Midlife’s A Trip

Lipstick Was My Favorite Halloween Costume

Posted on 31. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

I know it sounds weird but lipstick was my favorite Halloween costume.  I didn’t care what I dressed up as that day as long as lipstick was involved.  Remember, I grew up during the 50’s when the standard, at least what I saw on my friends’ mothers and women in the movies was really, really, really RED lipstick.  And [...]

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Being Big Sister

Posted on 30. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

This week I had to pull rank on my sister.  She’s the one I refer to as “Meno Mom”, the mother of the now infamous Peanut, my 4 year old niece.  Meno Mom has become a wonderful caregiver in midlife.  She’s a single mom raising the Peanut and is infinitely patient and loving with my mother [...]

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Karen’s Back at the Keyboard

Posted on 27. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

Since last Thursday I’ve been in Baltimore attending the 2008 Coaching Super Summit with over 100 amazing coaches from all over the world and experts on everything from latest trends in Internet marketing to how to really get in touch with the pain of your target audience.  The speakers, many of whom may be resources [...]

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In Memory of Dad — Notes of Hope and Change

Posted on 23. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

This week marks the 6th anniversary of my father’s death. Dad was a true Renaissance man — a dedicated physician, an accomplished artist, mentor to many and hero to me. He was the grandson of a slave and the slaveowner’s son and son of a domestic servant and a sharecropper turned factory worker. [...]

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Mom, Dementia & Me — Sharing Sushi

Posted on 21. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

This evening I went to visit my 89 year old mother who has severe dementia.  I stopped at my favorite Trader Joe’s on the way and picked up a few things including sushi to have for dinner.  When I decided to eat my sushi at my mother’s assisted living home, I offered her some.  And even though [...]

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Podcast with Author and Alzheimer’s Caregiver Mary Ellen Geist

Posted on 20. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

I’ve graduated from just blogging (well it’s never really “just”, is it) to my first podcast interview with author Mary Ellen Geist who left her successful career to come home to Michigan to take a new job as caregiver to her father, Woody who is a victim of Alzheimer’s.  Talking with Mary Ellen was like [...]

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Colin Powell Speaks Out

Posted on 19. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

Watch Colin Powell as he discusses his decision to endorse presidential candidate Barack Obama.  But also listen to this senior statesman’s thoughtful comments on the Iraq War, the tenor of this year’s campaign and taxes.  
Embedded video from CNN Video
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Manifesting Peanut — A Midlife Adoption Tale

Posted on 17. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who wanted to be a mother more than anything.  But she never found the right man and had no luck with the scientific alternatives.  Finally, she decided to adopt despite the overwhelming odds of being single, a minority, having limited resources and family who tried to talk her out of taking this [...]

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The Path to Peace in Midlife

Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

As you can see from yesterday’s posts, I’ve been pretty stressed out about the tone and tenor of the presidential campaign lately. But today is a new day and I got to thinking it should be more about peace. For me peacefulness comes with meditation.
I learned about meditation early in life. Although [...]

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Line Up for Hatred

Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

From time to time I actually convince myself that we’ve made progress as a country and have moved beyond the blatant racism experienced by my parents and grandparents. But then that big reality check hits me in the face — this time in the form of this shocking video from a rally for Sarah [...]

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Ranting About Racism on the Campaign Trail

Posted on 14. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

OK. I know this is a blog about midlife. But part of my midlife is my identity as a Black woman in America. And right now, that part of me is outraged about the incendiary climate on race now swirling around the presidential campaign.  
Yesterday I spoke on a panel at the BlogHer conference in [...]

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On the Road Again

Posted on 13. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

Today is the BlogHer Reach-Out Conference in Washington D.C. — and I’m here!!  Later this morning I’ll be speaking on a panel about how I got into blogging.  The title — “I Blog, Therefore I Am.  How to Find Your Blogging Mojo”.  We’ll be talking about:

How or if we planned the launch and focus of [...]

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Keepers of Tomorrow

Posted on 11. Oct, 2008 by Karen.

  Forrest Whitaker is one of my favorite actors ever since I saw him years ago in “The Crying Game”.  Well yesterday I got to meet him.  He was visiting Michigan as a spokesperson for Barack Obama and met with a small group of us who are working on the campaign.  I was touched to see that this [...]

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