Midlife’s A Trip

Viral Video Wednesday — Christian the Lion

Posted on 30. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

This video about Christian the lion has been spreading around the Internet like wildfire. As of this moment, it’s been viewed 7,606,185 times. Several of those times are by yours truly because this is such a touching story.
This morning, the Today Show featured the 2 men who bought Christian as a cub in [...]

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A Letter to the Little Girl Who Would Be Me

Posted on 29. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

 Dear Karen–
I am writing you from midlife to let you know that I think of you often.  You are just a little girl now with sparkling eyes and already the infectious smile you’ll be known for throughout your life.  Remember to turn that smile inwards to yourself–don’t just save it for others.
As you grow older, people will sometimes [...]

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Last Days at Down Camp

Posted on 28. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

Well for those of you who followed my vacation blogging — I’m back.  Rested after a few days of not blogging (my sister threatened to cut my hands off if I didn’t turn off my laptop), here are a few more photos of the last days at Down Camp, our vacation spot in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
 
 
 
 
 After 2 days of clouds [...]

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Drenched at Down Camp

Posted on 24. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

It’s Day 2 of gray days at Down Camp.  Lots of rain, storms and thunder today.  So we’ve all been lazying around the house watching the storms move through.  Although I’m wishing for sun so we can get a couple of beach days in, Down Camp is as beautiful a place in the the rain [...]

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Chez Down Camp

Posted on 22. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

  When you vacation with the Peanut — my 4-year old niece, you see a lot of hot dogs.  The Peanut is crazy about them.  She likes them sans buns with ketchup.  So to be a good traveling buddy, you have to accommodate the Peanut on her taste for hot dogs — at least some of the [...]

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Eau de Down Camp

Posted on 20. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

  The green heads are joining our clan this week at Down Camp, our vacation retreat in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Until I got here I had no idea what a green head was. 
The green heads are pesky little flies that come out in droves for 3 weeks every summer and feast on tourists like me.  Talk about luck — [...]

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Down Camp — Day 1

Posted on 19. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

Exhale.   
As I write this post, I’m sitting at a little table in a great house looking out at a panoramic view of beautiful Cape Ann in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  I’m here on vacation with my sister Paula and 4 year old niece — the infamous “Peanut”.  Meanwhile back at the ranch, my new housemate until November – 25 year old Ivan, a hard-working [...]

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Mom, Dementia and Me — Rolling Eyes

Posted on 17. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

My mother is now 89 and suffering from severe dementia.  She lives in a small assisted living facility where they are very kind to her.  But the wicked impact of her dementia has left my mother with — well, behavior problems that sometimes make her as obstinate and difficult as my four year old niece. 
This evening I [...]

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Viral Video Day — Campaigning in ‘08

Posted on 17. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

As this election year winds up — or down depending on your perspective, sometimes we just need to lighten up about the whole campaign process. So here’s a new viral video that’s sure to get you smiling about the presidential campaign — at least for a few minutes.

So did you smile?
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Technical Difficulty at Midlife’s A Trip

Posted on 14. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

  Somedays I get these major reminders about how much I still have to learn about blogging technology.  One came recently when I realized that during the major revision of Midlife’s A Trip, my subscribers’ list experienced the dreaded “technical difficulty”.  In other words, it dropped off completely.  If you were a subscriber, you were probably wondering [...]

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What Fresh Hell Is This — The New Yorker Obama Cover

Posted on 14. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

My first thought as a Black woman when I saw the latest cover of The New Yorker magazine was “WTF”.  My second thought was if I was Muslim, I would be thinking the same thing (but maybe leaving off the “F”).  Slamming two ethnic groups in one picture in the name of satire is a pretty amazing accomplishment these [...]

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Happy Moments in the Life of a Midlife Blogger

Posted on 11. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

Today I’ve been thinking a lot about the great moments in my short but wonderful life as a midlife blogger.  In April, 2007, I had to start a blog as part of the requirements for my professional coaching certification.  At the time, I grumbled, rolled my eyes and put a lot of resistance out there [...]

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Michelle Obama

Posted on 10. Jul, 2008 by Karen.

Today I met Michelle Obama.  She was in town for a series of events, several of which were in my county which is the swing county in the swing state of Michigan.  The event I attended was mostly women, from our Governor Jennifer Granholm to a school teacher from Flint — all glad for the chance to [...]

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