Creating Your Backyard Paradise By blogNo matter what style you're going for - a visit to the desert, an English garden or a tropical paradise - you can create a backyard escape with the help of container gardens.Here’s how: Select a container with drainage holes and one that mimics the color and feel of the location you are trying to recreate. Use troughs, stone or other containers made from neutral colors when growing succulents. The container should complement, but not overpower the simple beauty of the desert plants.
Love and the Mind By blog“How beautiful would it be to find someone who is in love with your mind?” One of the often ignored advantages to finding love later in life is finding someone who sees past your surface beauty. That special someone who takes the time to look all the way into your mind and your soul. This is a true gift of aging!This is an advantage I had no idea of back in early 2005 when I finally met the partner I had been seeking my whole life.
Back to School After 50? By blogI work with many women who are experiencing career burnout, entering the empty nest, or recently divorced, and who are looking for a new way to be productive, fulfilled and financially stable. Often they ask “Should I go back to school?” Or “Is it too late for me to finish my college degree?” Let me first address that word should. Many of us live our lives in accordance with what we think we should be doing, not what we want to do.
The Wedding Planner By blogThis is the third blog in a series. To read the first series, click here: Archive: The ThirdAge Romance Saga of Sally Franz.When you are in your 20s and getting married for the first time it is likely that this is the first large event you have had to plan. It can be overwhelming and something always goes wrong. It levels many a young bride into a fit of sobbing tears.
Love Insurance: How to Protect Your Most Valuable Asset By blogMost of us spend a considerable amount of money on car insurance to protect us in the event of an accident. We spend even more for health insurance to help pay for expenses should we get sick. We get life insurance to help our families after we are gone. But few of us even consider getting “Love insurance” to protect our relationship from small or catastrophic accidents that can befall us.
Death and Chickens By blogWe live on a farm. My kids have seen chickens “born” and chickens die. Some of our chickens have died of old age, some of our chickens have been eaten by the dog, and some of our chickens have been eaten by us. My middle daughter casually calls this “the cycle of life.” :-)This past year a whole generation of our pets died off. For a while we even had a goldfish in the freezer awaiting official burial in our pet cemetery.
The Discussion By blogI recently bumped into someone I’ve known for seventeen years. The moment I asked the standard “How are you?” I got the standard pleasantries – and then a discussion of a family conflict this person has been engaging in ever since I first knew her. While I listened to the oft-repeated story, I thought, “How I wish they could find peace.”If a problem or conflict is in its painful early stages, I know that I myself feel better when I vent and pour my heart out to anyone who’s willing to listen. It’s comforting to discuss the problem and to get support from others.
The "Alzheimer's Movie" By blogThere are hundreds and hundreds of books on the topic of the Alzheimer’s disease, the brain and brain health. But there are few novels that feature the disease as its central plot. One single novel stands out. “Still Alice” is the best-selling book written by first-time author Lisa Genova, a Harvard-educated neuroscientist. Published in 2009, “Still Alice” is a moving, compelling and heart-breaking work of fiction that totally captures the experience of early-onset Alzheimer’s. If you have not read it, I highly recommend you do. This book will move you to tears.
Red Wine: Good, Bad, Yes, No? Who Should We Believe? By blogIt wasn't all that long ago that there was great joy among lovers of red wine and chocolate. The announcement that these two treats (or necessities, depending on the person) could be good for you was very welcome news.
Male Menopause: No Longer a Myth, But a Medical Reality By blogMy search to understand male menopause began in the early 1990s and was both personal and professional. Personally, I was nearing the age of 50 and my wife was telling me something was wrong. “You’re hormonal,” she told me. “It’s like you’re going through menopause or something.” At first I laughed at the idea. But professionally many of my male clients were experiencing prostate problems, erectile dysfunctions, anger, depression, and other symptoms that I was learning were related to the “change of life.”
Gardening Restores Body And Soul By blogI was reflecting this week about how much I enjoy having a little garden. As I thought about this, I couldn't help but think of all of the benefits a garden provides.Think of the enjoyment as you plan your plantings in the spring, and then the anticipation of seeing the first sprouts of green peeking up through the soil. Then you look forward to the beautiful greens, flowers, vegetables or fruit that arrive as gifts from nature.Having a garden in your life can be restoring.
Time For A Deep Cleaning By blogAre you ready for some cleaning? Not the kind where you clean out your closet, wash your windows or freshen up your home accessories. I’m talking about DEEP cleaning! Clearing your mind, body and spirit of the limiting beliefs that are keeping you from reaching your full God-given potential, so you can move forward with a lightness in your step and joy in your heart. There is no better time than today to begin a midlife cleanse!
What Nobody Tells You About Losing Weight By blogWhat is weight loss, really? It’s not what it seems. Seriously. And that’s where folks get into trouble.They think weight loss is a magic cure all. That once they hit their goal, the work is done. In their minds, they might know better. But then there’s that part that wants, well, the magic.I know, because I used to think this way.
I’ll Never Fall in Love Again By blogThis is the first blog in a series. To read the series, click here: Archive: The ThirdAge Romance Saga of Sally Franz.“I am sooooooo over marriage! I obviously have a broken picker and will never ever date again unless at least 45 of my closest friends approve of my choice.” Yes, I said those words and I meant every word when I signed my second divorce papers. Heck, even long term relationships that end can feel like divorce. And I have had scads of those.
Fibromyalgia Awareness By blogMay 12th was Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. I marked that day by introducing my new project, 101 Answers About Fibromyalgia.This project is dedicated not only to those who have fibromyalgia, but to those who love people who have fibromyalgia. The goal is to collect at least 101 questions about the condition and gather the answers from different experts around the world.Regular visitors to my blog know that I've written about fibromyalgia before, both here and for other outlets.
The Power of Shame By blogI have always wondered at the power of shame to shape our worlds. So much so, that when I began my six month counseling internship at a rehab hospital, I knew within weeks that my M.A. thesis would be about shame. We have so much shame in our culture around aging and disability! In my thesis I explain the Chinese word for I’m sorry: 对不起, which means literally “I cannot look up at you.” That’s exactly what shame feels like.
How to Age Beautifully and Gracefully By blogAging beautifully and gracefully is all about accepting the aging process and embracing it. As we feel great on the inside, we look fabulous on the outside too. Wrinkles and lines add character, softened skin glows as we move with ease through life. Enjoy my advice on making choices that will help you stay healthy and happy so you can, in turn, age beautifully and gracefully. Live in a Place of Gratitude
Five Sex-Positive Results of Celibacy By blogLet’s define celibacy versus abstinence. The terms are often used interchangeably, yet for the purposes of this article, they are two different concepts. According to the website Wait Until Marriage, abstinence is defined as the absence of sexual intercourse, whereas celibacy is the avoidance of all forms of sexual activity. People who abstain from sex often date, kiss and have oral sex. Abstinence is a method of managing potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Many people of faith also want to wait until marriage to engage in full sexual relations. Celibacy is a way of being that avoids all sexual situations. This can often demand the avoidance of dating altogether, as it did for me.