For Older People with Sense

chabba

chabba

chabba

chrissyb

Chabba, they are amazing pics!  I can't imagine what it would be like to live there! Even though it is freezing I still think it is beautiful!

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

barbe1958

This is the time of year when I say `Global warming, my ass!``

chrissyb

I take it it's not too warm for you right now Barbe......lol.......if I could I would sent you some of the heat we have been having..............did I ever say I HATE SUMMER!........

QCA

Love the pictures, Chabba, but am glad I'm not there!

Kathy

barbe1958

We`ve had a much dryer winter than last year, thank God! But, it`s been a very gray and depressing one.....sigh. And cold, but I don`t mind the cold....

chabba

It is beautiful and since it is such a rare phenomena for us I'm not complaining about the cold.  Actually, as soon as I graduated from college I moved from Western Washington to this side of the state to get away from the weather there.  Like this all winter and too hot most of the summer.

Gingerbrew

I am in Western WA myself and we have 6" + snow today. We also had some snow coming into today and ice on hilly roads. We lost power for a few hours and that was something I could do without, not the power but the absence of it!  

I am from Illinois where we would laugh at 6" of snow and go on our way. That is not the case out here with the hills and ice. 

It is very beautiful on the tall evergreen trees we have all around our house. 

It was an unusual week out here. 

GInger

macatacmv

Hi all, I am having an identity crisis, am I older with more sense or lively and spirited. Maybe a combo of the two without the older part? Except my driver's license gives me away as I am past that mid age part. sigh.

It was actually a nice day here, warmer than it has been lately ( 35-40F) and no precipitation. I took a walk with the dog in the woods behind my house, first one in more than a week. I felt like I was walking up a hill in CO, breathing hard and wanting to stop and rest. I guess my lungs aren't up to full capacity yet. But I made it home!

Went to my first BC cancer support group meeting tonight, very nice women with lots of encouragement and experience. They made me feel very welcome. Got lots of phone numbers. Still adjusting to being a cancer patient.  

chrissyb

Awe Nancy, you will get there, just be kind to yourself and give it time.  I'm glad you have a support group near you and I know you will do well there.

There is no real age limit on this thread, even though I used the word 'older' in the title.......lol........as long as you are over 21 I guess you would qualify.......lo......oh and of course learned a thing or two about life which gives you a bit more sense than a teenager...........in other words, everyone is welcome!

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

macatacmv

thanks Chrissy. you have always made me feel welcomed and accepted. 

lulubee

I am older some days than others.  

And I can't help but notice that I'm older every day than I ever was before.

:-) 

chrissyb

Lulu, perfect!!!

dragonflymary

Macatacmv, don't worry about age!  If you can relate you belong.  To the WA snow women, we've been praying here in Portland for several days for snow--got about an inch in the valley.  Chabba the pictures are beautiful.  I really love snow but that's probably because I don't really have to drive in it.

Today I accidently killed my sewing machine by quilting too hard--not sure what I did to her.  It's an old Bernina and I hope somebody can fix it.  The thing that goes up and down won't move.  I really can't afford to replace it and it would be such a loss.  Moped around the house all day after that. For some reason I'm out of sorts, probably 'cause I'm soon gonna be 66.  I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing in my life and now it's almost over.  All I did was waste time doing what everyone else wanted me to do.  Really if I could live it over...I guess I'd have more dogs...  Don't think I'd ever get married, but would just travel, write, have friends and sew.  Why do we work so hard?  

Anyway, good night all.

Dragon 

Kaara

dragonflymary:  I think we all feel that way about our lives from time to time...at least I do, but overall I feel really blessed to have lived as long as I have (71 years) in relatively good health.  I have beautiful children and grandchildren, had a successful career, have many in my life who love and respect me, and so on.  My relationships with men didn't always turn out so well, but WTH, each one was an adventure!  I finally settled down with a nice guy (no marriage) and we've been together for thirteen years.  That's just the way life is.

 You make the most of what you have now...don't worry about the past or the future, or you will spoil the present!

barbe1958

dragon, I know what you mean! I`ve been off on disability since June 15th and am still struggling. No where near going back as I have to have the last of my thyroid along with a tumour removed on Feb 6th. So, more hospital time! Surgeon doesn`t want me to leave the hospital until he is sure that my meds are balanced. I`m hoping I`ll be able to lose weight finally!!!!

But, I have the feeling like I missed something. I feel like it`s all over....I missed the boat. Where did all the time go? I have 3 grandsons now but don`t see them very often as their parents are busy living full and active lives. I am happy just to be at home. I do go out at least once a week to see my therapist. He says if I`m okay with that balance then why change it. Seriously? Don`t you find that a bit hermit-ish? I don`t have a network of girlfriends to come over, you all are my only friends!!! Sad, or okay?

At least I`ve finally started creating art. I`m into pan pastels in a huge way right now and that gives me a lot of satisfaction. So maybe I`m just the kind of artist who`d live in a garret eating stale bread and trying to create a masterpiece. Nothing wrong with that....right?

dragonflymary

Kaara and Barbe, thanks for the support.  It's true, Barbe--I always thought the garret/stale breaad thing was romantic and that I had this great thing to give the world!  Basically it was just an ego trip! I know what you mean about the hermit lifestyle--it gets to me but I don't want a hectic alternative. I've realized that when you get cancer you kind of go down a "rabbit hole" and then you have to fight your way back.  Maybe the art does help with that.  Yesterday I finally felt like I was creating something and then my sewing machine broke!  Rats!  The other thing is my grown kids are developing huge social networks and I'm really glad but it makes DH and me a lot more superfluous. I'm used to being the "Big Mama," and now I'm just Mom.  

Well, thanks for letting me ramble on!  Don't worry about losing weight--I think women spend too much of their lives stewing over their weight.  That's another of those "lessons learned" that come with age!

Grumpy old lady--Dragon 

Dilly

Dragon, I hope you can get your sewing machine fixed!!!  And I agree with you about weight. Just find a level you feel good at and stay there. We all have such different body types - I could weigh a hundred pounds or three hundred pounds and would still have no tush and a big belly.

Leah, just chiming in to say I'm glad you're "just getting older" - happy dance for you!!

Mac, I get the "adjusting" part - but like Chrissy said, "give it time" and you'll get there. Glad you have found a support group.They can be a big help.  And of course, BCO is a huge blessing.

Barbe, if you live to a hundred I'm pretty sure that your fabric art and your reputation as a fabric artist will outlive you - you are very good at it. Enjoy your new creative outlet. 

It is tough learning our new roles as life unfolds but our 60s and 70s seem to be really important decades.  I keep hoping to hear in the mainstream the phrase "women of wisdom" - because I do think we've learned some things by this age, it's the way the world has always worked - experience after our youthful exhuberance, innovation, and raging hormones.

We are supposed to be the ones who counsel the young, but society has instead tried to convince us that young is better...... When we get to our age, we look back at ourselves young and say "I'd have made different decisions" --- so I'm not convinced that young is better.  But, I would like it if we reached our pinnacle of beauty in our 60-s then didn't really peak until about 85, and then a slow decline. No such luck.  I told DH yesterday that a smile was the only face lift I could afford, and so even if it looks idiotic, I will just try to smile through it...

I remember once reading about the Greek women who practiced a neutral expression from childhood, in order to avoid wrinkles... how boring.

Betty White, and a woman in my town just like her, are role models!  At least my laugh wrinkles are the biggest ones.  Also, it takes less muscles to smile - at least that's what lazy me once read and noted.

I'm pretty hermitish anyway, but have a few friends and "made" myself join a couple of organizations and kept up as best I could during tx.  There's a women's book club/"library guild" - 7 of us who periodically help fight with the parks & rec dept to keep our tiny town hall, park, and library open but otherwise discuss books or whatever we feel like; the local fire safe council (fire is a real concern for those who life in or near forestland); and a historical society that I can be involved by internet only. Those help keep me engaged, and maybe I can do some little good (some of my research has actually changed history) ....DH and I try to get out to see music or a museum from time to time; we get together with family when we can but we both have very small families, spread out across the country.  So different from my grandma whose 5 children lived within 5 miles of her...

And yet, my life seems pretty full most of the time - as long as I'm not thinking about cancer.

I'm thinking it's time to go have an adventure.  Maybe plan for whitewater rafting this summer, or just a point and go daytrip of exploration near home...  

Thinking of you all today, wishing you Well.

Wren44

I told my grandmother (who raised me) that I was afraid I would realize I was old and I hadn't done anything I wanted to in life. She said, "That happened to me. I was really depressed until I realized I was wasting whatever time I had left." So I don't worry about what I'm doing now as long as it is something I want to do. I'm learning to paint with watercolor. There's a group at the senior center who paint together once a week. I'll be joining as soon as I know what's going on in my life--just starting treatment.

Dilly

ps - my biggest project right now is spearheading a state historical marker for a 5th great gma (1734-1819) who was an early Kentucky pioneer and adventuress.  She is my biggest role model for courage.  She had borne ten children (5b/5g) "all healthy and strong", but in 1779-80, in seven months' time she lost two sons to disease with another scalped by Indians, and her husband of 25 years mortally wounded by Indians but died in her arms "eight days later"... She lost 3 of her 5 sons and her husband in 7 months, she was left with 5 daughters to raise alone, on the frontier. And she did it.  Well. 

The easy part is documentation, I have it all; and the money is mostly raised.  The hard part is that for the marker text I have to reduce her interesting life to 20 lines of 33 characters each line.  660 characters isn't much. 

123456789012345678901234567890123  times 20.  (ten lines per side)

Historical Marker Committee deadline is soon.  I've had plenty of time, but have had plenty of empty excuses too, and now have writer's block. 

Dilly

 Wren, I think your grandma was spot-on.

The thing is, we still don't "feel" old inside.  My grandma at 90 told me she still felt young in her heart, but her body "had betrayed her.."

macatacmv

dragon, if the needle arm won't move up and down then it is binding somewhere. look under at the bobbin assembly see if that is stuck or thread is caught. I find that happens to my machines sometimes and it can be as simple as a bent needle or thread caught around the shuttle. These machines can be fixed most of the time. but what a drag when it happens in middle of project.

I am having a hard time making myself go to work. It's a why bother kind of day. I'm so far behind now what does it matter. My employee is out with the flu, so it is just me and I don't wanta! I did close up and go for a walk with the dog. Someone suggested last night that I put a scarf over my nose and mouth and breath through that to warm the air up. It seemed to work, not as much struggling to breathe today. It is another nice day with ice covered puddles and tiny tiny snowflakes. It was funny watching the dog playing on the top of the puddles and then freaking when the ice broke.  I'm taking my laughs where I can find them.

I am working on staying grateful today. You guys are at the top of my gratitude list! 

SoCalLisa

I remember when the Boomers couldn't trust anyone over thirty..hmmm

well, I am not a Boomer but my younger sister and brother are...

pj12

Dragon,



Be sure the bobbin winder mechanism has not slipped over which would keep the needle from going up and down. I did that once or maybe it did it on its own but I thought my machine was jambed. As I was picking it up to take for repair I bumped the bobbin winder and tada, all was well.



Would that your problem is that simple.

Wren44

Dragon, I had a similar problem which was traced to a bent needle. No problems since because I don't let my DH use my machine any more.

SoCalLisa

When pegging Levi's was popular in the 1980s my youngest son decided to peg all his jeans, and it turned out so well, all his friends wanted him to do the same for them...needless to say, he broke a few needles..luckily it was a Singer so there were plenty to buy at the time...At least he learned how to use the machine in the end...

duckyb1

Shout out to the Pacific Northwest crowd.............................I lived in Yakima, Washington for 1 year................loved it, loved it, loved it..........................absolutely beautiful..............been to Mt. Ranier many times,..................White Pass, and Snoqualmie (? spelling)...................I have to say, the weather was great like Philly, without the dampness and humidity...............Beauty no matter which way you turned...............I could see Mt. Ranier from my Apt.............would go bakc tomorrow, but all my family at the time was here,and still is...................loved it.

dragonflymary

Thanks everybody for all the input re:  sewing machines and ageing!  It is odd when you feel about 14 inside and are actually a bit older!  The interesting thing is how many talked about being "hermitish."  I guess that comes with the territory and I always wanted to "just stay home and keep house."  Now I have that option I guess I should be glad it's possible.  I guess it's too late to write The Great American Novel so I'll just keep sewing!

Love to all

Dragon