Iconic TV moms Lucille Ball, Donna Reed and Barbara Billingsley in their aprons
The other day, a Facebook friend, author Cecelia Dowdy, asked this question: "Ladies, do you ever wear an apron?"
Her replies were many and varied. Some said yes, some said sometimes, others were all-out apron fans who wear them regularly in the kitchen. Some said they wear aprons that used to be their grandmother's or another family member's.
Do we need an apron?
The reality is, maybe we don't need aprons as much as our 50's forebears did. They were constantly in the kitchen. They baked regularly and cooked three meals a day. Few of them worked outside the home, but their work inside the home never ended.
Plus, they dressed up on a daily basis. Shirtwaist dresses, and in June Cleaver's case, pearls! Those nice clothes needed protection from kitchen splatters and spills.
Why I wear an apron
I remember my mom gave me one of her aprons when I got married. Sadly, in the course of several moves, I lost it...which makes me doubly sad, since she passed away a year ago.
But not long ago, when I ruined a top for the umpteenth time because of the bleach cleanser I spritz often in my kitchen, I decided that was it. If I was going to be doing any time-consuming cooking or baking, I would wear an apron.
So far, I only have one.
I got this apron on clearance at TJ Maxx for a little over 8 dollars
But I'm definitely in the market for more.
Oh, and I don't mean to be sexist with this. Many men, and all professional chefs, wear aprons while cooking. They just may not be as cute as the aprons made for women.
With the advent of Etsy, Pinterest et al, beautiful aprons are available everywhere. And the aforementioned TJ Maxx and Marshall's usually have a selection for less than 20 dollars.
Susannah's Kitchen
One of my favorite apron websites is Susannah's Kitchen, named after Susannah Wesley, the mother of John Wesley and Charles Wesley and a host of other children she raised admirably and beautiful.
Here are 5 good reasons you might want to consider wearing an apron:
To protect your clothes from stains...even if you're dressed casually you don't want to mess up your clothes, and if you're hosting, the apron will protect your fancy clothes
So you won't get flour all over your clothes when you bake
To protect your clothes from glue and glitter while crafting
To take advantage of the nifty pockets most aprons have
Last, but not least: When you wear a pretty apron, YOU feel pretty. There's something about donning an apron that says,"I'm the queen of my house. Yes, this is work, but I can still feel cute while doing it!"
How cute are these mother-daughter Christmas aprons from Infashionkids.com?
This elf-themed apron from Sylvester Mouse is just too adorable
Do you wear an apron, or would you consider it? Why or why not? Let me know in my comments section!
Actress Elke Sommer with a wiglet look. My mom's was not this exaggerated. Photo credit
If you remember your mom going to the beauty shop to have her wiglet styled along with her actual hair, you might be a child of the 70's like me.
My mom wore a wiglet for several years. She would go to the beauty shop weekly and have the wiglet styled into her hair and hair-sprayed like crazy. She would then maintain that hairdo throughout the week...regardless of sleeping, baths, whatever.
There were ways that women would preserve their wigleted do's. One of them involved wrapping the entire hairdo in toilet paper while you slept.
Which leads me to a funny story. My grandmother was searching for a particular toilet paper brand at the grocery store many years ago. When the grocery boy pointed out a different brand that was on sale, my grandmother said, "No, that kind sticks to my hair."
Referring, of course, to preserving her hairdo while sleeping.
I would have loved to have seen the look on that boy's face. :)
Well, my sister Beverly got to thinking. With all the extensions available today...why not wiglets?
And she found out wiglets are alive and well. No, not like the one in this picture....and you don't have to carefully preserve your hairdo between salon appointments.
She got one! And she loves it. She just has to secure it into her own hair, smooth it all out, and voila, instant volume.
Here's just one of the companies that currently sells wiglets.
Below...a couple of current examples of wiglets, also called "additions", from Ultimate Looks:
"They weren’t able to listen to new music or watch newly released movies or sporting events on a big screen. Instead, they heard the orders given by their Commanding Officers, bombs exploding, and rumblings of gunfire..."- Kathy Rucker Guzzo
My deepest, warmest gratitude goes out to all US veterans, both past and present, who served our country! A special thank you to my brother David, a Marine Gulf War veteran.
The following was written by my friend Kathy Guzzo, whose son Brian served in the Marines.
PORTRAIT OF A VETERAN
The following is a description of a group of people who by their nature and through intense training, do their best to be persons of integrity in even the toughest situations.
A Veteran could be anyone’s child, spouse, parent, neighbor, or friend; but in reality, they ARE someone’s son or daughter, mother or father, wife or husband, fiancé or best friend all who are deeply loved.
My brother, who served in the Gulf War
They are selfless having put their own career and family’s, hopes and dreams on hold in order to be a part of the toughest, most respected and feared military in the world, a part of a brotherhood that is so much bigger than what they were as an individual.
When they enlisted they traded activities like dating, sporting events, hunting, parties, paint balling, movies, and cruising around in their vehicles, for the opportunity to carry a rifle, while wearing a bullet proof vest in a slow moving, armored vehicle on roads filled with hidden explosives.
They gave up comfortable name brand t-shirts, jeans, hoodies and shoes for long sleeve scratchy camouflage uniforms they wear 24/7 for days at a time without laundering.
They gave up talks around the dinner table, cell phones, wireless electronics, and video games, for a few cherished minutes of delayed filled phone calls, sporadic costly internet access while being extremely thankful for letters received by what is now known as snail mail.
My brother is in the middle on the top row
They weren’t able to listen to new music or watch newly released movies or sporting events on a big screen. Instead, they heard the orders given by their Commanding Officers, bombs exploding, and rumblings of gunfire as if they were part of the latest award winning war movie.
They gave up home cooked meals; pizza, fast food, ice cream, and lattes for power bars, instant coffee tasteless powdered meals to which they added warm water.
They missed the birth of children, first words, first steps, the death of loved ones, holiday celebrations, weddings, reunions, vacations, graduations, the change of seasons, and many other events as they endured the loneliness of days that melted together as one.
They gave up hugs, kisses, smiles, and laughter from those they love most, for hatred and evil seen in the eyes of the enemy.
They forfeited nightly sleep in a comfortable bed under a solid roof, to get sporadic rest in a sleeping bag, tucked under a truck, under the stars, in a tent, on anything from lava rocks to sand and if they were lucky in a plywood building.
They gave up ‘regular’ jobs where they would have been safe and secure sitting, in order to be an open target on a road filled with hidden mines or IEDs, or busting doors down looking for the enemy, never knowing what they would find.
They gave up the enjoyment of long hot relaxing showers and a dip in a hot tub, for an occasional dousing on a hot day with bottled water and cold showers in the middle of winter.
They gave up heaters and air conditioners in their home for daily temperature extremes from mountainous winters of below zero with howling winds to sandstorms and a stifling 140 degrees in the desert.
They left the freedoms, culture, familiarity, and knowledge of the country where they were raised, and entered a hostile environment different in every area, from clothes and food, to religion and languages. A place filled with hidden enemies where they couldn’t always tell if those they met were friend or foe.
They willingly took the risk of being injured physically, scarred emotionally or even dying for a duty and purpose they felt called to fulfill.
Veterans are valiant men and women, with an immense pride in having been a part of the history of our great country. They are sometimes as young as 18, who chose to forfeit all these things understanding they’d gain so much more in order to preserve and protect a way of life for the love of a country built on freedoms and liberty.
They are not seeking attention or high forms of praise, they only want to be appreciated, not criticized, for following through with the job they chose that they have been trained and sent to do. For them simple thanks goes a long way.
Veterans developed a sense of maturity and respect for life at a young age. Through their training and life changing experiences, they became responsible, honorable, and dedicated. The words “I can’t” were removed from their vocabulary, as they became self-assured individuals knowing that they could accomplish anything they set their minds too.
They’ve learned that some victories unseen with the human eye can be a victory within themselves and that battles aren’t always won on the front lines, but in the preparation and training that is endured behind the scenes.
They have a deep sense of loyalty, which grew through the life and death experiences they shared with their fellow comrades. At a moments notice, Veterans are available to help their family, friends, or one of their friends, even at the risk of their own lives.
So regardless of the branch in which they served, their rank, whether they served during a time of peace or a horrendous war, Veterans young and old are courageous heroes that have earned this country’s deepest thanks, respect and honor. Americans need to be continually supportive of them for not only whom they are, the sacrifices they’ve made, but also for the difficult yet amazing job they’ve done in protecting and preserving our great country. Any less than that would be a disgrace for us as citizens of the United States.
Written by a Proud Mom of a VFW in honor of her son and the USMC 2/3 “Island Warriors” 2004-2008
Kathy Guzzo's writing is featured in the book Faith Deployed...Again. The book, by Jocelyn Green, includes 25 contributing authors from every branch of the U.S. military. Each brief but meaningful and practical devotion includes a question to ask yourself and a prayer.
Listen to this 2-minute clip from an interview I did with Kathy about the book
Kathy conducts a ministry for military familes called "Hope at Home." To receive her newsletter, e-mail Kathy Guzzo at hopeathomeministry@comcast.net
Kathy Guzzo is the mother of four adult children and the author of several articles for military families, including the brochure, “Deployment: What’s A Family To Do?” Her son served in the USMC from 2004-2008, which included deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. She is the coordinator for Hope at Home Ministry in Rockford, Illinois, serving women with loved ones in the military. She also writes a bi-weekly 'newsletter sharing encouragement and resources with women across the country. Kathy and her husband of thirty-two years, Mickey, live in Rockford, Illinois.
Today, my sister Lisa made my mom's brownie chocolate cake for her son Nathan's birthday. Nathan loves this cake so much, he requested it to be his groom's cake at his recent wedding. And he's not alone. This cake....amazingly moist, delicious, filled with chocolatey goodness...is a family favorite.
My mom got this recipe years ago from her friend Sandra Griffin. Early on, my mom added mini-marshmallows to the mix and it just stuck. If you want to try this option, spread the marshmallows directly on the cake right out of the oven, then spread the icing on them.
There's one problem with this recipe. A 9 X 13 pan only works if you don't pour all of the cake batter in it, because the full cake batter won't cook completely otherwise. Since my sister has the only pan my mom ever made this cake in, I have to use a 9 X 13 and just pour in less batter. (So far, I haven't been able to find a pan with these dimensions...more square than a 9 X 13 but way bigger than an 8 X 8. Let me know if you know where I can get one!)
An alternative is baking it in a jelly roll pan....in which case the pieces will be thinner and more like Texas Sheet Cake.
Here's the recipe, written in my mom's own hand. The smudges on the page are testament to how much this recipe is loved!
My mother's walk with the Lord is also something I want to emulate. She is a real prayer warrior. I have so many memories of hearing her pray, and there have been times I have literally seemed to feel her prayers for me when I've been in dangerous or difficult situations. Call me mystical, but there is just something about a mother's prayers!
My mother has endured many trials in her life, and sometimes, I admit, I've questioned why this wonderful woman should be inflicted with so many circumstances that to me seem unfair and unjustified. But these trials have not broken her. Instead, she seems to grow stronger and more lovely with time.
My mom as a little girl
A tough year
In some ways, this has been the toughest year of my life. God has given me many blessings this year, and I've appreciated every one of them. But navigating an ocean of grief has been a difficult and burdensome task.
It's easy to just give in to it, just wallow in grief. My siblings and I have said that at any given time, we are two seconds away from a grief meltdown. The tears are always right there behind our eyes.
Our mother was such a central part of our lives, and we lost her so unexpectedly. (She died of cardiac arrest, in her sleep...yes, a wonderful way to go, and for that we're grateful.)
Celebrating our mother
So today, we've decided not to wallow in our grief. We are going to do our best to celebrate our mom!
Yes, we're going to lay flowers at her grave. (Ironically, I'm not as sad at her graveside as I thought I would be. I simply can't think of her being there at all.)
But, we're also going to have lunch at one of her favorite places. And then...and this might sound a little funny, but so be it...we're all going to buy a new top. Because one of her favorite things to do was to buy a new top! So we're doing it in her honor.
My mom would have HATED us to spend this day crying and moaning about her loss. She wouldn't have allowed it! So we're going to honor her as best we can by celebrating the happy and wonderful things about her life.
With my siblings and my mom....our last Christmas with her
Live in peace and joy in heaven, Mommy. We'll see you soon!
I can't lay claim to creating a new sandwich variety. The sandwiches I make at home are pretty run-of-the-mill.
Oh, I might throw on some sweet peppers to make it interesting, or slap it on my George Foreman grill for an instant panini. I've been known to get creative about what I put in my tuna salad--I like pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in there, to the consternation of my daughter, who wants some Miracle Whip thrown in and nothing else.
However, I CAN tell you what my favorite sandwich is, currently, and has been for some time.
The Door County Melt.
The Door County Melt is from an amazing little restaurant we have here called Egg Harbor. (The name is misleading; there is oh so much more than eggs at this charming eatery.)
Here's a description of the sandwich, from the restaurant's own menu:
"Our famous all white- meat chicken salad blended with dried cranberries, toasted pecans and crisp diced apples grilled on multi-grain bread with Jack and Cheddar cheeses and ripe tomato."
To quote Ferris Bueller: "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."
When I began this blogging challenge, Write31Days, a month ago, my blog was lying almost dormant. I figured, what better way to show myself that I CAN blog regularly, than to be obligated to blog every single day for a month?
I chose the topic "Gracefully Aging," because that is my goal at this stage of my life. To be honest I found so many resources and angles, I probably could have enough material to blog for two monnths and not just one. But...whew!...I'm glad I don't have to.
Will I blog every day from now on?
No. That's a burden that I don't think is even necessary. My blog readership isn't that big, even though it has increased substantially during this challenge. I don't have thousands of readers hanging onto my every word.
I blog mostly for the pleasure of it. It's like having my own little magazine...it's an area where I can be creative in a fun way.
But I will definitely blog more than I was doing before this challenge.
I've learned I can commit to something and see it through to the end...and that's a great feeling!
If you found me through this challenge, I hope you'll continue to stop by here. One of the best things about this challenge is finding some really wonderful blogs that I don't want to lose touch with.
It was from one of my fellow challengees that I found the quote I'm going to leave you with. Charity of The Wounded Dove posted this as part of her topic, Falling in Love with the Journey. It's a quote from a Reader's Digest article. Although it pertains to marriage, I think it fits perfectly with the concept of aging gracefully:
Part of being a happy man is to never lose the boy within; the same goes for women – there is the spirit of a young girl inside, no matter how many wrinkles edge the eyes. Maintaining a childlike love of life, laughter, nature, and each other is the real secret to a perpetually blessed relationship. It is also living in the present, not the past. In the completion stage of marriage, there is never a belief that the best times are over – they should always be today and tomorrow.
To those of you who visited my blog and commented during this challenge. THANK YOU. It's been a great experience. It's injected me with a new enthusiasm for blogging. I hope you'll keep coming back!
I just finished "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I've been blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for inks to each post in the challenge!
We all know women who wear their age well...who are lovely in spite of the advancing years.
In my case, those women include my mom and my older sister, both of whom I've profiled in this series.
There are a few famous women who also appear to be aging well. One of them is actress Helen Mirren, who was recently chosen as a spokesmodel for L'Oreal Paris.
Several years ago, at the age of 63, Mirren set the world back on its heels when a paparazzi caught her on the beach wearing a red bikini and looking fantastic in it.
"...Mirren, thank the Lord, doesn’t feel bad about her face... She doesn’t look like someone who has had work done. She looks like a woman who has lived a bit, and laughed a lot, and who knows she has been lucky in her looks, but also knows that how you look is a pretty small part of who you are. She looks, in fact, like a woman who is happy in her skin. 'The weird thing is,' she says, 'you get more comfortable in yourself, even as time is giving you less reason for it. When you’re young and beautiful, you’re paranoid and miserable. And then you’re older and it’s ironic.'"
And this from an article about the now 69-year-old Mirren's new role for L'Oreal:
"Participants [in a consumer survey] described Mirren as 'genuine, intelligent and glamorous, with looks that seem only to improve with the passing of time.' And this down-to-earth, positive approach to ageing comes across in the 69-year-old’s comments about the L’Oréal gig: 'I am not gorgeous, I never was, but I was always OK-looking and I’m keen to stay that way.
'I hope I can inspire other women towards greater confidence by making the most of their natural good looks. We are all worth it!'"
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'm blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
A few years ago, I realized that I had to make peace with the fact that I was getting older. Along with that realization came the decision to actually embrace it and be the best "woman of a certain age" that I could be.
First off, the title is SO perfect! As Patti, the chic and elegant woman behind this awesome blog, says, "I am a fifty-something woman, wife, professional, auntie and crazy cat lady. Though pressured by society to recede gracefully, I prefer to burst out with a love of fashion and style.We are not dead yet, so let's enjoy every sandwich and gild the lilies."
Visible Monday
One of the first things that drew me to Patti's blog was a bi-weekly bloghop she hosts called "Visible Monday," in which women are encouraged to feature "a post that includes any outfit, accessory, piece of jewelry, hairstyle, cosmetic or other adornment that makes you feel more confident, alive and visible that day. No restrictions, just share your beauty."
I've actually participated in this bloghop many times, and it stretched me because I never considered myself a fashion blogger. But it was fun getting to play model for the first time in my life.
Here's the post that inspired this bloghop. Patti writes: "Common wisdom holds that at a certain age, women no longer garner the attention of men in public. We are still loved by our husbands and partners, and told we are beautiful, but the world at large no longer sees us as noteworthy."
She says Visible Monday is a way to "celebrate our diverse beauty and love of style."
"I came up with the idea of a 'Visible Day' for us bloggers, in which we post an outfit, accessory, lipstick color, hairstyle, etc., that expresses our Joy of Being (Physically) Visible."
If you want to be inspired, motivated and encouraged in your determination to age gracefully, I can't recommend Not Dead Yet Style highly enough!
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'm blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
I cherish any time I spend with my daughter and two sons, because they all live away from me
"I love that my kids are all out of the house," said a friend to me recently. "When I clean something, it stays clean for a while. I can put something in the fridge that I want to have later and never come back to find it gone. My husband and I don't have to hide it when we want to be intimate. Honestly, when they come to stay for a while, I'm ready when it's time for them to leave!"
My friend just summed up some of the positive aspects of the empty nest...and there definitely are some! However, her kids all live either in the same town or just a couple of hours away.
Insert whine here. I live in Illinois, and all three of my grown children live in Texas.
My empty nest syndrome doesn't have anything to do with, say, not knowing who I am other than a parent, or not knowing what to do with myself. It just really boils down to MISSING MY KIDS!
Since it doesn't appear that my husband and I will be moving to Texas any time soon, I deal with the problem by going to visit them as often as I can, and having them visit me as often as they can.
I recently quit my part-time job so that I would be more free to take these trips to Texas, because all three of my grandchildren are there too...and I'm quite simply CRAZY about them. I'm still adjusting to the loss of income, and trying to expand my freelance voice-over career to make up for it.
To me, here are some of the disadvantages of the empty nest:
1) Too much alone time. My husband has a very busy job, and I often find myself alone. I try to deal with it by reaching out to friends and family members...walking with my sister-in-law, going out to lunch. And frankly, it doesn't hurt that I'm a voracious reader and can be content at almost any time and place with a book in my hand!
2) Feeling sorry for myself because my kids are so far away. I try to deal with this by being involved in other things, like my church's prayer chain, working out, tackling home projects I never had time for when I was working, etc.
3) Again, quite simply, just MISSING my children.
But, as my friend said, there are advantages! Remember how crazy busy you used to be as a mom? Driving kids to activities, cooking, cleaning up after them, doing laundry, packing lunches, the never-ending cycle of duties and chores?
Those duties have either disappeared or greatly diminished, and that can be very enjoyable.
I'm going to leave you with some quotes about the empty nest.
After the last child moved out, my husband said, "Do you realize we can make love every single day, even in the daytime, in every single room in the house?" I had one single thought.... I need to find a day job fast. -- Robin Fox
via Pinterest
Now that the kids have moved on, I have two unoccupied kids rooms in my house. I don't call them that, I prefer to call them rent-free storage facilities. I got two rooms full of two decades worth of stuff they insist they need until they have a bigger place of their own. Only thing missing are a few dead cats and then we could be on "Hoarders." -- Robin Fox
via Pinterest
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the piles and piles of laundry will disappear all too soon and that you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly. - Thomas Manson
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
In a few days, I'll observe an anniversary I never wanted...the first anniversary of my mother's death. Of course, people lose parents at every age. My husband's mom died when he was 12 years old. But as we age, it's only natural that our parents may precede us in death.
Three months after my mom died unexpectedly, I wrote the following. I thought I would share it again here.
******************
On the evening of November 5, 2013, I got the phone call that forever changed my life.
It was my son Justin, calling from Texas where most of my family lives.
When I saw his picture on my phone, I expected a light-hearted chat. But the first thing I heard sounded like some sort of static. I later realized it was the sound of him crying.
When he was finally able to speak, I heard the terrifying words, "I don't have any details, but Uncle David says Momo is unresponsive, and it isn't good."
That was a little over three months ago, and I'm still navigating an ocean of grief.
Sudden
The sudden death of a loved one is different from other deaths. I'm not saying it's worse, just different...in a bad way.
I don't discount or minimize the grief that lasts for years, seeing a loved one waste away slowly, perhaps in pain or not themselves. That's what happened with my dad. The loss is no less of a loss, and carries its own brand of heartache.
But the death of my mother...with no warning, no inkling other than that she was 80 years old and had high cholesterol...gobsmacked us.
In my father's case, we were able to peruse hospice literature that readied us for the end. We were able to gather around him and say our final good-byes. We were as prepared as one can be for the death of a loved one--which, granted, is never prepared enough.
But we were able to release him to heaven and not feel sucker-punched.
Peaceful
One thing we cling to is the apparent peacefulness of her death. She laid down for her usual afternoon reading session that usually resulted in a nap. She had fallen asleep and died of cardiac arrest. No trauma, no pain...she simply went to sleep and woke up in heaven.
And yes, we are so thankful for that. We are completely cognizant of and grateful for the blessings...that she never suffered, didn't linger in the throes of a painful and debilitating disease. We rejoice that she's with my dad and all the loved ones that have gone on before.
But my mother...oh, my mother was amazing, wonderful, everything a mother should be. She was central to our existence. She was the hub around which we all gathered. She was the matriarch. Her unconditional love, her joy, her encouragement, her support, her smile, her faith, her grace--essential to our lives.
An ocean of grief
I said earlier that I'm navigating an ocean of grief. Some days are relatively smooth and fair, others are stormy and tumultuous. It's unchartered territory for me, because the pain is much more acute and shattering than was (and is) the grief for my beloved father.
We siblings ask, almost rhetorically, "When will this pain end?" "When will our grief settle down and become manageable?"
The truth is, on any given day, at any given moment, I could cry for my mother.
Sweet friends who have been through the same thing try to give us light at the end of the tunnel. I look forward to a time where it won't be so raw, so painful to the touch, where tears will be few and far between.
I also look forward to the day that I'll see both my parents again. If I didn't have this hope, this faith, I don't see how I could carry on at all. How do people do it who don't have this hope?
In the meantime...
I just miss my mommy.
Note: A year later, I'm still grieving, although the grief seems more manageable in many ways. If you lose a parent and are haven't a hard time dealing with it, please be aware that most communities offer grief counseling groups that can be very helpful. That may well be an option for you.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
As I said before, I'm a big fan of YouTube beauty tutorials. But when I first started watching them, there were very few tutorials by anyone other than young women... many of them little more than teenagers.
I was very pleased to find a few that were near my age.
Judy Chapman of Modern and Mature is not only my age, but she's gorgeous. She doesn't talk about make-up much--she leaves that to her daughters, make-up artist Samantha and Nicola of Pixiwoo.
But she gives marvelous fashion advice, and she looks AMAZING. Always appropriate for her age, but fashionable and attractive.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
I think women should start to embrace their age. What's the alternative to getting older? You die. I can't change the day I was born. But I can take care of my skin, my body, my mind, and try to live my life and be happy.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'm blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
One of the biggest blessings of getting older is become a grandparent. Being Nana to three precious little boys is one of the greatest joys I've ever experienced! Here are some quotes about grandparenting.
What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret
What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani
Grandchildren bring a whole new dimension of love.~My mom, Cynthia Garrett
Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children. ~Ruth Goode
It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace. ~Christopher Morley
I would love it if my grandchildren someday feel this way about me.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
Two of my favorite YouTube makeup artists are British sisters Sam and Nicola Chapman, who go by "Pixiwoo."
These lovely girls have an equally lovely mother, Judy Chapman, who occasionally does videos herself as "Modern and Mature." More about her in another post.
Here, though, I wanted to share with you a video in which Nicola does her mother's makeup.
It's well worth a look, especially is you're wondering how you may need to adjust your technique as you get older.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
My brother-in-law with my father-in-law, who is nearing 90. Family members make sure he has frequent meals out with us.
I asked my Facebook friends and blog readers to comment on their experiences in taking care of their aging parents. Here are some of the responses:
Lea: (I've learned) that in order to be a good caregiver one must take care of herself or himself, with adequate rest, good nutrition and time for themselves.
Karen: My mom is in a wonderful nursing home...she is in a wheelchair and has dementia. ..I have googled mom's favorite music and played for her...she always smiles so big when I do thus...I know that she remembers these oldies and perhaps a good memory will come to mind for her...also we reminisce about old times which helps me and her....
Amanda: I 've learned since working in a nursing home, to try a memory book. We use a memory book a lot with my grandma. She has dementia and doesn't remember when we visit her. All it is, is a spiral notebook with the date the time of visit and what we talked about. When she doesn't think that we come and visit her, we open the book and let her read
Lauren: I am seeing this with my Mom right now. My Grandmother passed away in January and my grandfather has had some health issues, so my Mom has been caring for him. She has some sisters who help, but she is retired so she is usually the one to do the running. It is emotionally exhausting. Definitely something for us to be planning for!
Tabitha: At times it can be very frustrating...but never let them think for one second that you are irritated...it will make them feel like a burden and after they are gone, you'll regret it. I'm thankful that God helped me in this area with my in laws. There are still some things I regret (because there always are when someone dies), but that's not one of them...so thankful!
Looking ahead:
Finally...as much as we don't like to think of our own old age...it's actually just around the corner. This article has some great advice and suggestions on how to plan for your own golden years, including anticipating financial and health concerns for yourself and your spouse.
I'm participating in "31 Days: A Writing Challenge," in which I 'll be blogging on the subject of Gracefully Aging every day during the month of October. Click the button below for more information and links to each post as they become available!
.JPG)
.PNG)
.PNG)
