Category Archives: Mixed media

Jan25

Embrace the Journey

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Many of us have the idea that when we age, we can get comfortable. Maybe too comfortable! I’m one of them….. I love a soft turtleneck, and a pair of comfortable jeans. Is that wrong?

As we age with grace, and dignity we feel a lack of energy, and maybe loose the desire to keep ourselves up.

It’s a lot of work to be beautiful, and desirable, and after all why would I want to get all gussied up for who? My husband and I rarely care to go out. We find it safe and cozy to stay in, curl up, and watch a movie on TV. Not only are we not interested in going out, we are tired of trying to fit into what we all think is right for each of us. I don’t get gussied up. Here in Southern California that holds an entirely different meaning. A cleaned up casual is the Gussied up of the California Coastal people. The older we get the less gussied we become!

Other places however may have an entirely different idea of gussied up. In my mind the East Coast peopled get dressed up far more than we ever do. Maybe it’s the climate, maybe just the culture, I’m really not sure.

I believe these ladies live in New York, and they definitely dress up the street of their city.

We all have our own way of feeling dressed up. And, it’s my belief that we can get dressed up, and feel good about our selves without being guessed up. Here in California, and probably in many other places, getting dressed up means wearing a pair of jeans, a teeshirt, or a blouse, maybe a sweater or jacket, scarf, and a splash of color maybe even lip gloss.

Oh Yes, we are casual, very casual. But we can look good even though we are so laid-back.

Don’t anyone under estimate us though, we can, and do get amazing things done. We can get over the top dressed up, or we can get down and dirty with the rest of them. You might say we are camillians, and I think we can be!

Regardless, in my mind as we age, and are retired, we need to be as comfortable as we choose. That gives us a huge leeway for being exactly who we are, and how we want to be.

Thank you for reading my blog, remember “Together We Stand,” Karen

Images, and Videos are all three from You Tube. Thank you for the content.

Jan11

Whiskers or Wandering Hairs?

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Hair… As long as it’s on the top of my head, I’m ok with hair!

It seems that we ladies are blessed with hair in places we never would have guessed. I once had a very “sturdy” single hair above my right eyebrow on my forehead. I was in my forties at the time, and quite appalled. Rightly so, who in their forties gets a whisker on her forehead? One day I pulled it out, and it never returned.

That’s not all. I routinely check for wandering hairs on my chin, cheeks, and in my nose. Oh yeah, they are there also! Interestingly, while we continue to grow unwanted hairs all over our bodies, the hair on the top of our heads either gets wiry, or thin and falls out. Hair stylists call the thin hair “Frog Fuzz.” And now we either have to deal with pubic hair on the top of our heads, or no hair at all.

This feels like a great time to start considering wearing hats!!

But that’s not all, After checking myself all over this morning, and deciding I was ok to leave the house. But, on my way to do grocery shopping I felt something on my right arm. Maybe it was a bug or fly that had come in through the window.

Glancing down at my arm to see what had landed onto my skin, only to realize (GASP), it was my very own hair flapping around. Some of the hairs had grown to a very healthy two inches. Yikes, not this too! Who is it that is playing these cruel and nasty jokes? In the over all scheme of things, this isn’t a big deal. But in my world, it’s just one more thing I need to shave, or pluck and I’m not liking that much.

By the way, if you are a friend of mine, and I see a hair protruding from somewhere it never would have grown from, I’m obligated by the laws of girlfriend hood to point it out! Don’t be embarrassed, I can’t help myself. And what’s good for the goose….tell me if you see something sticking out that shouldn’t be, please tell me. I’d rather a friend tell me than find out later that I did lunch with my financial advisor, and had a whisker growing out of the top of my nose! Thank you in advance!

How about you? Do you have the same annoyances, or are you going to deny any rogue hairs grow in places you never imagined? I don’t blame you, I don’t want to admit the appearance of yet another happy accident on my nose, or arm.

All in all, these aren’t the worst things that could happen to us. They are annoying, but not life threatening. So after we take care of those annoyances, just take a deep breath, and know you are beautiful, and doing the best you can.

I hope I’ve set up my blog so you can comment, and let me know how you feel. If not, I’m working on it.

Until next time, Together we Stand! Karen

The picture above, and all the videos are from You Tube

Dec21

Fun, What’s That?

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Lady in a hat.

We all had fun years ago. Some more than others. Sure life isn’t always a bowl of chuckles, and it comes differently to each of us, but at one time or another we had real fun. I hope in our own way, we still do have fun.

Growing old isn’t always fun, and it definitely isn’t for the faint of heart! Since we can’t change any of the old age stuff, negativity is a waist of time. I’m not waisting my time being grumpy, and complaining. The flip side of that is always being positive. That isn’t always easy either. What I can tell you is that each time you have a negative thought, be it nasty or just plain down, if that thought is replaced with a positive thought it will go a long way. Of course, that’s difficult also. But, if you keep doing it, soon it will work. I’ll be the first to admit that the bad stuff doesn’t go away, but before you know it, those negative thoughts will be much less consuming.

Dr. Weil from the University of Arizona is a man I’ve listened to for years. He is progressive in the sense that he believes we can go a long way by thinking positive. He also believes in clean food, but that is an entirely different blog..

Since we are heading into the Holiday season, I’m keeping this short. As usual, these are my ideas and opinions, you don’t have to agree with me. I’m ok with that, I think we should all have our own opinions.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy Chanukah, and if you have a different holiday you celebrate, I wish for you a magical holiday. Much love.

Thank you for stopping to read my blog,

Together we Stand, Karen

Nov16

Spots or are they Freckles?

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We all have them, the question is what do we do with them? What can we do?

When I was around nine or ten years old, I spent a lot of time with my Grandma. Grandma’s mother was from Scotland, and had bright red hair and a personality to match. My Grandma also had bright red hair, I don’t know about her personality, she didn’t seem very fiery to me. Grandma was always patient with all of us kids, and very kind to us. By the time I was old enough to spend time with her, she had gray hair, and lots of freckles! I mean all over her arms, her legs, and some on her face. I loved her so much that I use to sit and wish for freckles like my Grandma’s.

I now wonder if they were all freckles or…..were they age spots like we get as we get older? I’ll never know now, but be careful what you wish for! I now have spots!! I wished for them, and I was given them! I just hope I didn’t wish for something I’ve since forgotten and will get the shock of my life one morning upon awakening.

“Freckles are small, concentrated spots of melanin on the skin, often appearing on areas exposed to the sun, such as the arms. They can be a beautiful and natural part of one’s appearance. Embracing freckles can lead to a positive body image and self-acceptance.

To celebrate arms adorned with freckles:

  • Acknowledge Their Uniqueness: Freckles can highlight your individuality and tell a story about your experiences in the sun.
  • Skin Care: Consider moisturizing to keep your skin healthy and radiant. Sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from further sun damage, which can also intensify freckling.
  • Makeup Tips: For those who want to minimize their appearance, using a light foundation or tinted moisturizer can help create an even skin tone. On the other hand, embracing them with a sheer, glowy highlighter can enhance their natural beauty.
  • Fashion Choices: Wearing sleeveless outfits can showcase your lovely arms, allowing you to embrace and celebrate your freckles.

Remember, freckles are a unique and lovely feature that many people cherish. Embrace them with confidence!” This information is donated to us from AI.

So you see, we should be proud of all the spots we were given.

It’s funny, but as I age I certainly have a different attitude. Of course, I want to look my best, and I put effort into that, but there are so many things we need to learn to live with that a thousand or more spots really doesn’t have much weight any more. So much of what we have to deal with in older age is difficult, some things unbelievable, and shocking. I’m healthy, I don’t always feel good but those are the days I treat myself gently.

We’re all in the same boat, and it gives me a small sense of comfort to know my sisters and I are all in this together.

Together we stand, Karen

Oct5

Empowering Women: Finding Your True Self

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Empowering Women: Finding Your True Self
Sisters
Sisters

What did you aspire to when you were younger? Was it a secretary, waitress, entrepreneur, or something more interesting?

For me…I was raised by two only children, & the ideas of both my parents was a bit antiquated. But, I know they did the best they could with what knowledge they had at the time.  

My father believed that you graduate from High School.  The plan for a woman was to get married, have children, & care for your family.  Antiquated even then!  That’s wonderful if that’s what you want to do, & I thought I did. I really admire women that can be homemakers, and be content doing that.  For me, I was proud to have a home of my own, & care for my family.   But, I soon realized I wanted more!   But what?

I think for many of us, it might have been the same.  Did we ever reach our goals?  Some of us were smart enough to continue on to a higher education.   Good call ladies...  I wish I had the insight, and maybe a lot of courage to do so.  Some of us were able to create a career from the things we learned in school.   Kudos to the rest of us!

That being said,  here we are.   We are finished with carriers, children, & in some cases our grandchildren that are over being with Grandma!   My youngest grandchild is a boy, & now fourteen.   By fourteen,  & especially boys,  are finished with Grandma.  They are on to carving their own place in their own world.  Granted this world is smaller than ours, but that’s what they know!  Some of us have lost our spouses, some not. 

It’s time ladies, for us to concentrate on our own selves.  Do we know who we are?  Who we want to be when we grow up?  Personally, I’m always trying to figure that out. 

For me, each day I learn something new, & try some new art technique (because I’m an artist).   That’s what makes me tick.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, my own children, and my grandchildren.  I love my friends, and I get much inspiration, and support from all of them.

Us Girls
Girls day!

In the next couple of weeks, I would like to see that you are all trying to figure out what makes you happy, what you can do even if it’s on a small basis to make yourself content. Something that you can do that fits into your lifestyle.

I know we all don’t have the same kind of energy, or stamina so it will be different for each of us.

Until then, be happy, and content!

Thank you for taking time to read my blog. Each of you makes a difference to me.

We stand together, Karen

Sep26

A Little Halloween Fun

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A Little Halloween Fun

Since I don’t really participate in Halloween any more, I thought I’d post a little collection of Halloween treasures my girlfriends and I have made over the years.

The pumpkin is real with succulents hot glued to the top. As long as you spray the succulents with water every couple of days, they last quite a long time.

I’ll bet you can’t imagine how much fun I had creating skulls! Each different, with their own personality.

The little skulls are even fun to decorate…

This skull is my favorite. By the time I painted, and decorated it, it started to speak to me. Something only artists may understand .

I hope you enjoyed seeing all my skulls, now I just have to pull them out this year.

Happy Halloween

Together we stand, Karen