Heidenheimer-Temple-Salado

I was able to spend Good Friday in Temple, TX with my soul sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, and a nephew by marriage; I spent Saturday with rest of the family that welcomed me into their clan 30 years ago. Wow! 30 years! I hadn’t realized it’d been that long until just now.

I still remember the first time my husband, Eddie, took me to Heidenheimer for Easter Sunday. I was petrified they wouldn’t accept me since Eddie and I were only living together at the time. I knew they were a very religious family and would frown on our living arrangements. But this large family had a large heart and lived their faith without judgment of others. Out of 30 years, I think I’ve only missed five Easter Sundays with this wonderful clan. I always felt guilty each time I didn’t go. It'd become tradition.

Traditions are comforting but they can also be confining. At times we want to break free of them, try something new. Time changes, families go different directions and Easter Sunday was moved to Saturday last year. Since I wasn’t able to go last year I didn’t know if it made a different or not. This year I went to the Saturday Easter Sunday in Salado. As much as I enjoyed seeing everyone, it didn’t seem like Easter yesterday. Maybe it was because I’ve missed the last two years. Maybe because two loved ones are not here with us anymore. Or maybe because it really wasn’t our traditional Easter Sunday.

I returned home late yesterday afternoon to my two pups thanks to Lesly and David who picked them up for me from the La De Da Pet Spa (only the best for my pups). I was fortunate traffic from Salado was light and I beat the storms home. By the storms finally arrived, I was nestled in bed wedged between the two dogs. This morning Petie is curled up on my lap – the one-eye dog who has brought so much love into my life. Shelby is asleep on the bed of her choice at this moment--my sofa. We have a nap planned for this afternoon. The storms have passed and the sun is shining. I am content.

Easter, Girl Talk, and Reflections

I was two and a half in this picture. It was the day after Easter and my Easter basket looks empty. Still I appear happily content with my basket. Maybe we are born with eyes that see baskets still full, life still good in spite of disappointments and sorrows? Or maybe it’s the gift of a mother’s or God's love that reassures us that our basket will always be refilled? Regardless it’s what keeps me going. The attitude that when the doctor says my bones are so brittle that I am considered high risk and have a 25% chance of getting fractures, I mentally think, “Woo hoo, I have a 75% chance of never breaking any bones!” (Yes, I’m finally going to try the pill that will fossilize them old bones of mine.)

I’m not that same little girl obviously although that soft squishy tummy of babyhood has returned along with the sparse baby fine hair (i.e. second-childhood joy of getting old) but I’m still adorable. Lol. But that’s the way life is supposed to be. We evolve with age and life experiences, remaining work in progress. Then why do we gals insist on keeping clothes in our closets that defined who we were, not we are today? Or am I the only one who holds up that Corporate America business suit that hasn’t been worn for ten years or the sexy-fitting jeans that now mock me with an unsexy muffin top when I squeeze into them and say, “hum, maybe”? And how about those purchased mistakes sadly awaiting their turn off the hanger as they hang unworn beside my worn favorites?

Well, no more. Yep, I cleaned out my closet yesterday and I’m feeling pretty good now. Slept like a baby last night. I purged some of the past and got rid of some of the mistakes that have taunted me. I know it was only a closet but isn’t that what Easter should be about? Forgiveness of our sins and starting anew?

Feel-Goods

This Saturday, like most Saturdays, I met friends for breakfast at the Neighborhood Cafe. It’s a family-owned restaurant like the kind that once thrived in small town American where the owners/waitresses go out of their way to learn your name and greet you with a smile and a steaming cup of coffee. If your coffee cup needs refilling and you see they are busy, they’ve got no problem with you getting up and helping yourself. “Just leave us the tip,” the waitress will tease. It’s a feel-good place.

Since a friend of my friends had flown in from Chicago this Saturday morning, she joined us at the Neighborhood Cafe. After breakfast, we three gals headed off to have massages. Full and content from good food, good company, and good conversation peppered with bouts of laughter (mostly at me), the relaxing massages pretty much finished us off. Nap time.

That evening we three gals went to Dallas to get our hair colored, cut and styled by our own personal stylist. (Doesn’t that have a nice to ring to it?) We four gals (the stylist being a friend also) wiled the time away talking books, dating, tattoos, and neck lifts. Three hours later we were tired but gorgeous gals. I’m mad at myself because I didn’t think to take a snapshot of us to capture that feel-good moment. It isn’t often I feel pretty and my two pups didn’t take time to compliment me as they raced for the back door to go outside when I finally got home at 11:30 p.m.

One of my friends and supporter, David, commented at breakfast yesterday that my last blog was a bit of a downer. He was right. I was tired of whining about getting older and yet I didn’t know what other subject to blog about. My life isn’t that interesting and I even considered giving up blogging. This week thanks to David, Lesly, Alexis, and Oprah, I know what I want now. The feel-goods instead. Not just blogging about them, but finding more of them to add to my life. This Saturday was a heck of a good start.

The latest Oprah magazine was in my mail box yesterday when I came home to nap. It’s theme is, “Live, Love & Thrive All the Way to 95!” and “O’s Guide To Aging Beautifully.” Just what I needed. More tools and inspiration for feel-goods. Okay, I know she didn’t write it for me but hey, Oprah’s getting older too and we know she’s not going down without a fight! lol

I also discovered an awesome website with an interactive online journal by Christina Carlino, creator of the beauty brand Philosophy. It is for all women of all ages and I’ve added www.beautifulbeast.com to my Favorites. I hope you check it out.

Bah Humbug

When I started this blog, I knew enough to know that I was supposed to have a theme or a platform or a cause that I believed in. I also knew that a good writer writes about what they know best so I chose the aging baby boomer angle. I seem to be aging quite nicely with wrinkles, sags, and cricks and all of the in-betweens so it seemed appropriate.

Now I wish I hadn’t now. No, I don’t the mean the aging part – I’m still looking forward to doing more of that but hopefully without any more wrinkles, sags, and cricks although I know that’s impossible. What I do mean is that I am getting bored with the subject. Heck, if I’m really lucky, I could be writing about this same old dull subject for another twenty years!

Another reason I’m tired of this subject is that I’m getting tired of reminding myself on a weekly basis that I am getting to be an old lady. I have enough reminders each day that I look into the mirror or hear my faint “ugh” when I get into my car. Even my mailbox shouts on an almost daily basis “Hey, lookie, here’s another Medicare candidate coming around the bend,” with onslaughts of brochures on Medicare insurance supplement carriers. I had no idea how popular I’d become when I turn 65. Woo hoo.

There’s a stubborn and rebellious streak in me (surprised, anyone). I don’t like being labeled and that’s what we baby boomers are allowing to happen. Newspapers, statistics, and financial planners constantly bombard us with doomsday reports. Just read today’s Star-Telegram’s column in the Financial Section about retirement. We’re either too old to work or can’t find a job because of our age and we’re all going to become bag ladies because we didn’t save enough to retire. Bah humbug.

What brought me to this point, besides boredom and rebellion with a dash of denial, is a comment that Maya Angelou made recently on OWN’s Master Class presentation. I was surfing at the time so didn’t have a chance to tape it or even catch the beginning of her comment. As I stood listening to her talk about how the 60’s had been wonderful, the 70’s had been even more wonderful, I assumed that she was talking about the decades. Then I heard her say something about that the 80’s were going to be great too; that she was working on a new poem and had just finished a new book. I know I don’t have the words correct, but I sure and heck got the message correct.

So gee, what I am going to blog about now if it’s not about being an aging baby boomer? My adorable dogs, my friends, a new beau, or the book I’m going to finish? Any suggestions?