Midlife’s A Trip

Did I Fall Off a Cliff Between 50 and 60?

Posted on 31. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Is it my imagination or does anyone else feel almost invisible to the advertising world between 50 and 60?  Maybe it’s just women.  I see all this promotion about how great women are in their 40s.  Magazines, skincare, clothing–you name it, when you’re 40- something, it’s assumed that you really have it going on. 
And [...]

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To Complain or Not to Complain

Posted on 30. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Today I got an email from an organization that promotes living a life where you simply don’t complain.  The idea was promoted in a sermon by a Unity minister and gained a life of its own after members of the congregation started giving away purple wristbands that say "A Complaint Free World".  Over 4 million [...]

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Mom, Dementia and Me–Bedtime

Posted on 29. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

I was out to see my mom recently in her assisted living facility.  They had called to say that she had a fever and bad cough.  With an 88 year old, those could be signs of pneumonia so my brother and I raced out to see Mom.  It was 10 pm and she was still [...]

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Soulful Saturday–Music That’s Moved Me for Years

Posted on 27. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

My favorite music is from the mid-60s through the 70s.  My taste ranged from the Beatles to the Supremes, Jimi Hendrix to Elton John.  And you name it–if it came out of Motown, I loved it. 
I don’t know about you but I can usually remember what was going on in my life at the [...]

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Ode to a Motown Girl

Posted on 26. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

This posting is dedicated to the amazing Kathleen who left this world in her midlife last Tuesday.  Lung cancer broke her body but not the spirit that lives on in the hearts of her wonderful family and all those who knew her.  I knew Kathleen from grade school and later our sons were diaper pals.  [...]

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Living Life Out Loud

Posted on 25. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

This was one of those weeks when the wisdom from my coaching classes converged with the reality of my world to create a vortex of clarity.  It was a week of moving forward, of truth telling and of action versus delay. 
It was a week of challenging myself to be true to me.  It was [...]

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Nothing Like a Triple Dare to Get Me Blogging

Posted on 24. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

How many days does it take to form a habit?  Well, coaching colleague Michael and I have put out a challenge to one another.  We agreed this afternoon to blog every day until November 20th.  By then, we hope blogging will be part of our daily routines. 
Both of us agreed that our desire to [...]

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Losing Loved Ones–The Real Midlife Crisis

Posted on 24. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Today is the 5th anniversary of my dad’s death.  There–I said it.  Death.  Not "passed away" or any of those other ways of saying someone died other than using the dreaded word.  Death.
I miss my father’s smile, his sense of humor, his wisdom and I just plain miss being in his presence and being [...]

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Mom, Dementia and Me — I’ll Have a Double

Posted on 22. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall Sunday–blue skies, warm temperatures (at least for where I live) and overall a day to be outside.  I also thought what a great day to get my mom outside for some fresh air before cold weather sets in.  So I drove out to the memory care facility where Mom lives. 
When [...]

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In the Fall of My Fall

Posted on 18. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Today is one of those quintessential fall days in the Midwest.  The leaves are brightly colored on a spectrum from green to bright orange.  The sky is gray.  There’s a light drizzle.  A mild day temperature-wise–a last tinge of warmth before the winter descends. 
As I look out on this day and see the bloom of [...]

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Midlife Life Lists–Antidote to the Crisis

Posted on 16. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

As I talk with people about my coaching practice and my focus on people in midlife, invariably the topic of "midlife crisis" comes up.  Many of us at this age wonder if the crisis is a must-do stop on the journey through midlife.  Not necessarily so.
To the extent that there is crisis in midlife, I [...]

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Don’t Talk About War No More

Posted on 04. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Today I got a letter from my local newspaper.  "Special Offer" it said–get the paper for the entire week for what you pay for weekend delivery.  For a brief moment I considered the deal because I get the paper only on the weekend now.  Then I remembered how I’ve hated reading the weekend paper lately [...]

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Can You Recover from Being a Control Freak?

Posted on 04. Oct, 2007 by Karen.

Over the past 24 hours, I’ve been on the phone for 5 of those troubleshooting a problem with my telephone.  Since I rely heavily on the phone and computer as tools for my life coaching practice, it’s an understatement to say that I was stressed out by the situation.  The problem for me was three-fold–

Not [...]

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