Midlife’s A Trip

My Latest Eco-Accessory

Posted on 13. Aug, 2009 by Karen.

As I continue on my path to green up my little piece of the planet as much as possible, I’ve made a firm commitment to bring my own bags when I go shopping – anywhere. I don’t need another plastic or paper bag in the house. And frankly, lots of retailers are offering very cute alternatives in the form of recyclable shopping accessories. My latest, greatest favorite is the new eco-sac from Trader Joe’s – a store I visit every week. Although I have a small collection of their bags, I couldn’t resist getting this one – $1.99 investment in greening up the planet.

Continue Reading

Even More Karen’s Favorites from Britain’s Got Talent

Posted on 30. May, 2009 by Karen.

OK, now don’t say I didn’t warn you but this video will melt your heart as little UK songbird Hollie Steel gets a case of the nerves during her performance in the semi-finals. But surprisingly, she got a second chance from none other than tough as nails Simon! He really has a heart:-) She made a courageous comeback and then went on to the finals. Go Hollie!!

Continue Reading

Lessons from the Universe Revisited

Posted on 21. Mar, 2009 by Karen.

I originally wrote this post last spring as a follow-up to a discussion with my son.  It struck me then (not to make a pun) that the “lessons from the Universe” metaphor worked so well in our mother/son conversation that I should pass it on.  Well, today I’m writing again on this topic today as sort of a memo to self:

Learn the lesson already!

Have you ever had a situation keep coming up over and over again in your life. Maybe it’s a relationship with the same kind of wrong person. Or the same issue coming up again and again in your work life. Now you might think this sounds hokey but maybe – just maybe – a pattern of dealing with life issues that gives you a negative result is a sign that the Universe has a lesson for you.

Picture it like this. Every time the same crisis comes up, it’s a lesson.  If you don’t learn the lesson, you’re doomed to repeat it — over and over again.  To top it off, each time you’re faced with the lesson and don’t get it, the Universe takes a baseball bat and smacks you in the head – metaphorically speaking but it might actually feel like that.  And there’s more.

Every time you get hit with the bat, the blow hurts like hell. You recover, the crisis giving rise to the lesson goes away and you move on, whether you learned the lesson or not.  If you don’t get the lesson, inevitably the Universe presents it again and here comes the bat – Smack!  You get the drift.

So what lesson from the Universe keeps coming up in your life?

Continue Reading

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.

Continue Reading

New Year’s Resolutions and Champagne

Posted on 01. Jan, 2009 by Karen.

Happy New Year everyone!!  On this first day of 2009 that started with the popping cork of a favorite champagne, I’m inspired by more than the bubbles.  Did you know that champagne as we know it today was created by a woman!  She was Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin or better know as “la Veuve (widow) Clicquot” which, by the way, is the name of my absolutely very favorite champagne.

Madame Clicquot grew up during the French Revolution.  She was widowed in her 20s when her winemaker husband died of typhoid.  Despite the odds of being alone and a single parent, la Veuve grew the family business into an empire and became a world renowned entrepreneur at a time when women were not typically welcomed in the business world.  Demand for her champagne spread across Europe like wildfire and at one point la Veuve made the equivalent of $1 million on a single shipment of her famous product.

The story of la Veuve’s life and how she made a fortune perfecting the process of making tiny bubbles is chronicled in a recent book by Tilar J. Mazzeo.  As I read the book, it seems that la Veuve’s success was less about champagne and more about her mindset.  Her philosophy was that:

The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow.  On must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life.  Act with audacity.

So what does it mean to be audacious?  It means to act with courage, bravery, nerve — that thing the old folks called “guts”.   So as I launch into 2009, I’m following la Veuve’s recipe for success and approaching my goals with audacity.

Let’s all be audacious this year!

Continue Reading

Joy and Peace

Posted on 25. Dec, 2008 by Karen.

I’m sending wishes of joy and peace to you and yours during this holiday season.

With many thanks for your readership,

Karen

Continue Reading

Taking a Career Pulse Check

Posted on 04. Dec, 2008 by Karen.

In these uncertain economic times, so many people are feeling equally uncertain about their careers because of the growing number of lay-offs in just about every industry we used to consider stable. Are you wondering about your exposure to downsizing, maybe after having been at the same company for years? Or do you feel pretty confident that you — and your job — can weather the storm?

Take the poll below for your career pulse check. If nothing else, it may help you admit to yourself that you do have concerns and that this may be the time to consider your Plan B — just in case.

Continue Reading

Motown Meltdown?

Posted on 21. Nov, 2008 by Karen.

  Anyone else feeling the stress as the Big 3 struggle for survival through a hoped for government bailout?  I certainly am.  Never mind that I completely understand the politics behind the reluctance of Congress to fish the Detroit automakers out of the sinkhole they dug for themselves by somehow not heeding the memo to build fuel-efficient cars sooner.  It’s the same politics that resulted in the ouster today of Michigan Congressman John Dingell from his chairmanship of House Energy and Commerce committee — after 28 years. 

But when you live in and around Detroit and anywhere else in Michigan for that matter, politics doesn’t mean a hill of beans when an economic Depression is staring you in the face if GM, Chrysler or Ford goes under.   Keep up with the politics, have an opinion, armchair quarterback if you want.  But understand that in the real world these are dire times for people in Detroit, in Michigan and beyond. 

We may be headed for a Motown meltdown.

Continue Reading

Get Smiling With the Puppy Cam

Posted on 15. Nov, 2008 by Karen.

The latest craze on the Internet is the “puppy cam”. This is a live video of 6 Shibu Inu puppies who were 5 weeks old this week. Their owners just wanted to find them good homes by showing the puppies in day to day action on a live video cam. What resulted is the latest Internet craze where thousands of people are taking time out of their hectic lives to watch these cute little babies.

So if you’d like to lighten up your day, watch the puppy cam for a few minutes. If the puppies are sleeping, stop back later. They’ll be up! And yes I know this has nothing to do with midlife. But if it brings a smile to your face –

Maybe it does!