Midlife’s A Trip

50 Plus Woman Does a Disco Christmas

Posted on 25. Dec, 2009 by Karen.

If you’re 50-something like me, you probably remember disco dancing. When I hear that music it brings back fun memories of my younger days. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to create this crazy disco, celebrate the holidays, celebrate my fifties video. I hope you enjoy it and the spirit of this wonderful holiday season.

Merry Christmas to all!!

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The Real 4th of July

Posted on 04. Jul, 2009 by Karen.

This post is in honor of my ancestors William Hood and Sgt. Edward Lee who fought in the Revolutionary War and made many sacrifices to lay the foundation for an America that is the home of the brave and the land of the free.

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4th of July – The First Reality Show

Posted on 03. Jul, 2009 by Karen.

I wish I could claim authorship of this interesting essay on the men who bravely stepped forward to create the Declaration of Independence but I can’t. It was written by an unknown author and sent to me by a friend. I typically don’t post email stories here on Midlife’s A Trip. But today, I’m making an exeption.

You see – anything about the 4th of July has special meaning to me because I have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. For them the fight for freedom was no walk in the park.

Their day to day struggles were America’s first reality show. I hope as you read below about the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence that you gain a better appreciation for the sacrifices all the patriots made to bring us the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

4th of July

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor..

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.  Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters.. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. It’s time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

In memory of those who fought to make America land of the free and home of the brave.

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Happy New Year from Midlife’s A Trip

Posted on 01. Jan, 2009 by Karen.

This video is a great song by Abba about a vision of a world where everyone is a friend.  We’re a long way from that but maybe we can start to make it happen right here in this little corner of the blogosphere.  So to my friends and wonderful readers here at Midlife’s a Trip, here’s wishing you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

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Gifts on the Cheap

Posted on 09. Dec, 2008 by Karen.

The holiday shopping season is upon us–and digging into our wallets.  But many wallets are staying shut.  I know my wallet isn’t open like years past when the warm feelings of holiday cheer often had me spending more than I should on Christmas presents.  I also know I’m in good company as many people figure out how to do Xmas on the cheap.  And when I use this word, I’m not talking about gifts that are shoddy or poor quality.  I’m talking about being frugal and creative in expressing affection through gift giving–especially during these difficult economic times.  It’s something we’ve needed to get back to for a while.

Last Christmas, my then 3 year old niece–the Peanut had her eyes and desires set on a car.  Not just any car but a car she could sit in, specifically the Power Wheels Pink Barbie Escalade.  Pretty cool huh?  Peanut thinks so.  The price tag is cool too–$349.99!!!  For a toy!  Meno Mom (frugal mother of Peanut) was swayed by Peanut’s pleading for a minute.  Then she came to her senses and said if anyone in their house was getting a car that you can sit in, it was going to be Meno Mom.  The Peanut did not get the pink Barbie car last year. 

It’s hard to make that decision not to buy the gift someone really wants.  But these days it’s time to go back, whenever possible, to that old adage “it’s the thought that counts”.  In a recent post on one of my favorite websites Women Bloom, there’s a great list of homemade gifts that inspire the creativity and respect the wallet.  Check it out for some meaningful gifts that you can make before the holidays.  I’m knitting a few gifts as we speak.  Of course, I do a lot of knitting and little finishing so we’ll see how close I can get to the finish line before Xmas.

Another way to be frugal in gift-giving–dare I mention the word.  Re-gifting.  How crass!  Well these days maybe not.  Maybe it’s the best way to send a gift you received but didn’t love or use along to someone who would really enjoy it.  What do you have that might be a wonderful re-gift target?

The whole point of the holidays, at least from my perspective is to make those you love happy while not breaking the already cracked piggy bank.  I’m always open to ideas.

If you were to give a gift that was meaningful and on the cheap, what would it be?

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Beyond Black Friday – Holiday Shopping for Seniors

Posted on 29. Nov, 2008 by Karen.

I didn’t go out on Black Friday this year but I remember the many times in the past when I did — running around looking for the latest greatest, must-have, got-to-get-it-now gift for someone on my holiday shopping list.  But not once do I recall a Black Friday that included racing around searching frantically for a gift for one of the elders in my family.  In fact, they never said “hey I have to have this, that or the other”.  They really didn’t ask for anything at all except to hear from me or, better yet, a nice visit.  According to the Eldercare Team, this is the best gift of all:

What’s a good gift for an elderly person who doesn’t need more “stuff” cluttering up the house?  December is the biggest gift-giving season, but all year long we’re faced with birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions when we have to find great gift ideas for seniors. The best gift for an elderly person is your time and attention:  time to talk, to listen, to do things together.

But if you’re like me and want to add a gift that seniors can touch and feel, think about approaching shopping from a different perspective to come up with something that’s appealing and useful – before the last minute.  Online shopping has helped me refine that process so I can find the gift that will bring a smile to my 89-year old mother’s face when she opens it on Christmas Day – despite her severe dementia. 

Caring.com has put together a well-thought out list with innovative gift ideas including a couple of my favorites – Life Bio, a journaling project to help a loved one in the early stages of Alzheimer’s preserve precious family memories and the Jitterbug, a cell phone easy for the non-techie senior (or anyone else for that matter) to understand and use.  To be honest, I’m not quite sure about the Pleo robotic dinosaur on this list as an alternative to a traditional pet, but you may just know the techie senior who’ll love this little fellow.  Whether you find what you’ll looking for or not, this list is a good starting point for inspiration.

As I wrote this article, I was reminded how quickly I’m moving down the path to senior hood.  So while the elders in my life tend to be in their 80s, the gift items and resources listed here are often appropriate for a variety of ages from the fifties on up.  While you’re online there are some interesting websites focused on this broad niche.  For instance, Gifts for Seniors and the Senior Emporium are like the supermarkets of great gift ideas.  And if you’re in the market for a luxury item, check out Elderluxe.  First Street Online is a good shopping venue for the elderly AND for those in midlife. 

For more specialized gifts, stop by Guardian Alert 911 and Life Alert for home alert systems for safety and to help preserve personal independence.  A big button memory phone or a day date clock are the new “must-haves”.  Also Landel, My Celery and Presto offer low-tech email options for the person who wants to stay in touch but not deal with a computer.

One of my recent favorite online sites is The Alzheimer’s Store where I’ve found a myriad of gifts and everyday necessities for the memory-challenged like my mother.  Unique offerings here include the wooden Handyman’s Box with its familiar feel and the life-like lavender-scented baby doll we bought earlier this year for Mom.  It still brings tears to my eyes as I remember the joy on her face as she took this “baby” into her arms for the first time. 

If you want to go the time-honored traditional route of giving sleepwear, I’ve found with my mother that L.L.Bean offers the best selection because they have petite sizes for women.  Check out the easy-care, easy-wear Zip Front Women’s Fleece Robe, the Men’s Fleece Robe and the Men’s Flannel PJs.

And for all of us who are feeling the budget crunch as we shop this holiday season, here’s a list  of 10 gifts for $50 and under for seniors:

1. Pick up a large print keyboard for those who are online but have some vision challenges.
2. Make a cozy polar fleece blanket with these easy photo directions – just scroll down the page.  My sister and I have made lots of these inexpensive gifts which go over really well in our cold Michigan weather.  This and any other crafts made with love are treasured and budget-conscious gifts.
3. The Life Bio Memory Journal mentioned is a project where you and your loved one can carve out precious time together as you preserve family memories.
4. For the senior who loves to garden, make time outside a little more comfortable with the Garden Hopper.
5. Big button phones get double mention in this article – they’re great!
6. The unisex Polar Fleece Lap Wrap/Shawl from Janska is a great gift for anyone.  I’ve been a Janska fan for years because everything is made out of polar fleece, very practical for people with limited mobility and just plain comfy for the rest of us. 
7. L.L.Bean’s Women’s Pima Cotton Flannel PJs – these fit women of all sizes very well, are comfortable and warm.
8. Cozy Men’s Fleece Scuffs for around the house.
9. Activity Lap Pillow - this is what I’m getting my mom for Christmas this year.  She needs something to fiddle with instead of her once busy hands lying idle.
10. Sentimental Sing-a-long DVDs are a great for a memory boost and a little fun. 

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The Great Thing About Thanksgiving and Bloggers

Posted on 26. Nov, 2008 by Karen.

It’s Thanksgiving eve and I’m about to start making the cranberry sauce that’s my main contribution for our multi-family potluck dinner tomorrow.  But I’m bringing something else.  It’s my attitude of gratitude.

Lately I’ve been doing some pissing and moaning here at Midlife’s A Trip and offline as well.  I won’t regale you with the list because — hey, it’s all in the past anyway.  What’s really important is right here, right now.  And for me that includes being grateful for:

1. My computer to even write this post
2. My 89 year old mother who’s still with us for yet another holiday
3. Wonderful family and friends including, of course, my 4 year old niece, the Peanut
4. A roof over my head
5. Food on the table
6. My health and
7. My ability to envision the possibilities in my life.

Thanksgiving is a day that reminds us to put gratitude up front and center in our lives.  Sometimes it’s hard to do that in these uncertain times.  But come on — if we can do it on one special Thursday in November, can’t we figure out how to own our gratitude the other 364 days of the year.  I guess by now you’ve realized that I’m speaking as much to myself as to anyone else who might reading this.

The great thing about blogging is that sometimes I actually listen to the wisdom that bubbles out of me.  And often it takes this wonderful online community of bloggers and readers to bring it out.  So let me express my gratitude for you and to you for stopping by, reading my midlife musings and just being there. 

I am so grateful for you.  Happy Thanksgiving.

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Spring Karen’s Kick-Ass Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Posted on 24. Nov, 2008 by Karen.

  My sister, Meno Mom and I were just planning our family Thanksgiving.  Usually turkey day would be hustle and bustle as my sister creates a masterpiece holiday dinner with turkey, cornbread dressing (yes, like Grandma used to make), greens, macaroni and cheese and the best sweet potato pie I’ve ever had.  The rest of us provide the sides and big appetites because Meno Mom has become the star cook in our family.  And we have become the sous chefs to her genius because we know a good thing when we see it. 

This year though Meno Mom will have a more relaxing Thanksgiving. We’re having a pot-luck dinner with friends.  Meno Mom will still make her sweet potato pies and I will be mixing up my signature “kick-ass” cranberry sauce — the best around!  Ask my family — they clamor for the yummy sweet-tart stuff I make from scratch. 

It’s a far cry from the jellied cranberry sauce my mom used to pop out of a can for Thanksgiving dinners past.  I still remember that round tube of cranberry sauce that sat in a dish on our holiday table still showing the imprint from the ridges inside the can.  Of course that didn’t really make a difference to us.  We’ve always been a family who loved turkey and dressing with our cranberry sauce.

As I get ready to pull out the big pot and ingredients, I wanted to share my recipe with you.  So unless you’re wedded to sauce in the can (which some people are), this recipe is a pretty easy way to bring some big smiles your way on Thanksgiving.  And since this is a virtual pot-luck, I’m going to use a new technology to share my recipe with you.  It’s called Springpad.

Springpad is a great new and free online site that helps you simplify your life even during the holidays.  I asked Katin Miller from Springpad the best way to share my cranberry sauce recipe and she said ”Just spring it!“  Click on the link below, sign up and grab my recipe:

SpringIt! 

If you like to share a recipe back to keep the virtual pot-luck going or if you’re just intrigued by this new way of sharing recipes or any info for that matter, watch the video Katin created below:

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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 in those days, little girls didn’t get to wear make-up under any circumstances, except of course — on Halloween.

Here are some of the costumes I had in my youth:

• Annie Oakley — with lipstick
• A bumble bee with sequins — and lipstick
• A princess — with lipstick
• A Wizard of Oz flying monkey — with lipstick
• A bunny rabbit recycled from the flying monkey costume — with lipstick
• A gypsy (I hate to think of the many years I dressed up as a negative ethnic stereotype) — with lipstick and
• Morticia from The Addams Family — with lipstick
• A lot of others I can’t even remember — with lipstick.

The goal was always to try to sneak past my mother’s vigilant eye and go to bed with the lipstick still on.  That way, I figured, I could sneak off to school the next day with a whole new aura of sophistication emanating from my faded, smeared but still red lipstick from the night before.  It never happened.

As soon as we hit the house after trick-or-treating, Mom had the big jar of cold cream open and ready.  If memory serves, the brand of that vile goop she used was called “Albolene” and when Mom was done smearing it all over my face, there was no trace of lipstick to be found — always one of the low points of my childhood.

The residual of those memories of past Halloween lingers on in my long-time practice of wearing lipstick almost always.  These days my lipstick may not be red but I never leave home without it. 

So what will I be this Halloween.  I’m showing up as “aunt” to Peanut, my four-year old niece who, I hear through the grapevine, will be dressed as a “diva pumpkin fairy” with wings, a faux fur jacket, faux fur boots with silver trim and many layers underneath to keep her warm.  Apparently Peanut had final decision-making authority over her costume.  But when she comes over to trick-or-treat, we’ll add the final touch to both of our costumes — lipstick.  After all, it’s a family tradition!

What was your favorite Halloween get-up?

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Lest We Forget

Posted on 26. May, 2008 by Karen.

As I get ready to fire up the grill and throw the burgers and hot dogs on, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the reason why we celebrate Memorial Day. The picture below says it all. I just hope we get the point soon that there are enough white crosses already marking the graves of American men and women who have given service and their lives in honor of country. We don’t need anymore. So lest we forget . . .

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Mother’s Day for Peace

Posted on 11. May, 2008 by Karen.

I remember from my childhood that the mothers in our neighborhood didn’t just mother their own children but all of us. Those mothers, like many others, saw their role as reaching beyond the boundaries of family. They knew intuitively–somehow, someway–that it truly “takes a village to raise a child”.

As we gather with our families and loved ones today to celebrate the wonderful mothers in our lives, this video is a reminder of that more global role of motherhood and how the collective power of mothers can move us towards a world filled with peace.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers who visit here at Midlife’s A Trip. I’m wishing you a day of love and peace.

Always,

Karen

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The Ultimate New Year’s Resolution

Posted on 02. Jan, 2008 by Karen.

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Roquamole–The New Friendship Food

Posted on 29. Dec, 2007 by Karen.

For Christmas I bought myself Nigella Express, the new cookbook by food diva Nigella Lawson.  As I sat one evening reading and savoring the recipes, I came across one that demanded immediate attention.  It’s called Roquamole. 

Roquamole is this incredible creative blend of avocado and Roquefort cheese.  If each of these two foods appeal to you individually, then you’ll love this dish.  Just mix together these ingredients and serve with blue corn tortilla chips:

1 cup crumbled Roquefort

1/4 cup sour cream

2 ripe avocados mashed

1/4 cup sliced pickled green jalapenos coarsely chopped

2 T finely sliced scallions

1/4 t paprika

Now the only problem I found with this dish was getting it out of my kitchen.  I warn you that tasting is dangerous because you won’t be able to stop.  But if you heed my warning, then you can share it with a friend, which is exactly what I did.

Joyce, my best friend of fifty years, was in town for the holidays.  We got together on a cold winter afternoon this week and shared old stories, Rocquamole and a great bottle of Chateau Peyre-Lebade.  It was one of the best times I had this holiday season.  Thanks Nigella for giving me a great new friendship dish.  This is a keeper.

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