WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2022

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  • Whidislander
    Whidislander Posts: 3,539 Member
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    Rebecca - It was sweet of you to ask about the cards <3 If you can find a way to message me on here with your email address, I can send you the photos I took for you to do what you want with. I do think, though, that it would be great if you could do something similar yourself. You could copy mine if you need ideas, but all you really need is good watercolour paper and a child's paint hox. Plus a bigger brush than usual. I had never tried that kind of thing before, so I'm sure you can produce something worthy of a card. :D We had some lovely robins on some wrapping paper, which I might experiment with. And I'm going to do some more spring flowers in card ratios. It's great to have fun.
    This week our painting session will be on our own, but next Tuesday all the kids are joining us. :o:p

    DH asked me to join him on his afternoon walk today, so I went out with him down to the sea. Beautiful sunny day! The tide was in and big brown waves were pounding the sea wall. We caught some spray. I love the sound of the waves on the pebbles. Loads of people on their Boxing Day stroll.

    I'm going to watch a film I recorded last week, Shiva Baby, while DH goes into the other room to watch football.
    Then tonight is a Christmas special of Death In Paradise. :p

    Skate for dinner. Yum.

    Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

    I think I sent you a message!🤗
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,192 Member
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    kevrit wrote: »
    A good site to help with setting goals for 2023:
    Working on mine and will share when I’m done!

    RvRita

    These are good. A lot like what I've done in past years. :)
  • skuehn48
    skuehn48 Posts: 2,890 Member
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    <3
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
    edited December 2022
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    Flea I just read your post. OMG I am so, so sorry. Sending a virtual nice hot bath, warm towel, cushy chair, kitty for your lap, cup of hot tea, and a friend to just sit with you. What you have gone through this week is beyond sucky. What you described is excruciating and you need lots of pampering & TLC. Your entire family has been through the wringer! My condolences and sympathies to you and your family. (((Hugs, girl)))
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
    edited December 2022
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    Gratitude
    1 What is something that makes you laugh? Robin Williams movies.

    2 Something about the current season you’re grateful for: Very grateful for the cool fall weather and the lovely rains.

    3 What about your body do you love/are you grateful for? I am grateful for my hair. It's a pretty color and has body/wave. I never have to fuss with it.

    4 Who is someone in your life that you’re grateful for? I am incredibly grateful for the assistant marketing manager Stephanie at our retirement community, who is skillfully navigating us through the portal into our retirement community. Among other things, she tactfully negotiated to return the larger storage space that originally came with our apartment (it had been commandeered, lol), assigned us a prime parking space near the elevator in the parking garage, gave us a grace period before we have to start daily "check ins", took charge of a delivery of large awkward boxes in our absence, delivering them into our apartment with care, spontaneously recruited us to join into a trivia game that was already underway, and numerous other little thoughtful gestures. Plus she is super responsive to emails.

    5 What is a book that changed your life? To Kill a Mockingbird

    6 Think about something you’re good at: I'm good at packing a box with random items (like a puzzle).

    7 What is a lesson you’re grateful you learned? I am still learning this lesson. Do not talk at/overwhelm my younger brother with too much information or too many questions. He is vulnerable and becomes anxious and ultimately angry - because he feels inadequate, which makes him resentful.

    8 A basic need that has been met: Basic needs: food, water, clothing, sleep, and shelter. All have been met with the possible exception of adequate sleep.


    9 What are you most grateful for in the city/town where you live? Oh my gosh, there are so many great things about this neck of the woods. However, picking just one: I have a terrific network of friends and access to limitless resources in and around Richmond, VA where I live. So I would have to say "the people who live here".

    10 What rejection in your life are you most grateful for? I am grateful for being rejected by my friend Liz in graduate school. We started out by ride-sharing to school and quickly became fast friends. Liz rejected my friendship when I betrayed a confidence involving another classmate Susan. I said something to Susan that tipped her off that Liz had revealed to me something personal about Susan that she had told Liz in confidence. Susan felt betrayed by Liz, and Liz felt betrayed by me. It was a life's lesson that I should have learned at a much younger age, but I learned it well and painfully this time, and paid dearly for it by losing Liz as a friend. It was excruciating. I apologized, but the damage had been done.

    11 Something you use every day: I use my hot water kettle every day and I am consciously grateful for it every time I use it. I think, what a great little hot water kettle this is! every day, lol
    

    12 Something you don’t need anymore.: I no longer need my beloved John Deere lawn tractor. Time to dispose of it.

    13 Refuge – space you love in your home: In my new home (apartment), I love my very own room. It has things I love in it and is a calm oasis.

    14 Item of clothing: I have a navy blue with white polka dots dress I love. Sometimes I wear red Danskins with it. And a string of fake pearls.

    15 Taste: Comice pears with brie and Riesling

    16 Touch: Casper the Cat's dense white fur (just a memory now)

    17 Smell: Lily of the Valley

    18 Sound: Snoring doggies

    19 Sight: Nebraska sunrises and sunsets.

    20 Texture: Silk

    21 Color: Coke Bottle Green Sea Glass

    22 A song that makes you happy: Scott Joplin Maple Leaf Rag

    23 Type of weather you love: Summer lighting storms

    24 Professional who helps you: Waiters, especially lately as we transition into our new community.
    25 Something you take for granted: potable water

    26 A TV show that you look forward to watching: CBS Sunday Morning

    27 A movie you watch over and over: The Holiday
    28 An opportunity you’re grateful you had: July 20, 1977 - Harry Chapin at Merriweather Post Pavilion

    29 A place you love to visit: Sanibel

    30 A tool you find incredibly useful:

    31 A daily habit you’re happy you’ve cultivated:
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,192 Member
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    I don't balance a checkbook any more. I have alerts and check on my balance daily. There is a definite advantage to doing it the meticulous way, though. Paid prescriptions come to mind. I will look to see if there are recurring charges for subscriptions I no longer use.

    Karen in Virginia

    As a part of the ongoing legal stuff we're going through, I had to make a list of absolutely every expense and how often we paid it (like car insurance is once a year, the internet is once a month, etc.). I even had to go back over the past year to see how much we had spent on categories such as groceries, household items, personal items, etc.

    It was an interesting exercise and one which I would recommend. Now we both know all our expenditures and when they're due.

    M in Oz

  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Good morning all!
    Tracey- Good to see your post! You have been busy! It looks like everyone had a nice Christmas!
    Kylia- I think we are recovering from the same storm! We haven't had a mail delivery/pick up since last Wednesday. The Christmas card for you is still in my mailbox. lol We will call it a New Years card.
    Machka and Kay- I, myself, have never been good at balancing a checkbook. Anything math related makes me grind my teeth in despair. lol My DH is my math guy/accountant. He has our finances/budget etc set up on an Excel spreadsheet. He tracks everything. He wants me to learn his way of doing things, and I have sat with him and tried to learn; but he is so meticulous and nitpicky and the instruction just drones on and on...like Ben Stein as the teacher in Ferris Bueller...I always give up and tell him that if something happens to him, I will have to track everything on paper or in written format on the computer. BUT most likely I will hire someone to handle the big stuff like taxes, etc.
    Flea- Oh my dear heart! I would agree that with your mom passing and then the weather making a mess of the plans to get home; your Christmas just didn't happen this year. You need time to just be. Mourn and grieve. Let the missing and the love out and allow the care and love from your DH and children to enter you and comfort you. Christmas will be different from now on, but something else to remember, when you are apart from family, you can celebrate Christmas any time you want. I am sending lots of love your way!
    Karen VA- Your granddaughters are beautiful! Getting so big! I remember when you posted those first pics of them together.

    Well, last day of vacay for me. Today is clean house and get paperwork done, day. So...about five hours of work. This past weekend, I binge watched Season 3 of Emily in Paris. Such a cute show and Lily Collins is wonderful as Emily. The clothes, though! So much of what Emily wears reminds me of how I dressed pre-children. Oh to be young and single and have a big budget for clothes! I just started watching the Witcher Blood Origin series.
    I will have to think of a word for 2023. I don't think I picked one for 2022; maybe that is why I feel like I just flumped through the year with no goals. Is "healthier" to broad of a word/goal? I really feel like every aspect of my life is just a bit off track. Enough so that things aren't going as smoothly as they should and it is creating a definite feeling of discomfort. I will have to think about it.
    Well, time to get things moving. Love and hugs to all who need/want them! ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,192 Member
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    KJLaMore wrote: »
    Machka and Kay- I, myself, have never been good at balancing a checkbook. Anything math related makes me grind my teeth in despair. lol My DH is my math guy/accountant. He has our finances/budget etc set up on an Excel spreadsheet. He tracks everything. He wants me to learn his way of doing things, and I have sat with him and tried to learn; but he is so meticulous and nitpicky and the instruction just drones on and on...like Ben Stein as the teacher in Ferris Bueller...I always give up and tell him that if something happens to him, I will have to track everything on paper or in written format on the computer. BUT most likely I will hire someone to handle the big stuff like taxes, etc.
    ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)

    Absolutely!

    I have some accounting training and took a tax prep course so I could do taxes (in Canada) but I am more than happy to let someone else do it for us.

    M in Oz



  • SophieRosieMom
    SophieRosieMom Posts: 3,428 Member
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    Good morning ladies!

    Christmas 2022 is pretty much a wrap. Yesterday's brunch was great, everything delicious and I skipped the cookies, took one small bite of a homemade truffle ball and that was it. I ended up not bringing anything, and the table was loaded, several items weren't even touched, so it wasn't a big deal. They'll be eating leftovers for days. :) I am so lucky and grateful to be included in this family's holiday meals and celebrations. <3

    Heather - I watched the Christmas "Death in Paradise" show last night. <3 I love how they have continually come up with good characters when the old ones move on. Very talented writers.

    Machka - I know I've mentioned this before, Midsomer Murders is one series I love to re-watch. Thank you for sharing photos of your sunshiney weather! I'm curious - do you call your weather "summer" or "winter" right now?

    Checking accounts/budgets. I don't balance my checking account anymore. Like with the credit card, I have a pretty good idea of what I spend and do keep an excel spreadsheet to record expenditures, income, budget. My own rudimentary version of Quickbooks. :) Anomalies stand out quickly since I review them just about every day. I don't write many checks, use on-line bill pay and still use cash where I can. Works for me.

    I can hear the rain pelting outside and there's a "high wind" warning for our area. Which usually means we might get 20 mph gusts.

    Stay healthy. Back later.

    Lanette B)
    SW WA State


  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,192 Member
    edited December 2022
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    If you're interested in the Action for Happiness Calendar ...
    Do Good December
    This month, we're encouraging you to carry out small acts of kindness.

    Or we could post something we're thankful for, or happy about, related to the holiday season.

    December 1 - I love the Christmas music. :) Come December 1, that's almost all I play. Christmas music or classical music (when I have to think at work or when we're in the car).

    December 2 - Christmas decorations! We're lagging behind a bit because I usually like to decorate on December 1. But we got the decorations upstairs on Dec 2. Today I'll rearrange furniture and make a start.

    December 3 - Summer. My favourite season. And we are finally having a few days of decent weather after a very wild and woolly spring. That's not saying the good weather will last (thanks La Nina) but there should be more of it.

    December 4 - Memories. So many of the Christmas songs and traditions remind me of my parents and grandparents and happy Christmases with them.

    December 5 - Christmas Displays. I like how many of the shops have Christmas Displays, and some are quite detailed and intricate.

    December 6 - Greetings. People smiling and wishing each other Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

    December 7 - Shortbread. So much delicious shortbread!

    December 8 - Family. Christmas seems to bring us together a bit more.

    December 8 - Trees. All over the world, millions of people are putting up trees in their houses and work places and decorating them. :)

    December 9 - Sparkly Things. I love how everything becomes sparkly at this time of year.

    December 10 - Yummy Things. Mince tarts and cookies. Fudge. Special Chocolates. All sorts of nibbles that only come out at this time of year.

    December 11 - Colours. Reds and greens and a few other combinations out everywhere.

    December 12 - Christmas Stories. Twas the Night Before Christmas. A Christmas Carol. Jesus Birth.

    December 13 - Wrapping things up, and I don't just mean presents.

    December 14 - The Christmas songs I know by heart. I sang them to myself during my surgery to help keep me calm and focusing on something else.

    December 15 - Rest. Except for one Christmas, I think I have had a holiday time over every other Christmas. Today I'm on enforced rest.

    December 16 - Comfort. Christmas is usually a comfortable time of year for me. In Canada it was about going out in the cold to shop or ski and then coming home and curling up in warm, cozy clothes. Here it's about spending time in the warm sunshine, at the beach, in the garden or right now, looking at the lovely outside from inside.

    December 17 - Joy. Christmas has usually been a joyful time for me ... probably mainly to do with being able to take a break.

    December 18 - Pretty. It's such a pretty time of year and people seem to go to lengths to make everything pretty.

    December 19 - Movies. Last night we watched 2 Christmas movies. I get a kick out of them and can just relax and enjoy them. I've got 3 of the ones on the Bingo card below. :)

    December 20 - Home ... or away. Either way, Christmas is a time to be somewhere I feel comfortable.

    December 21 - Fun. I usually relax a bit more around Christmas and make a point of doing things for fun!

    December 22 - Exercise. Christmas has usually been a time when I get extra exercise! In Canada, I was out skiing and snowshoeing. Here I'm usually out cycling, running and walking.

    Unfortunately, I'm not as active this Christmas. But I'm pushing for a bicycle ride this weekend. :)

    December 23 - Health. Christmas is usually a time to regroup and regain my health through sleep, exercise, and eating better.

    December 24 - Love.

    December 25 - Jesus' birth.

    December 26 - Silent Night. It's quieter here than usual.

    December 26 - These in between days when there's nothing much to do. :)

    :heart:

    Just saw your post, Barbara ...

    :heart:
    auntiebk wrote: »
    Aha, finally found a December daily gratitude calendar.
    https://www.spacewiseorganizing.com/december-gratitude-challenge/
    “This time of year, there’s a lot of pressure to think about what we want instead of what we have. Every day for the month of December, celebrate what you’re grateful for corresponding to the theme of the day. Snap a photo or update your status on IG or FB with #spaceforgratitude”
    1sa7taue9pwm.png

    1 What is something that makes you laugh? Rhody! We're so very glad we got our little COVID Cat!

    2 Something about the current season you’re grateful for. Rest. There will be a lot of rest over Christmas.

    3 What about your body do you love/are you grateful for? I like my nose and want to keep it. But my official answer will be legs - for transport (walking) and recreation (cycling).

    4 Who is someone in your life that you’re grateful for? I've said husband and parents last month, and that's true, but this month I'll say ... my manager. She has been supportive and encouraging regarding my input into my job.

    5 What is a book that changed your life? The Bible. :) With the Christmas season in mind, I'm reading the gospel of Luke now.

    6 Think about something you’re good at. I think I'm good at planning and organisation.

    7 What is a lesson you’re grateful you learned? To speak up. To say my piece.

    When I was young, up till about 17-ish, I was quiet and shy. Then I went through a bolder phase from about 17 into my early 20s. Then the quiet shyness resumed for the most part until my husband's accident. And then the bold me reappeared!

    Where I once guessed what people might be thinking and thought my answers, now I'm vocal and even told I'm quite blunt. :smiley:

    8 A basic need that has been met. Shelter. I'm very thankful for our particular shelter.

    9 What are you most grateful for in the city/town where you live? The proximity to both mountains and beaches. :)

    10 What rejection in your life are you most grateful for? Oh that's an interesting question. Either there haven't been many or I don't remember them but I'm drawing a blank. Although ... about 18 months or so ago, I didn't get a job I was going for and thought I wanted. I think I prefer the one I have now. I think it is providing me with more opportunities for experience and learning.

    11 Something you use every day. A coffee cup to hold my morning coffee. :)

    12 Something you don’t need anymore. What don't I need anymore? Perhaps some of the time consuming traditions like writing the Christmas letter, doing Christmas cards, heaps of baking ...

    And outside of Christmas, I'm making choices that work for me. Picking and choosing what I want to do ... and don't want to do. I'm grateful I can make a few more of those choices.

    13 Refuge – space you love in your home - my chair. I bought a wing chair about a year or so ago and it's my spot.

    14 Item of clothing - rain jacket. Because it appears that it isn't going to stop raining! Also comfy pjs. :)

    15 Taste - I am grateful that I still have a sense of taste. That was one thing my husband lost with his brain injury.

    16 Touch - I'm glad for my smooth, comfortable bed where I've been spending a lot of time.

    17 Smell - Love the smell of our roses.

    18 Sound - Thoroughly enjoying the sound of the Christmas music I play all day long. :)

    19 Sight - I'm appreciating sight after spending the last 5 days without glasses!! I can wear my glasses for a little while now but have to take a break after even just a minute or so.

    20 Texture - the smooth creamy texture of chocolates, the melt in the mouth texture of shortbread. :)

    21 Color - All sorts of Christmas colours!!

    22 A song that makes you happy. Jesus Loves Me.

    23 Type of weather you love. Sunshine and warmth.

    24 Professional who helps you. That would be my surgeon!

    25 Something you take for granted. The love of my family. Not that I take them for granted but that I know they will always love me. :heart:

    26 A TV show that you look forward to watching. Midsommer Murders. We'll start watching it again after the Christmas season. They'll play 150 reruns of it, so it's nice to take a break and watch Christmas movies and then we'll look forward to seeing it later.

    27 A movie you watch over and over. A Christmas movie would be Scrooge with Alistair Sim. :)
    But actually, I have a little collection of Christmas movies on DVD and I watch them every year.

    A non-Christmas movie would likely be Princess Bride.
    28 An opportunity you’re grateful you had.
    29 A place you love to visit.
    30 A tool you find incredibly useful.
    31 A daily habit you’re happy you’ve cultivated.

    Machka in Oz
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,192 Member
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    Heather - I watched the Christmas "Death in Paradise" show last night. <3 I love how they have continually come up with good characters when the old ones move on. Very talented writers.

    Machka - I know I've mentioned this before, Midsomer Murders is one series I love to re-watch. Thank you for sharing photos of your sunshiney weather! I'm curious - do you call your weather "summer" or "winter" right now?


    Lanette B)
    SW WA State

    Death in Paradise has started over again here. Another set of reruns. But we still watch it anyway.

    On one channel, Midsomer Murders is in the early days, on another channel, it's relatively new, although it shows about half a dozen new ones and then plays from when Tom's cousin took over to the end of the new ones, then about half a dozen new ones, and repeat, so we do get some new ones there.



    It's summer here. It's summer from December 1 to the end of February and December 21 was our day with the longest sunshine.

    Kids are out of school on summer holidays from about mid-December to early February.


    Machka in Oz
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,984 Member
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    <3