Life Is Too Short

This is for my friends, old and new. Now if I could only practice what I preach! "lol"

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making
my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .... I will.


I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.


They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.


Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers,
or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and
compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.



I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their
hair could turn silver.




As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong..

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever,
but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive....

WOW! What a workout dancing can be. Talk about changing your humdrum routine. After 3-1/2 hours of dancing the night away, I'm ready to go back to my normal routine of Leslie Sansone DVD's. The sheer strength it takes to get up the next morning should count as exercise in my book! After being a dancing fool (I don't use that term lightly) I realize that I'm not getting any younger and that if I don't keep moving to the beat, I'll be off my feet. I'm not saying that I'll be dancing for such a long time again for awhile, but I certainly will be moving to the beat of a different drummer now that I have my dancing shoes out of the closet. The BeeGee's had it right, "Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah..........".

Treading Along

Treadmills are great, you can stay inside when the weather is nasty, no dogs chasing you down the street, your mileage and time are measured for you and you get a really good workout. That is unless your treadmill has a mind of its own, like mine. I like to run on the treadmill but I'll be going along just fine at a really good pace when the belt just stops, and then it just starts again. Talk about a jolt on the old body. This is why I've chosen to do Leslie Sansone's DVD's this time while I'm getting fit. Even if the power goes out on the DVD machine, I can keep going and not pull my back out. I did 45 minutes on the 3 mile walk today, and believe me when I say there's no slacking here. Leslie works you pretty hard and using the weights during the walking program is making me stronger. Of course I couldn't find my weights for a few days so I was using soup cans, full of course, as some added weight to the program. Jim was so kindly going to open them for me, but I passed and said they would work better if unopened. What a helper! Leslie also has a pilates DVD that I'm anxious to try, maybe tomorrow. I'm hoping to do my yoga on the Wii Fit because I really do miss it. Hoping for the best! Our webwalking team is doing great, it's nice being accountable.

Fashion?!

Before getting ready to do my 30 minutes of walking for today, I felt that it was necessary to point out some fashion faux pas for us close to 60 or older. Remember, we can't go back in time so let's not dress that way! :-)

Many of us over 60 or on the way to 60 are quite confused about how we should present ourselves. We're unsure about the kind of image we are projecting and whether or not we are correct as we try to conform to current fashion. In spite of what you may have seen on the streets, the following combinations DO NOT go together and should be avoided:

1. A nose ring and bifocals
2. Spiked hair and bald spots
3. A pierced tongue and dentures
4. Miniskirts and support hose
5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads
6. Speedos and cellulite
7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar
8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor
9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge
10. Pierced nipples that hang below the waist
11. Bikinis and liver spots.
12. Short shorts and varicose veins.
13. Inline skates and a walker..
And the ultimate 'Bad Taste' in fashion for older folks...
14. Thongs and Depends.

Please keep these basic guidelines foremost in your mind when you shop. Have fun!

Round and round and round.....

Round and round we go, where we stop nobody knows. I'm sure that's what this little hamster must feel and I'm equally sure that if we do the same exercise routine day in and day out, we too will feel like this little critter. Changing it up is what I've read everywhere. Boredom will set in if there isn't variety, then motivation fades away and you're right back where you started. And we all know that when we are doing good exercising and watching our diets we feel good about ourselves, but as soon as we slip up for a long period of time we are in worse shape then we were when we started. Guilty as charged! I can't remember how many times I have started with all intentions of finally changing for the LAST time, only to look at myself 3 months, 6 months, 9 months later and feel so bad that I let myself get caught up in that Yo-Yo string. My motivation this time, and I'm praying that it will be the last time, I take that back, it WILL be the last time, is that I'll be 60 years old and want to be around for a very long time. Remember, even if you are doing the same old routine every day, it's better than not doing anything at all!

One Foot, Two Foot, Three Foot...

One foot, two foot, three foot, GO! It's all about putting one foot in front of the other. We, the webwalking team that is, did just that yesterday. Joan and I racked up 30 minutes/miles and superstar Brandi did 45 minutes/miles. (Show off! Just kidding!) A great effort by all of us and it sure is nice to feel motivated by being accountable. I did another 40 minutes/miles this morning, Joan is doing hers this afternoon and I'm waiting to hear from Brandi, even though chasing 3 kids around the house is enough of a workout, she's doing her trek across the U.S. with Joan and I. You have to start somewhere and our journey started in Delaware, looking forward to reaching the west coast! Wish us well!

Superstars!!!

Starting our walking program today makes us Superstars! We are making the change in our lives that will help us be healthier, fitter and feel so much better about ourselves. Our team, Joan, Brandi and I, are trekking across America (webwalking, not actually leaving home "lol") and there's no stopping us now. Being accountable to someone else is a positive motivation technique and I accept the challenge! Bring it on girls, I'm ready to walk!

Just Say NO

Being a real chocoholic, it has been very difficult for me to cut chocolate out of my diet. I find that I think about chocolate when I'm finished lunch or dinner and knowing that I shouldn't have it makes it even worse. But I must say that for the past two days there has been no chocolate candy before, during or after my meals. I know it's not a real milestone here, but small steps are better then no steps. This Wednesday is the start of the Webwalking program, walk across America. I really want to make these changes since there's only 265 days until I turn 60, I'd better get moving. I don't expect to be skinny (like pre-marriage weight) but I do want to be healthy (thinner too would be nice). I got a jump on my exercising program this morning by doing Leslie Sansone's DVD. 25 minutes for the first time in awhile was all I could do, tomorrow will be better. I have to be able to keep up with Brandi since she gets so much more exercise on a daily basis then I do. I'll try to keep up! :-)

Meltdown

I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday when I thought of how big I am, and I don't mean age wise. I can't help but wonder how I let myself get to this when I was always so thin. Stupidity would probably be the best answer, always feeding my face with everything especially sweets and not exercising. Well, instead of just talking about trying to get healthy, wait maybe that's the problem, I talk about trying instead of doing, but that's changing right now! No sweets yesterday and I'm going to limit my intake of food in general (I eat tooooo much). I'm going to start having breakfast everyday to get my motor running and set the pace for the day. Cutting down to one, yes I said one, coffee cooler a day (they are 300 calories a piece, WOW). I know I'm supposed to do this now since last night when I went to bed and before going to sleep I read my Daily Guidepost for May 9th and the article was about weight, losing it specifically. I always knew that I didn't want to be a fat woman, now I know God doesn't want me to be either. Thanks GOD!

Oh, by the way, Happy Mother's Day!

May 13th

I'm planning on starting my walking program with Brandi on May 13th. This is the anniversary of my Mom's passing 14 years ago and to honor her I'm going to start making my life better and healthier. I have a walking program that takes you across the United States and for every minute you walk, it's one mile. There are milestones that you reach along the way and for every one that we get to, we're putting a few dollars away. This won't add up to too much money but it will be an incentive to keep moving to see how much we can save. Wish us luck and safe walking!

Happy Birthday Joan!

So today is my middle sister's 66 birthday and she's not taking it so well. But now that I think about it I'm excited but apprehensive about turning sixty in a few short months. I look back over the past 4 months and realize that I'm still in the same position I was when I started this journey of 60. I really need to start and lack of motivation has again bitten me on the butt. HELP!!!! I feel so much better when I'm doing something to improve my body so why can't I get motivated? Say a prayer for me tonight that I'll start making that change before it's too late. The alternative to being healthy and alive is, well you know....

Back Home

I'm back home and ready to start making a change for the better. But first a bit of over 60 humor to restart my blog. Hope you enjoy.

Questions And Answers From An AARP Forum
Q: Where can men over the age of 60 find younger, sexy women who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore under fiction.
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live.
Q: Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the Bible. Is that true? Where can it be found?
A: Yes.. Matthew 14:92: 'And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt.'
Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.
Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
A: Take off your glasses.
Q: Seriously! What can I do for these crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out.
Q: Why should 60+ year old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
Q: Is it common for 60+ year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is a problem.
Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
Q: Where should 60+ year olds look for eye glasses?
A: On their foreheads.
Q: What is the most common remark made by 60+ year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: 'Gosh, I remember these.

Smile, You've still got your sense of humor, right?

Just remember, you'll be here someday! :-)