Finally! Time to Read

In my whole working life, I never had time to read-other than work-related tons of student writing!

Now, I'm really enjoying the time I have to read. For pure fun and enjoyment, I'm reading the Janet Evanovich series featuring Stephanie Plum, the bail-bond enforcer in New Jersey. Her escapades with her plus+plus+plus partner are always funny since the perps fleeing bail are usually neighborhood kooks. In this case an 80+ man who refuses to wear pants and doesn't show for his bail hearing.

The best character (other than Ranger) has to be Grandma Mazur. In FEARLESS FOURTEEN, she meets a teen who is battling evil with his video game. Grandma becomes "Scorch" entering the game with her two older friends-complete with black outfits (spandex, of course). It's Grandma Mazur's antics that make me laugh outloud. I haven't read the fifteenth in the series, FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN (She allows readers to title her books.)

If you like Evanovich, read the interview in TIME, June 22, 2009, in which she talks about writing, her newest book, and her aim to entertain, not as she says to "put my political agenda in your face."

Retirement...or Not

I love retirement-so far, that is. But some of my friends who are older than I and who have retired once or twice only to return to the world of work do not-I repeat-do not want to retire. They're vibrant, contributing women who are important in their chosen field.

That doesn't stop people from asking over and over when these work-loving women over 60 are opting out. Paraphrasing Jeanne Phillips of "Dear Abby," those who are tired of the retirement question could just say that retirement is a dirty word. And please don't use it around us!

You go, Girl!

We hear stories too frequently of women having purses snatched in parking lots, but this time the thief was in for a surprise.

Jean Hirst, 72, ran after the female purse snatcher so quickly that the robber tossed the purse back to her. Now I couldn't do this, but Jean was an award-winning high school runner some 56 years ago, and she was able to catch up to the teenager with no problem (as reported in MORE, June, 2009).

You make us all proud. Way to go, Jean!

Time to be Outside in the Sunshine

Sunshine and blooming flowers! The best of all seasons. I'm not anywhere near a master gardener, but my parents were at first skeptical and then very impressed that my urban husband turned out to have a very, very green thumb.

What are some of your best strategies for adding summer beauty to your house, apartment, condo, campground-wherever you like to relax during this special time?

Top This for Hero(ine)s

I know lots of women who have battled more adversity than I've yet to experience, but let me tell you about another kind of heroine.

A professional woman, a widow, mother, a grandmother, and a cancer survivor, she retired last year. What makes her a heroine? She sold her house, bought a huge truck(one of those with the electric side mirrors extending past the camper housed on the back), outfitted a camper with a plasma tv, placed the Wheaties box with her husband's picture in a camper-place of honor, included a case of almond milk(which is to drink and not, as I guessed, to use as a hand lotion) and headed out for her first volunteer job with the national parks.

If you're like me, you close your eyes (someone else is driving, of course) when you go around curves, even on interstates, and hate those concrete barriers erected for highway improvement, and are very, very afraid to look over the edge of a road high in the mountains.

She plastered a bumper sticker on that monster truck: "This isn't my boyfriend's truck!" and crossed the country by herself. Heart-stopping mountain passes, wind tunnels, and miles of construction later, she arrived in one of the southwestern states at her first assignment: helping tourists, yes, but also shoveling manure from the horse/cow whatever barn, and winding two hours back down the mountain for a latte. Now, that's a heroine!

Try to top that.

In Fashion or Not!

What about those jeans that are described as 'low rise' or 'just below the waist' ? I can't wear those without a huge belt that adds to my 'muffin top', makes me look fatter than I am, and rides even further down every time I bend just a little. Let's be real. How many younger women do you know who can wear those and still look good. The term 'muffin top' didn't come about from observation of us 60+'s, right?

I'm not psychologically ready for all-elastic waist jeans, do like ones that fit, and want to wear a belt that looks good, doesn't feel like a tourniquet around my hips. But I rebel against buying jeans that cost $100+(Talk about +'s!).


Any ideas?

We've disappeared!

With my gigantic ego, I never thought about women over 60 as not represented much at all in the tons of magazines that I read. Why should the media focus on the older gals?

But I had just turned 60 when I met 2 special women in their 70's. One the CEO of a major corporation and the other a well-known volunteer and philanthropist in our state. Both were more attractive, better dressed, and much sharper than I was at 60! As I listened to them interacting with the men on this panel, questioning and probing financial issues, I began to wonder why I never noticed women of this age before.

True, I've notices older women:

• My own grandmother, yes.
  
• My own mother, yes.
  
• As the woman in the hair salon waiting for my dye job to be done.

But as individual, vibrant women , both in retirement and working, contributing to their families,to their communities and churches , to the political scene...well, no. Thinking of them on these levels didn't occur to me much.

Once the situation settled in my brain for awhile, I started looking closely at whatever I read.

Did you know that women are given advice according to their present decade on the planet? Those in their 20's, 30's, 40's and , oh yes, the 50's+. I fall directly into the 'plus'. 'Plus' is a big category, so it seems, since 4 decades of women fall into it. I hope to be in the 'plus' area for a long time to come.

Where have I found a focus on women over 60? In blogs! Enter 'women over 60' as a search, and you'll find tons of blogs-some great, many just a cover for selling books, orthopedic devices or blue rinses. But more conversation goes on through blogs than anywhere else I've found.

Check out this one. As you know, vanity is one of my very strong points so I found the info on products useful. Also the other blogs listed on this site look interesting:

http://barbs-beauty-tips-for-babes-over-60.blogspot.com/

and the website for MORE Magazine at http://www.coverleaf.com/moremagazine

What is foremost in your mind right now? What useful blogs or sites have you found?

Waiting to hear from you!

Over60Woman