Can you believe we're already in the second month of the new year? 10 more to go!
I'm sorry, but it seems time is passing way too fast. Faster than usual. I have a lot of plans for this year, travels and work goals and play goals and reading. If I already am running out of time, how am I going to accomplish everything?
I have to find a way to stretch out time. I have a plan.
First, I have deactivated my FB account (again), so I have eliminated the need to obsessively check for updates or follow silly links to cats doing battle (which is very funny, btw). That has given me 30 minutes to an hour back - a day!
Next, I am going to (hopefully) give up Bubbles game on my Kindle Fire. Sigh. It will be hard. It's such mindless fun. So, averaging throughout the week, I'm going to get back maybe 15 minutes a day, or an hour and a half a week.
What else?
Television. RH. Yes, that stands for Real Housewives, the Bravo franchise of horribly wonderful reality entertainment. I can't commit to that just yet.
By my calculations, just giving up Facebook and Bubbles, I can regain about 300 hours in the year!
Wow. I like it.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Has LGBT come of age?
A young man at a high school awards ceremony this week used his speech to say he was LGBT and that his classmates could accept that ... or not.
He got a standing ovation.
It is nothing short of amazing and mind-blowing and, well, inspiring. It gives a middle-aged woman hope.
Has LGBT come of age?
Consider that the president mentioned "Stonewall" in his inaugural speech, as in Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NYC, where riots in 1969 kicked off the current LGBT civil rights movement.
Consider that same-sex marriage is legal in nine states (Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington. D.C. and two Native American tribes also have legalized same-sex marriage. California's law is confusing but does recognize on a conditional bases. Source: Wiki) And Rhode Island is poised to become the 10th state.
Consider that the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in Congress in 1996, has now made its way to the Supreme Court, which could strike it down.
Consider that the military doesn't ask and doesn't tell.
Consider that a likely appointment to the presidential cabinet has been criticized for comments against LGBT - by Republicans!
There are many things in life that I never thought I'd live to see. This is one of them. Boy am I glad I was wrong.
Oh, and the teen's name is Jacob Rudolph and below is a link to his speech.
http://www.advocate.com/youth/2013/01/23/watch-high-school-senior-comes-out-standing-ovation
He got a standing ovation.
It is nothing short of amazing and mind-blowing and, well, inspiring. It gives a middle-aged woman hope.
Has LGBT come of age?
Consider that the president mentioned "Stonewall" in his inaugural speech, as in Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NYC, where riots in 1969 kicked off the current LGBT civil rights movement.
Consider that same-sex marriage is legal in nine states (Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington. D.C. and two Native American tribes also have legalized same-sex marriage. California's law is confusing but does recognize on a conditional bases. Source: Wiki) And Rhode Island is poised to become the 10th state.
Consider that the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in Congress in 1996, has now made its way to the Supreme Court, which could strike it down.
Consider that the military doesn't ask and doesn't tell.
Consider that a likely appointment to the presidential cabinet has been criticized for comments against LGBT - by Republicans!
There are many things in life that I never thought I'd live to see. This is one of them. Boy am I glad I was wrong.
Oh, and the teen's name is Jacob Rudolph and below is a link to his speech.
http://www.advocate.com/youth/2013/01/23/watch-high-school-senior-comes-out-standing-ovation
Monday, January 21, 2013
Grandchildren and puppy: AWWWW
Sunday, January 20, 2013
When does old age begin?
Paul turned 60 this month. I know. It's hard to believe I am married to an old man.
But wait. I have done my research and it turns out I am not married to an old man. 60 is still middle age. Unless you are under 30, then you believe I am married to an old man.
What?
Here's the thing. No one really has established at what age you enter into old age. One group says 75. Another group says 54. Yes, that specific. Another group says 60. It's all in your perception. I love perception.
In fact, I have perceived old 20-year-olds and young 80-year-olds (hi, mom).
In the research, it also was pointed out that the older we get, the younger we perceive ourselves to be. People in their 80s think of themselves as 20 years younger. People in their 60s knock off about 15 years in their minds.
The other positive point about aging and not found in the research, is that the older you get, the less you care what others think - or what they perceive about you.
I turn 60 this year as well. The last month of the year. Can't wait!!
But wait. I have done my research and it turns out I am not married to an old man. 60 is still middle age. Unless you are under 30, then you believe I am married to an old man.
What?
Here's the thing. No one really has established at what age you enter into old age. One group says 75. Another group says 54. Yes, that specific. Another group says 60. It's all in your perception. I love perception.
In fact, I have perceived old 20-year-olds and young 80-year-olds (hi, mom).
In the research, it also was pointed out that the older we get, the younger we perceive ourselves to be. People in their 80s think of themselves as 20 years younger. People in their 60s knock off about 15 years in their minds.
The other positive point about aging and not found in the research, is that the older you get, the less you care what others think - or what they perceive about you.
I turn 60 this year as well. The last month of the year. Can't wait!!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
So grateful
It's the day of gratitude. A time for reflection. My list of gratitudes:
1. My husband. Life with Paul improves with age. He still has the ability to surprise me. I really can't say for sure I know what he will do next. But, after 34 years, we also know live in a place of constancy; not much can shake our foundation.
2. My children and their spouses. They all are so different from each other. What they share is a hardfast loyalty to each other.
3. Grandchildren. They are my heart. They have added to my being. The role of grandmother now defines much of who I am.
4. Extended family. Although we don't see enough of each other, I am proud of my family's legacy of honor and decency and strive to live up to it.
5. Friends. I don't have all that many, but the ones I do make up for it in quality of friendship.
Happy Thanksgiving! I stole my daily values quote for this blog today. It's from Better Life Foundation.
1. My husband. Life with Paul improves with age. He still has the ability to surprise me. I really can't say for sure I know what he will do next. But, after 34 years, we also know live in a place of constancy; not much can shake our foundation.
2. My children and their spouses. They all are so different from each other. What they share is a hardfast loyalty to each other.
3. Grandchildren. They are my heart. They have added to my being. The role of grandmother now defines much of who I am.
4. Extended family. Although we don't see enough of each other, I am proud of my family's legacy of honor and decency and strive to live up to it.
5. Friends. I don't have all that many, but the ones I do make up for it in quality of friendship.
Happy Thanksgiving! I stole my daily values quote for this blog today. It's from Better Life Foundation.
|
“As we express our gratitude, we must never
forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
”
|
|
John
F. Kennedy (1917-1963);
35th
US President
|
Friday, November 9, 2012
Meet Sam
Sam - Samantha - will be joining our family in December. She is a merle color border collie. Merle means her coat is marble color. She is not a replacement for my Tex, although it does feel as though it is a little too soon for another dog.
Truth is, Paul has been barking (clever wordplay) for a long time about getting a merle border. He has said that for his 60th birthday he was gonna do it. His merle source has this litter that is ready early December, and since he turns 60 in January, we agreed the time was right.
Right now Sam lives on a ranch about two hours west of Fort Worth and slightly south too. Paul and I will drive there on Friday, Dec. 6. We are excited and eager to have a puppy in the house. It's been awhile. We choose to live a happy bubble and not think about the hard work that comes with a puppy, instead we can't wait for the baby softness and the sweet breath and sharp tiny teeth and the puppy antics.
In our happy bubble we, too, are certain Mika and Baxter will be just as happy to welcome a puppy to our family.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Scary thoughts on Halloween
If today is Halloween, then tomorrow is .... NOVEMBER!
What the what!?
2012 is just about history. Sigh. It doesn't make sense that we already are at the end of a year that just started.
Age, you know, compounds the speed of time. The older we get the faster time flies. We blink, and presto, our children are adults. We blink, and presto, we have grandchildren. We blink, and presto.... (fill in the blank).
When we turned 40, we figure we have lived half our life. Midway. That's not so bad. There's still a balance of time left on the clock.
At 50, the balance tips against us: we are on the downside of life, we know that. We become more aware of the ticking of the clock. Fifty is the age we begin to calculate the remaining years we have left: 20? maybe 30 if we stop eating badly? maybe 35 if we start working out every day? Tick, tock.
This next year Paul and I hit 60. It's downhill.... wait a minute.
Truth: I am not that freaked out about 60. I think maybe Paul is more so, but he is playing racquetball almost every day now and just got a tattoo. I just spent the weekend in Rhode Island and then drove to Austin for the following weekend. Did the train and subway thing all by myself! Oh yes I did. We have lots of plans for just the coming week.
Aging is liberating in so many ways. We have chosen which life lessons to follow at this point. We love the family we have made and are grateful every day for what we have.
It's still true about time passing more quickly as you age! That I wish I could change. But my life and where I am at? I wouldn't change a thing!
What the what!?
2012 is just about history. Sigh. It doesn't make sense that we already are at the end of a year that just started.
Age, you know, compounds the speed of time. The older we get the faster time flies. We blink, and presto, our children are adults. We blink, and presto, we have grandchildren. We blink, and presto.... (fill in the blank).
When we turned 40, we figure we have lived half our life. Midway. That's not so bad. There's still a balance of time left on the clock.
At 50, the balance tips against us: we are on the downside of life, we know that. We become more aware of the ticking of the clock. Fifty is the age we begin to calculate the remaining years we have left: 20? maybe 30 if we stop eating badly? maybe 35 if we start working out every day? Tick, tock.
This next year Paul and I hit 60. It's downhill.... wait a minute.
Truth: I am not that freaked out about 60. I think maybe Paul is more so, but he is playing racquetball almost every day now and just got a tattoo. I just spent the weekend in Rhode Island and then drove to Austin for the following weekend. Did the train and subway thing all by myself! Oh yes I did. We have lots of plans for just the coming week.
Aging is liberating in so many ways. We have chosen which life lessons to follow at this point. We love the family we have made and are grateful every day for what we have.
It's still true about time passing more quickly as you age! That I wish I could change. But my life and where I am at? I wouldn't change a thing!
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