape was involved, says the mother, Lazette Cherry, but the son ended up begging Jamar Pinkney, Sr. of Detroit for his life. "He got on his knees and begged, 'No, Daddy! No!' and he pulled the trigger," she said. "There wasn't nothing that my son

• Michael Jackson News: Father of First Accuser Kills Himself

  Vérité Parlant is Nordette Adams

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:03 pm

  This strange but sad story went through the Twitter Stream today:@taalamacey RT @damnyo4000: RT @blackvoices Father of Michael Jackson's First Accuser Commits Suicide http://bit.ly/1rchV3The link takes the curious to Black Spin at Black Voices and an article that leads with the following:According to reports, the father of Michael Jackson's most famous molestation accuser has committed suicide.

• 
  Twenty Four at Heart

• Don't Eat Bambi - Santa Might Need Her

  Twenty Four At Heart

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  Yesterday afternoon I decided to have a quiet lunch out on my patio.  It was a beautiful, warm, afternoon.  I took my new camera with me.  I thought I'd read through some of the camera instructions and maybe even shoot a few photos while I was outside.  I had the feeling I was being watched.  You know that feeling when someone is staring right at you?  I tried to shrug it off.  I've had a stalker harassing me lately so I *might* be a little on edge.The feeling would not go away.  It started creeping me out.  I glanced at my retrievers.  They were snoozing nearby and…

• Facebook

  Twenty Four At Heart

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  I'm still on pain meds - but I *think* I'm making more sense today.  Honestly?  I was drugged out of my mind yesterday!  I have never, ever, before attempted to write with that level of drugs in my system.I apologize.  (Even though a lot of you wrote to tell me you laughed quite a bit at yesterday's post!)By tomorrow I, hopefully, won't need to be taking pains meds anymore.  Today I'm still a little looped, but I'm only taking one pain pill at a time ... which is still a lot because they're very strong, but not as much as yesterday.Rambling much?Last…

• Please Excuse This Interruption ...

  Twenty Four At Heart

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  **  This post was written under the influence of serious narcotics.  My pain meds had not yet kicked in when I began writing ... but then they hit me full force.  Really, really, full force!  Can you tell at what point in my writing I became a druggy?  It's all a bit of a blur.  **I am temporarily out of my fucking mind in pain sidelined.  I mentioned to a friend yesterday, when my pain levels get out of control like this, it makes it impossible to think clearly enough to write.  On the other hand, when I take pain meds I can write ... but I just never know what might come out of…

• Fake Butts and Tattoos For Eyebrows

  Twenty Four At Heart

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  A reader sent me an email asking me what the latest trends are in Money Town.  I have to admit, a lot of time I don't really see my surroundings.  I've become immune to the "bubble" I'm living in.  Sometimes I have to be reminded to look around with a fresh set of eyes.For instance, a lot of women around here have fake butts now.  I saw a woman with a very obvious fake butt at PT just yesterday.Do women where you live have fake butts?The concept is strange to me, although I can see the allure of having a perfectly formed, uplifted, firm, round ass.   I see the…

• Introducing My New Baby

  Twenty Four At Heart

  16 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  I bet you didn't even know I was expecting, did you?For three and a half years I've hoped for his arrival.  I've ached with loss and stared at other people's "babies" with envy.  I can't put into words what it's like to have pieces of your life stripped away.  To not know if you will ever regain a fraction of your old self or your old life back again.My new arrival has already brought me such joy.  I've been wanting to introduce you to him.  This camera is a big challenge for me.  The 7D is definitely not light weight.  I'm still…

• 
  Anali's First Amendment

• You Tart!!!

  Anali

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:21 pm

  Tart sure has a lot of definitions. For this post's purposes, we'll stick with one: "A pastry shell with shallow sides, no top crust, and any of various fillings."Last weekend I decided to bake my first tart. A few weeks before, I had picked up a copy of the October issue of Lola. It's a cute little pocketbook sized free magazine that you can find in the Boston area. I still need to grab this month's copy, which is the food issue. Lola was launched in 2007 by Boston Globe Media and is a nice little publication. It's described as "a lifestyle magazine aimed at women in their 20s, 30s, and…

• No Need For Waffle Withdrawal

  Anali

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am

  I was reading the news last night and saw a story about an Eggo frozen waffle shortage. A waffle shortage? Hmmm. Okay. According to the article, one of Kellogg's facilities was closed for a time due to historic amounts of rain in the area. On top of that, a bakery in another location is closed for repairs. With the two of these things happening together, it seems that it could take until mid-2010 before store shelves have sufficient quantities of Eggo waffles. Apparently, some customers are already seeing dwindling amounts of Eggo waffles on store shelves and are considering rationing their…

• The BloggerAid Cook Book

  Anali

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:26 pm

  Some of you might remember a book that I mentioned in a post a few months ago. Well, it's finally published!The BloggerAid Cook Book is now for sale. You can purchase it by clicking here. I contributed a recipe along with many other food bloggers from all over the world. Over 60 countries are represented!Food bloggers are a very generous bunch of people. ALL the money from sales will go towards a very important cause. Read an edited excerpt from the book website below. "Food does not simply nourish the body; food also celebrates what makes the world diverse, as well as, what unites us. The…

• The Simple Things

  Anali

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:40 pm

  This post is proudly brought to you by the letter S. Belated Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street! Watching that show when I was a kid, was a simple thing that made me happy. Here are some simple things that make me happy as an adult.Trying new sweets when I visited San Francisco.Meeting Norbert Yancy and listening to the gentle strumming of guitars.Signs in the blue sky.The smell of Leaves by Elizabeth W. One of my favorite scents.Read more simple things from other bloggers over at Soul Aperture.Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2009. All rights reserved.This Post’s LinkLike what you see?

• Banana Carrot Cupcakes + Maple Mascarpone Frosting

  Anali

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:11 pm

  These cupcakes were inspired by a carrot, old banana, and mascarpone surplus. When ingredients are sitting around for a while, they scream to be used for something. I remembered this carrot cupcake recipe from Pro Bono Baker and another carrot cupcake recipe from Pictures & Pancakes. I printed out both recipes and started looked for the similarities and differences. Then I started marking them up with my pen, figuring out what I had available and had a taste for, then created a new recipe based on the two.I loved these cupcakes! So did my parents and my brother. These may be the best…

• 
  Art of Allowing Mindset

• change your life:its time to take the wheel

  BZ Riger

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:51 am

  Who is driving the wheel on the ride of your life? change your life You can change your life, shift how you think and how you feel about the different things you experience. By changing the focus from what you do want to what you appreciate and want to experience more of you make a big [...] Related posts:choose your own change- 3 steps to start down a new path and direction of your choice Are you happy with the direction you are moving in your life? Did you intentionally choose the direction or do ...The top 7 ways to simplify your life so you can be in the moment, not the to-do list A lot…

• wondering, playing with possibilities gives you a feeling of aliveness

  BZ Riger

  15 Nov 2009 | 5:29 am

  We are inquisitive, curious adventurous by nature… The desire to experience new things, to look at possibilities and choose one. Play with it, explore the thoughts and feelings that swirl in us when we step into that possibility. THAT is innate in each one of us. It is not a trait only found in an occasional great [...] Related posts:feeling stressed, run down- 7 steps to let go and recharge your inner life Staying healthy is about being balanced and conscious from the inside out. Making choices every day that attract what...You have unlimited possibilities open to you, when you choose-…

• one little crack and resistance starts to crumble

  BZ Riger

  9 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  We each have resistance to change, to looking at things in a new way… to clearly seeing all there is to see and the Truth of who we are in our complete form. But a little crack can start a fisher in that resistance and tiny pin pricks of the light can start shinning through. For some the crack [...] 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...headlines: you create the ones in the story of your life…

• 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...You have unlimited possibilities open to you, when you choose- You create what…

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  Average Jane

• Another Average Jane Giveaway

  Average Jane

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:30 am

  First of all, I'd like to congratulate Natalie, who won the GiveCard from last week's drawing. She says, "I would donate to Guide Dogs for the Blind... my mom is on her second dog from them, for 15 years she has been able to "see" with the dogs. Amazing."This week's giveaway is a gift card from SnapGifts. If you live in Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco, you can get a gift card to one of your favorite local businesses. For people in other metropolitan areas, they offer gift cards from national brands.Some cards are available…

• Average Jane's Bathroom Windowsill Still Life

  Average Jane

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am

  One of the most charming things my cleaning lady does is to take anything tiny that I've left on the bathroom counter and line it up on the narrow windowsill.Do I have any mixed feelings about hiring someone to clean my house? Absolutely not! It costs me $50 per visit, she comes every other week, and it's worth every penny. I still need to deep clean semi-annually yearly a few times per decade, but just having someone clean the bathrooms, floors, countertops and ceiling fan blades regularly is well worth the expense.

• A Short Post from Average Jane

  Average Jane

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:11 am

  I had appropriated a good idea for a post today, but then I realized that it's too dark to take the photos I wanted to use. Thus, it'll have to wait for tomorrow or maybe even the weekend.In other news, I was interviewed as part of the reader interview series at J-Walk Blog yesterday, which more than tripled my traffic for a day, so hooray!If anyone is still wandering over from there, I recommend all of the recipes in my right-hand sidebar. Everything else here is just a potpourri of whatever I was thinking when I sat down at the computer that day - six years' worth, so it really…

• Average Jane Makes Dessert

  Average Jane

  17 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am

  I haven't made this lately, but it's a recipe that my sister and I both remember fondly from childhood. Judging by the ingredients, I'm imagining it made its debut either in a magazine ad or a branded cookbook. For something that relies heavily on packaged goods, it's quite tasty - a good mixture of sweet cream, savory pecans and tart cherries.For some reason, my mom's old recipe file was just chock-full of desserts with the word "torte" in their names, none of which actually fit the definition of a torte. Maybe it was some kind of early 1960s trend. Who knows?

• Average Jane Interviews Natalie from The Bobby Pin

  Average Jane

  16 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am

  I'm taking part in Neil Kramer's Citizen of the Month Great Interview Experiment 2009 and my interview subject is Natalie from The Bobby Pin. It was fun reading through her archives and coming up with some questions for her. What's your favorite thing about being married? The security. Coming home everyday to my best friend and waking up next to him. That feeling -- it is magic, comfort and fun all and the same time and it holds me over when days are hard. What's one activity you enjoy that your husband just doesn't get? Twitter! But I signed him up for Facebook a few…

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  By Jane

• 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 -------…

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  Carolyn Bahm

• 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.

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  Cindy La Ferle's Home Office

• Why the LBD rocks

  Cindy

  14 Nov 2009 | 6:38 am

  I am against fashion that doesn’t last” – Coco Chanel Anticipating the holidays, I’m running a favorite “fun” piece that originally appeared in The Christian Science Monitor (December 4, 1997) and is reprinted in Writing Home. It’s been years since I’ve worried about what to wear to holiday parties. When the occasion calls for something more formal [...]

• Rethinking the holidays

  Cindy

  8 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am

  Tradition is a guide, not a jailer.” – W. Somerset Maugham Over dinner with my husband’s brother and his wife last year, my husband and I broached the delicate subject of  … The Holidays. I appreciated the chance to have this discussion with my in-laws. Celebrating the winter holidays, after all, is an emotionally loaded topic [...]

• 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 [...]

• 
  Coming to Terms

• Moms: We Hear You Loud and Clear

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:33 am

  Updated to share two links revealing a reality different than what the conventional mom community experiences:Grown In My Heart, an adoption network, reviews Silent SororityA Casting Call for Drew Barrymore, David Duchovny * * * * *Ack! What's going on? If I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd be convinced we were in the midst of a well-coordinated, full-on assault against those who can't or don't have children.You may recall the judgmental Orlando Sentinel Mom's at Work blog I referenced in my last post. Who knew it was the tip of the iceberg? This week Mika Brzezinski weighs in. Mika, Mika,…

• 45 Years After Rossi, Mommies Propagate Prejudice

  Pamela Tsigdinos

  8 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

  It's been a very long time since I sat in the Frieze Building on the University of Michigan campus taking notes in a women's studies course. While I registered mainly for administrative reasons (the session fulfilled a requirement for my English Literature major), the class had the added benefit of being thought-provoking. One of the assigned books, Strong-Minded Women, remains on my bookshelf today. I trust my prof would have been pleased to see an essay I wrote today -- prompted by an obituary on sociologist and feminist scholar, Alice S. Rossi (pictured here) -- made the cut as an…

• 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…

• 
  Diary of a Midlife Crisis

• Climbing up from the end of the rope

  Midlife Virgin

  10 Nov 2009 | 9:51 pm

  It’s been a tough couple of weeks. Money is non-existent. I mean, truly non-existent. I had to take home toilet paper from work the other day to make sure we had a roll at home. Once again, can’t pay my rent. Haven’t paid for Bette, my new convertible, and the woman who sold it to me is so tolerant. I owe the wonderful Beth money she lent me over the summer. Drowning.Drowning.Drowning.On top of that, I’ve lost two classes a week, cutting my income by $400 a month.And my father has been given three to six months to live.Fuck.Hard not to throw in the towel. All I could think is that…

• 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…

• 
  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

• Free Schools & Dumb People

  Candelaria

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pm

  Free schools and dumb people is one of the favorite sayings of a friend of mine.  This phrase has been front and center in my mind recently because I’ve interacted with several young people between the ages of 18-22 who have dropped out of school.  That they are unprepared for their futures is an understatement. In working as a job counselor part-time for several weeks, I’ve met: Young people who’ve never worked. Young people who are under-employed and looking for better work (which they interpret fairly narrowly to mean better pay). These students are trying to take control…

• Bored or Boring?

  Candelaria

  10 Nov 2009 | 5:01 am

  In the space of a week, I’ve had three separate people tell me they were bored with nothing to do. This begs the question, are you bored or boring? I find the phrases “I’m bored” and “there’s nothing to do” to be annoying and irritating.  They stick in my craw for some reason.  This time, they got to me so deeply, I had to write about them. I simply don’t understand this.  How can anyone be bored?I can understand being lonely, being broke, being indecisive, being overwhelmed with possibilities, being lazy, being slow, being preoccupied, so on and so…

• 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…

• 
  Granny Sue's News and Reviews

• On the Road Again

  Granny Sue

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm

  I'm on the road storytelling in central West Virginia. I'll be back Friday night with, I hope some good photos to share of our trip.No photos tonight, since I'm at my son's house and having a blast with his two children while Aaron and Jaime are out celebrating her birthday.Here are a few things from today's storytelling to share:*Preschoolers and first graders laughing incredibly at Lazy Jack, one of the first stories I learned to tell. I love going back to these tales and finding new discoveries in them. If you don't know the story: Jack's mother puts the lazy boy to work at a farm. He does…

• Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

  Granny Sue

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:02 am

  I missed posting this yesterday, so here's my post for Wordless Wednesday, a day late:This was sunrise, Wednesday morning.

• True or Not True? The Real Truth

  Granny Sue

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:56 am

  Yesterday I posted this list and asked my readers to guess which one of these statements is not true:1. I was suspected of being a drug dealer.2. We were suspected of being in the witness protection program when we moved to West Virginia.3. I once directed an upset man with a gun to the governor's mansion.4. I had four children by the time I was 22.5. I dropped out of high school.6. A dress I made myself shrank to skin-tight while I was wearing it when I was caught in a rainstorm. My boyfriend appreciated it.7. I've been a mail carrier, security guard, betting clerk, tobacco farmer, and…

• True or Not True?

  Granny Sue

  17 Nov 2009 | 3:50 am

  I found this at Susan's blog and she found it at Nessa's site. (Don't you love blog world? It's like a big neighborhood).Here is what Nessa said:“I have done or experienced all of the following except one. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to let me know here in the comments which experiences we have in common and tell me which one you think I have never experienced. There is no prize for guessing correctly which item is not true because I am cheap. Then, make up your own list on your own blog. Look for the bogus entry on tomorrow’s post.”So, here goes:1. I was suspected…

• Echo Songs

  Granny Sue

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:57 pm

  While browsing in some books this evening, I came across a mention of "echo songs." I knew about call-and-response songs and songs with a chorus for participation, but I'd never heard the term echo songs before. I expect all of us have heard or sung one at some time, and I've even used a few in performances. But I never heard them called echo songs. What is an echo song? It's a song where the audience repeats each line after the singer. For example, here is Bill Grogan's Goat:There was a manThere was a manNow please take noteNow please take noteThere was a manThere was a manWho had a goatWho…

• 
  It's a Mad Madge World

• ok ok OK

  Madge

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

  I'm posting already. I don't know what my problem is. That I can't come here and say something. Anything. So what's been happening?• Just survived 10 days of a sick seven year old -- not the flu, not strep, not pneumonia, but took an antibiotic to kick it•Husband has been in school since September. He's getting certified for HVAC work. We thought he would be finished in May and would be working this summer, but yesterday he informed me that if he goes to school until August he'll get a two -year degree. Yes, I managed to not throw a total freaking fit at the idea of three more months of…

• 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…

• 
  Jon's Sushi Bar

• You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out (and other assorted mayhem)

  Jan

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  It has been a long darn week. Beloved has been working long hours out of town.  I’ve been working long hours in town.  I DID get the car serviced this week (if you can call $190 for basically rotating the tires, an oil change and a lube job anything other than extortion), but the dog still needs to go to the vet for his checkup, the house needs some serious cleaning (to say nothing of the inside of the refrigerator *shudder*) and while I’ve sorta kinda started putting together a menu for the week-long food-orgy that begins Saturday, the shopping this will require is daunting to…

• Enchilada Casserole

  Jan

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  My two grown children are coming here for Thanksgiving, and I am THRILLED.  I’m proud to say that I’m close to all of my kids, and that holidays spent together are not an obligation but a celebration made even more special by the fact that we don’t actually see each other often, although we talk to each other on a very regular basis. Like, damn near every day. One of the things I do when I know the kids are going to be here is make a menu of their favorite dishes.  In fact, last evening I called Darling Daughter (who currently resides in every mother’s nightmare Las…

• Everyday Heroes

  Jan

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  This subject of this week’s Spin Cycle – heroes and bravery – has been unusually difficult for me to tackle, not because I don’t know anyone who is heroic or brave, but because I know so many who are. Let’s face it – it’s easy (or easier) to be heroic or brave when faced with extraordinary circumstance or adversity.  It’s the people who show undaunted courage day after day after day in the little, mundane things that I admire. Day in.  Day out. Those who get up every morning knowing they have a job to do and doing it whether they feel like it…

• RTT: Wine, Women and Thongs

  Jan

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Actually, this post has nothing to do with any of those things (well, except the wine); I just thought it sounded like a cool title. I guess I could have called it “Leftovers, Dog Poop and Menopause” – far more realistic, but not quite as catchy. The realization that my day can be reduced to “Leftovers, Dog Poop and Menopause” is sobering. With any luck, tomorrow will be summed up with “Unlimited Wealth, Exotic Travel and Multiple Orgasms.” But…I’m not holding my breath. Which is not to say that I won’t be experiencing one of those…

• Spinach Stuffed Pork Roast with Fruit Sauce

  Jan

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  Good gawd, we were so busy last week that I never got around to posting a recipe.  And it’s not going to get better any time soon; after more than a week with Jolly and Little Guy, Beloved left yesterday afternoon to drive to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a week to see a client.  He comes home Friday night, then on Saturday Oldest Son and Darling Daughter fly in for the Thanksgiving holiday. YAAAAAAYYYYY!! Sorry – I don’t see my older kids nearly often enough. Oldest Son has to leave first thing Friday morning following Turkey Day – he has work commitments – but…

• 
  Growing Older, Sexier, and Skinnier

• Halloween Candy 75% Off- Weight 100% On

  ladybeams

  13 Nov 2009 | 7:10 am

  Another Halloween has come and gone, and unlike the Christmas retailers who are buying scaled down stock because of the economy, there was leftover chocolate Halloween candy everywhere! I’m usually pretty good at passing up the candy when it’s for sale prior to Halloween because I think most of the time the prices are ridiculous. After Halloween though is a weak point. When the same big back of bite size candy bars is finally marked down to what is reasonable, I usually have to partake. you know, now that I think about it, I have the same problem at Valentine’s Day, Easter,…

• 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.

• 
  Midlife Slices

• Is This Week Over Yet??

  Midlife Slices

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm

  Sometimes it just seems like everything hits at once.   Sometimes “everything” is great and sometimes it’s not so great, right?  I’ve been really antsy the past few weeks but yet I feel like I’m sitting in one place just spinning my wheels and going nowhere.  Or maybe it’s all these sub-contractors that keep not showing [...]

• Fun Times in The Emergency Room

  Midlife Slices

  13 Nov 2009 | 7:48 pm

  Hunka Burnin Love had a little construction related accident on Monday.  His thumb jumped in the way of a fast-moving and sharp utility knife.  I was in more danger than he because he threw down said sharp object and it bounced across the floor and hit my foot.  Don’t worry, I’ll be fine but HBL [...]

• I Will Remember

  Midlife Slices

  10 Nov 2009 | 9:27 pm

  God willing…….. x I will remember to never forget the debt of gratitude I owe any and all Veterans. x I will remember to never forget the price that was and is being paid for the freedom that I take for granted today. x I will remember to never forget to fly the American flag proudly and in honor of Veteran’s [...]

• 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, [...]

• 
  Nanny Goats in Panties

• How Do You Pronounce the Year "2010"?

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:36 pm

  Debate about how to pronounce the upcoming years is heating up. I mean, we've been chugging along since the new millenium with "Two Thousand, Two Thousand One, etc." and all of a sudden some people out there will be changing this pattern in January with "Twenty Ten". The International Olympics Committee and Vancouver 2010  are officially referring to this winter's Olympics in Vancouver as the "Twenty Ten Olympics". And then there are those who feel the pronounciation will not convert to "twenty-something" until 2011. How did we get into such a mess? Last century we were pretty consistent…

• Goat Thing of the Day: Baby Goats Hop on Bus

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am

  Last week, two baby goats hopped on a bus in Vancouver, Washington. They broke out of their pen and followed two woman to the bus stop. And tried to board a bus with the two women. And knowing how frugal goats can be, you can bet they didn't have a bus pass. Initially, I couldn't find a way to embed the video here, and had planned for you to click on the picture below to take to you the Fox 12 Oregon News video. Or have you read the baby goat bus story on their website. Yoda and Yates. (Thanks, Sue!) But then, Owen from the Magic Lantern Show happened to send me a link to where CNN picked it…

• Have You Ever Faked It?

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am

  Today I am celebrating my 503rd post. Why? Because everyone else celebrates on multiples of a hundred and I'm a rebel, man. Also? What if you announce and make a big deal out of the fact that this is a milestone post, sending whoopie all over cyberspace and then the post itself sucks? Like, a lot. Then what? Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Neil from Citizen of the Month was talking on his Twitter feed about fake tweeting and I thought, 'Now why didn't I ever think of that?' Nothing that brilliant ever occurs to me. I'm completely incapable of thinking outside of the box. Even when I was a kid, I…

• Goat Thing of the Day: It's a Sign

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  14 Nov 2009 | 11:36 am

  I don't know if any of you remember when I showed you the Billy Goat Tavern when I was in Chicago this last summer. The Cheezeborger Cheezeborger! place. I understand if you don't. You were probably drunk. It was the Goat Thing of the Day for a post I entitled Chivalrouslessness in Thieves. Back when someone stole my notebook and-- GAH!!! I still can't talk about it, it upsets me so. Anyway, I didn't call this meeting to complain about how lame society is. Not today, anyway. No, I brought all of you here today to tell you that I thought it was odd that people would name their business after a…

• The Berlin Wall? Yeah, I Tapped That

  Nanny Goats In Panties

  12 Nov 2009 | 12:24 am

  It was the summer of 1990. Backpacks and youth hostels and Eurail passes. I'd just graduated college at the age of 24 (I know, I know, what took me so long -- that's another story). Anyway, my friend Drew and I found out about college kids who did Europe this way and decided to flop over to the other side of the pond ourselves. At some point during July we found ourselves in Berlin, Germany, where one wall was coming down and another was going up. The one coming down was being marketed in pieces on the street for something that must have seemed outrageous at the time relative to our…

• 
  Not What It Seems

• Edna St. Vincent Millay

  Denise

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:19 am

  "Time does not bring relief; you all have lied Who told me time would ease me of my pain! I miss him in the weeping of the rain; I want him at the shrinking of the tideEdna St. Vincent Millay

• huh

  Denise

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am

  In an irony reminiscent of one of my first jobs (aside from babysitting) where I worked at a ski shop fitting skis and boots when I had never been skiing in my life, I now work at a fitness center, and I don't really work out. I say not really but actually, I don't aside from yoga.I keep meaning too, I truly do, but I don't. I am afraid of the treadmill. It is one of my goals to overcome that fear.And another thing... I have been plagued by this idea; did someone just fantasize about mad, deep, powerful and lasting love, then write about it and now we all believe in it, and expect it OR is it…

• Grounded.

  Denise

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:57 am

  We talked more than is customary today in my yoga class. Everyone was feeling the stress of the Nor' Easter we experienced last week. Although much of the water has receded, and the clean up is well under way, there was a lot of lingering stress.One woman was alone, and afraid. Others were dealing with the smell and mess of marsh water and mud in their yards and homes. Some found the winds the most frightening aspect of the storm.The class managed to combine the benefits yoga provides for stress relief with the companionship and support of caring people.That is one of the most important parts…

• 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…

• 
  Out on the Stoop

• Becerra Coffee Response to Stupak Amendment Question

  Gena

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:40 am

  In this video a woman is asking questions about the Stupak amendment that would not allow a woman to have an abortion even if she is paying for it with her own funds.This is an extract from a video I recorded at the Coffee with Congressman Xavier Becerra meeting, November 14, 2009. To check what I was being told I went to Thomas.gov and looked at H.R. 3692. Here is the short version of the Stupak amendment:The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits from purchasing a plan that provides…

• Brahma Nandam on the Finally Friday Freakout

  Gena

  13 Nov 2009 | 6:34 pm

  You take a step. And another. If you keep doing that you can find yourself in unexpected places. Happens to me all of the time. This is not a bad thing.I need a bit of soothing. Something non-toxic and coming from a heart centered place. This is Deva Premal and Miten in a 2005 performance of Brahma Nandam.

• Representative Xavier Becerra Meet Up in Eagle Rock

  Gena

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:17 am

  Just a heads up for those folks near northeast section of Los Angeles/Eagle Rock that Rep. Xavier Becerra is having a Town Hall meeting at Eagle Rock High School. I don't know if I can make it. Hopefully it will not be a shouting match but a discussion of the House health care bill.Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Eagle Rock High School1750 Yosemite Dr.Los Angeles, CA 90041I'm not getting my hopes up about civility. But for those in neighborhood, no matter your persuasion, I hope you can attend. Hopefully civil participants will out number the disruptors who may or may…

• Seeking Biblical Scholarship over Biblical Hubris

  Gena

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pm

  On Halloween, 2009 Pastor Grizzard of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina planed to burn versions of the bible, music and other objects that are not in alignment with his church’s belief system. One of the definitions of hubris is pride of presumption. Here are the exact words copied from a cached version of the website:Come to our Halloween book burning. We are burning Satan's bibles like the NIV, RSV, NKJV, TLB, NASB, NEV, NRSV, ASV, NWT, Good News for Modern Man, The Evidence Bible, The Message Bible, The Green Bible, ect. These are perversions of God's Word the King…

• Confession of A Spokesjerk for the Insurance Industry

  Gena

  7 Nov 2009 | 3:33 pm

  Yeah. Ok. It is not like I didn't know. I knew the health care disinformation campaign started years ago. I don't generally hold rank and file actors accountable for taking jobs that pays cash money.Because if you think every actor who has done a commercial for Mr. Clean or Tide actually knew how to use that product then there still might be some part of the Brooklyn Bridge for sale.I'm trying to pace myself for the final versions of the health care bill because I know they will be pork fat and trapdoors embedded so that the insurance industry makes money no matter what.I said it before and…

• 
  Seasonality

• REINING IN, LETTING GO

  Hill Country Hippie

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:28 am

  I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just days away, and that a week from tomorrow, I will probably be draping garland and twinkle lights from the porch railing. Are you ready for this? I'm not! I am, however, in a much better place than I would have been in years past, believe you me!How did I get to this place? Since moving here to Wimberley, I have been learning, step by step, how to bring the holidays back down to size. How does one do that? Well, it's different for each family, as are our priorities and beliefs, but the crux of it is: figure out what is truly important to you...and what…

• FARMER BECK HAS AN ORANGE GROVE!

  Hill Country Hippie

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm

  Ever since we bought this house five years ago, there has been a monstrous, thorny shrub growing back beside the garage, on the edge of the cedar grove. Our first instinct was to cut it down, but there were signs of a wire wrap having been placed around its base at some point, to protect it from deer. We figured it must be something good, that was planted intentionally by the previous owners. So we put up with it, year after year, as it grew and grew, and those thorns got ever more deadly, always thinking that eventually, it would prove its worth.It did not. Finally, John got fed up. He…

• DOES SIMPLE = CHEAP?

  Hill Country Hippie

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:24 am

  Back in my previous life, as a big-city suburbanite, I was always under the extremely misguided impression that moving to a rural setting, and trying to live a simpler life, would save us tons of money. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!True, I never, ever go shopping anymore, just for something to do. I rarely ever buy clothes, furniture, or knick-knacks for the house. I spend much less on restaurants and entertainment, and that amount will probably dwindle even further as time goes on, and we meet more people to socialize and trade supper invitations with. Also, the older we get, the less a trip into the…

• AFTER MIDNIGHT

  Hill Country Hippie

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pm

• NEWS ALERT! This Just In...

  Hill Country Hippie

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am

  Remember this sad little story about the abandoned antique shop across the highway from us? Well, they have been working on it nonstop ever since, and it has been quite a transformation. Just when I was about to pop a vein over lack of information, rumors began to swirl about town. Could it be? Wouldn't that just be too good to be true? If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably know my weakness - the one kind of food that I probably shouldn't be living right across the street from. That's right, brothers and sisters! Looks like I will soon be able to step out my…

• 
  Telling It Like It Is

• Female Body Image in the Media – The Pressure to Be Thin in Society

  Lin

  12 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  How thin is too thin? If you think childhood obesity statistics are shocking, there is increasing concern about how the pressure to be thin in society is affecting girls and boys through the media, and how girls in particular are more obsessed with dieting than in previous generations. The obsession to be thin has lead to an increase in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia in girls as young as 5-years-old, according to recent studies and surveys. Girls whose moms are on a diet are almost twice as likely to suffer from an eating disorder, according to a recent survey of over 500 teenage…

• Give Up Coffee? Why Should I Stop Drinking Coffee?

  Lin

  9 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Give up coffee? Who, me? Why should I stop drinking coffee when I like the taste of coffee? Can someone really be addicted to caffeine in coffee? Maybe, maybe not, depending on which research studies and health experts you believe. Almost every morning I enjoy two or three cups of home-brewed coffee to start my day, and it’s not uncommon for me to have two more cups of coffee at night while writing or watching television, especially on cold winter nights. If drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee or two first thing in the morning doesn’t give you a jolt of energy to get your day started,…

• 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…

• 
  Hot Flashes

• Poll: At What Age Are We Finally "Old?"

  fabmom

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  I don't know about everyone else, but when I stop to ponder my chronological age, I sometimes wonder why I don't feel as old as I am. I mean, I am over a half a century, and I know for a fact that used to be considered aged. When I look back at photos of my grandparents or their peers at that age, they seemed MUCH older. I also know when I was a teen and young adult, their age was considered practically ancient. Did they all wear those same severe black oxford shoes? No, actually sometimes they were two-toned to match their dress outfit. Here are photos of a teacher and another woman - both…

• Eating Disorders & Obsessions With Weight Between Mothers & Daughters

  fabmom

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  When my daughter was in fourth grade, it seemed to me that she and her little munchkin girlfriends were firmly enmeshed in childhood.So that same year when my daughter announced to me that one of her close friends - a classmate- refused to eat and my daughter referred to this refusal to eat as anorexia, I was shocked. Shocked that she knew that term, shocked that one of her peers could be starving herself at that young an age, and full of grief for the end of my daughter's innocence about weight issues and eating disorders. It was the first inkling I had that eating disorders were cropping up…

• 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…

• 
  Talk2Bev

• Turning a Tragedy into Publicity

  BeverlyM

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:37 pm

  A few days ago from a woman who was a victim of child abuse and neglect more than 40 years ago contacted me to ask my advice on how she could gain some media exposure for her book from the tragedy involving little Shaniya Davis. For those of you who don't know, Shaniya was a five-year-old North Carolina girl who was found dead earlier this week after her mother reported her missing a week earlier. That same mother is now in jail charged with human trafficking, along with child abuse and neglect in connection with this case. Shaniya was last seen on a surveillence camera being carried up to a…

• A FlyLady Chat

  BeverlyM

  11 Nov 2009 | 9:39 am

  I've said this many times before: you never know who knows who so it pays to be nice to everybody. This is especially true in social media. With Facebook and Twitter literally connecting thousands of people at a time, you never know who in that vast circle can lead you to someone you really want to know. That's what happened when I connected with The FlyLady. We were connected to the same person on Twitter and Facebook but not to each other. During a conversation with our mutual connection, I learned that he knew her and I wanted to know her too so he opened the door to make it happen. As a…

• 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…

• 
  Baby Boomer Talk & Other Stuff

• School Fundraising Project Comes Under Fire

  BeverlyM

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

  A donation of $20 could raise a student's grade at one North Carolina Middle Schhol. It was supposed to be a fundraiser to help the school generate some much needed money for supplies:Rosewood Middle School price list♦A $20 donation buys 10-point credits to be used on two tests of the student's choice.♦A $30 donation buys the test points and admission to a 5th-period dance.♦A $60 donation buys students test points, the dance invitation, and a "special 30-minute lunch period with pizza, drink and the choice to invite one friend to join them."♦Photo ops with Rosewood principal Susie…

• Sad Ending to the Shaniya Davis Story

  BeverlyM

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am

  I, like many others in North Carolina, am shocked, saddened and even outraged over the death of little Shaniya Davis. This is the five-year-old who was being used as a sex slave by her mother, 25-year-old Antoinette Davis. Shaniya's body was discovered Monday in a rural area---several days after her mother reported her missing from their mobile home. Here's the timeline according to Fayetteville Police:Davis called police at 6:53 a.m. one week ago today to report that her daughter was missing.Davis told police the last time she saw the child was at 5:30 a.m. inside their mobile home.At 6:11…

• 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. 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 advertising mailers to residents. I was…

• 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…

• 
  Boomer World

• Noisy Sex Gets a Conviction

  BeverlyM

  10 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm

  I think you and I will agree that it's a good thing when a husband and wife can really turn each other on at midlife, right? But should your neighbors have first hand knowledge of what's going on in your home?It seems as though a 48-year-old baby boomer woman from the UK was convicted for making too much noise during her love-making sessions with her husband. The noise was so bad that everyone from the neighbors to the postman heard their escapades.A next door neighbor of the couple told the court she was frequently late for work because she overslept having been awake most of the night…

• 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…

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  Boomer Diva Nation

• The Feet Don’t Lie

  Beverly

  9 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm

    Guest Post by:  Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D Two of your colleagues are talking in the hallway. You’d like to join the conversation, but you don’t know if you’ll be seen as a rude interruption or a welcome addition. You can find out if you’re welcome or not – just by looking at their feet. Or so says [...]

• 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 [...]

• 
  Merlot Mom

• Don't Underestimate the Power of Your Telemarketer

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:59 am

  I don't know about you but in the past few weeks I have been deluged with unsolicited sales calls.  Did I miss something?  Did the DO NOT CALL registry expire?  Because literally one day my phone started ringing off the hook with sales pitches of all kinds.  If you scroll down the "calls received" on my handset, there are at least twenty to thirty in one day.  Not only do I receive mostly junk mail now but most of my phone calls are junk too. When this began, I answered the calls as I always have.  I didn't.  Well, most of the time.  If I did bother to…

• Give Me The Grateful Life - Monday

  21 Sep 2009 | 7:00 am

  I am grateful I caused no physical harm this weekend to my Bat Mitzvah-defiant, Torah portion-rejecting, non-speech writing daughter. I am grateful for Tylenol. I am grateful for Wii Fit Rhythm Boxing. I am grateful there are less than three weeks left until my life returns to it's regularly scheduled programming.

• Some Wisdom Not Written By Me So You Can Take It Seriously

  18 Sep 2009 | 1:13 pm

  This came to me from a friend.  It was written by a woman journalist.  Some of you may have seen it already but I thought it was worth passing around.  Some good stuff to remember here. Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio  "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."  My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short…

• A Momentary Case of Mistaken Identity

  16 Sep 2009 | 7:14 pm

  The other day I wrote this post. It was a nice post.  A sincere, written-from-the-heart kinda post. But, I am NOT the woman who wrote that post. No. That post was written by a woman whose kids were still at school. That post was written by a woman whose dogs had just been fed and walked. That post was written by a woman who was sitting in her quiet house, drinking her favorite green tea, thinking she had accomplished a great deal. That calm, reflective, introspective woman went missing a mere two hours after writing that post. When her son came home with his first homework assignments…

• Give Me The Grateful Life - Monday

  14 Sep 2009 | 3:22 pm

  Sometimes it takes a lifetime to get perspective. Sometimes it takes one phone call.  I started my morning, as I have every morning lately, going through my list of "to do's".  Just sitting at my desk ignites stress.  The piles, the post-its.  What did I forget?  What more do I have to do?  The lists are endless,  boundless petri dishes for my type-A tendencies.  And as the date of my daughter's Bat Mitzvah draws closer, I find myself forgetting about the joy and significance of this milestone and focusing more on the expectation.  The obligation.

• 
  Zen and the Art of Midlife Crisis

• Under My Skin

  Kip de Moll

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:17 am

  I don't mind admitting that the chorus to this new song came to me in the driveway of my dear friend who has shown me that love does not always come in the package we want, and seeming less, can somehow be so very much more.The bulk of the music and many of the words came to me on the morning of my accident when I wanted to continue with the creativity and, against my intuition, forced myself to

• Drenched

  Kip de Moll

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:11 am

  The first shower in a month has got to be one of the sweetest moments! Witness to others but never hurt myself like this before, I had not imagined life could be reduced to such a simple pleasure, celebrating the accomplishment of such a basic need.A month after my accident, I am doing much better, thank you all so very much, and yet am still plagued by a fatigue that brings tears to my eyes,

• Distant Shores

  Kip de Moll

  7 Nov 2009 | 4:17 am

  The doctor made a quick assessment of the repair and subsequent healing, determining nothing for sure, but satisfied there was progression. He pressed hard on a particular spot to ensure last week’s infection was truly gone. Continuing to improve at this rate, he surmised, the first catheter might be removed in two weeks.To my complaint that sleep erections have returned and are quite painful

• 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

• 
  Midlife Musings

• We only hurt the ones we love, the ones we never meant to hurt at all...

  14 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pm

  I realized something not so nice about myself today. And I really struggled with whether or not to blog about it. It's really tough to expose the less desirable side of ourselves, because by doing so, we open ourselves up to criticism. And that? Is scary. It is for me, anyway. Operating from a position of fear is a really stressful . I feel like I have operated from this position most of my life. I was always a tall, shy, geeky kid, and my mother dressed me funny. I might as well have drawn a target on my back. Kids can be incredibly cruel, especially for someone who is in the least bit…

• Random Tuesday Thoughts

  10 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pm

  Okay it's been awhile since I've participated in Random Tuesday Thoughts, so I thought I'd do so this week. Of course, I can come up with GREAT random thoughts when I'm driving in my car. Then I think, "I need to blog these." And then they just sort of "poof" out of my brain. *sigh*. Oh well.What was I saying? Oh yes. But before I get to that, just a quick update. My week away from Dr. Jekyll went fairly well, although I had some upset with a friend in Second Life, but life's a roller coaster and sometimes you just have to ride it out. But the week was peaceful and I LIKED it. Things have…

• 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…

• 
  Boomer Cafe

• The Golden Ear Mouse

  Cafe

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm

  When we boomers say, “We’re different from our parents’ generation; we’re more active, more flexible, more youthful,” we mean it. But are our bodies always listening? Not necessarily, at least not yet. That’s why we’re fascinated by research we read about at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Boomer Professor of Otolaryngology Bob Frisina leads a team that has created a “Golden Ear” mouse that says, “Squeak, Squeak – Can You Hear Me Now?” And there are good implications for us! What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse…

• AARP Tries to Take Boomer Lead

  Cafe

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:17 pm

  AARP has been around for 50 years, but it is only now showing Baby Boomers the weight of its influence. AARP tried and failed a decade ago. Now, the group is trying again. For most Baby Boomers, turning 50 years old and getting that membership invitation to join AARP was like getting a mean-spirited birthday card greeting — that AARP invitation must mean you were really getting over the hill. And, for most Baby Boomer joiners, membership has meant access to discounts to rent a car or hotel room or a cruise. But AARP’s mission as watchdog of public policies that affect its members…

• The Case Against Retirement

  Cafe

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:08 pm

  Ah, retirement! Before the 1950s it was something only the wealthy could afford to do. Everyone else needed an income, and most folks struggled to get by in the industrial economy as their faculties deteriorated. Back in the days before 401[k)s — let alone Social Security — older people faced the kind of pressures portrayed by filmmaker D.W. Griffith in his melodramatic 1911 silent film What Shall We Do With Our Old? It’s a sad tale of the setbacks endured by an elderly couple, the wife ailing, the husband tossed off the assembly line to make way for a younger worker. The…

• Remembering a First Kiss

  Cafe

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am

  Have you ever found that what troubles you the most is not the mysteries of tomorrow, but the nagging “things done and left undone?” That’s what Eliot Smith felt when he turned fifty. And nothing nagged at him more than the recollection of his first real kiss. Here is an excerpt from Gary Carter’s new novel “ELIOT’S TALE.” It takes place as he goes back to his hometown. Debbie was known as the make-out queen of Hope Springs Elementary School and an expert in the exotic art of the French kiss with a tongue that could reportedly tickle your tonsils. As a result, she…

• A Boomer Who’s Still 17 at Heart

  Cafe

  11 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm

  Who framed Roger Rabbit? Tim Eaton did. Eaton also inflicted multiple stab wounds on Goldie Hawn. He caused several tornadoes, too. Oh, and he sank the Titanic. “It’s a living,” he sighs. Eaton framed Roger Rabbit in a visual, not criminal, sense. Same goes with the Goldie Hawn stabbing, the tornadoes and the sinking of the Titanic. He is one of those people whose name scrolls up the big screen after most people have left the theatre — the special effects technicians who imbue Hollywood blockbusters with extra whiz-bang. He summoned the tornadoes for Twister, punctured…

• 
  Going Like Sixty

• How Many Pounds in a Gallon of Fat? JFGI!

  goinglikesixty

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:43 am

  Remember this? What do you want for your birthday? A Henway. What’s a Henway? About three pounds. So far, I’ve lost about 11 hens. If I could somehow export my loss to Peru, I would be able to buy one of those cars I lusted after. Three suspects have confessed to killing five people for their fat, said Col. Jorge Mejia, chief of Peru’s anti-kidnapping police. He said the suspects, two of whom were arrested carrying bottles of liquid fat, told police it was worth $60,000 a gallon ($15,000 a liter). I am convinced you can Google any question and get the answer. Yesterday,…

• Total Knee Replacement: Potentially Costly Sitting and Thinking

  goinglikesixty

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Since the Total Knee Replacement, (ta-da-dummmmmmmm) my physical activity is even more limited than prior to the removal and reinstallation. Since I’m dieting my lack of physical activity is even more restricted. Prior to this, my lack of physical activity was because I was lazy. Aside from mowing and walking the dogs and following Nancy around Kroger throwing Oreo cookies, cheese puffs, Miller Chill, Oscar Mayer Bologna and M & M’s into the basket, I had no physical activity. Now that limited activity is limited even more. 1. I  can’t walk much and 2. I can’t eat…

• Unfriend or Defriend? Luke Russert Weighs in for NBC as Congressional Correspondent

  goinglikesixty

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm

  “Unfriend” is the word of the year, as declared by the New Oxford American Dictionary. Congressional correspondent Luke Russert (and son of St. Timothy of Buffalo)  corrected the “Unfriend” report saying, “the kids say ‘Defriend.’ Oxford Dictionary should find that out.” “the kids”, yeah, Luke Russert called Facebookers “the kids.” Unfriend Luke Russert! Defriend Luke Russert! Deface Luke Russert! Unbook Luke Russert! Debook Luke Russert! You might like these too...Tim Russert is Still Dead; Young Luke Russert is MIALuke…

• Go Behind The Scenes for a Sneak Peek at Multiple Sarcasms

  goinglikesixty

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

  Huh!?! Should I be flattered or insulted that a PR flack sent me a pre-release sneak peek of a movie coming out this spring called Multiple Sarcasms? Yeah, flattered. Multiple irreverences/Multiple Sarcasms, it fits here. It’s a movie about a play about a life that is falling apart. Huh!?! I may have just moved over to the insulted side again. (Rant about a blog about a life that is falling apart?) Nah, I’m back to flattered. Any movie poster featuring a toilet is in my wheelhouse. Multiple Sarcasms is set in 1979 New York and has an amazing cast including Timothy Hutton, Mira…

• Have Dog Cheer Spreadsheet: Need Chart

  goinglikesixty

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm

  This would make a utterly fascinating bar chart or pie chart or simple graph. Alas, I am incapable of making such a graph using OpenOffice. I used to be a whiz at making such things using Microsoft Excel. But I use Excel so little, I let the license lapse and went for the freebie. OpenOffice. (Bill Gates is a Prick) Here is the raw data of the Happiness Quotient for each dog based on the length of time we have been out of the house in minutes. Dog Greeting Style Data Set Refresher: the subjects observed to develop data… Derby Sedona Oliver Sofi Note: Oliver never goes Batshit over…

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  A Boomer in the Pew

• The Manhattan Declaration: A Call to Christian Conscience

  David A. Porter

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:55 am

  Today, a group of Christians spanning the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Evangelicalism have met in New York to sign what is called The Manhattan Declaration.For some unknown reason, the web site is down and is, as of this writing, referring to Chuck Colson's website.Nonetheless, I was able to log on to the site this morning, and obtain a copy of the document for you here:Download ManhattanDeclaration"The Manhattan Documents is a 4,732-word statement signed by a movement of Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders who are collaborating around moral issues of great concern. Its 125+…

• Why is the Bible so Difficult to Understand?

  David A. Porter

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

  For millennia, people have peered into the pages of the Bible and asked, "why is the Bible so difficult to understand?"  Perhaps this question is better asked, "can the Bible even be understood?"In The Gospel Coalition's theological journal Themelios (Greek for foundations), Dr. Wayne Grudem answers this question with a resounding "yes", but offers a few qualifications.From Dr. Grudem:  "Scripture confirms that it is able to be understood but: not all at once not without effort not without means (translations in your language, teachers, commentaries, fellowship with other Christians) not…

• Chinese Christians Badly Beaten for Going to Unsanctioned Churches

  David A. Porter

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:25 am

  Chinese Christians, and other Chinese religious groups are reaching out to America for help.  At the moment, this voice is being heard through a small group of Chinese human rights attorneys.With all the information that is thrown at us in these modern times, it is very difficult for a story to penetrate our senses.  However, these men appeared in my Sunday school class one day, and my tears were irrepressible as they shared their stories of repression, beatings, kidnappings, and torture.Testimony from Dai Jinbo:"At dawn, on September 13, 2009, more than three hundred police officers,…

• Try out our new ReBlog Button

  David A. Porter

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:43 pm

  Typepad, the host company of this blog, has just released a "ReBlog Button".  Evidently, if you like one of my blog posts, you can hit the "reblog" button, at the bottom of each post, and easily create a re-post on your blog.Sounds great!Find a post you like, try it out, and give me some feedback.Thanks!

• Grandma's Front Porch: A Place of Deep-Seated Memories

  David A. Porter

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am

  Yesterday, I referenced my grandmother's front porch.  Well, today I was most pleased to find photographs of that front porch from my Uncle Don in my e-mail.  My uncle is now the owner of this early 1900's home, and he wanted also to remind me that those big green things are called trees. Uncle Don, along with my brother Doug, were the comedians in the family. These mammoth maple trees are also the very same trees that I wrote of collecting maple syrup with my grandfather.It is good to see this porch.  I can remember my grandmother being so frustrated with me beating up my brother (sorry…

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  Catskill Cottage Seed

• Toddler Rides White Tiger into Post Position

  Richard Reeve

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pm

  In auto racing, it’s the inside position which gets claimed by the racer who put of the fastest qualifying time: the pole position. What’s the analogy to positioning content in this arena? More and more as I observe both my own behavior with content consumption on-line and the behavior of the digital community I belong to, what stands out is that every transaction hinges on the title. The pack is full of the title gimics. There’s the “27 best ways…” and the superlative overloads “absolute best/worst/insane etc,…” In my practice day in and…

• Secret Fears

  Richard Reeve

  17 Nov 2009 | 7:36 am

  “Idealization is a hidden apotropaism; one idealizes whenever there is a secret fear to be exorcised.” – Carl Jung Ouch. So collectively, what does that say about the portrayal of woman in the fashion industry? What does that say about the fascination with foreign sports cars? How about the polarization of political ideologies? …dare we admit our fears? (p.s. I’m guest posting on social media practice over at Liz’s Blog today.)

• Rest, Not Escape

  Richard Reeve

  15 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pm

  I’ve been battling in my head about the differences between laziness and leisure. This is where I’m at: Laziness, or chillin’ as some of the youth I work with like to call it, is at root a regressive posture. It’s an escape from the particular challenges that have aligned within a life. Leisure is restful participation and by nature it tends to be creative and prospective. The lowering of stress and the slackening of pace does not equate to avoidance. In fact, it often opens up new possibilities that might have been missed otherwise. Breath deep. You’ll end up…

• Community Participation in Isolation

  Richard Reeve

  14 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pm

  There are many ways to participate in community. Some involve large social gathering: a pancake breakfast, a conference, a college football game…thousands spread out on towels on a sweltering summer day at the beach. Community participation can take a many different forms, and sometimes it’s surprising that nobody else is even around. I’m thinking of an experience I had this summer hiking along a trial and coming upon a stone pile that was constructed by thousands of hikers who had walked the trail over many years, decades even. The stone pile called to each passerby to add…

• Undoing Frenzy within Social Media

  Richard Reeve

  12 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm

  What I’m most interested in, that’s the road that leads to the most meaningful interactions with others in this space. I’m hitting upon this theme again because all the posturing in this space about “making it about the audience” is in my mind only a useful for those whose main interest is empowering audience. It just isn’t enough if it isn’t enough (pardon the redundancy). And it leads to so much banter in the social media space about “making it about you” that it feels like breathing air that is thin on oxygen…or worse, polluted…

• 
  Nourishing Relationships

• Sally Shields Chats with Our Readers

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am

  Yesterday, we enjoyed hosting Sally Shields, author of The Daughter-in-Law Rules on our blog. Here are some of our readers' questions and Sally's responses.When Anita asked Sally how her mother-in-law reacted to reading about herself in the book, Sally recalled how it affected their relationship:"There are 3 parts to that... first when she found out I was writing the book she said, "I know I can be a B....tch, Sally! I'm a Leo. But we're a lot a like, you know. Now go write a best-seller, or I'll kick your butt!" Then, she read the book. And well, I wasn't welcome at Christmas time... Lastly,…

• The Daughter-in-Law Rules

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:29 am

  Nourishing Relationships: We are so pleased to have Sally Shields, author of The Daughter-in-Law Rules join us today. We have so much to ask you, lets get right to it!What is the concept behind the DIL Rules and how did you derive at that name?Sally Shields: The Daughter-in-Law Rules is based on the 7th spiritual law of success, which is: the quickest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. By that I mean, be a loving, kind-hearted, sensitive person, and the world will reflect that back to you, even in the form of your mother-in-law! I loved that book The Rules: Time…

• Coping with Menopausal Symptoms

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:58 am

  You've likely tried many techniques to deal with the annoying symptoms of perimenopause. Here are some that many Sandwiched Boomers find work for them. Try them, if you haven't already, and see if they work for you.If hot flashes and night sweats plague you, join the gang. You can: dress in layers, have a personal fan handy to use whenever you need, sleep in a cool room at night, avoid alcohol, spicy foods and others that trigger a hot flash. Many women in perimenopause just can't get a good night's sleep. If you have a hard time falling asleep or getting back to sleep when your body awakens…

• Dealing with Menopause

  17 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am

  You may have trouble keeping track of all the changes menopause brings - especially when you are a Sandwiched Boomer overwhelmed by hot flashes. But there are some actions you can take to regain a sense of control over this major life transition. Here are some tips to help you move through this process.Continue to gather information. There are websites, such www.menopause.org and www.WebMd.com, which provide extensive explanations and material about treatment options. There are other resources such as books, journals, and lectures. It is important that the information is valid, the source is…

• Menopause Brain?

  16 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am

  Last week we looked at ways to activate your brain and keep it young. But recent studies at UCLA indicate that women's brains may not function as well during the early stage of the menopause transition - women do not learn as well shortly before menopause as they do earlier or later. So if you are one of the 60% of women who notice that you have memory problems during your menopausal transition, take heart - your memory will come back once you are postmenopausal.Menopause may bring many additional changes, emotional as well as physical. The meaning of "the change" may be different for each of…

• 
  Silver Planet

• Death of a Child: Learning from the Travolta Family’s Tragedy

  rlarsen

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:43 pm

  No one should have to bury a child, a universal truth that will never be cliché. Nothing is worse than the death of your son or daughter. It haunts you forever.I know from secondhand experience, after my parents had to do just that when my sister died in an auto accident in her twenties. The Travoltas know firsthand. You can only try to cope. But how? What common lessons can be learned from such an unthinkable tragedy?read more

• Music Therapy Uses Preloaded iPods to Help Alzheimer’s Patients

  rlarsen

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:54 am

  Music therapy on iPods: Let's start with a quote from today's Wall Street Journal article, which gets right to the point: "Ann Povodator, an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient in Boynton Beach, Fla., listens to her beloved opera and Yiddish songs every day on an iPod with her home health aide or her daughter when she comes to visit. ‘We listen for at least a half-hour, and we talk afterwards,’ says her daughter, Marilyn Povodator.read more

• New Government Task Force Will Combat Financial Fraud

  Florence Klein

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:07 am

  Senior-level officials from more than two dozen government departments, agencies, and offices have joined to form the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force in an effort to strengthen the fight against financial crime.

• Best Boomer Towns Selects Aiken, South Carolina

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:59 am

  Aiken has a nice atmosphere with lots going on. It’s only 17 miles from the famous links of Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club and has more than 30 stables and 13 golf courses nearby. A temperate year-round climate, affordable housing, and a low cost of living make this small town a top choice for retirement.

• Elder Abuse: Financial Exploitation

  rlarsen

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm

  Financial exploitation is the second most common form of elder abuse. Exploitation is theft, pure and simple. Theft by strangers includes lottery scams, telemarketing and sweepstakes fraud, identity theft, and other con games. But theft by those who aren’t strangers is more subtle, hidden, and insidious.read more

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  Aging as a Spiritual Practice

• Practicing with the Fear of Dying

  lewrich

  14 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am

  It is not easy to “call up” our actual fear of dying.  Like Buddhist or Christian monks of old, we can remind ourselves each morning when we wake up, “Death could come at any time.  Don’t waste time.”  This is useful, though somewhat abstract exercise, though with repetition it sinks in.  As one psychiatrist [...]

• 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 [...]

• 
  RetirementRevised

• COBRA subsidy tool calculates when your benefit expires

  Mark Miller

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

  eHealthinsurarnce.com has posted a handy tool that can help people figure out when their federal COBRA health insurance subsidy will end. The tool also lets you see how long your subsidy will stretch if the House bill proposing an extension of the COBRA subsidy becomes law.  Lawmakers indicated this week that they hope to take [...] Related posts:COBRA health insurance subsidy may be extendedBill to extend COBRA health subsidy introducedHouse health care bill delivers on COBRA extension

• Senior singers point to the legacy of Dr. Gene Cohen

  Mark Miller

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:36 pm

  The profession of geriatrics suffered a huge loss earlier this month when Dr. Gene Cohen died. Cohen, who died from metastatic prostate cancer at age 65, was a pioneer in geriatric psychiatry, and he played an enormous role in revolutionizing our thinking about aging. Cohen was especially well known for his research on the effects that [...] Related posts:Cooperative villages taking hold for senior livingPositive Aging Conference coming to a location near youWebinar will offer basics on encore careers

• How to get the most from your Social Security benefits

  Steve Vernon

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:54 pm

  One of the biggest fears most older Americans face is running out of money in their retirement years. And yet these same Americans don’t take full advantage of one of the best resources to address this fear–Social Security benefits, which provide a lifetime income that ranges from 25 percent to 45 percent of their [...] Related posts:Social Security: The compelling case against filing for early benefitsNew calculator shows how delaying Social Security boosts benefitsReader Q&A: Social Security spousal benefits

• Marc Freedman: Moving beyond the DIY transition

  Mark Miller

  13 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pm

  Marc Freedman of Civic Ventures writes in Business Week that we need a series of new systems and approaches to facilitate midlife transitions to encore careers. Among the needed changes: adapting educational programs, new financing, and public policy innovations. Writes Marc: “Today an unprecedented number of Americans are coursing through their 50s, bound for a dramatically different [...] Related posts:Marc Freedman wants to abolish retirement as you know itWebinar will offer basics on encore careersBoomers moving to Service Nation; are candidates following?

• Pensions expert: health reform will allow earlier retirement

  Mark Miller

  13 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm

  Robust health care legislation would enable far more Americans to retire at younger ages, according to one of the nation’s top experts on pensions and employee benefits. Dallas Salisbury, chief executive officer of the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) predicted during a media briefing earlier this week that “if we get health reform enacted that assures [...] Related posts:Why health insurance reform will be good for Medicare recipientsHealth Savings Accounts have a limited role in funding retirement health, study saysHealth reform would cut Medicare prescription drug…

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  Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]�

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pm

  Editor

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pm

  Black Friday to Cyber Monday SALES: BOGO 50% off all accessories, save 50% on Sleep Number i9 bed sets. Plus Queen Sleep Number c2 mattresses are only $599.The Information Destination for the Baby... Click headline for the complete article and more terrific content specifically for Baby Boomers.

• Links for 2009-11-19 [del.icio.us]

  Editor

  Suffering from Menopause? - Take the 20-Question Fact or Fiction Educational Quiz Single Again, Now What? Is That What You’re Thinking! "Songs About Summer" - Challenge Your Memory!

• Glossary of Housing Terms: A Framework for Understanding Your Options

  Editor

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm

  Glossary of Housing Terms: A Framework for Understanding Your Options by Susan Hindman - Silver Planet Feature Writer Special to BB[KC] Once upon a time, nursing homes were the only option for... Click headline for the complete article and more terrific content specifically for Baby Boomers.

• Single Again, Now What? Is That What You’re Thinking!

  Editor

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:46 am

  Single Again, Now What? Is That What You’re Thinking! Are you aware of the affects of divorce on children? Are you a Boomer woman single again and thinking about getting back into the dating game?... Click headline for the complete article and more terrific content specifically for Baby Boomers.

• Links for 2009-11-18 [del.icio.us]

  Editor

  Make Sure You Cover Your Assets

• 
  Living a LearningLife

• Navigating the world of online networking

  wrigh474

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:54 am

  Tips and tricks for getting started on Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.... In the last couple of years, social networking Web sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have become almost as ubiquitous an accessory as a cell phone or a computer. A sizeable proportion of Gen X and Millenials have a page (or two or three)--some estimates say nearly 90 percent of college students maintain at least one page--but what about baby boomers? Is social networking "just for kids," or are people over 40 adopting the technology as well? A recent report from Forrester Research indicates that baby boomers…

• coming up...November 2009

  wrigh474

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:50 am

  Are you wondering how online networking could be valuable to you, either personally or professionally? In "Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter: Making Them Work for You," learn how to use, navigate, and leverage the "big three" social networks. (Saturday, November 21, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) Also upcoming... More Home, Less House: Back to Basics Green Design (Mondays, November 9-30, 7-9 p.m.) From Facts to Memories, Meaning to Memoir (Tuesdays, November 10-24, 7-9 p.m.)

• When I'm 64... I'll Lurk, Link, and Tweet

  wrigh474

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:43 am

  from Andy Gilats, LearningLife director Last week I was having coffee with a friend who is, to turn a phrase, "wired." She doesn't have a nervous condition - she's just a natural networker who actively uses the "Big Three" social and professional networks, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We were talking about why so many of us aren't comfortable networking face-to-face, and the subject of Facebook came up. She casually remarked that she has only 200 friends on Facebook because she wants to limit her network to people she actually knows. 200 friends? I didn't show it, but I was dumbfounded! I…

• Heard it through the grapevine...November 2009

  wrigh474

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:40 am

  On October 1, health policy expert Larry Jacobs delivered an incisive Headliners presentation on "Touching the Third Rail: The Politics of American Health Care." Listen to the presentation online and discover why presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton have tried and failed to deliver on their promises of comprehensive health care reform. Or, read Casey Selix's MinnPost story about the event. One hundred years ago, the U's School of Nursing admitted its first class--of eight students. Since its inception in 1909 (as the first nursing school based in a university),…

• Fall Transition Workshops get underway!

  wrigh474

  2 Oct 2009 | 9:23 am

  Navigating major transitions, especially in the second half of life, can be difficult, but it can also be joyful and rewarding. If we see transition as such, our journeys become positive and purposeful, offering time for review, rediscovery, retooling, and re-emergence. Enter LearningLife's Transition Workshop series, which kicks off on October 17. Transition Workshops are designed to help participants prepare for the next stage of life by allowing them to take a step back, rekindle their sense of purpose, make new connections, explore options, move toward meaningful "encore" work, and…

• 
  About.com: Senior Living

• Will Boomers Age with More Disabilities Than Their Elders?

  13 Nov 2009 | 4:01 am

  Widely reported news from UCLA suggests that boomers will enter their 60s with more disabilities than the previous generation. Researchers looked at results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) during two different time periods--1988-1994 and 1999-2004, and studied how the levels of disability changed for people who were 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80-plus in four areas: Activities associated with daily living: walking from room to room; getting into and out of bed Performing household chores or preparing meals Mobility: walking one-quarter mile; climbing 10 steps…

• My Search for Safe Cosmetics

  10 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm

  After reading news stories about lead in lipstick, phthalates in cosmetics, and trying (almost) in vain to find shampoo without sodium laurel sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate (foaming agents made from sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, and sodium--no thanks), I decided to look for safe cosmetics that are made without known toxins and carcinogens. I started with the Web sites of my (former) favorite products but found little or no information about ingredients. I did find two good sources for information about safe cosmetics, and I'm sharing them with you: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Skin…

• Testosterone Boosters: Big with Boomers

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:36 am

  FDA concerns about the safety of two testosterone boosters from Endo Pharmaceuticals may delay their approval, but safety concerns haven't kept testosterone sales from increasing 25 percent in the past year (while Viagra sales have dropped 8 percent), according Business Week. Despite research studies, including one from the University of North Carolina, which show that testosterone boosters do not slow aging, they are commonly prescribed for older adults. Men use testosterone boosters to treat erectile dysfunction, and women use them hoping to increase sexual satisfaction. Read…

• 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. Read more...Remember Michael Jackson in 1969? originally appeared on About.com Senior Living on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 20:12:03.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• 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: Read more...CDC Says Older Adults Unlikely to Need Early H1N1 Vaccine originally appeared on About.com Senior Living on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 05:09:27.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• 
  The Cracker Lady's House

• Wordless Wednesday-Fall Reflections

  28 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am

• Wordless Wednesday-Praying Polar Bear

  21 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am

• Wordless Wednesday-The Thinker's Stare Down

  14 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am

• Wordless Wednesday-Protective Hands

  7 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am

• Richmond Ramblings: Japanese Flower Industry Remembered

  1 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am

  Beginning in the early 20th century, flower-growing operations founded by Japanese immigrants were common El Cerrito and Richmond as well as in other Bay Area cities. The community in El Cerrito-Richmond grew over time to include 17 nurseries, as well as a Japanese school and church. A second group of nurseries flourished in what is now North Richmond and San Pablo, led by the arrival of the Nabeta family, who began growing roses near Brookside Drive in 1900.A sizable Japanese American community grew up around the Bay Area as Japanese laborers who had found work with the Domoto brothers’…