Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?
One Floor House. As I get older my arthritis is getting worse and my ability to climb stairs is like trying to scale Mt. Everest. I suffer from chronic back pain along with joint pain. My knees and other joints sound like Rice Krispies. You know Snap, Crackle & Pop!
As Lil Abner from the comics used to say, “If I had my ‘Druthers” My wish would be for a one story one level home with No Stairs.
What was your favorite subject in school?
English and History.
Complete this sentence: If only the rain..
would come when I’m in my house and can stay indoors until it stops!! Rain, snow and any precipitation is cause for joint pain so who knows I might move to a drier climate once I retire.
My Favorite Season is Summer! I Love Heat, Sunshine, Warmth. Must be my African blood. I wish New York’s climate was more like California, Hawaii or Florida. Summer gives me the opportunity to wear dresses and skirts. I tend to get out more because the weather is good during the summer. Going to the park, the beach, just being able to soak in the sun’s rays is my ideal dream. I Love seeing the trees and flowers in bloom, walking through the grass and enjoying nature.
Foggy Misty Morn Central Park
My least favorite season is winter. I HATE cold, ice, snow, & freezing temps. Ugh!! Housebound. Hibernating (NOT!!) Traveling in snow and ice is dangerous. Fear of falling and breaking my limbs. Transportation can be iffy and who wants to stand outside in the snow, sleet and/or ice waiting for a bus or train?! Yuck!! Having to spend 20 minutes putting on 5 layers of clothing is not sexy!! Neither is not seeing that black ice hiding under the snow and taking a tumble. Nor is getting unwanted exercise shoveling snow and putting down deicer just so you can get out of the house! Also cold frozen winter temps are really bad for my arthritis. Painful locked joints are no fun.
So give this hot blooded woman a sunshiny 85 degree day 24/7/365!!
Saturday Night on my way home from work approximately 9:45 pm.
Finally caught my breath and my heart rate has returned to normal. While I was exiting the subway station nearly had a panic attack because two giant rats bigger than my cat Sylvester were sauntering along the platform as though they owned it. Now I’m not an easily frightened person but rats scare the shit out of me and these rats took their time walking along with the other riders exiting the station. Finally the gentleman in front of me stomped his feet to get them to move faster. Once he did that the rats moved along and I ran to the exit door. I commented to the gentleman that I need my cat and he said Miss even a cat would mess with rats that size. Shit! I need one of those damn raptors or other dinosaurs from Jurassic World! New York rats must be freaking hybrids and they have no fear of humans! Bad enough you never know what human kook or nut-job will be riding the train with you now gotta deal with damn rats on the platform.
The rats made me forget all about my arthritis. That fear in the pit of my stomach gave me a burst of energy and the limbs of my 18 year old self! LOL!! However I can do without creepy creature shocks. I prefer that the insects (gigantic cockroaches and water-bugs) and mammals not ride the trains or walk along beside me on the platforms. All I could think is if those rejects from Chucky Cheese bite me I’ll be getting rabies shots for a month.
Years ago while I was in the Army I went TDY (Temporary Duty) to Ft. Polk or as we like to call it Ft. Puke, LA. Being a city girl I had little experience with wildlife. I remember being in the barracks and asking another woman why birds were flying around at night and so near our windows. She said those aren’t birds those are bats. Needless to say I was terrified thinking they were vampire bats out to get me! Made sure the windows were shut tight despite the heat. Louisiana also has a variety of scorpions, snakes, vipers, mosquitoes the size of helicopters and whatever else the Field Artillery guys had the nerve to bring back from the field. So I won’t be retiring to LA either! Too many scary critters.
The rats are farebeaters. They have not paid their $2.75 fare and even if they did since they are nothing but disease carrying vermin they should be exterminated. It’s one thing observing them running to and fro along the tracks, (those grey bastards are too smart for their own good because they always manage to avoid the electrified third rail), but it’s a whole ‘nother story to have them marching along beside you as though they too were returning home from work, school or church.
Given last Saturday’s rodent encounter I’m seriously considering getting off at a different subway stop a little further from my home but has more human activity, police and is somewhat cleaner than my station. Ugh!!
Some of you old enough will remember this song from the movie Ben (1972) and the follow up film Williard. https://youtu.be/h0eKPBvyk_4
Wisdom. Understanding. My Truth. Freedom. Moving towards my 3rd Act ~ Age 60 but not yet there. What aging was for my mother’s and grandmother’s generations is a whole new ballgame for me and I’m a Free Agent enjoying the ride.
I’ve been thinking about how I see myself as opposed to how other see me. Slowly I’m freeing myself from the constraints of youth. Actually I’m happier and more pleased with myself that I ever was 30 or even 20 years ago. I’m not running behind or chasing some man. Nor am I desperate to be in a relationship. Even in the face of emotional pain and heartbreak I have the courage to step away from a relationship that I know will never work and is not meant to be. I ignore the preconceived notions of what a woman should be. Of course like every other human being on this earth I deal with insecurities, fears, obstacles, all human faults and fragilities. After all you gotta break some eggs to make an omelet.
Each decade brings its own crises and a new set of questions and self-knowledge at least for those who are honest. In my 20s was my wild and crazy time. My 30s a decade of challenge where life’s tables were turned as I lost both my parents within the space of three years. My 40s I became more self-aware as my intellectual and academic lives merged and soared higher than a spaceship reaching for an unknown planet. As the economy crashed and burned after 2006 my life also took an unexpected detour actually several unexpected and in some cases unpleasant detours. Turning 50 in 2009 brought new possibilities but new queries. Health challenges via high blood pressure and a mini-stroke, retina surgery, vision loss. Changing lifestyle in my quest towards well-being and dealing with my new menopausal body. My new friend Mr. Arthur Itis who decided to make his presence known in a powerful way earlier this year. Stilling fighting Arthur with exercise but to be honest sometimes Arthur wins!! Yet in my mind I’m dancing. In my dreams I’m still that idealistic eighteen year old young woman who was always ready for the next adventure in life! Nowadays my body does not always obey my minds commands but I’m excited about my Third Act. After listening to Jane Fonda’s Ted Talk on new ways to view aging I’m looking forward to turning Sixty!!
Comfort levels also change as one gets older. In some areas of life one gets not only older but bolder. In other areas there is some hesitation born out of experience and caution. I find it is never good to make split second decisions especially if I’m angry or upset. Sleeping on it and allowing myself a good cry enables me to cleanse my system of sadness and worry. Letting my emotions out vents my soul then I can put things into perspective instead of committing self-sabotage. Also it’s okay to just stop. Stop. Put it to the side until I’m in my right mind. Screw all the people who tell me to keep going. Everyone needs a break. Sometimes I just need to sit for a few hours, day’s maybe even weeks and veg out.
Why be overwhelmed just to satisfy all the folks who want me to be strong, to be some fake, phony Super Woman who does not exist. Even I’m guilty of looking at a girlfriend’s life and asking, “Why does she stay in that situation? Why not just pick up and leave?” But in their life as in mine there are always extenuating circumstances that I will neither know nor understand. Hidden motivations that keep them in place because it is not yet time for them to move on.
There are thousands if not millions of voices out there disguised as “Life Coaches” and “Motivational Speakers” who demand you take control of your life on their terms but only you can make that decision. Only you know when is the right time to move onto the next phase, stage or level. As the Bible says you cannot put new wine into old wineskins. The most important voice you need to listen to is your own.
Queen Tiye
Despite the fact that financially I’m struggling that struggle does not define me. I still pursue my writing and photography dreams though I may never “get paid.” Writing and photography are my heart and soul passions that are beyond material gain. There is no need to sacrifice who I am to meet the outlooks of society. Art is Life! Back in Feb. 2014 when I turned 55 my Theme Song was I’m Still Here. Next year I’m Bringing back Sexy because it never left. By Age 56 Feb. 2015, I’m Taking it to the Next Phase! Third Act ~ I’m on my way!!
Sometime around my 52nd Birthday Alien Body Snatchers had taken my normal hour glass figure and slowly began to replace it with a blobbity blob formless mass. I made the excuse that I was becoming Rubenesque like the paintings in the European Paintings section of the museum. Well that was a poor excuse since I’m living in the 21st Century and not the 15th, 16th or 17th Centuries!
The Old Age beings from an alternate universe and/or dimensions even had the nerve and audacity to hijack my salt & pepper hair leaving just the salt with no pepper!! My hair had literally turned white overnight!!
My Avatar ~ Cat Woman
I even noticed that my formerly Michelle Obama perfect upper arms were beginning to exhibit turkey wing traits!! Ugh!! No!! I will never wear the dolmen sleeves! Evil age inducing extraterrestrials’!! Right then and then I made the choice to reclaim my body.
That middle-age spare tire mocked the belly button piercing I had gotten to commemorate my 50th Birthday in 2009! Yes I have and love my Tattoos and piercings. No I’m not going through some middle-age crisis. I consider my body a living canvas and decorate it accordingly. Why should I turn down my self expression? From the Funky 40s all the way to my Fabulous 50s Body Art is the Way to Go!!
Turn Down For What? http://youtu.be/gzi3gxg062c
Made the decision to return to the Summer of 42 not 1942 because I was not born or even thought of that year but Age 42 when I was at my physical peak.
I began my unofficial exercise program on Halloween my favorite holiday and my New Birth. Ramped it up in November 2013. I had the good fortune to be invited to a number of Birthday and Holiday parties in November and December and naturally I was on the dance floor at every party! Doing all these regular party favorite dances requires agility and endurance. That’s a workout within itself! Thanks to the Help, Encouragement & Support of two very good friends Matt Velez and Hadiiya Barbel I made my official entry into the Fab Abs Waist Wellness By Hadiiya Barbel program!! Hooray!!
Halloween 2013 ~ Year of the Tiger!!
Two Major Benefits that I noticed right off the bat were my back pain was 95% gone and no colds or infections since I began the Ab programs. So Dancing is great but Planking, Crunches/Sit-ups, Leg Lifts, Lunges, Stretches, Squats, and Jumping Jacks are even better. As with any exercise program I modify it to meet my needs. I know I have arthritis and bad knees so I do as much as I can but I try to up the ante every day. It’s not really a Challenge if you can’t increase your reps but I do my increases gradually and slowly. I feel that by the end of next month Feb or early March I should have Fab Abs. No New Years resolutions but achievable Fitness Goals!!
Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit 