WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR NOVEMBER 2025

Laptop tuneup was so worth it, despite the hassle of “NoScript” re-settings. Sooo much faster. Will be even better when he adds RAM.

Finally confessed to Joe this morning that when Mariah (BFF’s daughter, call her my god daughter/adoptive niece) and her family come to visit, I’ll make them Thanksgiving dinner. They’ve been here before but when I mentioned her husband and six kids, Joe was shocked and in total denial. He remembered when they visited before and thought they only brought 2 or 3 boys. He kept repeating “That’s horrible!” I kept repeating “You might want to hide out in your man cave. They won’t arrive 'til afternoon, you’ll probably be asleep already.” This is such good “let it go” practice for me. I’ve abandoned all expectation that Joe will join us for dinner. Hoping he’ll stay home and not run away for the weekend, but whatever will be will be. Thanksgiving prep status in a later post.

Belated welcome @ummleeban Noor in N .VA! ((hugs)) for the hard year and YES to re-prioritizing self-care. It’s key.

Belated welcome @_Sweet_ , even though you’re not 50 yet. This is a safe welcoming place full of wisdom and support.

Rita love love love the stuffed turkey toy and also your inventive paper towel roll treat toys. Will steal those ideas, ok?

Rebecca yours to Debbie about the prayer for her MIL. Amen, sister, amen! What a stunning change for you. Your legs in those exercise pants look so lean, well done! Cannot believe your sister’s painting is watercolor, it looks so shiny, like acrylic!

Lisa love your flowers. One of the many things I love about living here that there is something blooming every month of the year. Right now it’s rosemary and heather. Continue to be awed by your energy, accomplishments, and creativity. Look forward to learning about the new idea.

Barbie “I am happy telling people that I have plans or am not available at a certain time even if my plans are watching TV and knitting. I don't go places I don't want to go.” I will borrow this and share it with T. Neither of us wants to go to the line dance Christmas party, it’s just too much and overwhelming. T wants to make plans so we have an excuse. I don’t want to make plans with her for that date I just want to stay home with Joe and the dogs, that’s my plan! ;}

Lanette 1.2 g protein/kilo of desired weight = 65 g for me, I can do that! Just need to add a cup of bone broth.

Machka Cybil Shepherd is only two weeks older than I, and she looks way better! ;} But then she always did . . .

Okie the idea of that much decorating makes my head hurt, but WOW what organization!

Flea yours to Allie, especially about the precut veggies, fruit and nuts for snacks. A little cheese too wouldn’t hurt… Your soup and grain bowls are competing with Rebecca for food porn awards. ;}

Ginny so glad to hear from you post-surgery, you’ve been on my prayer list.

Debbie that’s some taco Tuesday food porn too!

Allie love the pic of Siri roughing it and all the pics of the grands.

Melanie, even though it was exhausting, I think those students really got an education at your ranch. Hope it helps to steer ;} them into a more suitable profession…

Michele MORE blow molds? Wow.

Pip glad no quake shakes. Brava on the floor exercises!

Margaret, Teri, Barbie, Lisa and all who expressed their gratitude for where/how/who we are NOW, yes, this, and thanks for the reminder!

Heather, 400+ words? Bravissima! Good news from your bruv. You inspire me to change our linens today, time to get to it!

Thru pg 16.

Later, lighter, lovelies!
Barbara, the Southern Oregon Coastie AHMOD

November focus stronger: Dailyish PS2S and 10 mins BB&B/PT.
2025: Chose NOW: to move more than yesterday (see action plan), fuel better than yesterday (hold that after dinner sweet down to two pieces of dark chocolate max), open heart and mind before mouth.

It is sad, but she has fibromyalgia, and took Vicodin and Morphine for years to help her pain. So now its smoking and booze. Also has neuropathy issues with her legs and hands. I think its her body just saying enough. When she was well enough to go out and about, she suffered many falls, broken bones. I think she was in a stupor and was walking in the dark to her downstairs place after being at the bars.

Life is about choices, and she is content to live in that basement, not be a bother and let her daughter and daughters family live in the rest of the home. If it were me, I would be taking over the living room with the fireplace, so I could have access to cooking in the kitchen, put a stair assist up to a proper bathroom. But she is happy washing dishes, herself in a little sink. shakes my head I don't get it either....

Rebecca Whidbey Wa

Barbara, the Southern Oregon Coastie AHMOD,

Thank you for the nice words. When I wake up in the morning and stretch my legs, they do look slimmer! Of course then I feel the slight puddle of fat on the bed where gravity has pooled. But hey its nice to feel muscles, the cords on each side of my knees! I can encircle my hands around my thighs right above my kneecap and my fingers touch! Also when I am laying on my side in bed, I can feel my butt muscle! Lol!😂😂. All NSV's!

Rebecca Whidbey Wa

Today's adventure …

50 km bicycle ride along the beaches in our local area.

Nice day but a bit of sea breeze which helped and hindered.

Made a mistake and didn't have a mid-ride snack … ran out of energy at the end. By the time I got home, I needed a little lie down.

But later in the evening, my husband and I went out to Bunnings to pick up a few things he wanted.

Machka in Oz

Swimming — no, I haven't. I've been focusing on cycling and organising cycling events. It has been all systems go here for the past 6 weeks or so.

Garden — it's very much a construction area still. Things tend to look worse before they look better!

Melanie — I like the bike selfie. Cycling on snow brought back memories!

Tracey — you're taking such good care of your MIL.

Cat bites/scratches — we have a wonderful black cat. But like any cat servant, we've both been bitten and scratched quite badly. Both of us have ended up at the doctor and onto a course of antibiotics. If you clean your wounds quickly … and then, when they get infected, get onto antibiotics, it's not too bad.

Machka in Oz

I have the rabbit in the IP. I'm going to put the leeks in later so they don't turn to mush. There are onions, carrots, celery, and herbs in there right now. We are having it with tenderstem broccoli.

The boiler man came this morning, but everything was working perfectly! It did go off at 8 this morning though. He had a look at the zone valve and said it was a bit sticky, so he has done what he can to free it. Other possibility is the thermostat. I think it's the zone valve from past experience. He is such a nice chap.

Rori - What a blow! Grrr! I would have thought that her travel insurance company would be involved in all this and sorting things out, translating etc. That's what you pay them for. I don't think she will be able to fly for a bit. There are regulations.

Lovely sunny day here, but v cold. It's due to warm up from tomorrow morning.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Had another weird night after falling out of bed 2 nights ago. This time I heard my daughter yell DAD at 4:20am. I called out her name but got no answer. Saw her this morning and she is fine but my husband is freaked out.
My husband was going to ask my son in law to pick up Chinese food on his way home from work tonight. The last few times it wasn't great so I will make it tonight for the crew. Korean beef and broccoli, garlic noodles, dumplings, and spring rolls. The cost will be way less and it will taste better.
Sadly, another funeral to attend tomorrow. A friend of the family. 67 years old . Cancer ☹️.
Work is still in overdrive. Lots of sick calves out there. Weather a factor plus many were sold and put into feedlots at 400 pounds which is very light and predisposes them to pneumonia. Producers usually hang on to them longer before shipping them but they were bringing such high prices many sold them.
I am stiff and sore from the waist up today thanks to an arm and ab workout yesterday.

Rebecca- at least your sister accepts her choices and their results. It's hard to understory I am not living in her mind. It does make me sad though.
Great NSVs 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Nice to shape up those gams 🦵🏼

Ginny- feel better ❤️‍🩹

Mo- I don't know if trying to keep paws clean would help as they lick them and would reintroduce oral bacteria. It is just a part of their commensal microbiome (what is normal for them to carry around on paws and in mouth). When bitten or scratched I would keep a close eye on infection developing or spiking a fever.

Tracey- You are making such a difference in your MILs life 🩷 Hopefully her homesickness will start to fade.

Rori- WOW- what a way to end a trip! I hope you can get D back safely 🤞🏼

Lanette- good to hear you were only down for the day.

Take care of yourselves 💕

Melanie, Alberta

Hello, my li'l chickadees

Lanette - Glad you're feeling better today and that the Mt. Rainier things was a jump scare instead of a reality.

Rori - Oh my… there do seem to be people who draw the chaos to them. I've known them, and even loved them, but try not to travel with them. Sorry your long-anticipated trip has gone truly sideways. Perhaps there is some reason beyond the obvious why your trip was interrupted? Just a thought.

Tracey - Loved the pics of your little MIL's new gifted duds, and even more so with Machka's pictures of her spring ride right after! You're getting there, kid, one thing at a time. The weekend sounds a little chaotic, but filled with love. Your SIL's shadow picture is just wonderful.

Heather - Happy anniversary! Sounds like a lovely time with a lovely man. Enjoyed the cards, as well. So much better than a canned verse on an expensive bit of pasteboard. At this rate, you're going to have to buy a card rack at a thrift store to display all of your work! Sorry your friend is struggling - and yeah, add me and Corey to the home-cooked v. restaurant costs game. Especially when the meal is particularly good! 🥰

Regarding help as we age: In all reality, marrying Corey was far better for my long-term future than I knew at the time. I was 49 and he was 40 when I married him, but the 17-year-old daughter he brought with him, the amazing woman who just called me for the second time this week, and who calls me "Mom," will be the one who makes sure we're both OK in our later years. Corey's actions while I was so ill let me know, as well, that he remains the opposite of my first husband. The first Mr. Lisa couldn't even handle it if I had a cold, seriously.

Cat bites: My best friend, who does bookkeeping and taxes for private clients, was at one client's home, reached out to pet the cat, and the cat bit her. Like Lanette, her wound got infected, even with washing, but unlike Lanette, she waited too long to get antibiotics, and the infection went all the way to the bone. She had to have surgery to scrape the infection out, one of the more awful-sounding things I've heard of.

Barbara - I would be unable to resist pushing the issue and having a blow-up, but Corey and I tend to have similar feelings about large family gatherings, so it works out for us. Well done for taking it in stride. Has Mariah been warned so she doesn't take it personally?

Ginny - Glad you're getting moving, all those exercises over all those years are going to serve you in such good stead as you heal.

Allie - I'm sorry about your friend, and hope PT can really help you get back toward physical fitness.

Mo - Corey is making lasagna for our Thanksgiving meal, with only his brother here, which may tell you how I feel about the whole concept of stressing out over massive meals. I'm happy to make the garlic bread and leave it at that. I try very hard not to let other's emotional demands put stress on me, but that's not always easy, I know, especially when it's our kids.

Melanie - You definitely look like you're enjoying your biking in the snow! 🚵🏻❄️

Sherry - I get it. I've just finally started tracking my calories again. Yesterday was the first day. Because this isn't my first rodeo, I track for a week before I start any kind of restriction or modification in eating. Reminds me that lying to myself about how much I eat (even though I'm really, REALLY good at it 😂) is not useful or helpful. In fact, it is just an easy way to watch the numbers on the scale rise. Then I have to decide what I want most - the calories, or the scale going the other direction. Not honestly as easy as it sounds, that question. But, as you said, our choice to make.

Waiting on Corey to call here at lunch time. He tried a minute ago, but got interrupted by his boss, not a big deal, nor unusual. He'll call back.

Then it's time for me to get on the elliptical and then in the shower, which I talked myself out of yesterday. (The shower, not the exercise)… and, my beloved called back and has now gone again, just four more hours of work for him, and he's off for nine straight days - with no plans to go anywhere or do anything but be home and relax.

We'll see how long he lasts.

Happy Friday, my dears,

Love,
Lisa in AR

I did get to walk the wetlands yesterday. Rain didn't start again until last night and I am getting ready to go walk there now. No walking or zumba(we have class Monday but no workout-just potluck Friendsgiving)-