Midlife’s A Trip

You’re Never Too Old for Social Networking

Posted on 07. Mar, 2009 by Karen.

I remember the first time someone mentioned Facebook to me. My first thought — that’s for kids. And when I heard about Twitter, I thought — OMG, something else for kids. But what I’ve come to learn over the past several months is that sites like Facebook and Twitter, where I’m now active, are really amazing ways to get in touch and stay in touch with friends, family — and business contacts.

These sites are part of a phenomenon called “social networking” — a great way for those of us in midlife to stay connected, especially when it sometimes seems our personal network is shrinking.

But one picture’s worth a thousand words so take a look at this short video overview on what social networking is all about:

Would you like to know more? Let me know your questions.

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I’ve Taken a Bite of the Apple

Posted on 27. Feb, 2009 by Karen.

Well last week I took a big bite of the apple by becoming the owner of a new MacBook computer.  Macs aren’t just for college kids, you know.

What I’ve learned in these last few days is that there’s so much I can do on a Mac without adding the extra do-dads needed to achieve the same results with a PC.  I just have to learn it all.

So I’m in yet another tech learning curve.  Sometimes it’s almost scary.  I mean I didn’t grow up with computers.  In fact, the first time I had one in my house was when I bought an Atari for my son probably 25 years ago.  So this technology is almost like learning a second language for me.  Anyone else know that feeling?

I know times are tough right now but this is just the time to upgrade your tech skills and maybe even your computer to make sure you’re ready for the upswing that has to come eventually.  If you use a computer as much as I do, you can’t afford to become obsolete.  So check out the Mac online or at a local Apple store.  The great geek staff will answer all your questions and then some.

Let me know what you think.

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The Evolution of Midlife’s a Trip

Posted on 14. Jan, 2009 by Karen.

I’ve been blogging here at Midlife’s a Trip for over a year and a half.  When I started I didn’t know what I was doing.  The good news is that I know a little more than I did then.  Really — at midlife I find that there’s so much of technology that takes me just a little bit longer to learn than someone in their 30’s like my son.  But as my mother used to say

Persistence is the mother of invention.

You know you’re in midlife when you start quoting your mother — because you finally see and embrace at least some of her wisdom.  Blogging has led me to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and, more importantly to a whole new community of friends.  Sticking with blogging helped me “invent” all this for myself.

Don’t think my learning curve has ended.  Neither has yours.  That’s the beauty of midlife is that as we learn, we are constantly evolving.  And that’s what happening here on Midlife’s a Trip, the blog.  The new theme is up and over the next few days you’ll see tweaks by my web designer and friend, Tammy Pereira.

So watch the progress and give us any feedback that will make this site one you continue to enjoy.

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New Face on Midlife’s A Trip

Posted on 07. Jan, 2009 by Karen.

Lately we’ve been having some tech difficulties here at Midlife’s a Trip.  You might have noticed — spaces that shouldn’t be there, awkward formatting in the images, just not the normal look that we usually have.  I have to admit that it’s been somewhat of a bummer for me because I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

This week though I had a great meeting with my friend and web designer Tammy from Ask About Web.  She was back from a family vacation in Florida and had a virtual pile of emails from me.  What we figured out is that the theme or look of Midlife is outdated and isn’t working well with the power behind the site.  So without boring you with geek talk, it’s just plain time for a fresh new look at Midlife’s a Trip.

Be patient with us for a week or so (no pressure Tammy!).  In the meantime, if you have ideas for topics that you’d like to see discussed here on Midlife’s a Trip in 2009, please let us know

What’s on your mind?

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Karen’s Klips — Midlife Women Bloggers Meet Face to Face

Posted on 19. Aug, 2008 by Karen.

Well, this is a landmark day here at Midlife’s A Trip From time to time I feature videos from around the Internet but today I’m posting my first video made right here behind the scenes at my homebase in Michigan! It’s the result of plenty of trial and error, furniture moving and lots of laughter.

Joining me in the video is friend and fellow midlife woman blogger, Allison Allen from the great state of Texas and the awesome Women Bloom.com. Allison and I met through the growing network of midlife women bloggers and have developed a friendship and “mastermind” group. OK, OK — I’m taking my fingers off the keyboard now so you can listen to our story below:

If you could meet one of your favorite bloggers face to face, who would it be?

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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 the late 1960’s and then released him into the wild. The men are now in midlife and Christian probably still isn’t alive. But the video preserves his memory and his love for the young men who were his friends. Grab a Kleenex and watch.

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Midlife Women Bloggers on the Roll

Posted on 04. Apr, 2008 by Karen.

Check out my blogroll for a new category — Midlife Women Bloggers.  I connected with many of these women over at Blogher.com as they shared perspectives in a lively dialog about women “of a certain age” who blog.  Just from that snapshot of a conversation, it was clear that the collective wisdom here is amazing. 

Keep your eye on this community — we’re on the move!

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