My 40th

Today is my birthday. (To those who live near me, be aware that this groundhog has not seen her shadow this morning, and is not likely to -- very overcast.) In preparation for my glorious 40s (to continue on from my brilliant 30s), I'm taking the Pursuit of Excellence course this weekend. Self-examination all the way...

Here is a concept lifted from Norlinda at 30-something-media-addict, who lifted it from Life Begins at 30 (both lovely lists). I've been working on this one for a couple of days, and it has been a good exercise.

So, in no particular order, some things (25) I will never get tired of:

1. a good book
   
2. the first slow gulp of cold beer slipping down my parched throat
   
3. a purring cat
   
4. a cool summer morning and a cup of coffee outdoors
   
5. walking in a snowfall
   
6. laying down a bingo in Scrabble
   
7. standing in the dark nave of a gothic cathedral
   
8. learning something new
   
9. escaping into a delightful movie
   
10. a well-played blues guitar
    
11. dark chocolate
    
12. comprendre quelque chose dans une autre langue
    
13. a really good belly laugh
    
14. crossing things off a To Do list
15. a fresh clean sheet of paper
16. a gathering of like-minded individuals
17. a lovely meadow
18. cooking in a stocked kitchen
19. controlled retail therapy :p
20. the great design of a book or building or object
21. road trips, long or short
22. words strung together in a surprisingly insightful way
    
23. looking up at the stars
24. coordinating the Big Picture
    
25. logic puzzles

A surprisingly easy list to compile, and reminds me that yes, I do incorporate the things I like in my day-to-day existence...but that I could do it more!

Have a great day!

Lori

How to Age Well

A hell of a lot has been said about "you're only as old as you feel" -- and I'm a firm believer in this.

My father was 24 years older than my mother.

As a kid, I loved it! I used to wow my friends with lines like "My grandpa is 3 years younger than my dad!" As a teen, I loved his quiet sense of humour and his respect for words. We used to watch M.A.S.H. together and Bugs Bunny on Saturday mornings.

He and Mom had a brilliant relationship. They'd met when she was in her late 20s, in a small Ontario town, and the rest, as they say, was history.

My dad got his first pacemaker when he was 50, the year I was born. So he didn't expect to see my sister and I finish high school...but instead, he lived until my sister and I were in our 30s, saw me through university, and met and knew his three grandchildren very well.

The best thing about my dad was his attitude about life -- he did not get old until about a couple of years before he died. Everyone who knew him felt young too.

One of his best friends was 50 when Dad died, and I thought he was truly hot. So, in my one experiment with online dating, I thought nothing of going out to meet a 48-year-old man for a cup of coffee. But man, was he old!! That's when I realized that age is in your head.

I had a student from Korea once who irritated me to no end. He was 30, and actually said, in class, that he was old. He went on and on about it -- I was infuriated. How happy can that guy's life be? What had happened in his life to make him feel old at such an early age?

My mom is young. She's turning 70 this week, but doesn't act it, or look it. She's just booked her tickets to Kenya and Ethiopia for the fall, and she was in India the year before. She travels to California every year, and goes to Europe every second year.

My sisters in-laws are a couple of years younger than our mom, but they refer to Mom as "the young grandma" and they are old.

Did I mention that she's now traveling with her friend, a very funny man who is 10 years her junior? They're definitely more than friends -- they spend a lot of time together. He makes her laugh, and they seem very happy hanging out together.

In this week, when both my mom and her friend are celebrating their birthdays, I would like everyone to celebrate your own life, and remember that you are only as old as you want to be.

Lori

Celebrating the 30s

As I near the end of my own 30s, I have a friend who's turning the big 3-0 today.

What is it about ageing? (I'm not even going to start with the big MLC!) When I turned 30, I was in Korea, so it actually happened when I was 28. 'Twas no big deal. I also grew up with a dad who wasn't mentally old until his health caught up with him -- about 80. Mom was 24 years younger than him, and has still forgotten to age. (So why is it that my sister is all weird about her age? She still tries to tell people she's 29!)

Anyway, back to my friend. This morning I searched for some positive statements on 'women turning 30' and in 10 pages of Google hits, only got 2 that were mostly upbeat about moving out of the 20s. The 'oh no, my life is ending' tune that everyone sings is really just annoying.

People! The 30s are better than the 20s!

Proof #1
People take you seriously now.

Proof #2
You've survived your 20s and no longer need to learn things like how to pay bills, how to apply for a job, how to dump a guy gently. (Okay, so you may need refresher courses, but you've done the 100 levels.)

Proof #3
You'll no longer annoy older people with your "I discovered sex" attitude. We can invite you to parties now.

Proof #4
In this day'n'age, you can continue to do the things you enjoy. It's not like you have to give up rock climbing, beer swilling, and movie collecting...you may just find you prefer a better brand of beer.

Ack. I could go on, but I won't, because I'm finding that I'm the other cliché: a 30-something pontificating on the 20s.

Ah well.

Happy Birthday!

Lori

And today, in Groundhog news...

Paws up for spring, groundhogs predict

CBC, Feb 02, 2007 13:26:41 GMT

Three out of three groundhogs polled report that spring will come early this year.

The full CBC story.

Groundhog gender barrier

Does Woody, a female prognosticating groundhog, have an advantage over her male collegues[sic]?

The full Yahoo story.

And here, in the Okanagan, it's 6:49 a.m., and this groundhog is up, and even if the sun were out, we'd find it's currently mostly cloudy -- so no shadow here.

So all raise your coffee cups and toast an early spring! Oh, and later, when you've got a beer in hand, send some good cheer my way, as I celebrate the end to my 30s (39 today, tomorrow I start my 40th year...)

Lori