A bit about Beth

Let me say a few words about Beth, my first baby sister, who arrived in my life when I was 17 months old, still a baby myself. I don't recall ever being jealous of Beth--she was the "bug-eyed boopsie," the bubbling, effervescent outgoing little girl who made friends like nobody's business. I was in awe of her ability to attract people to her orbit. She didn't take life as seriously as I did, and that was refreshing.

My older sister Susan was the smart one, who shaped my political and intellectual sensibilities. I followed in her big footsteps at school, never quite attaining her stellar record. I'd hang out with dreamy Cindy when I was in a caregiving mood, knowing I could help her learn how to walk, or read to her. Margaret was nine years younger, and my first "baby baby" the one I could pretend was my living baby doll.

When I needed to act out, I would seek out Beth. She was my stalwart cohort during the brief period I was the neighborhood bully, walking around bending other kids' fingers back to see when they would flinch. I only did that for a few months, before our parents got divorced and we moved away from my Reign of Terror. Beth was my partner in crime when we committed the dastardly deed of telling our dad we were taking a walk--and then hitting up the local deli for forbidden M&Ms. We were sitting on the curb stuffing our faces with the contraband when Jim pulled up in his old Chevy sedan and caught us in the chocolate-encrusted act. Beth and I were restricted for something like four months for that offense.

Beth and I have taken widely divergent paths through life. She got married young and has spent most of her life as a mother to six amazing children. She's now trying to kickstart a career. She has an amazing business sense and is smarter than she realizes--and probably the funniest person I know. I adore all of my sisters, (not to mention my intriguing brother), and they have all shaped who I am.

This photo says it all. That's me, with the doll, Susan on the right (lusting after the doll), Cindy on the left--and Beth, staring at the camera.

They Say It's My Birthday...

So I made it through that dreaded sixtieth birthday unscathed. It's funny how we elevate the anticipation and mark the days till our birthday and then it comes and goes and we are startled at the fact that it is gone.

So, I am officially in my 7th decade of life. Wow.

The day before my birthday we had a staff meeting at work and I realized without a shadow of a doubt how different I am in my work place diction.

I am the oldest person here at the office (actually I seem to be the oldest person ANYWHERE these days) and although I have quit saying "bitchin" and "doobie" and psycholdelic" I am so not liking the NEW and improved work place catch-phrases (which is one in of itself). Let's go over a few...

"Team Players" analogies:

"Step up to the Plate" which in my day was, "Get the job freakin' done".
"Hit it out of the park" which in my day was "Get the freakin" job done and do it RIGHT!"
"Take one for the team." which in my day was "You are fired."

Then there is the "At the end of the Day..." phrase that annoys the hell out of me. I swear I hear that phrase a hundred times a day and I really don't get it. I mean, I think we used to say, "When all is said and done" which makes more sense to me because you can't solve every problem by the end of the day.

The NEWEST phrase that is bothering me immensely is, " That is (or isn't) in my wheelhouse". Does anyone who says that actually know what a "wheelhouse" even is?

So all these phrases were uttered in that 30 minute staff meeting and I don't know WHY I let these stupid phrases bother me but upon reflection I think it's because of the lack of imagination required in defaulting to these sayings. Originality is definitely taking a back seat in our communication skills. Also the whole "team player " idea is a bit disconcerting because I think it displays lack of originality again- that we shouldn't think independently or feel different than our coworkers and that we are all should be good little team players and play the same game.

So I am sugggesting to all that are reading this: Try today NOT to say ANY of these phrases for a month and anyone who does say them in your center of influence (another trendy phrase but necessary to make my point here).

Good luck.... !

saggy skin...

So I can't remember my first kiss. Well, actually, my fake first real kiss was playing spin the bottle with a group of friends when I was 13 and the guy who had the bottle land on him and turned to me to kiss me stuck his tongue in my mouth and I was so startled that I slugged him in a flight or fight instinct. But I am pretty sure that doesn't count. My first REAL kiss obviously was not very memorable which is pretty sad.

BUT, what I DO remember clearly and unfortunately way to often, is the first time I saw my skin sag and I knew age was working it's magic on my body.

I was the ripe old age of 38. I had just shoved three of my kids into my minivan to go pick up the fourth one from preschool. It was a balmy beautiful California afternoon. As most Moms do, I used the drive time as a form of meditation and reflection as the kids were all strapped in and captive and where unable to create havoc due to that restraint so I had a few minutes to myself to relax. I rolled the window down and stuck my arm out to catch the warm wind on my arm and enjoy the feeling of freedom albeit with only a small part of my body.  That's when it happened.  As the wind caressed my arm as the car cruised at 60 MPH, I glanced at my forearm and I saw the skin on my arm RIPPLING!!! WHAT??? I looked harder, and sure enough the skin from my elbow to my wrist was dancing around on it's own. I was so taken aback that I kept my arm out of the window the whole drive just to make certain that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. But nope. I realized right then and there that I was on the down side of youth and it made me sad but it also made me a little peaceful. I knew that the skin flapping in the wind released me a little of the pressure trying so hard to be physically perfect as our culture dictates and I needed to accept that premise.

Ohhhh, the beauty of the ignorance of youth! If I had ANY idea 22 years ago that TODAY I only have to reach for a coffee cup and I see the crepiness on my arm and that merely lifting my arm to point at something in a leisurely manner allows my skin to flap and sag I would have appreciated that it took 60 MPH in a car to cause that same effect!

Turning 60 has definite pluses  and minuses which we will talk about later, but one of the pluses of age is the realization that the picture we take today and say to ourselves, "Geez I look old!"  is the same picture we will stare at 10 years from now and say "Geez I looked so young!"

Enjoy it ALL.......

Hunger

I've been trying hard the last few years to focus on what I need in life, not what I want. Simplify. Ask myself every time I want to buy something unnecessary: do I really NEED this? I have a nice, small house, clothes, food on the table, books (a library card), friends, family. I feel lucky. Really lucky.

One of my recent goals has been to try to give back. And when I think about what my big issue is, where I would like to focus my energy out into the world, I know that it's hunger. I feel as if no one in this country should go to bed hungry. I won't get on that soapbox now, but recently I have spent a little time working at a local food pantry. For a couple of hours on Saturdays I can help organize boxes of food to hand out to people who need it. Really need it. There's so much hunger in the world.

Last weekend, hundreds of people filed through the food pantry as I packed up little lunch bags for kids. Toward the end of the morning, I saw a grandma with two small children come through the line. The little girl had on a beautiful pink coat and a fuzzy animal hat; her brother was wearing a dark green jacket and a baseball cap. They were no older than five, both bundled up against the winter and it was obvious they had been through this gathering food drill. The little boy looked up at me and said something I couldn't quite hear, and he held out a plastic bag. I had to ask him to say it again...he pushed the bag at me and mumbled, "I want to donate this." I took the bag and looked in--there were two tiny Army men and two toy trucks. The food pantry doesn't take toys, but this kid really wanted to give back. He didn't need the toys anymore, he needed food. And he wanted to give something back.

I didn't want the toys to get tossed out when the room was cleaned up. I brought them home and added them to my other small treasures. Good reminders of focusing on what I need.

BETH -Turning 60....

If ONE more person says to me in that cute-sing- songy voice, "Oh 60 is the new 40, girl- you look GREAT!" I will scream! Interesting enough, every last person who says that condescending but well intended line, is usually skating by in their 30's and 40's and has no clue how daunting it is to turn the proverbial corner into the last inning of life.
Yep. I'll be 60 this month. But that in and of itself is not the only event in my life that is scaring the crap out of me. I am also starting a new career in a new city in a world of corporate "30=somethings" at a time when most people are winding down their careers and looking forward to pina coladas on the beach.

After successfully raising 6 kids for a career, I  decided to venture forward and try the real estate biz as a new endeavor. I realized that the small town that I had resided in for the last 25 years with my children was not the best location for this industry so I moved my little self to Las Vegas! Go big or go home is obviously MY motto! This is a new life with new rules and I look forward to this adventure with a bit of trepidation, a bit of excitement and a great deal of anxiety.

Sit back, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride with me!

Beginnings

Today was the first Monday work day of 2015. I left the house at 5:15 a.m. and rode five separate trains to get to my office in Newark, where I work as a corporate communicator for a major financial services company. It's a really good company; I'm not the youngest person there. In fact, I'm typically the oldest person in a meeting now, which is an interesting twist on my career.

It was dark when I left the house, it was dark when I returned at 8:20 p.m. My shoulders hurt from hauling a laptop bag on those trains and through the stations and streets. The job is good and challenging. I am hoping my brain and body keep up. I'll write more about this new gig as we continue the blog--right now I just wanted to get this started as I know Beth has a LOT to say.

She's the extravert. I'm the opposite. Hope our readers enjoy what we have to say.