2012 so far

So how has 2012 been so far?
Not good.


My health has been dreadful. I started off 2012 with a stomach virus and I didn't even get drunk. I had one small glass of champagne at midnight. It took about a week to recover from that.


Then came pharyngitis which I'm still struggling to get rid of, a bad, bad cold with a chesty cough and sinus headaches.


That was followed by pink eye which I've never had in my life. 


Great start eh?


I'm still quite optimistic though about 2012.  There are some great things happening in 2012 - the London Olympics, the elections, and my 50th birthday.


I'm optimistic about finding a better job, maybe even a full-time job. I'm also hopeful that my husband will find some happiness in his job.


I'm looking forward to a real vacation this year. 


Let this year be a great one!

Even my cat, Malcolm, likes being on the computer 

Check for him on the Huffington Post.

Am I a cougar?

Cougars are all the rage now. I hate the term. I think it's derogatory.

I've been given grief because I'm 7 years older than my husband.

Does that make me a cougar? Not in my eyes.

I've always thought of a cougar as a 40+ single woman who is on the hunt for a much younger man. The guy is usually in his mid to late twenties.

When my husband and I met, he was 28 and I was 35.  We were 36 and 28(almost 29) when we got married.

I don't consider that being a cougar.  Yes, there is an age gap of 7 years but our differences are cultural (U.S. versus U.K.) rather than age.

I have no problem with cougars.  Sometimes age differences can work. It's certainly working for me.

Here is the "cougar" and her "cub" :)

More about me - Books

I haven't really said a lot about who I am now. I've talked a lot about who I was growing up but people change to some extent as they get older.

I'm a voracious reader. 

I was a reader as a kid. I still remember the first book I ever bought with my own money - The Mystery of Castle Rinaldi. 

Now, I read historical fiction, biographies, books about the Holocaust, and dystopian novels.  The latter came from a rather morbid fascination with the Holocaust.

Dystopian novels are, I think, an acquired taste. You either like them or you don't.

I love them.

Some favorites are:

• The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.
• The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Fatherland by Robert Harris
• The Giver, Gathering Blue, and the Messenger by Lois Lowry
• Oryx and Crake and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Cure by Sonia Levitin
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I'm very excited to see the Hunger Games movie with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.

As I said earlier, I said I like books about the Holocaust. I enjoy first hand accounts most.

• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
• The Diary of Anne Frank
• The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss
• Terrible Things by Eve Bunting
• Hide and Seek by Ida Vos
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
• Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams
• Holocaust by Graham Greene
• Lisa's War, Kris' War, Jesper, and After the War by Carol Matas

I've never been good at staying within neat boundaries so like my musical tastes, my literary tastes run the gamut as well.

Here are a few offbeat selections:

• The Harry Potter Series
• The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
• Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
• The entire Dear America series
• The entire Dear Canada series
• The entire My Story series (UK)
• The Hannah Swenson Mysteries by Joanne Fluke
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Rats and Domain by James Herbert
• Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler

I have to say that I'm not a big fan of adult fiction. I hate romance novels. They're very unrealistic  and place women as the hapless maiden to be rescued by her lover/soon-to-be husband.
What also cracks me up is no matter what the era, the women in these books defy common knowledge of the day and brush their teeth, take a bath, eat a healthy diet, and get exercise.


I'm also not a big fan of the whole vampire genre. I absolutely hated the Twilight series. I found them dreary with a main character that does nothing but whine and moan about how miserable she is and hooks up with a vampire and later a werewolf.  

I just finished a book called Red Scarf Girl by Jiang Ji-li. It's about a girl growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution. What a tragic story. Ji-li was asked to speak out against her father so she can be be a part of the revolution.

So what do you read?

My cat Malcolm in one of his many strange sleeping places.

My how music has changed.

On the day I was born, the number one song was Ray Charles' I Can't Stop Lovin' You.

 

Now there's nothing wrong with this song but it's really not my taste.

In less than two years, the music world would be turned upside down by the Beatles and things would never be the same again.

The reality is that until about 1968, I only knew about Elvis and the Beatles.

The first song I really remember was Sugar, Sugar by the Archies. 

Ironically, this was the number one song in England the day my husband was born.

Thankfully, my tastes improved after that.

Thanks to my uncle, I developed a taste for Motown, The Carpenters, and oddball music like this one:

May There Always Be Sunshine, a Russian children's song that was on an album of international songs my mother gave me. I still remember the Russian words.

In high school, I was into disco. You had to choose a side: disco or rock.  My brother was in the Kiss Army and I was an ABBA queen.

 

With the advent of MTV, I was seriously hooked on music. Duran Duran, The Human League, The Police, basically anything out of Europe like these:

Berlin- The Metro

The Lightning Seeds- Life of Riley

By the 1990's, I had was still into European pop and a newly found love of classical music.

Enigma - Sadeness I

Tommaso Albinoni - Adagio in G (in Gallipoli)

Theme from Schindler's List - John Williams/Itzak Perlman

Ace of Base - Beautiful Life

But I was discovering an edgier side; an angrier side

Gangsta's Paradise- Coolio

Alanis Morrisette- You Oughta Know

The end of the 90s brought a whole new world of music into my life: real English pop and rock that didn't make it across the pond thanks to a certain Englishman

Robbie Williams - Millennium

Now, in my forties, my musical taste is all over the place from the songs I grew up with to rap, hip hop, pop, rock, country, classical, and more.

Timbaland - Carryout

I'll end this musical memory walk with two of my absolute favorites

John Lennon's Imagine and Green Day's cover of John's Lennon's Working Class Hero

A New Year, A New Age

Well, it's 2012. In just under 6 months, I'll be fifty years old.
I was surprised that I was a bit emotional last night when I rang in the new year with my husband.
I was teary-eyed as the ball dropped in Times Square and I'm not quite sure why.
I'm not sure if it was simply because it was a new year or because it is the year that I turn 50.
I do know that I get emotional because there were two times in my life when I cheated death so there is a feeling of being happy just to be here.


Here's looking forward to a better, healthier, happier year.
Happy 2012!

Christmas Now and Then

As Christmas draws near, I can't help but reflect on how Christmas has changed over the years.
The first Christmas I really remember was when I was four.  I got a copper-colored kitchen set from my parents for Christmas.  There is a picture of me playing with this kitchen set. I still have my pajamas on and my hair is in rollers.


One memorable Christmas was the year I really wanted the pink ballerina doll

She came with her own pink record and she spun around if you pushed the middle of her crown.

I was thrilled to death when I opened her up on Christmas day. I played with her for hours.

Suzy Homemaker toys weren't far behind.

Suzy Homemaker Toys

I think my mother was trying to turn me into the perfect little homemaker. I had the oven, dishwasher, and clothes washer/dryer.  That oven was the best. Making mini cakes was just great.

Malibu Barbie became my obsession. Like every other little girl of the early 70s, the suntanned goddess that is Malibu Barbie was our dream girl. She lived the good life: surfing, playing on the beach, driving around in her convertible, and living in California, the place we all dreamed of living.

The Barbie camper came along a few years later. Although not as cool as my brother's action figure camper, it was nonetheless cool.  Barbie was a serious camper on the sunny beaches and cool forests of the California coast aka my bed.

Probably one of most unusual gifts I received was a massive New England saltbox dollhouse.  It was one of those dollhouses meant for decorating not playing with. My mother and I painted it blue-grey on the outside and spent the next few years purchased miniature furniture for this house.  It was massive but quite beautiful.

Christmas seemed like such a magical time back then even after I learned that Santa wasn't a real person.

As an adult, Christmas is still magical but not in the same way that it was as a child.  Now, I look forward to spending time with my husband and enjoying the peace and serenity of a day off with no errands and no housecleaning duties.

I look forward to this Christmas, the last one before I turn 50.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Do you remember your crushes?

This morning, I was watching television and saw a Michael Jackson video which made me think about my crushes.


Like every other girl in the early 1970's, I was head over heels in love with David Cassidy.
I faithfully watched the Partridge Family every week just to sigh over David.

Sure, I know he was a pretty boy but when you're 10, this is what hot looks like.

Around the same time, I was watching the Rookies, a police drama.

One of the new cops became crush # 2 - Michael Ontkean

I would rush home from Brownies to have my hour with him...sigh.

Then, I went through my "jock" period.

Dwight Stones

I actually hijacked a copy of this magazine from the library for quite a long time.

Eric Heiden

What girl watching the 1980 Winter Olympics didn't have a crush on him?

And of course, Jim Craig from the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team

Actually I had a crush on almost the entire team lol

Then came Patrik Sundstrom, who was probably my most serious crush.

And there you have them.  My crushes up to age 19.

Of course, I have crushes now. I still love athletes more than actors and singers.

Do you remember yours?

A quick bucket list

Like anyone who is getting older, I've started making that infamous bucket list.
Of course the list could really be a mile long but I've tried to be realistic about the things that I could do.
So here is my bucket list so far in random order:

• Visiting Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and all the other places that I've dreamed about since i was old enough to look at an atlas.
• Finally learning a second language - I can speak French at a tourist level so I guess I'm on my way.
• Taking a class at a world-class university like Harvard.
• Writing a book. It doesn't matter what it's about, I would just like to walk into a bookstore and see my book on the shelf.
• Being able to hold a tiger cub. I love the majesty of tigers.
• Singing in public. I've sung in choirs and at karaoke but I've never sung by myself.
• Doing community theatre. I'm not sure how good I'd be but I'd like to try.
• Visiting the last states and provinces in the US and Canada so I can say I've been to all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and all 10 provinces and 3 territories.
• Finally discovering a real hobby besides playing Facebook games

It's not a complete list of course but a realistic one. I could put running a marathon on that list but I know that has about a 1% chance of happening.

So what's on your bucket list?

May 17, 2003

I finally got my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at age 40!

Who's Turning 50 in 2012

With my 50th birthday coming up, I wondered who else was turning 50 next year.

Here's a short list of who will be turning 50 with me:

• Daphne Zuniga - Princess Vespa from Spaceballs - October 28
• Nia Vardalos -My Big Fat Greek Wedding - September 24
• Janine Turner - Maggie from Northern Exposure - December 6
• Aida Turturo - Janice from The Sopranos - September 25
• Ally Sheedy - The Breakfast Club - June 13
• Laura San Giacomo - Sex, Lies, and Videotapes - November 14
• Kelly Preston - Battlefield Earth, From Dusk to Dawn - October 13
• Cheri Oteri - Saturday Night Live - September 19
• Joan Osbourne - One of Us  - July 8
• Rosie O'Donnell - March 21
• Kristy McNichols - Family - September 11
• Star Jones - The View - March 24
• Felicity Huffman  - Desperate Housewives - December 9
• Gina Gershon - Showgirls - June 9
• Genie Francis - Laura Spencer on General Hospital - May 26
• Jodie Foster - Silence of the Lambs - November 19
• Deborah Foreman - Valley Girls - October 12
• Joan Cusack - Grosse Point Blank, Toys - October 11
• Paula Abdul - American Idol - June 19

So you may have noticed I only listed women.

The reason is that turning 50 is different for women that men. Society tells us that women are old at 50 while men, like Jon Bon Jovi, Tom Colicchio, and Cary Elwes, simply become mature and handsome.

Of course many women look fantastic at 50 but society has a different message for women; you're old now.

If we date younger men, we're cougars but men can date much younger women and the worst they're called is  dirty old man.

I want to turn 50 on my own terms. Sure I'm going to continue to dye my hair and wear make up. But I'm also going to acknowledge that have some grey hair and wrinkles now and that's ok.

I want to be happy turning fifty, not feel old.

This is me at about age 1-1/2. Gotta love the hair net and chubby knees!

Texting for Seniors

You have to have a sense of humor about aging.  I'm not a texting fanatic but if you're a senior and you enjoy texting, here are some abbreviations for you. Enjoy!


ATD - At the Doctor's

BFF - Best Friends Funeral

BTW - Bring the Wheelchair

BYOT - Bring Your Own Teeth

CBM - Covered by Medicare

CUATSC - See You at the Senior Center

FWIW - Forgot Where I Was

FYI - Found Your Insulin

GGPBL - Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low

GHA - Got Heartburn Again

HGBM - Had Good Bowel Movement

IMHO - Is My Hearing-Aid On?

LMDO - Laughing My Dentures Out

LOL - Living on Lipitor

LWO - Lawrence Welk's On

OMSG - Oh My! Sorry, Gas

ROFL...CGU - Rolling on the Floor Laughing...Can't get Up!

WAITT - Who Am I Talking To?

WTFA - Wet the Furniture Again

WTP - Where's the Prunes

WWNO - Walker Wheels Need Oil

GGLKI - Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking in!

DTAF - Don't Trust A Fart

Am I really a baby boomer?

Am I a Baby Boomer or Tweener?

I was born in 1962 which means that I'm a Baby Boomer or at least that's what demographers tell me I am.
But the facts speak differently

• I saw key Baby Boomer shows like Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and Ozzie and Harriet only in reruns.
• Music icons like Elvis, The Beatles, and The British Invasion were past by the time I was old enough to choose my own music.
• I wasn't born when John F. Kennedy was elected and was only 17 months old when he was assassinated.
• The Vietnam War was something I watched on television every night not worried about in my house because of brothers, friends, fathers, or other relatives who were drafted and fighting.
• David Cassidy was my musical idol not Elvis or Paul McCartney.
• I was only 7 when Woodstock took place and no one in my elementary school was a hippie

So how can I be a baby boomer?  I'm not!

Does it matter? YES!

Why does it matter?

Because I'm at the tail end of a movement that has revolutionized the world and has always had the media spotlight.

There was a big hullabaloo when the first baby boomers turned fifty in 1996, including our president at the time, Bill Clinton. This year, 2011, the first baby boomers are turning 65.

Those of us born in the first years of the 1960's are just starting to turn 50 and no one gives a damn. In 2015, the first of the 60's babies will turn 65 and the media will probably ignore it.

Perhaps they will pay attention to the very last baby boomers like my brother born in 1964 to turn 50 and 65 in 2014 and 2019 respectively but for those of us born near the end, we are just another batch of geezers turning 50.

So why do demographers want to bunch me in with baby boomers?
They like tidy labels.  There was an actual baby boom between 1946 and 1964. But to group these people born over an 18-year period together as some huge monolithic block is disingenuous and just plain wrong.

I have a picture given to me by the son of the photographer that took the picture of a young Bill Clinton shaking hands with President John Kennedy. It was taken in 1961 or so. I wasn't even born yet but I'm supposed to be in the same demographic group as Bill Clinton.
Those at the beginning of this baby boom could realistically be the parents of those at the end if they had children at 18.

As usual, I'll end with a picture
This is me with my husband Ian in Llandudno, Wales in July of 2003. What a glorious trip that was and one that I truly hope to do again soon!

Peace.

Sundays

Does anyone really like Sundays?
To me, it's one of most depressing days of the week.
You can feel the hours speeding by one by one and know that you are that much closer to the dreaded start of the work week.
I have no problem working hard but I love my free time.


Work should be something you love to do but sadly I don't like mine right now.
Don't get me wrong, I love teaching but that's not what I'm doing right now and I hate that I'm not teaching.

I leave you with a picture of Princess, my 11 year old cat in her favorite position-curled up asleep.

Bonne nuit!

Birthdays

I've always looked forward to birthdays - mine and others.
Obviously the ones as a child were always special.
You know the feeling. The anticipation of that special day when it was all about you.
Dreaming about birthday cake, ice cream, presents, and that special feeling of being the center of attention for one day.


I admit that there was one thing that I didn't like about my birthday. I was one of those summer babies that never got to celebrate her birthday at school.  It seems silly but when I was in elementary school, it was a huge deal to bring treats to school for your classmates. 
My brother got to do that every year since he was a February baby but me, a late June baby, got shafted every year.
One year, I had a teacher who celebrated the half-birthdays of all the summer babies. Once more, I was left out in the cold.  My half-birthday is Christmas Day. 


But having a summer birthday meant my parties were outside in the warm summer sun or at the beach.


Landmark birthdays have been good so far. 16, 18 and 21 were nothing special but I couldn't wait to get to them so I could drive, vote, and have a drink.
30 actually wasn't all that bad. I didn't feel old or even like a grown-up. It was just a birthday.
40 was actually pretty good.I was looking better than I had ever had as an adult, had a wonderful husband, and was one year away from finishing my college degree.


As I sit her planning my husband's 42nd birthday, I think ahead to my own 50th birthday and having a few mixed emotions but not many.
Most come from the message society sends you about being 50.


When you're in your 20's, you're young. You have your whole life ahead of you and you're preparing your future.
When you're in your 30's, you're officially an adult. No one refers to you as a young adult. Marriage and children along with stable jobs and getting a first home loom big in your life.
When you hit your 40's, it suddenly hits you that you're "middle-aged." Some of your friends are becoming grandparents while most of your friends have kids in school and are also dealing with aging parents. Reality sets in; life is hard but has some great rewards.


So what does 50 bring? I'm really not sure yet. I know society feels that 50+ is old. Most women have either gone through menopause or are ready to go through it so that life centered on children is winding down and your spouse comes back to center stage.


Right now, I'm re-evaluating my life - what I want to do for a living, where I want to live, what my goals are for the next 10 years.

I"ll end this with a picture of one of my favorite place - the beach.
This is Rehoboth Beach, DE. I took this the day my husband ran his first marathon.
I love the serenity of it.
Goodnight.

What should you know about me?

I'm a teacher. I knew I'd be a teacher from an early age. I was that kid in the corner poring over an atlas while other kids played.

I devoured books like other kids devoured candy bars.

I didn't actually become a teacher until I was 41 but the wait was worth it.

I enjoy teaching.

Some say it's a calling. I believe that.  Not everyone could or even should be a teacher.  But I know it's what I was meant to be.

The Start

I'm not the world's best writer but as I see my life ahead of me, I wanted to start writing about this amazing journey that I've had for 49 years, 3 months, and 21 days.
It has been a life of extreme highs and deep lows but one that I doubt I would change.


I have been blessed to have a partner in this journey for the last 14 years - a man who has endured much but somehow manages to smile through the worst.


I'll do my best to keep this interesting.