WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2018

Hello on this last day of an eventful year. It makes me think of that (supposedly) Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."

I've been keeping up with my reading here, but also suffering from brain fog, so I can't keep track of all the particulars. Sorry about that!

Christmas snuck up on us this year, what with me being in the US for the first two weeks of December and my husband gallivanting from Korea to Nepal to Finland and back to the North Pole in between. We've made this holiday season v-e-r-y low key. Our only "Christmas" decoration this year is the advent star I put up in early November. Well, I suppose the clove-studded orange and the red-and-green tablecloth also count.

This picture - taken at about 11 in the morning - gives you some idea of how dark it is up here right now. Because of the darkness, the "advent" star will stay in place until late February, when the sun starts to touch the mountaintops in the north again.

Here's a close-up of our other light feature, a glass vase of little LED lights. That one is always there, but it's only lit from October to March. In the light half of the year I look at this and other light fixtures (and candles and flashlights and reflector vests) and find them so irrelevant I wonder why they even exist.


Through all this travel and brain-fogginess, I'm (frankly) proud to have kept up my jogging. I don't want to brag or anything, but it's something of a challenge when the temperature outdoors is lower than in my freezer. Here's how I prepare:

• Strip to panties and socks.
• Put on three layers of pants. First my jogging tights, then merino wool longjohns, last my summer jogging capris.
• Put on three layers of shirts. Long-sleeved merino wool shirt and two loose cotton teeshirts.
• Put on three layers of head protection. First is a tube scarf of thin, flexible knitted polyester. I pull it on halfway so it covers from the crown of my head, over my ears and around my chin, plus the back of my head and all my neck. Next comes a thin knitted cap touting Norwegian polar research. Last is a thicker double-layered knitted cap touting Swedish polar research.
• Put on jacket. This is a fairly thin but windproof jacket my husband got for attending a conference. It's too small for him, but ample for me. The sleeves hang down way beyond my fingertips. That's important!
• Put on headlamp. (Remember, it's dark out!)
• Put on reflector vest. (Ditto!)
• Put on studded jogging shoes.
• Put on thin merino wool gloves. Because of the long sleeves, it's enough to have thin gloves. If I gather the loose ends of the sleeves and hold them between my fingertips, my hands don't get cold at all. This even though I "always" suffer from white finger syndrome in other contexts.

It may sound as though I'm bundled up like Charlie Brown, but it isn't that bad. I'll take a pic before I go for my run today and post it later.
/Penny, heading out into sub-zero weather at the

Happy New Year Machka! All of the best to you and your husband.

We're 8 hours from 2019 away.

All the best to the fantastic ladies who've entered my live. All the best for 2019.

Bianca from South Africa

I end the year 7 pounds lighter than when I started it. I’ll take it!

Machka: Happy New Year. I think we are going to make our NYE a movie night also. May 2019 be full of blessings and sweet surprises for you and DH.

Rita: Attagurl!

Kim: Proud of you for stepping into your power and keeping your integrity in face of difficult DB. Peace.

Penny: Ditto what others said about your amazing discipline to run in extreme temps. Your DH's credo "There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing" also inspires me as I gear up to walk two blocks in sub-freezing snowy weather to get myself to the condo gym. ❄❄❄

The net loss on the scale this year was only 4.2 pounds, which is not great, but still moving in the right direction. I did my measurements this morning, and have a significant NSV in form of over 9 inches lost from waist, tummy, hips and thighs. My breast stayed the same (sigh). I didn't measure calf and arms, which I think I'll do tomorrow so I can compare next year.

Word for 2019 will be SMILE. I resolve to continue the simple practice to smile with mouth, eyes and heart in the face of any stresses and challenges to insert compassion and love to any situation.

Friends, I've been in this community for five years now. I know some of you better than others thanks to having had the opportunity to meet you in person. But I feel enormously supported and embraced by all of you who have been attentive and responsive to this fantastic thrill ride called life. Thank you for another year for friendship and love. Here's to more stories, photos, sharing and caring. Here's to your success with all you endeavor in your work and in your leisure. And, here's to you all progressing toward radiant good health, however YOU define it. We can do this. See you in 2019.

Rori
Colorado Foothills