WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2023

Barbara and Michele thanks for the welcome back.

Machka - loved the Gentle Goals - so much so, I've saved them to my desktop. Thank you.

I haven't set any new year goals/resolutions, I have routines that I do everyday. I also set an alarm in the evening to remind me to have a quick tidy before bed, and make sure the dishes are washed, dried and put away ready for the next day. If I didn't have the alarm to remind me, I would forget! I'd think about it just before bed, but would then be too tired to do anything about it.

I've rejoined the Take Your House Back group with Dana (a Slob comes clean) Dawn (the minimal mom) and Cas (Clutterbug) I'm slowly getting my house back into some sort of order. I love listening to these ladies, trouble is I need to spend less time listening and more time doing! I am getting better and as Dana says - "It doesn't have to be perfect, just better than it was"

Sending prayers to Destiny

Lisa any news of Bella?

Barbara like you I'm thinking boring is good as it means nothing drastic/bad has happened. I'm thankful for my boring life. Although I wouldn't mind an adventure this year going back to Machka's gentle goals 'Say yes to adventures'.

Take care everyone and love to all
Viv UK

Good Monday Morning!
We are working today. I would have loved one more day off, but I am okay with going in. Hopefully we will be busy. I managed to get a handle on work yesterday. Still behind, but feeling much better about where I am. I worked 10 hours sitting on my couch. I tried to remember to get up and walk/stretch occasionally. I did take a break and help DH put some Christmas into the barn and go through some boxes of his mom's Christmas stuff that was up there. Unfortunately a lot of that she put up there in cardboard boxes which the critters destroyed. We did keep a few items and are donating some items to a local senior center. I cooked dinner too. I feel good about my accomplishments. Oh, and I cleared off more flat spaces in the living room. Less stuff out makes me happy. Funny that I don't "see" the stuff in the 4 (yes 4) china cabinets we have.

Viv I too love Dawn and Cas! Cas helped me learn that I am not lazy, just a Ladybug! It has helped me immensely! My things stay much better organized since I have used the tips she has. My husband is a bee. He has to see and is very meticulous in organizing. Minimalism is a little harder for me, but I have used Dawn's tips too to downsize. I will have to check out Dana.

Lisa So sad about Bella. I had one of my fur babies that disappeared on the 4th of July. She was a chow and never liked to be inside. We were out for the evening.......I hope Bella makes it back safely.

2. List 5 things using each of your senses.. The sound of the heat running in the house. The taste of my coffee. The smell of warmy bear. The softness of my mattress. The wind chimes are what I see in my room.

Hugs for All!
Healing Prayers for those needing them!
High fives as we head into this new year as we made it!

Kylia in Ohio where it is foggy and spring like

cityjaneLondon wrote: »

I like this. That's me this year! Of course, my poor overworked son did it instead, and I did feel a bit guilty, but he's a man so it's OK.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/02/why-christmas-and-diwali-hanukkah-and-eid-are-cancelled-women-unpaid-care

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

I have never organised a family festival. I have never slaved in the kitchen for any holidays or get-together.

I did the buying gifts thing with my first husband but when we separated over 20 years ago, the buying gifts thing diminished significantly. I did the card and letter thing for a little while, but dropped it some time ago too, at least a decade.

Holidays are time for ME to relax and do something enjoyable.

Machka in Oz

Good morning ladies!

Tracey - Karen - Kim - Stilleto's! Thanks for the first laugh of the day.

Kim - I think about your situation with your mom a lot. It can be such a job dealing with our older mothers - sometimes we need to be their parent, sometimes their friend, but we're always their kid it seems. My mom has been gone over 20 years and I still run into situations where I "hear" her in a firm voice saying something that makes me feel a little guilty and that I need to try to please her.

Karen - so glad you are there for your brother, your spouse, Jillian, and well, just everybody! Neat story about how your mom started her day. Early morning quiet time well spent.

Betsy - your 2022 was much like mine. We journey on.

Sue in WA - SO GLAD the propane guy finally showed up. Crazy about the frozen pipes. Don't blame you for being disgusted - why move from S. Dakota to have to deal with this stuff indeed! Hope the cold stays away for a long time. I don't know about you, but my sinuses are confused and I'm wondering if I'll need the hay fever meds a couple months early.

Katla - glad to hear your husband is doing better. So glad you are closer to him now and you're getting prepared for Midwest weather! Big change from western Oregon for sure. Do you still do yoga stretches? I try to do a few first thing in the morning just to get the kinks out, lol. And I've been doing a few modified, super easy knee planks - several of you did a lot of planks a few years ago as I recall.

Vivian - sorry to hear you and your mom weren't feeling well and dampened the holidays for you. Very glad to see you back, energy returning.

SueBDew - Happy New Year!

Does anyone hear from JanetR? Miss her. Her family had so much going on.

Lisa - praying Bella returns. Darn fireworks. I'll bet lots of doggies will end up at the animal shelter, hope she's one of them if she hasn't returned yet.

Barbara - being 1/2 mile from the maintained road is great but can be challenging. Your garbage and downed trees for example, same here although the garbage truck does come through. Snow plow, however, can pile 3' of snow at the entrance to our road and block access unless someone wants to shovel or punch through with a 4WD pickup. New neighbors moving in from CA or the city wonder when "they" will plow the road. Now they see why having someone next door with a big pickup is vital, lol.

Tracey - Heather - Allie and others with littles close by .... love those pix of the grands. I was just reading how good it is for grandmothers to babysit. Can't recall the specifics but when I think about it, look at the benefits of play, and moving/lifting. Love flowing in both directions.

Barbie - I just downloaded "The Bullet that Missed" by Richard Osman. Have you and Jake read that one yet? I want to get a lot of tasks done this morning so I can sit and read in peace, if I can convince the dog and cat to cooperate, lol.

Thanks to everyone who commented and liked my "list". Do you realize it's a compilation of wisdom I've picked up from you ladies and the authors/websites/podcasts you've mentioned?

Talk about gratitude... I've been on this list for over 5 years. During that time I learned about strength training - "Strong Women Stay Young", all versions Fasting from 5:2 to Time restricted and beyond, Resistant starch (remember Rye?), ways to save money on electricity and using clothes hangers to dry laundry, great tips on shoes and walking in all kinds of weather.... I could go on and on.

Had I not run across this group, where would I be in my health journey? Probably still puttering along with WW, counting points. Seems like a different life to what I have now.

I recall when I first got on this list, I was intimidated and overwhelmed by the comradery among the ladies in the group. I actually wrote down names of the frequent posters and little tidbits about each one, including location, so I could comment without looking like a total dork. Very glad I stuck it out - everyone was so welcoming. So newbies, as others have said, find a topic that interests you and jump on in.

Alex and his landscaping team will be here on Wednesday. I need to get out today or tomorrow and get some "before" pictures. They have some major pruning, bush and wooden fence removal. Glad they are conditioned to work in the cold. He speaks and writes perfect English, his team is Hispanic and I sure wish I would have taken Spanish as a second language. German and French which I took in school don't work although I can still count to ten in both languages and say "good morning". My DH was raised with both Italian and French grandparents in the same small town and picked up Spanish easily when he supervised landscaping crews in Seattle for a while.

I'm thinking about learning Spanish but would need someone to speak it with all the time to get my "ear" - that's the way I learn. Who knows, the opportunity just might present itself shortly.

OK better get crackin. Making a batch of caponata today.

As always, make it a fabulous week!

Lanette
SW WA State

We leave our Christmas lights up until end of January because of the darkness here. Our neighbors do the same and it helps. I found some white light cone trees the last one Target had on display. It goes with my white angel and birds. It really makes a wonderful vignette.

Started my weekly golden moments of the week yesterday.
Como's green and white Christmas exhibit
Laughing with my painting friends over how we had each other's lives...
MIA visit... one of my favorites was the sculpture of youth examining his foot. Botticelli's drawing inspired by the sculpture. The Gift of the Magi...sprinkles of gold light shining down on mother and child who were the center and highest point in the painting. Faces of crowd who you would see the same expressions today. The one staring out at you to draw you into the painting. The one looking puffed up looking down his nose.
DrewB loving my friend's visit...
Working with DH to get the thermostat so quickly fixed!

VivI too when I adopted the attitude just make it better rather than make it perfect this took tremendous pressure off me. I also find if I take a few minutes after finishing a project to put things away when I am done this helps too. I agree about getting dishes before bed. I don't always succeed on that one but I find it does help the next day to get off to a better start.

Lisa Hope Bella finds her way home soon..
(((Kelly)))

I did some yoga! Yay! And I walked ten minutes. I learned that if I procrastinate by having tea, my walking will be interrupted by a bathroom break.

Annie in Delaware