DON'T GROW OLD.....

I INTERRUPT THIS POST TO TELL YOU THAT I AM FUMING ABOUT READER SHUTTING DOWN. I TRIED FOR HOURS TO FOLLOW STEP BY STEP PROCEDURES TO TRANSFER MY BLOGS TO SEVERAL OTHER PLACES AND COULDN'T DO IT! FYI: I AM THINKING ABOUT PINNING EVERYONE TO A PRIVATE BOARD ON PINTEREST SO I HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND READ YOU.     OKAY, GETTING DOWN OFF MY SOAPBOX!!!!

....are word that my dad has said to me at least a hundred times sharing the words of his mother, my grandmother, who said this to him often. You know those words never meant very much to me until I turned 60. Of course we all want to grow old but the things that happen to the body are not fun at all.

 

Since I lost close to 40 pounds last year it seems as though the slimming of the face has given way to more wrinkles than I care to see when I look in the mirror. Not that I want to go back to the chubby face but I wonder what it will look like when I lose another 40 pounds that will put me closer to what I should weigh for my height. (even that is changing!)

 

I've always told myself that I will never get a face lift or Botox because I didn't believe in changing ones appearance but now I am second guessing these thoughts. No I will not get a face life but maybe some facial treatments that I had seen on Oprah years ago.  No one is going to cut me, that's for sure!

 

This is just crazy!

 

I have been using moisturizers for years and thought I was seeing some improvement until I lost the weight. Of course looking in our 10x mirror doesn't help or even when I look in my mirror with my reading glasses on. (Don't get me started on those reading glasses. They make a big difference in cleaning your house too!)

 

If only we could look this cute with our wrinkles.....

 

Have a Great Weekend!

 

FYI: I've been on a quest to find a nice BB Cream that I can wear alone or with foundation if needed and I am pleased to say that I really like the clear complexion BB Cream by Aveeno. It is oil free and covers nicely.

(BB cream is promoted as an all-in-one facial cosmetic product to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock. It can be worn alone as a tinted moisturizer, over serum and moisturizer as a regular foundation, and under powder, depending on the desired amount of coverage.) 

LIVING MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST

I was having a conversation with my husband on the eve before my 59th birthday. I was sharing with him how I fear turning 60. I don't like who I have become or how I look today. This isn't the person I wanted to be. I have not given much thought to other milestones I have passed. My mother passed away at 56 and I know that she was not happy at that point in her life. I had no intentions of following in her footsteps yet here I am feeling that I have learned nothing from her unhappiness. That makes me very sad.

My husband said that 60 is a number that he believes most people fear reaching. To many it means the ending of their career is about to take place in the future and a whole new part of life is nearing. The part that we always felt people are old at that age. I know it's not true but I never imagined myself at this age. Grandparents are this age and I can't even claim that one.

I told him that I have always heard so many good things about reaching 40 and even reaching 50. The time of your life when you are finally yourself and loving yourself. The news media talks about these ages frequently however I don't hear many stories that make 60 sound awesome.

I was reading a post today from Kelly at The Beauty of Sufficient Grace on the passing of time and that is what got me thinking about my life. The things that I hold onto that only have meaning to me and the time I put into loving these items when I should be putting my time into the importance of living in the here and now.

One of things that I have always felt grateful for is the knowledge that is available to us today. My mother suffered from depression for several reason but she didn't have the knowledge of them at the time. Not feeling loved from her parents was one reason, having a parent who was an alcoholic was another and the depression that can come from being overweight. It was very easy for her to fall into a pattern of drinking also. Seeking help pretty much came with a prescription to Valium or something along that line. I also felt that if my mother was around today she would be so much happier with the treatments that we have now. But would she?

I have the knowledge of today yet do I grasp at it and change my life for the better. I don't think so. High blood pressure runs in my family on both sides. So here I am on medication and we all know that is not good enough. Treating this is something that I can do with weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet. So what has this knowledge done for me? I can sit here a wallow in self pity which doesn't bring any change at all. Change is a difficult hurdle to get over while staying in the same routine is easy but not very smart.

I have had success with two different diet in my lifetime. Weight Down Workshop which I did through my church. Follow a simple plan and turn to your Bible for inspiration. Eat half of what you would normally eat and feed yourself like a baby does. Eat only when you feel stomach hunger and stop when you are full. In time this actually works and I was very successful, then you get lazy falling into your old routine in time. The second one was the South Beach Diet and I found it very easy to do. Stuck with it for a very long time and lost 47 pounds. Then you decide to order a pizza again because you haven't had one in a long time and you being to slip off the path you were one. It is very true that the more carbs you eat the more you desire and when you don't have them in your diet you do not crave them.

So why is it that with this knowledge I am currently letting myself continue down this path of weight gain again. I know better but change is not easy to come by yet I know in my heart that I am setting myself up for an early death. Just like smoking, why did I think that I could smoke and not have it effect my lungs. Hello Debby you do know that you have asthma don't you! I quit two years ago but I have to admit that I have a few from time to time with my daughter recently. Don't worry, I am not heading in that direction again.

In line with my point here I was reading through a recent People Magazine and they had an article called "Chic at every age" which is exactly what I was talking about in the first few paragraphs on this post. They start out with Taylor Swift (20) in the group of women in their 20's, listing woman in their 30's, 40's and 50's ending with Anjelica Huston (59). No they did not go into being chic in your 60's!!!!!

I know this isn't a fun post and I'm sorry about that but this is where my head is right now. I plan to make some changes because I want to be a hot 60 year old next year!

You don't need to comment, just getting some things off my chest. (Double D's)

Don't grow old !

Today I'm having a "don't grow old" day. My Dad always tells me that his mom would say that to him. Like we have a choice! I don't like growing older. Sure I have the aches and pains you would expect, only I didn't expect so many at my age. I thought that they wouldn't start until my late 70's or 80's. Do you ever want to go back in time? I have that thought often, the opportunity to go back but have the wisdom I have today. But of course it's all the years of experiences that have brought us this wisdom. I do dream of going back to a time when I didn't have asthma. That's a big dream of mine but I know that can't happen. See if I had the wisdom I have today I would have lived a different life. I would have been more into fitness, or did allot more hiking up in the mountains. The beauty in the forest is always awesome to me. We have been going to Mammoth Lakes every summer for many years now. I use to be able to hike in the mountains but not anymore. I am lucky to walk the steps to the cabin. I sit and read while everyone else is out seeing all the beauty around us. I still love going every summer and the beauty will always remain fresh in my mind. Today I am thankful for the fact that I feel better then I did a year ago. That's a good thing! Is there a lesson to be learned, sure! Take care of yourself today, go out for that walk, ride your bike, play in the yard with your kids because today you don't know what tomorrow will bring.