As the middle of summer approaches, we should concentrate on the positive side of aging. Traveling, beaches (and all those young bodies), and the knowledge that we are half way through another year of our life, is a good time to remember words from those who have reached certain milestones and lived to talk about it.
Read these quotes and use them to lift you up on those days when you are weak and letting the world age you. Remember this one for sure:
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"We are always the same age inside."
    - Gertrude Stein

For your encouragement and laughter:

    Golda Meir:        "Being seventy is not a sin."
    
                (My take: Why is getting older a negative?                  In many cultures the elders are held in high                 respect and look to for advice and wisdom. In             America, getting older seems to be a sin. I                   agree with Gold Meir....it's not a sin to be over 50, 60 , 70, or beyond.)

    Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach:    "In youth we learn; in age we understand."

                (My take: When we are young, we think we             have all the answers. In America, a lot of                      young people look at elders as feeble or                      losing touch. In reality, it's not until we have                 lived a full life that we really understand it. It               would be to the advantage of the youth in                      America to begin to l earn from their elders, so     not to repeat mistakes and to have the advantage
of finding true happiness at a young age.)

    George Burns:        "If you live to be one hundred, you've got it made. Very few people                     die past that age."

   (My take: He has this right! LOL)

    Mae West:        "You only live once. If you do it right, once is enough."

                (My take: You gotta love Mae West's humor. Yes, I hope I'm doing it right! ☺)

    Maya Angelou:        "At 50, I began to know who I was. It was like waking up to myself."

         (My take: When I turned 50, it wasn't earth               shattering for me, but I did find out quickly how            much it changes the way the world views, mostly           western culture, the over 50 person. You are the              same person and yet, suddenly you know less,              expected to dress differently, and basically     start slowing down towards retirement. Thankfully, I didn't buy into this way of thinking. I did wake up to myself, that's why I started this blog...to share in that awakening and help other women witness their own awakening. Thank you, Maya Angelou for such an insightful quote.)
    
Hope these insights from others who offer inspirational words on aging lift your spirits. Remember, do not let other people define your age. You are only as old as you choose to be. Live a life on fire! Live every day like it really matters, because it does - to you and to others. Wake up to yourself! Make your life so good that once is enough! It's all in your attitude, don't allow anyone to put you in a box until you are physically dead!

Live a life on fire!

Please share your thoughts on aging. Do you feel that some younger people want to put you in a box and consider your value as used up? How did you feel about turning 50? 60? 70? 80? What can our generation do to change this way of thinking in America?

XOXO

In case you haven't guessed by now  - I like to try new and different foods. I also enjoy a little spice and a little sweetness. Here is another accidental find at my local Earth Fare store Mango, Coconut & Pepper dressing by Cindy's Kitchen of Brockton, MA (www.cindyskitchen.com)

This is a delicious dressing! In the salad pictured above I used the following:
⦁    50/50 blend of spring mix greens and spinach
⦁    5-6 cucumber slices
⦁    a handful of grape tomatoes
⦁    about 2 Tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese

That's it! The Mango, Coconut & Pepper dressing gave the salad all it needed to be really delicious. It has just the right amount of sweetness, citrus, and spice.
The best part (only second to the taste) is it only has 20 calories to a tablespoon. This means I can enjoy more of it on my salad.

Here is a list of the ingredients:
⦁    Filtered water
⦁    Sugar
⦁    Mango puree
⦁    Apple cider vinegar
⦁    Dried coconut
⦁    Orange juice concentrate
⦁    Citric acid
⦁    Dried habanero peppers
⦁    Xanthan Gum
⦁    Paprika

Here's a little more information about this dressing:
⦁    20 Calories per Tablespoon
        ⦁    No sodium
⦁    No oil
⦁    No fat
⦁    Can be used as:
        - Glaze
              - Marinade
      - Grill
        - Stir fry
            - dressing
⦁    16 oz at Earth Fare sells for $5.99 (Which I thought was a little high and I did hesitate before I purchased because of the cost, but I am really glad I paid the price and gave it a try. The quality is worth the extra cost.)
⦁    Finding it is challenging. It is sold at Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Earth Fare, and in some Publix Greenwise Markets. I found a few folks online who were buying it at Costco but now they can't find it...wouldn't hurt to look at the Costco near you anyway.)

I took a chance and tried something new - bingo! I hit the jackpot with this one!

When was the last time you stepped out of the norm and tried a new food? What was it and was it worth the try? Have you found something new by accident and it became a regular staple to your diet? Share your experiences!

    XOXO

More and more people are foregoing the funeral route in favor of parties to celebrate the life of the deceased, congregational singing in honor of the deceased, or just cremation or burial without any fanfare. Why? Is this better than a traditional funeral?

First we must ask ourselves what is the purpose of a funeral? Is for the deceased or the ones left? Let's examine each before we decide:
    1.  For the deceased:  The deceased is just that,      deceased. Most people agree that the deceased          are not aware of anything once they leave earth.        So, if you believe this, then a funeral has no affect         on the deceased.  If you do believe the deceased       are "looking down" from some celestial position,       does it make them feel more loved to see people        crying and upset at their passing? If they are aware, wouldn't they prefer that people would "celebrate"     their life and accomplishments? Wouldn't they prefer to be appreciated while living instead of waiting until they pass to express your "love" for them? Personally, I don't think I will know anything. This is just my personal belief. If I am aware, it would disturb me to see my loved once distraught and weeping for my sake. It certainly wouldn't make me feel more loved.
    2.  For the living: If funerals are for the living, why? Does it help put closure to the relationship? To the death? I remember seeing my grandmother laying in her casket at the age of 13. It hurt me to see her lifeless body laying there. When I think of her today, I     don't think of that, I think of her living and the things we did together or the things she did for me because she loved me. Did I need to see her dead body to realize she was gone? No. I  know this because since then I have experienced other deaths and some of them I was unable to attend the funerals. I still know they are gone, I still miss them, I still think of the things we did together and things they did for me while living.

What about celebrations of life or parties? Is this better than a funeral? Possibly. It allows the goodness and accomplishments of the deceased to outshine their death. It leaves loved ones with positive and hopeful feelings. The reality of the person's death is still real, but the negtiveness is removed. This person accomplished a lot while living, they were loved by many, and they will be remembered not the funeral.
    1.  Celebrations or parties: If this person is allowed to see what is happening on earth after     their death, wouldn't they be happier if the people they loved acknowledged their accomplishments and joys of their life, rather than the sadness of their death? Wouldn't they be happier to see their loved ones remembering them with happy memories and pride than with tears and regret? If, I am allowed to see the world after my death, I would want my     family to remember me with joy and happiness. Keep me in their heart and learn from my life, not just feel sad because I died.
    2.  Congregational singing and special services: If you are a believing person (in God or some other higher being), this would be an excellent way to close the life of a loved one. Sharing the hope and promises of the afterlife, lessons from scriptures (or other text), missing that person but being reassured that you will see them again. Also, if non believers are present,     the life of the deceased has the power to change a life even after their death. People who would never come to a church service or worship service would come to "special singing or service" in honor of the death of their friend or loved one. What a powerful opportunity!

No celebration, no funeral, no special service - is this better? Some people want nothing done when they pass away. They want to be cremated or buried with only their immediate family present and without any special arrangements.
    1.  For the family: This could be the best option. Quietly mourn the death of their loved one in privacy. Knowing that if people really loved the deceased they would have already shown that love while the person was living. Why wait until they pass away to show our love and appreciation for their life? 
    2.  For the friends: While this may not provide an outlet for the emotions of people not in the immediate family, it doesn't prevent those who truly miss and are saddened by the death to express themselves to the family individually and privately. These mourners can show their love by visiting the family, taking food or flowers, or just sending a card or phone call.

Overall, it doesn't really matter which route you take. Death is never easy on those left behind. However, from my personal experience I find that the death of someone is easier to handle if I know that I expressed my love for them while they were still living. That the person died knowing that I appreciated them, was proud of their accomplishments, and loved them. 
Make sure that you make your wishes known to your loved ones and the discussion takes place as to what will happen when you pass. Determine if you want to accomplish something with your death as in reaching non believers. Determine if you want people celebrating your life or mourning your death. Have the conversation with your loved ones before you leave this earth.

As a closing statement I want to share something I believe. No one knows when they are gong to die, except a Christian. I already know the date of my death - it was the day I was buried in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. That was the day my old, sinful self died. My soul continues. The only thing left is my physical death and that is only a formality.

(NOTE: The opinions expressed in this article are just that - opinions. Whether you agree with my personal beliefs or not is not important. The important thing is that this article causes you to think about your own beliefs and opens your heart to have important conversations before it is too late.)

How do you feel about funerals vs celebrations vs special services vs doing nothing? If you are a spiritual person, how does your faith and beliefs affect how you feel about death? Have you had the difficult conversation with your loved ones about the events following your own death? As an over fifty woman, I know that my time is limited. No one will get out of this world alive - physically - think about it.
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XOXO

Epiphany: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something,  usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. (Courtesy of dictionary.com. I had to look up the spelling.         😊)
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While doing my morning pages today (see blog post on The Artist's Way, dated April 8, 2016), the question  came up in my writing of why I love to create. Why do I spend valuable time drawing, quilting, and writing when I have so many other important things I could spend that time on? What makes creating so important, that I will let laundry, dishes, and other stuff go undone (temporarily, mind you.  I do like a clean house and clean clothes). Well, this is what I came up with (it only took 24 weeks of the Artist's Way to get to this answer, 😊)

    Anais Nin once said, " I believe one writes because one has to  create a world in which                one can live."
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That's why. creating art or writing is the one place in my life where I have complete and total control. It's the one place where a mistake can become a masterpiece. It's the one place where I can draw a mountain to climb, paint that mountain, and then experience climbing that mountain without ever leaving my safe home.

Creating, whether art, sewing, or writing is a vacation waiting to happen.
That pretty much sums it up. That's why I love creating. 

Do you create? Do you sew, quilt, paint, woodwork, write, make jewelry, engage in anything creative? Why do you do it? What need does it fulfill? Do you find it more important as you get older? Has your approach to your craft changed as you have aged? Do you create your world in which you can live through your craft?

XOXO