March is going out like a lion and April is coming in like a.....lamb? Maybe. There are a lot of people over the age of 50 who are still going strong and have positive attitudes about growing older. Our attitude about growing older has a lot to do with how well we age. If we give up because we have reached some magical self imposed expiration date, then we may miss out on many more productive and happy years just because we chose to give up. Only you have control over your attitude.
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As Stephen Covey, American educator, speaker and author, once said, "Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you." There are a lot of things to be thankful for as we live another year of life
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Hope you enjoy the following quotes and they provide encouragement as you grow older, but not up:

Enjoy!

    Jim Rohn:        "If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree."
 (My take: We are not static, our life changes whether we want to or not. I think it's better if we take control of the changes rather than sit and just watch.)

    Donald Trump:         I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future by focusing exlusively on the present. That's where the fun is."
 (My take: When we reach a certain age we can tell ourselves it's ok to stop planning, but that would be wrong. We don't know how much time we have left, it could be more than we think. So Live in the present - that's  where the fun is - learn from the past - and plan on a future!)
(SIDE NOTE: Mr. Trump is going to be 70 years old in 2016 and he is planning to be president of the United States of America for the next four to eight years. That's what I call planning for the future. We'll see if he gets a chance to fulfill those plans.😊)

Henry Ford:       " I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?"
  (My take: The Bible says "If God be for us, who can be against us?" , Romans 8:31.  God is on our side and worry never solved anything. Don't waste your precious time worrying about things you have no control over, let God handle it.)

   Elizabeth Taylor:    "When people say, 'She's got everything', I've got one answer - I haven't                 had tomorrow."
     (My take: No matter what is happening today, how bad or how good...there's always tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new opportunity and a new hope.😊)

    Blythe Danner:        "Singing and dancing will never grow old for me - I'd like to do that until  I'm... actually, I think I'd like to drop dead onstage. I think that'd be just great."
    (My take: We are all going to die. Do we want to lay down and wait for it? Or stay up and live until it comes? I'll stay up!😊)

  Richard Gere:      " I'm younger than I once was. Internally. Less self-conscious. Less insecure."
 (My take: Pretty straight forward.😊)

   C. S. Lewis:      "We are what we believe we are."
 (My take: The Bible says "as a man thinketh so is he", Proverbs 23:7. if you think like an old person, then you will indeed be old. Continue to live with enthusiasm.)

Hope you  find encouragement in these thoughts by people who are in the over 50 years. Some are way over 50 or at least they were over 50 when they made the quote. Remember, a lot of how we age is our attitude towards it. Stay positive and active! 😊
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Embrace your age! Every age has it's own issues and challenges, that is true, however, every new year also brings its own rewards and blessings!

Could you relate to any of these quotes? How many of these quotes were helpful to you? Did any of them inspire you to live life better. Tell me your thoughts, share them in the comments, they may help someone else.

XOXO

"As you get older, you have your tribe of women that you grow and age gracefully with and you share wisdom with. That's your clan. That's your family. That's your strength."
- Sheryl Crow -
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Sometimes as we get older, some of our longtime friends either drift away from us by choice, by illness, or by death. It can leave an empty hole in our hearts and in our lives. Losing a friend can have a negative affect on our outlook on life, as well as, our mental and physical health. It has been said that women who remain connected to friends (and family) live longer and happier lives than those who remain isolated.

Some alone time is good for us. We don't need to be in the presence of others all the time. Spending time alone can be very restful, spark creativity, and allow time for things that are important to us. But don't underestimate the importance of your tribe. Your tribe is your group of supporters. Most of the time for women it is other women, but men can fill this need also. My husband, for example, is part of my tribe. Let's be honest, there are some things that women can only share with other women as men just don't get us sometimes. My tribe is small, but it is a good one.

A few months ago I met a wonderful group of ladies while visiting my daughter in South Carolina. They were all 50 or over and all full of fire! They call themselves 'The Buzzards'. The original four women met while attending a local church and formed this group to support one another. Since they started a couple of non-church gals have joined them and they have grown to fifteen buzzards.  They are not a 'recognized' church group, just a bunch of ladies who like each other's company. They are a happy bunch, too.
When one of them has a birthday the others plan some outrageous thing to celebrate.  Like decorate their mailbox, or hang a bunch of over sized panties on a clothes line in their front yard, or something more embarrassing. They meet on regular nights at each other's homes to play cards, they do things for each other and for other ladies in the community. They fix food when someone has passed away, they install window air conditioners (that's another story, lol), they check on elderly folks that are confined to their homes due to health, and they do many, many other wonderful things. They have found their "tribe".

It doesn't matter if you only know one other lady or if you know a dozen, you can find your tribe. You can build those relationships with others who need them as much as you do. Every one is lonely at some point in life, reach out and see who reaches back. Then make it a point to connect regularly, even if only by phone, Skype, Facetime or some other way. Connect!

Some places to find your tribe:
⦁    a hobby club (quilting quilds, bowling leagues, knitting clubs, dancing clubs, book clubs at the library, etc.)
⦁    church or other religious gatherings
⦁    classes (cooking classes, continuing education at a local college, quilting/sewing/knitting classes, dance classes, etc.)
⦁    volunteer organizations (volunteer at the local food bank, soup kitchen, elder center, hospital, library, political organizations, etc.)
⦁    invite a lady or ladies to your home to: play cards, discuss a book, have dinner, play a game of dominoes or a board game, have lunch, have a tea party, anything you want.
⦁    invite another lady to go to a movie with you, go window shopping, go for a walk in a park, go out for lunch or dinner, anything you like to do.
⦁    Any place where other women may go or gather.

It may take a little effort at first, but once it gets rolling, it'll snowball and you'll be glad you did it.
A five minute phone conversation can lift a person's spirits if they are lonely. Make the call, make the visit, plan the night out to play cards or games, plan a window shopping trip, or have a round robin lunch club. (A round robin lunch club is where once a month, week, or what ever you decide on, you rotate having lunch at each other's house. The person hosting prepares the meal. It could be sandwiches, it could be quiche, it could be chicken, it could be anything...just rotate so that everyone gets a chance and no one has it all the time.) Just try to make the connection!
Build your tribe! Choose people who support you and that you can support. Choose people you can encourage and be encouraged by. What have you got to lose? Nothing! If they decline, then at least you gave it a shot. Make the connection!
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Do you have a tribe? Are you looking to start your own tribe? What ideas can you share with the rest of us for activities or ways to get together? If you are part of a tribe, what is your tribe like? 

XOXO

As I said in an earlier blog post, I had neglected my skincare for several years while raising a family and taking care of other responsibilities on a list that did not include myself. This not unlike many, many women who put their families first and themselves last.  
For the last couple of years, I have experimented and used a few products, as a result, I found some that I really like. My body is not the same as it was when I was younger. My skin can look crepy at times, be really dry, and look dull. As we age, our skin begins to lose some elasticity and if not moisturized can look really old. Crepy skin is old skin.
 
As soon as I found the right product(s), there are more than one, I started to see an improvement. My dermatologist recommended Dove moisturizing soap and it works really well, but it doesn't have some of the nutrients I am looking for in skincare. Vitamin C is really important to our skin, some body washes have it, but most don't.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can be used to treat and prevent changes associated with photoageing and hyperpignmentation. It is key to the production of collagen and can reduce the effects of sun on our skin. Now, using a body wash with Vitamin C is only a small, small step forward, but at my age, I get help anywhere I can get it. 😊

Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus Body Wash
with Vitamin C
⦁    I love the smell (oranges blossoms and grapefruit) and the way it washes off cleanly. 
⦁    It has Vitamin C, B5, and chamomile.  
⦁    It's also good for the purse, selling at Trader Joe's for $2.99 for 16 oz. 
⦁    This is my favorite. (A few people have claimed to have a reaction to the Refresh body wash such as in iching. I have had no such reactions.)

Trader's Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Body Wash
⦁    This would be my favorite for a number of reasons, but it's second because one big reason. The one big reason it's not my number one? If you get this stuff in a sentive area (private) you will learn why they call it "tingle". The tingle is a little too strong for me for every bath. When I use it, I am very careful to not overly wash certain areas...😉. 
⦁    The reasons I love it? Tea tree oil, eucalyptus and peppermint. 
⦁    It is also a blend of other organic ingredients with no laurel or laureth sulfates. 
⦁    The smell is amazing and it feels amazing. 
⦁    The cost is $2.99 for 16 oz and has been compared on some sites to higher end washes.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash
⦁    This is my number three choice. If I can't get to Trader Joe's this is the one I choose. (if I am at Walmart, the Equate brand is good). 
⦁    Aveeno has soothing colloidal oatmeal, natural oils, and emollients. 
⦁    It's soap free, dye free, and hypoallergenic. 
⦁    It works really well when you skin is super dry and washes off really well. 
⦁    The smell is clean. 
⦁    It is also easy on the purse at $3.39 for 12 oz. at Walmart. 

There are lots of other really good products in the market, but this is what I have found so far that I like.  What works for me may not work for you. These are my personal favorites and not a recommendation for you. Hopefully, it will help you to learn something about these brands before you decide to purchase and use.

Do you have a favorite bodywash or bath soap? Have you tried any Trader Joe's skincare product? Did you like them? What is your favorite brand of skincare and why? Share your experience!
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XOXO

​     "I find I use the Internet more and more. It's just an invaluable tool. I do most of my research on the Net now - and certainly do the bulk of my communicating through email."
 - Nora Roberts, Age 65
The internet has become a big part of life with more and more people are using email, social media, Skype, Facetime, and family blogs to communicate with friends and family members. The hand written letter, a real phone call or physical visit has been replaced by an electronic communication. 
While this is good in some respects, especially for those who are unable to drive or travel much and for families who live far away from each other, it has also taken a lot from us as humans. You can't get a real hug from an email and a text isn't the same as hearing the voice of your child or best friend. The key, I believe, is a mixture of all forms of communication.
As baby boomers, we need to be able to use a computer. We need to be able to send emails and participate in social media  in order to stay in contact with our young grandchildren and family or perhaps, even a lot of our friends. If you don't participate because of fear or because you don't know how to use it, you really should consider learning. You don't need to know a lot, it's not that hard, and in most cases, a family member or friend will be happy to teach you. If a friend or family member is not avaliable, your local community college or some high schools have programs (often free) to teach you the basics. Of course, you can always just turn it on and figure it out. You owe it to yourself to learn so that you can stay involved in the lives of people you know.
If you have a computer and you want to learn how to do something - like use a new program, send emails, or virtually anything - try YouTube. Just put YouTube in the search bar on your Google page and hit enter. You will find videos on everything. There are videos on make-up, sending emails, cooking, sewing, texting, anything you can thing of. You can search through the videos for specific subjects you want to study. It is a great tool. 
My mother taught herself to use the computer by just doing. Before she became ill with dementia, she could play internet games, send emails, and used messaging to stay in touch with me and my sister. I lived 1200 miles away and we would often video chat (all three of us, many times). My mother loved to play Literati, a Yahoo game, and she was very good at it. She has since passed away at the age of 79, but we always were able to stay in touch by phone and computer. If she had been afraid to learn to use a computer or to learn new programs on the computer, we would have lost that opportunity to see each other face to face and talk.
There are so many wonderful things on the internet to keep in touch with people and to learn new skills or just to entertain yourself. Here is a word of caution, there are people who put things up and want you to give them your personal information so that they can harm you....DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!
If you find a newsletter or a blog (like this one) you want want to follow or receive information about, you should never have to give more than the following two things:
⦁    Your first name
⦁    Your email address

Never give out the following or any other personal information any where on the internet! NEVER!
⦁    Full Name
⦁    Address
⦁    Phone Number
⦁    Bank Name
⦁    Bank Account Numbers
⦁    Debit Card Number
⦁    Credit card numbers (unless you are purchasing something from a well known site like: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, etc.) Never to a site you don't know anything about.
⦁    Children or Grandchildren's names, address, age, etc.
⦁    ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS PERSONAL!

Please don't let this scare you and keep you from exploring the internet and learning to use it. If you practice safe habits by not going to illegal sites or clicking on something you don't fully understand and you don't put your personal information out there---you will be fine. Just think about what you are doing BEFORE you do it and you will enjoy the benefits of the internet.

REMEMBER: You don't drive your car with your credit card number painted on the side of it, blindfolded, or without obeying the laws...and you still drive, right? Do the same with the computer --- don't put your personal information on it, obey good rules, and keep your eyes and mind open before you click on something. 

Are you active in all forms of electronic communication: email, texting, messaging, social media, and video chatting? Do you take classes to learn new skills and expand your computer literacy? What is your favorite thing about the internet?

XOXO