Aging gracefully February 13, 2008

When I was 23 I could not fathom being any older.  It was the best age ever.  I was young, thin, pretty and full of fun & life.  I could eat what I wanted.  I could do what I wanted.  No aches. No pains. Just FUN.  Kristin and Jennifer had entered my life during the 20-years and with beautiful daughters and endless energy, I bounded towards 30. 

I turned 30 years old in Mexico on a holiday.  Whisking in the 30-something years with glasses of tequila.  Feeling good.  Looking good.The 30-something years were wonderful and exciting.  I was thin, fit and upwardly mobile in my career.  Life could not be better. 

Then approached 40-something.  That fateful night just a week before I turned 40, I learned I was to be a Grandmother. Smash. Bam.  Wait a minute 40 is bad enough, but a Grandmother?  I took it gracefully.  I turned 40, planned a wedding, and welcomed in my Grandson.  The 40-years have been busy, stressful, dramatic, but blessed with four Grandchildren. My blood pressure went sky-high. 

And now 50.   sigh.    Fifty conjures up visions of the golden years.  AARP is in your mailbox.  You need reading glasses.   This is day one of the 50-something years and I’m not sure what to expect.  Now that I have reached the 50-year mark I’m supposed to be wiser, reserved, settled.  I’m waiting for the 50-year fairy to anoint me with wisdom. As I look back over the past 30 years at the highlights, I should look forward to the golden years of 50. For in these next ten years:  Cash will start school.  Hunter will graduate from high school.  Emma will start high school.  Grady will be driving.   I may not be young, thin, and pretty any more but I have love in my life.  And that counts for more than birthdays passing on the calendar.

50 Things about ME February 12, 2008

1. I’m an Aquarian
2. My favorite color is purple
3. I’m very near-sighted
4. I’m a Past Honored Queen
5. I dislike keeping birds as pets
6. My favorite movie is “A Star is Born” with Barbra & Kris
7. I’m an Aunt
8. My grandfather’s nickname for me was “peanut” cuz I was small as a child
9. I don’t like watermelon-flavored anything
10. I’ve climbed up the Statue of Liberty
11. I flunked my first driving test
12. I was a huge David Bowie fan in high school
13. I took Bowling in college
14. I’ve been up in the St. Louis Arch
15. I was born in Guam
16. I saw ‘Cats’ on Broadway
17. I can sew
18. I’ve been to the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago
19. I owned a Yamaha dirt bike & used it!
20. I lived on a boat
21. I can play the guitar
22. I can’t whistle…anymore (I used to be able to!)
23. I drove down Lombard Street when I was 16
24. I’ve made snow angels
25. I’m a packrat
26. I once worked at Caesar’s Casino in Lake Tahoe
27. I’ve been maid-of-honor three times
28. I’ve been married three times
29. I saw Wayne Newton’s show in Las Vegas
30. I’ve been in 43 of the 50 states
31. I worked at Knott’s Berry Farm
32. I have cruised Whittier Blvd (in the 70s)
33. I’ve taken Evelyn Wood’s Speed Reading class
34. I don’t like horror movies
35. My picture was in a magazine once
36. My picture was in the Huntington Beach Independent once
37. I have an older sister
38. I have a birthmark
39. I write poetry
40. I enjoy researching the genealogy of my family
41. I have a blogsite
42. I’m a touch-typist
43. I once traveled in a Train with a 6 year old and a 9 month old for 10 hours… by myself.
44. I’m a member of the Eastern Star
45. I took a sushi making class once
46. I’m terrible at video games
47. I’m a licensed Cosmetologist in California
48. I’m a Navy brat
49. I broke a champagne bottle on the bow of Coconut Willie to Christian her for Bob
50. I know fifty things about myself

 

Rebuttal February 8, 2008

 “my friend” blogged that she went camping.  She didn’t go camping and don’t let her fool you.  She went sleeping & eating.  You can mix up that order because except for one walk down the beach she stayed in her 40below-rated sleeping bag!!!  LOL. Some people might say that my kind of camping isn’t really camping.  There is a thermostat on the heater in the Airstream.  There is a hot water heater.  There is a Bose sound system. 

But I don’t care what they say – this is my kind of camping.  Camping with style.

Bambi is 16 feet of luxury in my mind…although in reality it’s pretty small!