Happy Birthday to Me (and all the rest of you Virgos and Libras)

September is an incredibly busy month for birthdays and anniversaries in our family, and it includes both milestones for me. My husband and I were married a week before my birthday so we tend to go away somewhere to celebrate both our anniversary and my birthday. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing this year but we are only managing a long weekend. I’m still excited because it includes two museum visits that I’m really looking forward to.

Year 63 has been a great year filled with wonderful experiences such as international trips, publishing an e-book on Amazon, watching the grandsons grow up, spending time with friends, taking writing classes and working on my blog.

There have been challenges too - such has major implant surgery. But hey, life is full of challenges and they can be overcome. I’m proof of that. This particular experience led me to think about others who go through this type of surgery or have some disorder that prevents them from eating solid foods. My surgeon’s office told me that they are always looking for ideas and recipes and since I was doing a lot of food and eating experiments, I decided to put a smoothie and soup cookbook together and publish it on Amazon. While the surgery isn’t an experience that I’d want to wish on anyone, my end result has been well worth the inconvenience. I recently learned that a personal trainer’s mother was undergoing intensive treatment on her throat and thought that all she could eat was mashed potatoes. My technician recommended my book, Recipe Solutions for a Liquid Diet, and the trainer’s mother  LOVES it because it gives her so many options that she had never considered.

Having always been honest about my age, I have never been able to understand why women lie about it and moan whenever they have to give their age.  Maybe it’s easier now because a lot of the celebrities are around my age. I mean, look at Dame Helen Mirren – she was voted as having the hottest body recently!!  One of my all-time favorite movies is Calendar Girls staring actresses of my age in all shapes and sizes.  If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s a definite must. If you have seen it but not for a while, rent it again.  We’ve just watched it again for the umpteenth time and it’s just so must fun! And for you guys who are reading this, watch The Full Monty! We’ve also recently watched this again for the umpteenth time and while it depicts a time that’s a few years ago, it’s still incredibly funny!

So being a “Boomer” is an exciting stage of life. Most of us feel more comfortable; we’re still full of dreams and things to come. I keep hearing that 50 is the new 30 and 60 is the new 40. But do any of us really want to go back to those ages?  Not me! I have to admit that I’d rather have the body that I did back then but I wouldn’t have the experiences that I’ve had in the past twenty years. I’m relishing the excitement of future travel and stimulating experiences.

I still have plans and dreams - and as I turn 64, which will happily (and hopefully) lead to 65, 66, 67 and well beyond. . . . I will continue to celebrate each and every passing year.

If your birthday is this month -- Happy birthday to you, whatever day it is. Celebrate it, don't moan about it. Without birthdays, there would be no you.

“Aging is not what we used to think it was, where you peak at middle age. It’s ascending a staircase into growth, wisdom, well-being and happiness.”

                                                                                                                       Jane Fonda

Saying Thank You to our Troops

 How often these days do we think about our soldiers who will probably always be serving overseas? The days and months fly by for us because we are caught up in our day-to-day busy schedules. But what is it like for the men and women who are serving in combat zones? Do they ever receive the thanks that they deserve from us here at home? Do they even get correspondence from anyone other than their immediate family?

I’d like to share a few ways that you can send them your appreciation for their service and the life that they are putting on the line for us.  Firstly, the time between the 4^th of July and Thanksgiving, our soldiers stationed overseas receive fewer letters than usual. So now’s a great time to thank them for their service - in writing. It’s important that we keep their morale up and keep them feeling that they are doing something worthwhile. There’s a really easy way of doing this - that’s by logging onto ForgottenSoldiers.org/write-a-soldier and complete an online form. You can of course also write a more original heartfelt note and not just fill in the form.

Because Halloween is coming up in just a couple of months, find out if your dentist is a member of the “Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program”. My regular dentist is and it’s the first that I’d heard of it. Participating dentists “buy back” kids Halloween candy with coupons, toothbrushes or other healthy goodies. This candy is then sent to the troops serving overseas. Let’s face it, our kids all get way too much candy at Halloween and pretty much all year around. Check with your dentist to see if they offer this and if not; let me know because my dentist does! Our men and women deserve as many treats as we can send them. And the army dentists will be pleased as well since all that candy will give them future business!

Another project that I think is very worthwhile is the “help comfort wounded and ill soldiers”. The injured or sick military patients who are sent to hospitals typically arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. You can make their time in the hospital and their recovery more comfortable by supplying slippers, pajamas, underwear or other essentials. You can check out the needs at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany by logging onto LandstuhlHospitalCareProject.org/How to Help.htm.

Another way of helping and saying thank you includes donating your expired coupons for up to six months after the expiration date. Most of you know by now that I’m a coupon queen and I intend on doing this from now on. You can email EcomMail2011@gmail.com to get an address of a military family who’ll be happy to receive them.

 

Need some new socks? When shopping, buy an extra packet of new tube or crew socks. Socks wear out fast on the frontline and soldiers often put on two to three pairs at a time. Socks are one of the top-requested items among men and women stationed overseas. You can send them to: the Hugs Project, 7000 Crossroads Blvd., Suite 1048, Oklahoma City, OK 73149. This is a non-profit organization who sends thousands of care packages to soldiers serving in the Middle East.

Yet one more - log onto www.operationgratitude.com where you can find the project that best suits you. They even help out the families that are left here at home to carry on without mom or dad who is serving overseas.

The projects that I’ve listed are mostly US based but I’m sure for those who are living in other countries, there are similar projects available. Take time today to say “thank you” to a wonderful soldier who is serving his country and making your life safer and better.

November is the US Military Family Appreciation Month. But let’s not wait until November because they need our appreciation today!

“Just as our troops embody the courage and character that make America's military the finest in the world, their family members embody the resilience and generosity that make our communities strong. They serve with heroism in their homes and neighborhoods while they are without the comfort of having loved ones nearby.”

          President Barack Obama