WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2020
Replies
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Just saw this discussion group and would love to join in. I'm early 60s, recently divorced on March 3rd of this year after an almost 30 year marriage. I enjoy the outdoors, my grown sons and friends. 2020 has certainly been an eventful year. (understatement) I'm currently working to get my house ready to sell. I'm also on a new journey to rid myself of xtra weight that was gained over this past year by returning to the healthy lifestyle that worked so well before.
As for Christmas, I will enjoy a simple Christmas season with my grown sons (both living with me at the moment). We have certain food dishes that we enjoy, stockings hung by the fire with little gifts that are typically reminders of Christmas traditions and things my sons have enjoyed through the years.
Thyme from Georgia, USA7 -
THYME
Welcome! I am also a Georgia girl. Grew up near Macon and have lived in Marietta for the last 50 yrs.
Carol1 -
My lights this years...
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Welcome Thyme!
Sounds like a difficult year,but it WILL get better.
Absolutely horrible day, pouring rain, blowing a gale!
I had a check up appointment at the dentist, so had to go out. Picked up a tiny bit of shopping on the way home and treated myself to some flowers. Nice to see the shops open again, they've been closed for three weeks.
The dentist couldn't combine a clean with the check up as they have different cleaning regimes afterwards for the surgeries, so I've got to go back next week. Teeth were fine.
Barbara - By my estimation, the 9 lessons and carols will be on at 11 pm your time. You are 8 hours behind us. You can always listen to it afterwards as a podcast. If it's live it's Radio 4.
Goat and sweetcorn curry tonight.
Zoom very good yesterday with my old school friends. I am at the point in my memoir when I am writing about our friendship in the 'sixth form' - the top two years of secondary school.
I would say they were golden years for me, because of that friendship.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx2 -
Margaret
Beautiful Light Display!
Carol in GA1 -
Allie: Thinking about you and sending good thoughts and prayers your way.
Rebecca: Your jewelry tree is a beauty.
Machka: Congrats on your improved vision! :flowerforyou:
Rebecca & Kim: Gloria was a wonderful woman who was raising two grandsons. I had the misfortune of seeing the live news footage of the accident scene where she died. My heart still aches for her loss. 
Lisa: Manheim Steamroller was a favorite of mine, too.
KJ: I like your list of things you love about Christmas. Music movies and lights are high on my love list, too. They work wonders on fighting the dark days of winter. :bigsmile:
Annie in DE: I dislike the dark days of winter, and the exuberant decorations and Christmas lights are a huge help to my happiness level. We’ve been busily decorating at our place and the decorations lift my spirits. We have several tiny artificial trees that are already lighted and inside the house. We also have two living trees growing in pots. Both are Alberta Spruce trees, purchased several years apart. One of them is now in the garden area where I grow my beans in summer and is already lighted for the holidays & on a timer. The other will be coming into the garage soon so that it can acclimatize to house temperatures before we bring it inside. That tree doesn’t come in for another week or two. This species of trees is very slow growing and we’ll be able to bring ours in and take it out for quite a few years.
Margaret: I’d forgotten about cookie exchanges! Thanks for the good memory.
Barbie: I look forward to the day when an effective vaccine against Covid Virus will be available to the public. I think first responders and hospital workers should get the first doses, and the rest of us will get vaccinated as the vaccines are available. :flowerforyou:
I shop for groceries during “senior hours” that are early in the morning. We could order groceries at both stores in town and pick them up at curbside, but I like to shop in person, early in the day. Everyone from customers to store personnel wear masks. No one is allowed in the stores without one. Two of my neighbors choose to order their groceries and pick them up at curbside. Both of them have a person in their home who is medically fragile or challenged.
Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon
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Margaret, If you lived in my neighborhood, I would love walking past your house on my evening walks.Katla, My husband has a complicated heart, breathing issues, and cancer. He is very high risk and I have to do all I can to protect him.Rebecca, I love how personal your decorations are.Thyme, Welcome. I hope you keep coming back. Barbie in NW WA 2
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Good afternoon ladies
Just got back from walking the dog, it was bracing to say the least, cold with a light drizzle. Think I'll have to get my thermals on soon. Mind you the forecast is for snow and frost next week! Not looking forward to that. 
The shops are open again as Heather has mentioned, I went to do a bit of Christmas shopping this morning. I'm trying to make Christmas a more simple affair this year (and get back to the true meaning of Christmas) so not going mad/overboard this time.
Might put up the tree this weekend, I always used to wait until after hubby's birthday on 7th December before putting up the tree, but this year I could do with the 'sparkle' a little earlier. Miss him more around this time.
Well, I'm going to have a cup of coffee, sit down and watch a movie (Christmas of course! ) then I'll have a quick tidy up etc and catch up on a few things.
Feels almost like bedtime it's so dark and it's only 4:30 p.m.
Early night for me tonight I think
Love to all
Viv UK1 -
I used to love Christmas as a child and when my kids were young. That’s the only time of year my ex was good at and enjoyed. Then life hit— divorce, sharing kids, families all over the country, new DH, new traditions that didn’t feel right or familiar, more families
moving, dying, falling apart. Now I for w myself to enjoy Christmas.
I still like to decorate even though no one here to enjoy them. Small area so can’t do much. Most fun I have is looking for meaningful gifts for all. Watching Christmas movies and Christmas music.
Guess I’m just not in Christmas mood yet.
RvRita7 -
Margaret I love your lights.
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Christmas always kicks in my OCD and perfectionism. I can remember getting really OCD about it, with lots of anxiety about getting it 'right' from about age 14. I was in charge of the decorating. Then the next year I wanted to finish sewing my dress and stayed up all night. I used to worry that my mother hadn't got supplies in early enough.
At university I had to rush between parents and potential in-laws for the two days. Not relaxing.
Once I had my own kids I found it all too much stress and work. I don't find extended family occasions very relaxing at all.
I'm really looking forward to a very minimal Christmas this year.
We have had a couple of ok times at my DSIL's, but I get very, very anxious about when the meal will be ready (I have hypoglycaemia) and suffer hugely at other people's inefficiency in the kitchen. Control freak? Moi? I can’t abide other people's music, so everyone has to suffer in silence. It's a real phobia for me. I am NOT a good guest. No one, but me, does things properly.
I would prefer, in normal times, to go away for Christmas. Our first married Christmas was spent in Morocco.
Strangely DH is more attached to a traditional Christmas than I am, despite horrible memories of his own childhood with his mother regularly cracking up under the strain and his mad granny who gave him money and then took it back again.
His mother ran away one Christmas, having overturned the dinner table, and no one knew where she was.
My ideal would be a cruise.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx5 -
Heather - I think you and I are long lost relatives. I feel the same about holidays and crafts as you. I like to watch people do crafts, but can't be bothered to do it myself. My mister likes Christmas more than I do, but we do go away as often as we can for the holidays. This year, we had planned to head to the central coast for a glamping Christmas, but with me in my condition, that won't happen.
Tina in CA0 -
Thanks for the nice comments about our lights. I like that our outside plug is synced to an indoor switch. I just flip the light switch and they all turn on. I have to admit it took me a few seasons to figure this out. It is so much easier than timers. I also like how they look in the daylight. They do help me get in the holiday spirit. Glad you like them.2
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Margaret - Your lights are great. I love other people's lights. One Christmas tradition I loved with the grandchildren was a dusk tour of the lights in the village where we used to live. A three year old can get super excited about a few light bulbs. Max came back through the gate and said, "That was an ADVENTURE!"
Now he is 9 he is more likely to say, "Why exactly are we doing this?" :laugh:
You have tempted me to put my meagre decorations on my outside pine tree.
Will I? ........ Watch this space. DH will have to prune the next bush first.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx Hoping to get a photo of the grandchildren 's decorated tree this weekend.4 -
Barbie: I think we have caregiving/protecting in common. Our husbands are health challenged with different problems and need to avoid risk. I don’t know details about your area but early morning shopping hours for seniors & disabled here are very helpful. Sometimes DH wants to come along. Usually I’m on my own. 1
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I love seeing the Christmas lights although I usually spend holidays alone and talk to friends online or by phone. December has an energy of its own and is a special time of year. As a woman of faith I especially find it important in that respect. I enjoy reading people's posts here. My good news is that the scale shows I've lost a pound from not eating food last night before I went to bed but drank broth and lemonade instead, so it makes sense. I will keep this going and quit eating late at night. Woo hoo!4 -
Stat for the day
Walk /family incl going to stores- 2hrs 37min 28sec, 76ahr, 101mhr, 2.76ap, 7.48mi= 751c
Strava app = 907c0 -
My Yard in December Past
Fae this morning dressed for battle with Jack Frost
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margaretturk wrote: »Thanks for the nice comments about our lights. I like that our outside plug is synced to an indoor switch. I just flip the light switch and they all turn on. I have to admit it took me a few seasons to figure this out. It is so much easier than timers. I also like how they look in the daylight. They do help me get in the holiday spirit. Glad you like them.
Ours are solar so they come on when it gets dark, and go off when it gets light.
M in Oz1 -
My parents kept Christmas simple ... maybe that's why I do too. It's a time for rest not stress. It has always been one my family's rest periods ... sleeping late, laying on the floor playing games, naps, curling up with a stack of books, going out for walks or cross country skiing, quietly listening to Christmas music with just the tree lights on and drinking hot chocolate or eggnog (no alcohol).
M in Oz
Christmas Eve was always present opening day!
We'd sleep late, have a late breakfast, and then go outside and play or when I got a bit older, we'd go out cross country skiing. Then we'd have a nibbly dinner ... crackers and cheese, olives, mixed nuts, mince tarts, date squares, nanaimo bars (all purchased, not made), shortbread cookies (my grandmother made these!), mandarin oranges ... when that was cleared away, my father would read The Christmas Story from the Bible, and then we would pass around the gifts.
We would open gifts one at a time. There was usually only my parents, brother and me, and there weren't many gifts so it didn't take long. When we lived close to my grandparents, they'd be there too.
Then we'd all go off to our corners to appreciate our gifts ... play with our toys, read our books, etc.
On Christmas Day we'd sleep late again, have a late breakfast, and then go outside and play or when I got a bit older, we'd go out cross country skiing.
Then we'd have Christmas dinner around 4 pm with salad, a small turkey & dressing, mashed potatoes, and 2 veg. It wasn't much bigger than our usual dinners ... 2 veg instead of the usual 1 veg.
We'd play games or play with our new toys or read our books and later, along about 7 pm or so, we'd put on the radio version of Scrooge (and much later, when we had a TV, the movie version with Alastair Sims) and we'd nibble the same sort of thing as we had on Christmas Eve.
My mother and I were the two most into cross country skiing.
M in Oz5 -
Morning, afternoon and evening, everyone, wherever you may be...
Rebecca - thank you for reminding us of Gloria. If you're willing to PM me with your address, I have more than 100 Forever stamps I can send you--long story for why I have them, but I'll be happy to send them along to you. I no longer send snailmail, so they should go to someone who actually does.
Machka - so glad you got your new glasses!
Allie - hope you're feeling better this morning. Thinking of you, my friend.
Flea - My best friend is moving toward canceling her scheduled December trip to Hawaii, as well. They only planned to go for a week to see her daughter, so spending 14 days in quarantine would be problematic. They're waiting on their test results now, because they both had the virus in October, and there's a one-in-five chance they may register as positive on the test because that can happen as long as three months after recovering.
Lisa in AR
You are my stamp savior.
sent you a message. Hugs
Rebecca1 -
Gloria and her grandchildren…makes me so sad
After work got another loaf of sourdough bread started then got the “fence” for the Christmas decorations out.
Thyme – welcome
Margaret – beautiful lights
Katla – I was reading in the paper that the first people to get the vaccine will be first responders, etc. The next will be elderly people living in a facility like a nursing home. Then elderly people, then everyone else. This is the one and only time that I’m glad I’m older…lol I prefer to go in the store, too. But, like you, I definitely prefer to go early in the a.m.
Making a loaf of sourdough, then have one more to make and I think I’m done with sourdough for the holidays.
I’m very surprised that the stores have so many parking spots for curbside pickup and I’ve seen very few people using them. Like Aldi has 4 spaces reserved, three times I’ve only seen one person using it. WalMart has 6 spaces and I have to say that I’ve never seen a car in any of them
I’m thinking right now that I’m going to give up formal exercise on the days when I work and use the walking (steps) as my exercise for the day
Heather – Vince has said that he’d only get me a maid if I absolutely needed one because he knows me and I’d clean before the maid got there because I didn’t want her to see it dirty and then I’d clean after she left because she didn’t do it my (the correct) way. Sad part is…he’s right Sounds like you’d rather skip Christmas.
Going to work on those towel toppers. Just need to put the buttons on them
Michele NC
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Hello again, my chickens!
Yesterday was rainy and cold and dreary around these parts, so I hopped off to Lowes in the very early morning and picked up a steel standing shelf (2 ft deep, 6 ft high, and four feet wide) that was on sale. Worked all morning and afternoon to put it together and start moving stuff onto it. It will serve as a place to store blankets, pillows, suitcases and other storage items until we remodel the exercise and sewing rooms into a master suite, which could be years at this rate--and when we do, it will be great shelving for the shop. Still got lots more sorting to do, as both the small rooms have closets that served as a place to hide things that we weren't using at the time. I see in my future at least one garbage bag full of "Why the heck did I keep that?" 
Regarding Christmas - I have very few good memories of Christmas growing up, or in my early adulthood. My family all went at least mildly whack-a-doodle every Christmas. I avoided being anywhere near my mother's house in Texas for many years.
Just as an example, one memorable Christmas, Mama threw every decoration she had, including the tree, into the burn barrel and set it on fire. I know this because she called me in Montana and told me so. Apparently, Linda, her daughter-in-law who lived next door, had told Mama she was hosting Christmas with HER family, and that Mama wasn't really her family, so she wasn't invited.
This did not go over well, obviously. Harks back to the old Southern usage that someone who is cursing is "losing their religion." #ReasonsNotToGoHomeForChristmas.
My reluctance to go to Texas did not mean that I didn't enjoy the trappings of Christmas, though! More of my favorite things at this time of year:- The Mormon Tabernacle choir.
- Boys' choirs.
- Mannheim Steamroller.
- The scent of pine and cedar, cinnamon and cloves.
- Grandchildren's excitement on Christmas morning.
- Picking the exact right gift (doesn't happen often).
- Weird cranberry jelly in a can, so you can slice it using the circle patterns the can leaves imprinted on it.
Later y'all,
Love,
Lisa in AR
I have opened two cans of that magical jellied substance.
Rebecca
fellow jellied cranberry lover0 -
Margaret, If you lived in my neighborhood, I would love walking past your house on my evening walks.Katla, My husband has a complicated heart, breathing issues, and cancer. He is very high risk and I have to do all I can to protect him.Rebecca, I love how personal your decorations are.Thyme, Welcome. I hope you keep coming back. Barbie in NW WA
It's all my mommas doing. One year I helped her make the three jewelry trees, (made them for my two older sisters), and also cut out a lot of felt things for the three advent calendars. We had collected jewelry from my mommas stash, my two grandmas, and Mrs. Lintner a neighbor across the street from my momma. I got my maternal grandmas "going to church" earrings, which gives me warm fuzzies when I look at them. Some of the fake diamond necklaces that are the garland for my tree were from sets we played dress up as a child. We would raid our mommas jewelry box, and just fill our arms with bracelets, and literally dripped with shiny stuff.
For the advent calendar, it came with a cute story that I have modified because the end paper was lost, so I would make up funny limericks to end it, pertaining to where we were living at the time. Also the limericks contained what the boys were into at the time so its historical.
This year I didn't put up the son's specific decorations so no
need to make the Daughter inlaw, and Athena fuzzy face anyways. If anyone wishes to donate some nylons to this cause, I would be grateful. :-) The thought of having to buy a pair just to cut up seems silly. Contact me if you wish to complete a face.
Rebecca
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I think the tights pink faces are strange so I would like to redo those anyways.
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Crimini- today was yucky still hanging out in
ICU
Had no stamina to even take a quick walk.
In bed,then out3-4 hrs.no appetite nowim just checking in before my sponge bath ,pills and snoozes.
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Keeping it simple and just doing my fence. No ladders required.
3
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