Baby Boomer Talk & other stuff

It's All in the Genes

2009-07-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

As much as my daughter hates to admit it, she is turning into me more and more each day----and it's happening a whole lot faster than the transformation I went through with my own mother.

Those of you who are regular readers to this blog or know me personally, know that my daughter is not only in college but she is also trying to raise her soon-to-be-three-year-old son. It's a juggling act and although I never wanted to be a part of this circus, I have been recruited and am doing my best to fulfill my role as primary caregiver while she's away at school.

But that's not what this blog is all about.

Over the past week, my daughter has been trying to set up her son's 3rd birthday party at one of our local parks for September 6. Although she will be back in school, she wanted to get everything pre-arranged by paying the required fee to host the party.

After several phone calls and left voicemails, she finally got through to someone in the Parks & Recreation dept., and was told the park she wanted was already rented. She was frustrated because she felt if someone had returned her initial phone call or any of the several calls she made afterwards, she might've been able to book the park she wanted. To make a long story short, she did exactly what I would've done in the same situation. She complained about the poor customer service--the lack of response. She even went so far as to schedule an appearance before the City Council to voice her grievance.

But lo and behold, the Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation came to the rescue and, surprisingly, my daughter discovered the park she wanted was available because the person who wanted it had not paid the required deposit.

Needless to say, my daughter was quite proud of her accomplisments as a young woman and mother who will, undoubtedly, be taking on many more battles throughtout her adult life.

I was proud too because despite some of the failures I've made as a parent, I see that my daughter has that same feisty spirit. She can handle herself under the pressure. It's all in the genes---and I guess we both have my mother to thank for that.

Life Isn't a Bow, but It's Still Worth a Gift

2009-07-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

14. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

15. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

16. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

17. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

18. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

19. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

20. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

21. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

22. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

23. The most important sex organ is the brain.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".

26. What other people think of you is none of your business.

27. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

28. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

29. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

30. Believe in miracles.

31. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

32. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

33. Your children get only one childhood.

34. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

35. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

36. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

37. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

38. The best is yet to come.

39 No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

40. Sometimes you have to Yield.

41. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

The Baby Boomer Who Changed the Face of Music

2009-06-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe he's gone. Michael Jackson was one baby boomer I thought was larger than life. Who cares that he was 50 years old. If he could still shake his body down to the ground, I would still watch.

I grew up with Michael and his brothers--when they were known as the Jackson 5. I first saw them on TV in 1969 when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. I then saw them in person in 1971 at the Ohio State Fair. I remember screaming hysterically along with thousands of other little girls in the crowd.

When Michael decided to go solo, it seems as though his fan base became even larger. Michael actually changed the face of music on MTV. Before the debut of his "Thriller" video, MTV was not playing music by black artists. After that debut, Michael didn't stop and we couldn't get enough.

The more popular Michael became, however, the more his life became exposed. Allegations of child molestation followed him throughout his adult life. He was called a WACKO JACKO by members of the media who, I believe, sensationalized his life beyond repair.

But you know what? I choose to remember Michael Jackson for the musical gifts he gave to his adoring fans. For the rest of you who want to continue to harp on the negative, you can just BEAT IT!

Social Media May Be Hazardous to Your Health

2009-06-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor this week and learned a rather interesting lesson about social media.

When the scale reflected the fact that I had GAINED and not LOST some weight, my doctor wanted to know what kind of activities I was involved in. I told her I was spending a lot of time on my computer these days. Sometimes I spend more than half of my day between Twitter and Facebook.

Not good, according to my doctor. She says spending hours at a time at a computer can create havoc on the body. In addition to the middle age spread, one might also develop knee, back and vision problems.

Another point she made was the stress factor. If you're looking to your computer as a means of financial support, you may find yourself with many frustrating days---especially if money is slow to come your way. That frustration, she says, can lead to high blood pressure and depending on heavily involved you are, it could also lead to something more serious.

So while many folks are busy singing the benefits of social media, a least one health expert--my trusted physician--says social media, just like alcohol, should be used in moderation.

Bank of America, Are You Serious?

2009-06-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today I received my bank statement from Bank of America. Why I'm still a customer is a direct result of my laziness to go to the bank and close out my account.

The statement I received today has become new motivation to get off my behind and make my own statement to Bank of America.

Here's what I received:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT:

Recently we informed you that we were raising our Overdraft Item and NSF: Returned Item Fee to $39. After careful consideration of the many factors currently impacting the economy, our business and our customers, we have made a decision to change our overdraft Item Fee and NSF: Retuned Item Fee to $35 per item. Visit Bank of america.com/pricingchanges.

Now here's what gets me about this: The fee used to be $12. They raised it to $39 and now have decided to give us a break by shaving off $4.00. Why not just keep it at $12? Didn't that bailout money help them at all?

Burn Baby Burn Takes on a New Meaning

2009-06-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

When I hear burn baby burn , I'm thinking of a disco inferno, but, for some folks, this phrase has them thinking about death.

According to The Cremation Association of North America, more and more baby boomers are considering cremation as their last rites over a ground burial. Although many Baptists view cremation as an unacceptable destruction of the body, some 37 percent of Americans say they would like to be cremated after they die.

Research also shows that people who would prefer cremation tend to be well-educated, earn higher-than-average incomes, and reside in Western boomtowns and Sunbelt retirement communities far from their birthplace. Psychographic surveys show that they share a socially progressive agenda, supporting issues like doctor-assisted suicide and the legalization of marijuana. Most choose cremation for the convenience, the lower cost, or to help preserve land.

Some Funeral Home Directors say they are finding that many people now live away from their family and they feel it's easier to be cremated and have their remains sent to another part of the country. With people living longer, they have more time to direct their children as to what they want to do. And they consider that cremation involves fewer decisions for their family.

But even in cremation--you can go out in style. At one funeral home in Raleigh, NC a family can sit in a softly lit viewing room and watch through a window as their loved one enters the cremation chamber. If relatives want to, they can say prayers and scatter flowers over the body before the metal door closes, or even push the button to move the body along.

So what do you think? Have you decided whether you want to be cremated or buried after you die?

Shame on You Wal-Mart

2009-06-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

It should come as no surprise to anyone that women are the reason businesses like Wal-Mart are managing to thrive in spite of a weak economy. Women are always shopping for great deals and Wal-Mart has gone out of its way to convince us it is the place to: "Save money. Live better."

But the question here is are the women who work at Wal-Mart really living better? Maybe not---according to an article in BusinessWeek---which states that women account for nearly 80 percent of all shoppers but more than 70 percent of its senior leaders are men.

To add insult to injury, in 2001, six female Wal-Mart employees filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against Wal-Mart Stores. The suit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., gained class certification in 2004 as the largest such suit ever filed against a private employer, affecting more than 2million female employees. In the suit, female employees alleged that they were denied opportunities for advancement and paid less than men doing similar work.

This is an image the Company's new CEO is hoping to change. At a shareholder's meeting today, Mike Duke pledged to work on developing female leaders by launching a "global women's council." This 14-member group aims to increase the percentage of women in management roles at Wal-Mart.

Sadly, Wal-Mart isn't the only Company who has a poor track record when it comes to hiring top female executives. But until women start speaking more with their pocketbooks, behaviors like this will continue no matter how many "global councils" are put together.

The Weak Job Market Hits Home

2009-05-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

On Friday, my husband got the telephone call we hoped would never happen--at least not now. He was informed by his Employer that his employment contract as a Computer Security Analyst with the Department of the Treasury was being terminated immediately.

My husband has been with the DOT for several years--was great at his job--but now is forced to join thousands of other baby boomers who are being forced to re-invent themselves.

The good news is he will finally be able to officially move to North Carolina. We've had a commuter marriage since we got married three years ago. Not having an official job is bad news, no doubt, but we are refusing to focus our attention on that.

Here are some tips we hope will help others in the same boat:

1. Don't Let Fear Control You
Some people opt to do nothing when becoming unemployed and instead just worry. It's appropriate to be concerned, but we know we have to start making the necessary moves to ensure our comfort and survival.

2. Never underestimate the power of networking
My husband is not a social networker but he has started a Facebook and Twitter page. It's important to talk with people who may be able to help you and follow any leads that come your way. Connecting with others will help you to get another job. Send out resumes, and keep your contacts alive.

3. Find emotional support
There are numerous groups for the newly unemployed, many with counselors and job coaching. You don't need to tough it out alone.

4. Don't spend too much time alone
You will need time to grieve to move on, but you can't find a new job if you remain isolated.

5. Consider starting your own business (my personal tip)
This may be the perfect chance to reinvent yourself and start a small business. But if you're going to go from being an employee to being an entrepreneur, you must be sure your heart is in it--meaning you have a passion for what you want to do. Also, you have to ask yourself where is the money going to come from for your initial business investment.

In my husband's case, he has been dabbling with real estate investments so now might be a good time for him to take a closer look at how he can make this a full-time endeavor.

We will survive!

Summer Break

2009-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter has officially completed her first year of college. Now she is back home for summer--but it will be ME who will be taking a much needed break.

That's right. After acting as primary caregiver for her two-year-old son, I have relinquished my duties so she can step back into the "mommy" role. That means I no longer have to get up in the middle of the night when I hear my grandson cry out that he needs to go potty. I can sleep later in the morning without having to worry about making sure he gets to daycare before 9:30am. And I won't have to rush to pick him up by 4:30--especially if I'm in a meeting that ran long. I'll be able to spend countless hours on Twitter if I want to and more importantly, hubby and I will get to spend some quality "we" time, which has been next to impossible with our grandson hanging on to our every move.

Are you a grandparent who has given up your retirement or your own plans in order to take on the diapers, daycare, teacher conferences, and everything else that comes along with raising children? Many baby boomers, like me, are stepping in to raise their grandchildren when the children's own parents are not able or willing to do so. According to the U.S. Census, over 2.4 million grandparents have responsibility for their grandchildren. I consider my contribution as an investment in her future.

Taking care of her son has become my daughter's summer job. Nope, there is no pay involved but the rewards she and my grandson will receive will be more valuable than all the money in the world!

Has the True Sentiment Gone Out of Mother's Day?

2009-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

Mary Baldwin College alumna Anna Jarvis was the driving force behind the creation of Mother’s Day. But she would not be pleased at all with Mother’s Day as it is celebrated in 2009, according to a source at her alma mater.

“Miss Jarvis thought Mother’s Day should be a day you spend with your mother, or a day when you do something special for her like fix her dinner or repair her broken stairs,” says William Pollard, archivist at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA. “It was not supposed to be a day where you buy her something.”

Pollard says Jarvis wanted to keep Mother’s Day non-commercial--a battle she knew she had lost by the time of her death in 1948.

To understand how the day became nationally celebrated it’s important to know a bit about Anna Jarvis. She was graduated from Augusta Female Seminary, which is now Mary Baldwin College, in 1883 and moved back home with her parents. In 1905, Anna’s mother passed away. After her mother’s death, Jarvis spent years sending letters to public officials urging them to set aside a day to honor mothers.

In 1914, that day came. President Woodrow Wilson, whose birthplace was just across the street from Mary Baldwin College, signed the proclamation formally establishing Mother’s Day.

Over the years, however, Anna Jarvis became bitter with the commercialization of Mother’s Day.

She has been quoted as saying: “Mother’s Day has nothing to do with candy. Candy is junk. You give your mother a box of candy and then go home and eat most of it yourself, or else you give her hard candy that breaks her teeth or dentures.”

“Flowers are about half-dead by the time they’re delivered,” said Jarvis. “It’s really a shame to waste flowers for Mother’s Day. Florists have made millions of dollars out of my idea and they don’t deserve it.”

So what do you think? What is the best way to honor our Mothers on Mother's Day?

Get Your Business Praise On

2009-05-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday. For those of you who still work in Corporate America, it is the beginning of your work week. When I worked in Corporate America I struggled on Mondays because I knew I would have to put up with a lot of craziness including breaking news, ill-advised decisions and co-workers with bad attitudes.

So do you know what I would do? I would pop in my favorite gospel CD and get my praise on before I went into work. It was like a buffer between me and the evil forces of the newsroom.

Even though I'm now my own boss, I still live in the world and still have to deal with others. So let me share how I still get my OFFICE PRAISE on through prayer and meditation.

O - Oh Lord, help me not to OFFEND anybody today
F - FREEZE my tongue, if somebody says something out of the way
F - Fill me with Your grace, so that I might stay cool
I - I'm trying to do right, but I ain't nobody's fool
C - Cause me to humble myself, before I get fired
E - Even a saint like me sometimes gets tired

P - PRAISE your name, because You've saved me, many times before
R - RISE up in me before I get in the door
A - All Mighty One, You know I need you close
I - INSPIRE me to be kind, if not to all, to most....No...To ALL!!
S - SHOW me how to be an example of Your love, not hate
E - Even me Lord, I hope it's not too late

'Today I ask God to meet me at the office door, and sit with me all day'

Discipline and Grandchildren

2009-04-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

While my daughter is away at college, I am the primary caregiver for her two-year-old son. This means I am responsible for everything involving his life---including discipline.

Just like my daughter did when she was little, my grandson constantly tests his boundries to see how much he can get away with. I am a firm believer that children need limits and boundaries. They also need to understand there are consequences for bad behavior.

The challenge lies in making sure parents and grandparents are on one accord when it comes to discipline. For example, if a parent does not believe in spanking and you, as a grandparent do believe in spanking, how do you handle that? I personally agree with an article I read on the grandparents.com website, which indicates the guardian who has home-field advantage has the rights over discipline.

So what do you say? Do grandparents have rights when it comes to discipline? Or should they simply adhere to the "time-out" policy and leave the real punishment to the parent(s)?

Parents, Sex and Their Kids

2009-04-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Drugs, Sex, Rock & Roll & Woodstock: Those are some of the tags associated with my baby boomer generation. Now, here we are 40 years later dealing with some of the same things with our own children and grandchildren. But what is so shocking is the fact that the kids engaging in these risky behaviors are getting younger and younger. Just this morning, I came across an article this morning that startled me.

The article indicates that middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Results from this study are published in the April issue of Journal of School Health.

Researchers examined sexual risk behaviors among middle school students in a large southeastern U.S. urban public school district. The say the study shows that although most seventh graders are not engaging in sexual risk behaviors, a small percentage are putting themselves at risk.

In the study, sexual intercourse was defined as vaginal, oral or anal sex. According to their research, by age 12, 12 percent of students had already engaged in vaginal sex, 7.9 percent in oral sex, 6.5 percent in anal sex and 4 percent in all three types of intercourse.

Researchers say these findings are alarming because youth who start having sex before age 14 are much more likely to have multiple lifetime sexual partners, use alcohol or drugs before sex and have unprotected sex, all of which puts them at greater risk for getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or becoming pregnant.

The study found one-third of sexually active students reported engaging in vaginal or anal sex without a condom within the past three months, and one-fourth had four or more partners. The more experienced students in all three types of intercourse were more likely to be male and African-American.

So I ask you, parents and grandparents, who or what is the blame for this outrageous, risky behavior among our youth? What can be done to prevent it?

The Ten Commandments of Marriage from a Man's Point of View

2009-04-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

**Special thanks to my MARRIED friend, Fred Marvin, for sharing this with me**

Commandment 1
Marriages are made in heaven. But so are thunder and lightning.

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Commandment 2
If you want your wife to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say; talk in your sleep.

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Commandment 3
Marriage is grand -- and divorce is at least 100 grand!

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Commandment 4
Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

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Commandment 5
When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: Either the car is new or the wife is.

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Commandment 6
Marriage is when a man and woman become as one. The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

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Commandment 7
Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you say. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish.

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Commandment 8
Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook. But the law allows only one wife.

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Commandment 9
Marriage and love are purely matter of chemistry. That is why wives treat husbands like toxic waste.

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Commandment 10
A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished.

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Bonus Commandment ( Story )

A long married couple came upon a wishing well. The husband leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny. The wife decided to make a wish too. But she leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned.

The husband was stunned for a moment but then smiled, "It worked!"

Has Easter Lost it's True Meaning?

2009-04-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to take my two-year-old grandson to church this morning for Easter because he looked so handsome in the outfit I bought for him. I was like that with my daughter and I remember my parents were the same with me.

But is that what Easter is all about---dressing up in your newly purchased colorful spring outfits and parading yourself in front of others in God's house?

As a baby boomer I believe Easter, just like Christmas, has lost its meaning over the years as we focus more on the materialism associated with it instead of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Did you know the word “Easter” doesn’t have anything to do with the Christian celebration? It is derived from the name of a German deity, Estre or Ostra. She was the goddess of the rising sun and spring, and was celebrated in springtime festivals.

Did you also know that rabbits are an ancient pagan symbol? They represent fertility and are associated with the re-awakening of the land in springtime. Bunnies were first associated with Easter celebrations in the 1500s, and by the early 1800s, German bakers were selling Easter bunnies made from chocolate and pastry.

Eggs, which are laid by birds and from which new birds emerge, were symbols of new life and rebirth long before the Christian era began. In the early days of the church, the consumption of eggs during Lent was prohibited, so decorating them and giving them as gifts on Easter became a way of celebrating the resurrection.

The tradition of the Easter Bunny bringing gifts to children Easter morning is also from Germany, where he was known as Oschter Haws. Initially, the bunny left his treats in a nest made for him by children. Later, the tradition merged with the notion of the Easter basket.

So what do you think? Are we, as a society, obsessed with traditions that have no value?

Baby Boomer Parenting 101

2009-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Now that my baby has a baby, I am even more concerned about how I've raised her. You see, as a baby boomer mom and grandma, I now understand how much parenting, good or bad, can affect a child's life and that behavior gets passed down from generation to generation.

I bring this up because of a conversation my daughter and I had while traveling together last week. "Get into the Groove" by Madonna came on the radio. Immediately she said, "I remember you used to exercise to that song."

She was right. I used to pop in the Madonna Live tape, move the living room furniture and get my fitness groove on. I have to admit I was shocked she remembered because she couldn't have been more than 3 years old at the time. Madonna's song opened the door for other mother-daughter memories. This was her opportunity to tell me what she didn't like about me.

I learned she absolutely hated all of the times I used to visit and/or volunteer at her school. I was there so much, she said, many of her fellow students thought I worked there. She also hated how I grilled her friends about their grades, goals and yes, their parents.

Here's the point: What we say and do in front of our children and grandchildren will have a lasting impact---whether we want to believe it or not.

It may be too late to right the wrongs with your children but you can still make a positive difference with your grandchildren.

I figure it this way: If my grandson gets the benefit of seeing his mom exercise to a Beyonce video, while keeping a guarded eye on who he's hanging out with and grimacing over her taking an active role in his education, then my actions as her mother haven't been that bad after all.

Being Broke Ain't No Joke

2009-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

A little old lady answered a knock on the door one day, only to be confronted by a well-dressed young man carrying a vacuum cleaner.

"Good morning," said the young man. "If I could take a couple of minutes of your time, I would like to demonstrate the very latest in high-powered vacuum cleaners."

"Go away!" said the old lady. "I'm broke and haven't got any money!" and she proceeded to close the door. Quick as a flash, the young man wedged his foot in the door and pushed it wide open. "Don't be too hasty!" he said. "Not until you have at least seen my demonstration." And with that, he emptied a bucket of horse manure onto her hallway carpet.

"If this vacuum cleaner does not remove all traces of this horse manure from your carpet, Madam, I will personally eat the remainder."

The old lady stepped back and said, 'Well let me get you a fork, 'cause they cut off my electricity this morning.'

What part of “I'm broke” don't you understand?

Grandkids Say The Darndest Things Part II

2009-03-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

I always love reading these emails about children who say the darndest things. I expect my two-year-old grandson will be filling up future blog posts with his own interesting comments. In the meantime, enjoy these comments from other people's children and grandchildren:

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.

Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."

The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'

The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him'.

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A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.

As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."

The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'

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One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mommy?"

Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Mommy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

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The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:

"Take only ONE . God is watching."

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

Our Parents Thoughts Fifty Years Ago

2009-03-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how much has changed in 50 years. Even as a baby boomer, it seems like a lifetime ago due to the changing culture.

Here are some of the things our parents were saying back in the Fifties:

"I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.00."

"Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00will only buy a used one."

"If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous!"

"Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter!"

"If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."

"When I started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon.

"I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying, "DAMN" in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it."

"I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."

"Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President."

"I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."

"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet. It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

"I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on."

"There is no sense going away for the weekend anymore, it costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel."

"No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $35.00 a day in the hospital it's too rich for my blood."

"If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it!"

"I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to Congress."

What are we, as baby boomers, saying now?

Grandkids Say the Darndest Things

2009-02-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

Being a baby boomer grandma is kind of fun---but also very interesting. Now that my two-year-old grandson can talk and formulate understandable phrases, it is amazing to hear some of the things that come out of his mouth. What's even more shocking is the timing of what he says. How he knows what to say at a particular moment baffles me. For instance, one day I was getting ready to take a shower and looked at me and asked, "Grandma, you stink, stink?"

Here are some other grandchild-grandparent encounters shared by other grandparents:

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What’s it about?" he asked. "I don’t know," she replied. "I can’t read."

I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these, yourself!"

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I’m not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised, "Mine says I’m 4 to 6."

What funny thing(s) have your grandchildren said to you?

If My Body Was A Car...

2009-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

If my body was a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model.

I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull, but that's not the worst of it.

My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.

It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.

But here's the worst of it.

Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!

***This particular post is the courtesy of:
c2003 Linda S Amstutz ***

Real Mothers

2009-02-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart; the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

This Baby Boomer Diva Loves Twitter

2009-02-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

The people on Twitter continue to amaze me. This evening I received a friend request from Cullen Chambers and when I went to his site to check him out, I found this really cool magazine cover of him. Upon further investigation, I decided to follow the link on his page and create my own magazine cover. So what do you think?

Go ahead and create your own and make sure you direct me back to your site.

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Love, Sex and The Masons on Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

On Friday, my husband and I decided we deserved a special Valentine's weekend getaway so we packed our bags and met each other at the Hilton in Alexandria, VA.

The beautiful thing about our relationship is we don't have to get away to re-kindle our love. It always seems to be with us no matter where we are---but on this particular weekend we found love and the bizarre all in the same place.

What a lovely opportunity it was to meet women who make up a group known as the silver-haired representatives. Apparently, their National Congressional Meeting was being held during the same time we were enjoying our Valentine's weekend. They told me about their movement while I shared information about my group, Boomer Diva nation. (To learn more about the Silver-Haired Congress, click here: SHC

Then there was the bizarre---which brings me to a group known as The Masons. Who are they? Well, to be perfectly honest I don't know much about them at all. I've always thought of them as a secret society of old men---certainly older than the baby boomer crowd I'm accustomed to hanging out with.

Anyway, the Masons were also staying at the Hilton and on Valentine's Night they had a rather interesting ritual going on. A self-proclaimed Masonic Pimp escorted members, one-by-one, into a conference room. No one ever told me what was going on in there but whatever it was, it made me thankful my husband ISN'T a Mason.

Enjoy the pictures.

College Life and Murder

2009-01-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, a young man my daughter knew was shot to death outside of his apartment complex. His name was Dennis Hayle and he was a 22-year-old senior from New York. He was scheduled to graduate from North Carolina A&T in the Spring.

Who shot him remains a mystery. No one is talking even though there was a crowd of young people gathered at a "house party" right across from his apartment complex that same night.

My daughter, Janie, said the college community is grieving hard for this young man who was a good student and a good all-around person. He always had a kind word for everyone. As she reflected on seeing him just hours before his murder, Janie joked about how she couldn't believe he was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity because he just didn't fit that "rowdy boy" image.

What is disturbing about this story (in addition to the fact that no one is talking) is that students open up their apartments to complete strangers for the purpose of having a "house party." The fact that someone you don't know would come to your house and kick it with other strangers is beyond me. That would be like Nate and me posting signs all over town inviting everyone to join our Super Bowl Party.

Have young people become some impersonal with each other that they don't really care who they associate with as long as everyone is having a good time?

Well, I can say this for my daughter. She's decided "house parties" are no longer in her college life future.