February 7th, 2013
Most of us wait until we’ve lost someone to reminisce about how wonderful they were. This time, I’m not going to wait and I’m going to tell you all about my mother. And while everyone waxes philosophical about how lucky they were to have their own mom, I can honestly say I’m luckier than most. She’s almost 92 and other than her using a walker (at our insistence), you’d never believe she was over 70. But, to me – and the rest of my sibs – even 70 was a huge gift. You see, all of us expected Mom to be gone long, long ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: mom, mother, remembering my mother, Rosa Parks, women over 40, women over 50
Posted in Family | 13 Comments »
January 28th, 2013
Ah, how I love Downton Abbey! (I’ve just finished Season Two, so no spoilers, please!) Yes, the upper classes providing for the lower classes by creating jobs for them as servants. How civilized. Talking with he-who-doesn’t-want-to-be-named, I was marveling at how it must have felt to have someone do everything for you: cooking, laying out your clothes, cleaning, laundry. And then it struck me.
It’s not all that different for about half the people in this country. For while Lord and Lady Crawley and their family had scads of footmen, maids and valets, so do many American men. Only instead of being called servants, they’re called “wives”. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: division of labor, household chores, housework, men, women over 40, women over 50
Posted in Family, My Pet Peeves | 6 Comments »
January 18th, 2013
Every time I wander into a clothing store, I have to chuckle. Not because of the styles or the shoppers or even the prices (I shop at Marshall’s – no sticker shock). I marvel because no one is talking about inflation. And by inflation, I mean in the size of clothes. Or, maybe it makes more sense to call it “size deflation” because the older I get, the smaller my dress size becomes. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Ageing, dress sizes, fashion for baby boomers, getting old, getting older, women over 40, women over 50, women's dress sizes
Posted in Fashion | 4 Comments »
December 12th, 2012
Independence. When you’re on your own, making your own decisions and living with them. That’s what it used to mean. But now in the world of helicopter parenting, it has a whole ‘nother meaning. In other words, independence means having your own room that Mom and Dad aren’t allowed to go in while they support you, fill out your college applications and make sure nothing bad happens to you.
Real independent, huh?
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Tags: dependent kids, helicopter parents, independence, kids paying their own way, parental support, teenagers, teens, women over 40, women over 50
Posted in Family | 6 Comments »
November 27th, 2012
We’ve all had bad stuff happen to us. And in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, some of us are dealing with more than we could have imagined. I consider myself extremely lucky, especially since on the day of the hurricane, Gary was up the ladder, on the roof, cutting down a 200 pound branch. Really. He didn’t get hurt (although I did video it for use at his funeral, just in case), but could there have been an upside if he had?
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Tags: class half empty, glass half full, men over 40, when bad things happen, women over 40, women over 50
Posted in My Pet Peeves, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
