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Being a Post-Menopausal Goddess Doesn’t Save You from Heart Disease or Diabetes

By on February 6, 2013 in After the Pause

coffee with heart

This week’s guest post is by Katie Brind’Amour, one of my favorite health writers. In it she offers information and helpful hints for preventing and/or dealing with heart disease and Type II diabetes. I know I get sloppy about my diet, especially when traveling, so I appreciate the reminders. Thanks, Katie!

Being a Post-Menopausal Goddess Doesn’t Save You from Heart Disease or Diabetes

Unfortunately, the hard-won pluses of being past Hollywood’s definition of “prime” do not equal a free pass for taking care of your health. Older women have a double whammy ready to work against them: a high risk of developing diabetes and an all-around increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular events, like heart attacks and strokes, are the number one killer in the elderly. Worse still, women with Type 2 diabetes have the same risk of dying of a cardiac event as do women without diabetes who have a history of cardiovascular disease. That means that diabetes makes you just as likely to die of cardiovascular problems as women who already have heart disease.

As if aging weren’t tough enough on its own, Mother Nature has to make it darn clear to older ladies that they are no exception to the general rule of increased risks for diabetics. The recent study on over 9,200 women found that the relationship between heart disease and diabetes mirrored the rest of the population’s: one disease is bad enough on its own, but diabetes is like having (at least) two in one.

What is a Lady to Do?

Although the latest health news is dim, there is a silver lining: both cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes are often preventable. This means that, with time and effort, you can drastically reduce your chances of succumbing to heart disease and diabetes (and all of their nasty, deadly side effects).

There are two key ways to prevent these conditions that everyone knows but no one likes to hear. A healthy diet and regular exercise are absolutely the best ways to avoid these diagnoses. Maintaining a healthy weight (particularly avoiding extra pounds around the waist) can significantly cut your risk of each illness.

 If you are already living with diabetes or heart disease, there are also a few steps you can take to reduce your future risk of a cardiac event, complications, or death. Take these simple, natural solutions to heart, and commit to a healthier lifestyle to truly make a difference in your future.

Natural Ways to Avoid Heart Disease

In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet (aim for half veggies, one quarter lean protein, and one quarter whole grains at each meal), exercise is essential. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking, swimming, water aerobics, tennis, cross-country skiing, ballroom dancing, or biking) at least five days each week. Gardening and walking the dog count, too, and if you love to dance while you wash dishes or vacuum, keep up the good work!

If you are diabetic or if you are currently inactive, talk with your healthcare provider before beginning a new exercise routine. Build up to a regular and more vigorous regimen gradually, even if you have to start with just a few minutes of walking each day.

Next, tackle the other parts of your life that can best reduce your risk of heart disease.

Drop the tobacco habit. Smoking does serious damage to blood vessels and the heart. Kicking the addiction can add years to your life—even if you aren’t already diabetic. Check out free online “quit smoking” chat rooms or ask about health benefits from your employer or health program to get a little help.

Eat heart-healthy foods. Even if you are already eating a healthy diet, try incorporating additional heart-healthy foods into your weekly menu. These include foods with healthy fats, like fish and nuts. You should cut down on red meats and processed foods, then up your intake of beans, vegetables, and whole grains. Yum.

Get your waist below 35 inches. Extra weight around the middle is a major risk factor for both diabetes and heart disease. Even losing about 5–10% of your body weight can help slash your risk of these diseases if you are currently overweight or obese. Hence the recommendation above for regular exercise (there’s no getting away from that one, ladies!).

Take advantage of health screenings. Getting your annual check-up and screenings as recommended can literally save your life. An early indication of cardiovascular disease—like high blood pressure or blood cholesterol levels—can be the early warning you need to seek more aggressive treatments. Keeping blood glucose levels in the recommended range will also ensure that your body functions as normally and as healthily as possible.

No matter your inherited risk and current trajectory, you can make a difference in your future risk. Diabetes and heart disease are life-changing (and sometimes life-ending). Make sure that you are doing all you can to live a healthier, happier, longer life. You can do it!

 

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Go Coconuts This Holiday Season!

By on December 17, 2012 in After the Pause

Coconut Dreams © lynette sheppard

Enjoy this guest post from down under authored by fabulous health blogger Justine Vari. I personally love coconut oil and not just because I live in Hawaii. I knew it was healthy but now I know why!

The benefits of using coconut oil for cooking (and you may lose a few kilos on the side)

If you are looking to try something different in the kitchen, give coconut oil a go!  It’s great to cook with because it has excellent flavour, a stable chemical structure and many health benefits.

The coconut tree or palm has been referred to as the Tree of Life in many tropical countries because of its ability to heal many common ailments, from influenza and high cholesterol to diabetes and obesity.  Coconut oil’s anti-viral properties have been known to provide relief for HIV patients and people suffering from herpes, and its anti-bacterial properties ease throat infections and candida. Also, the saturated fats in coconut oil are supportive of kidney function and maintaining thyroid function, which helps to prevent symptoms of hypothyroidism such as tiredness and weight gain.

Coconut oil is the highest source of saturated fats and contains the most medium-chain fats in any vegetarian food source.  Lauric acid makes up 50% of coconut oil and is essential in maintaining the body’s immune system.  The only other source of lauric acid that can compare to coconut oil is breast milk.  Other components of coconut oil include myristic acid, which is used by the body to stabilise proteins used in the immune system, and anti- viral capric acid.

Coconut Oil

Despite the propaganda from the last few decades, including both saturated and unsaturated fat in your diet is essential for health and can promote weight loss.  The ‘bad’ fat that you need to watch out for is trans-fatty acids, which is a refined form of fat that has been altered by hydrogenation.  This process changes the structure of liquid vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature, like shortening for cooking and margarine.  Trans fats are damaging in two ways – they raise the levels of bad LDL, which increase the risk of heart disease, and decrease the levels of protective HDL cholesterol.

Coconut oil is beneficial to health because its fats provide an important energy source for the body and helps to maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes.  Short and medium chain fatty acids have a lower caloric value and are easily broken down by the body for absorption.  Because of this accessibility to energy, it raises the metabolism of the body and provides a sense of satiety after eating.

Fats also facilitate the absorption of various vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and help regulate blood sugar levels to fight diabetes.  Coconut oil’s anti-inflammatory properties are great for arthritis and it also contains antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative stress.

Because of coconut oil’s high saturated fat content, it has a stable chemical composition and is resistant to high heats and will only oxidise at 177⁰C, making it great for cooking.  Coconut oil is easy to digest and soothes stomach and digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome.  Replace your regular oil with coconut oil when cooking stir fries, meat and baked goods.

Coconut oil is also great as a moisturiser for the skin and hair and has been used medicinally for burns and constipation.

Justine Vari is an enthusiastic researcher and writer of health and fitness, with a keen interest in whole foods and optimum nutrition. She hopes to one day be a part of the movement that eradicates lifestyle-related diseases. For more posts from Justine please visit http://www.health.com.au/blog.

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Free At Last: Simplifying and Letting Go of Stuff

By on December 3, 2011 in Positive Changes, Second Adulthood

Ceramic hula maiden and ukulele player © lynette sheppard

We had our Hawaii house painted white over the summer. And that’s where it all started.

Maybe the clutter was less noticeable when we had ash paneled rooms. Or maybe seeing the bookshelves and walls empty was like seeing our home as a blank canvas. Whatever the reason, Dewitt and I have decided to simplify, to declutter, to jettison stuff that is just clogging up our life.

Which is why we are ruthlessly attacking every closet, drawer, and space as if we are moving into a new home. And why our house looks like Hurricane Iniki looped back around for another pass right through our living/great room.

The inevitable disaster cleanup is taking a long time. We have to examine each article, tell its story, and decide: does it go or stay?

We have had an unfortunate habit of buying art and tchotchkes in equal measure when we travel. And we have traveled a lot, it seems. We briefly consider opening an eBay store called “Tchotchkes R Us”, but decide that is another form of clutter – time clutter. And we don’t need that! So out with the majority of the refrigerator magnets, unused hair adornments, and small statuary.

We have enough shells to repopulate Waikiki beach. Or stock a gift shop in Florida. We need to look more and stoop less when beachcombing. We say aloha to them and move them on.

And the automated cat toy that promised “hours of delightful fun and play for kitty” that our teenage boy cat ran from initially and was bored by later? Off to the thrift store.

Unappreciated Cat Toy © lynette sheppard

How, oh how, did we manage to accumulate 12 golf towels in pristine (read unused, ever) condition? Ah, the accretion factor. Before you know it, you are buried in stuff.

I think we are doing pretty well, so far. We ditched our stereo system for a Bose that takes up a quarter of the space. Our music library lives on our iPod anyway. I’ve thrown out all those weird Easter egg and Santa Claus earrings. We’ve donated a number of the books that we have carted all over creation for years to our local bookstore and the library.

We even decided to release our kitschy little ceramic hula maiden and ukulele player after their years of service (and dust collecting). They lay on top of the trash bin for nearly an hour, before Dewitt rescued them and they were relocated to the lanai. At least they are out of the living room. We are making progress.

Rescued From The Trash © lynette sheppard

Their New Home © lynette sheppard

Second adulthood is a time of letting go. To be sure, there are losses – of youth, smooth unwrinkled skin, and temperature control among others. But letting go can be cleansing and freeing as well. We are making space for our next phase. We are allowing a freshening breeze to blow through our lives.

Will we live in a spare, clean, Zen home after all the excess “stuff” is relocated? Probably yes, for at least a month or two. Until we get the urge to frequent an art gallery or the neighbor island ABC store. Then I’m guessing all bets will be off and the whole process will begin again! Gonna enjoy it whichever way it goes. Time to drag out the Christmas stuff…

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Women Changing The World – One Dinner at a Time

By on November 16, 2011 in Positive Changes, Who We're Becoming

That is the tagline for one of the most inspiring women to women endeavors I’ve ever seen. And we will tell you all about it.

Flash back to September and our annual Menopause Goddess gathering this year. We talked once again about legacy and contribution. MIdlife has made us all too aware that our time on this planet is limited. We wondered how we share might some of the blessings in our lives, whether it be through mentoring, volunteering, public service, or donations.

Then Cyn Venus told us about a project that she has been involved in for the past year called “Dining For Women”. This nonprofit organization was begun in 2003 by Marsha Wallace. The premise is simple: a group of women meet for a potluck dinner and donate the money they would have spent going out to eat to a cause benefiting women.

On their site, diningforwomen.org, they further describe their mission and vision:

“Dining for Women from the beginning has focused on improving the lives of women and girls worldwide, who often live on less than $1 a day. By focusing on women and girls, DFW empowers women to find solutions to the problems they face through education, healthcare, and economic development.”

“Our Mission
Dining for Women’s mission is to empower women and girls living in extreme poverty by funding programs that foster good health, education, and economic self‐sufficiency and to cultivate educational giving circles that inspire individuals to make a positive difference through the power of collective giving.

Our Vision
Our vision is to create a new paradigm for giving – collective giving on an immense scale while maintaining the intimacy of small groups with a focus on education and engaged giving.”

Dining For Women involves us in two of our favorite things: girlfriends and giving back. Okay, three if you count eating. And I do. I was sold on the idea from the minute Cyn described the concept. And then she shared the following video of the cause of the month for September, 2011: the Fistula Foundation in Ethiopia.  Warning: grab your Kleenex before you watch.

Want to know more about fistula incidence and options for women in Ethiopia? Read the novel “Cutting For Stone” by Abraham Verghese, a stunning story written by a physician that will break your heart wide open.

So: Dining For Women. $10 here. $15 there. Resulting in 1.2 million dollars raised over the eight years it has been in existence. Where else can we get so much return for our money? As for me, I’d much rather have a potluck with gal pals than go out to a restaurant where I have to dress up and be on my best behavior.

The website shows all the ways we can help whether we organize a potluck group that meets once per month or just shop in their Marketplace to support Dining For Women. Let’s see how many chapters we can create in the new year (not wanting to stress anybody out over the holidays. Although it may be a stress reducer to meet with girlfriends and commiserate/celebrate/what have you.)  And hey, what a great New Year’s resolution.

Women helping women. To quote my handsome spouse, Dewitt, “I can’t wait until women run the world.” Yep, me neither. But we’re getting there by doing what we do best. And after all, we are more than half the citizens on this little blue marble. Just sayin’… Dinner anyone?

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Contemplating Life After Menopause

By on September 7, 2011 in After the Pause

tuolumne river afternoon © lynette sheppard

During the worst of the menopause transition, we goddesses crave silence. The slightest noise can be an irritant, causing our shoulders to raise up to ear level and our jaw to clench hard enough to crack fillings. The cat breathing, the husband chewing his cereal, the freaking neighbor blowing the lame-ass leaves off his STUPID DRIVEWAY,.. where was I? Oh yes, noise irritation.

As with the majority of the travails of this passage, hypersensitivity to sound passes. We regain a semblance of auditory equanimity, although we may still be fans of quietude.

Still, there is something important to be gained from these annoyances that can serve us in the search for vibrance in our second adulthood. I’m talking about contemplation.

No, I’m not advocating naval gazing or oming or pillow sitting although these are all valuable practices. And good on you if you already avail yourself of these.

Mostly I’m talking about carving out time and space in a busy lifestyle to slow down, to listen, and to hear our own voices calling out from the silence. So many of the questions of midlife and second adulthood might only be answered with purposeful, contemplative breaks in the action.

Questions like: “What is my passion?” or :”What are my passionettes?” “What does it mean to me to age gracefully?” “How might I give back, what legacy shall I leave, if any?” And perhaps most important, “Who am I becoming?”

I just returned from a “vacation” in the High Sierra where Dewitt and I were able to contemplate literally all day long. Wandering aimlessly, appreciating, and photographing the natural beauty of the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River each day renewed and refreshed us. The rushing white noise of the river and the turtle speed pace allowed my inner voice to surface.

It’s easy to slow down and listen in such an environment. Still, I’d like to make contemplation a part of my everyday life, even more than it is at present.

Reading is a meditation for me. As is photographing. Sometimes, though, the story or artful subject is so compelling that I get lost in it and no longer am hearing my inner voice. How then, might I craft contemplative time, even if only in bits and pieces?

Years ago, I bought a couple of small, powerful books. I just pulled them off the shelf again. Being Home by Gunilla Norris with photos by Greta D. Sibley is a series of meditations having to do with everyday life. Her little vignettes/prayers deal with such weighty subjects as “making the bed” and  “taking out the trash”.

Approaching housework as meditation can create the same open receptivity as sitting by the river. It’s a matter of intention and focus. I have the intention – these little mantras provide the focus. I’m going to avail myself of at least one each day until it becomes ingrained, as natural as the flowing of water. I suspect that it might take a while, but creating a delicious second adulthood is a process not an endgame.

My other little hardbound manifesto is called The Art of Doing Nothing by Veronique Vienne, photographed by Erica Lennard. This little guide to rest an relaxation boasts tiny chapters on the arts of yawning, procrastinating, lounging, napping, and more.
I plan to indulge in at least one of these practices of “being:” in the midst of all my “doing” each day. Perhaps as I bring these gifts more into my life, I will realize that they are not indulgences, but necessities for growing myself.

I’ll keep you all posted on my “progress”. I’d love to know how each of you incorporates contemplation in your life, how you connect with that inner wisdom, and what you have learned. The synergy we create with our sharing leads to exponential growth and positive change. Just ask the Venuses! I don’t know what I’d do without them. Or without all of you! Just sayin’….

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Roaming the Pacific NW: Second Adulthood

By on August 17, 2011 in Positive Changes, Second Adulthood

British Columbia Sunset © lynette sheppard

My friend and sister goddess Karen-Venus likes us to set aside a day or an afternoon to just go roaming.

Which means having no real plans, destination, or goal. Just being together, meandering. Eating, strolling, maybe shopping – just allowing ourselves to wander.

My handsome hubby. Dewitt, has adopted a saying from a Hawaiian rules T-shirt as his own personal credo: The unaimed arrow never misses. So it was with our recent meander up to British Columbia and eastern Washington state.

Of course, we made some plans – we had airline reservations, hotel and car rental from Seattle onward and plans to visit friends on Vancouver Island. The rest was up for grabs. Just the way we are growing to like it.

This phase of second adulthood reminds me of the best of childhood, when you would start a day not knowing what you would do or see, just experiencing the world as you happened upon it.

When you have no expectations, everything is a miracle. I made a new goddess friend (actually I believe we must be sisters that got separated somehow and found our way back to one another.) Never expected that!

Saw seals basking in the sun, drank wine on a boat while music from a concert drifted out to us bobbing on the sound, ate fabulous food and didn’t count the calories, watched rainbows and sunsets, met a farmer and a barber, hooked up with some Facebook photo pals who I’d not met in person before but felt like I knew so well, got lost in wheat fields and explored abandoned houses. Expected none of that either.

Of course, now I’m back home madly playing catch up. I’m a little behind on some things and a lot behind on others. But that feeling of peacefilled joy is hanging on. And when it dissipates, I’m going to try a little roaming around home.

Instead of powering through my walk to get it over with and check off the exercise portion of my day, I might just roam and see where I end up. Or I’ll hook up with Theresa-Venus and do some photo roaming where we may or may not actually take a photo.

It’s important to my second adulthood to make time for me – and being open to whatever, rather than being so quasi-organized and scheduled. Only one thing I want my Menopause Goddess sisters to do – remind me! And I’ll try to remind you too.

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Getting Rid of Excess Baggage: A Menopause Goddess Idea

By on July 28, 2011 in After the Pause, Life Changes & Stages

Aerial salt desert Utah © lynette sheppard

I love traveling. I hate packing.

To me, a plane flight is like a bubble bath at 30,000 feet. No phone calls, no doorbells, no chores staring you in the face. Just peace and quiet in a semi-reclining seat. Time to daydream, read my books on the iPad, or make iPhone photo art out of the aerial landscapes below.

Packing, on the other hand, sucks. I try to take as little as possible but there are certain necessary maintenance items like vitamins, supplements, prescriptions.  Emollients, lotions, and yes, sex butter.

The worst part is the decision making. What to wear? What is really necessary and what will I wish fervently that I had remembered. Oh and remembering! That’s huge. I have to start at least a few days ahead of time in order to have time to remember all the things I’d have forgotten. Gone are the days of packing the night (or hour) before.

So I dither and fret and obsess.  And whine and complain and make multiple trips to the store or pharmacy. And every time I end up asking myself why it’s so hard? Is it just the post menopausal me? This is the herculean task I must accomplish every time to get to that bubble bath and the joyful journey waiting like a fluffy, warm towel at the end of the flight?

I might be the only one who feels this way, but in case I am not, here’s a new business I’m proposing. How about a service where you email ahead your sizes and styles needed in clothing plus any special needs like certain toiletries, travel hair dryer and/or curling iron, even a tripod for your camera.
When you arrive at the airport, voila. A packed to order suitcase which you use and turn in as you leave. And hey, no luggage fees. Which have gotten pretty steep and could help finance your Rent A Travel Wardrobe.

Seriously, while I cannot and will not start another business, I am soooooooooo available to consult on this idea. Gratis. Because I believe this is an enterprise that is long overdue. Hey, maybe we could even get the airlines to chip in with a lower ticket price if we promise to bring no bags.

Or maybe my Menopause Brain is just working overtime on non-essential thoughts and ideas. Then again………….

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Practice Gratitudinal Healing

By on March 20, 2011 in Positive Changes

eagle falls reflection © lynette sheppard

Just over a year ago, I was writing about the tsunami warning and our evacuation here in Hawai`i after the Chilean earthquake. Deja vu all over again as Japan suffered a 9.0 quake and a huge tidal wave engulfed much of the coast.

Once again, we have much to be grateful for in Hawai`i. The tsunami caused some property damage, but we are all safe. Once again, our hearts hurt for our friends, known and unknown, across the sea.

I’ve talked to several of the Venuses who’ve felt tired, ill, depressed and/or frightened. I’ve been having nightmares every night. I have not had bad dreams since I was a child. Such a huge “disturbance in the force” affects us all. What to do?

Certainly, we wish to help. We can donate to relief funds and help our neighbors clean up if needed. What might we do beyond this?

My friend, Cathie Haynes, wrote a thought provoking post this week about celebration on her wonderful blog: BE-ing Rooted: a Practice in Essential Living. Confronted with the suffering and disaster, she did one of the only things we can do. Celebrate. Focus on what is important in life. See the extraordinary in the ordinary. And practice gratitude.

My husband, Dewitt Jones, sends out a photo and quote each week exhorting us to “Celebrate What’s Right With The World.” It’s simply a lovely reminder, a refocusing, and an affirmation of life. It’s something we need all the time and especially at times like these.  As he says, celebrating what’s right can give us the energy to fix what’s wrong. (Sign up to receive the Celebrate photos on his site - no charge, just spreading gratitude.)

How does this help? Do gratitude and celebration create positive vibrations in the force? Does kindness? I’m not sure if it helps the world, but I’m pretty sure it helps in our little corner of it. I may still have nightmares for awhile, but I’m going to adopt an attitude of celebration. Right now.

Here’s a partial list of those things I am grateful for in this moment:
rescue animals (including a dog afraid of thunder and a cat that “thinks out of the box” sometimes
breathing
family
birdsong
good friends
raindrops
rubber slippers
photography
rice
sprouted grains
water
breezes
the gift of sight
books
Hawai`ian music
old cars that still run
wifi and cable on a rural island
hot flashes (okay that’s a stretch, but means I’m alive!)
flowers
kisses
my menopause goddess sisters

Wishing you all some gratitudinal healing. What are you grateful for? What might you celebrate? Share it in the comments or just hold it in your heart. Malama pono – take good care. Of you.

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Happy Holly Daze For Menopause Goddesses

By on December 8, 2010 in Positive Changes

I don’t have grandchildren yet. And while I love, love, love the holidays, I also dread, dread, dread the busyness of the season. (Which seems to happen earlier each year or is this just my imagination?)

So last year, I began to wonder why I get myself all worked up and frantic carrying out the mandatory rituals every November-December. It was not easy to score a live tree last winter here on my rural island, so I opted out of the pine needle, broken ornaments (cause by cattus domesticus who can’t stop playing with the shiny things),  sugary dough all over the kitchen, unwritten Christmas card mess.

And it was…heavenly.

So this year, I was way more gentle with myself. Thanksgiving was glorious at our neighbor’s house – potlucked of course. The day was lazy and filled with gratitude for us.

Theresa Venus is here on-island and we celebrated Lei Venus’s birthday with a holiday dinner of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. There was no have-to or pressure, just an ease of fun food prep, sharing of conversation and meal, and mostly quality time spent with one another.

Wow, two holiday feasts already and no stress so far. I’m thinking that I may be on to something. Because the rituals have been comin’ apart at the seams, in the very best possible way,  it was with absolute serenity that we cruised downtown to see the Christmas parade of lights and hang out with the entire island’s population to celebrate, Hawaiian style.

I am having a tree trimming party. Which involves putting miniature ornaments on a Lilliputian fake tree (about 4 inches tall). Yes, I mean inches, not feet. I can hold it in the palm of my hand.

Of course, there will be eggnog and wine. We can sing Christmas carols. (Or not, maybe it’d better to listen to Willie K. or Na Leo Pilimehana sing.) And we’ll even have the right smells, thanks to Menopause Goddess Teri Waros’s Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions – provider of the Douglas Fir incense

You are all invited. Happy stress free holiday and Mele Kalikimaka.

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Schedule a Play Date – With Yourself

By on October 31, 2010 in After the Pause, Second Adulthood, Who We're Becoming

Painted Butterfly © lynette sheppard

Whether it’s a spa day or reading or journaling or watching your fave old movies or making art – regular play dates ought to be part of our second adulthood. We need to recapture childlike joy  and immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in unstructured time.

In our feverish scheduling, it’s time to block out playdates (even whole play days) for menopause Goddesses.

It  can be hard to get started - dieseling is what my hubby calls it. I start to do something just for me, but then jump up and try to accomplish, to cross a few more tasks off the list, to have something to show for my day.

Puttering around the house is enjoyable in its own way, as is getting a jumpstart on chores and the work week. But we can get lost in the laundry, cleaning out a closet, organizing, reports.

A Playdate is time just for me. And you. I love playdates with girlfriends too, but there should be just YOU time, where there is no need to adapt yourself to anyone else’s wants, needs, desires, or conversation. In fact, quiet is one of the most nourishing parts of my play days.

So, after a wonderful week of photographic seminaring here on Moloka`i, Dewitt took off for a gallery opening featuring his work on Maui. Though work has piled up and I felt behind, for my own sanity and serenity, I scheduled a Play Day.

Here’s how it went:

There was the usual dieseling:  Changed the bedsheets and piled the old ones by the door to go out to wash.

Forgot sheets – . Organized my desk. Cleaned cat box. Sat down to read and saw sheets. Got up again and put them in wash and put wet towels knotted up in washer into dryer.

Answered phone, lost track of what I was doing: oh yeah, reading. Wait, got to jot down idea for blog. Played another move on Facebook Scrabble with a friend.

Started to read menopause research study in Menopause journal – remembered how much I hate medicalese speak. Put magazine down.

Made coffee – uh oh, breakfast dishes still in sink. Washed them. Poured cup of coffee and sat back down to re-read favorite book “Sisters of the Dream” by Mary Sojourner. A novel about the mystery and magic of sisterhood across time and culture.  (out of print, but it’s possible to find a copy through a used bookstore.)

Some stories are food and this is one of them for me and Theresa-Venus, too. 40 minutes of blissful journeying, .then interrupted by chatty cat demanding affection – (cats think play days are all about them.)

More reading with cat on lap. Lunch.

Worked on painting technique on photographs using Photoshop. One success, one maybe, one failure but I learned something so can try it again and get it right.

Long walk, showered off the sweat.  Finished and won Scrabble game online. Poured glass of wine and watched the sunset.

A perfect play day. A perfect day. I’m filled up again. Tomorrow I can work, refreshed and renewed, excited even.

What would you do with a play day? Or a few hours playdate? And isn’t it about time to schedule one? Share your “perfect day” with us – we might get some ideas for our own future play dates.

BTW, the photo painting that worked is the one of the butterfly above this post.

(For more wit and wisdom from our community of Menopause Goddesses, click here to purchase your copy of “The Big M” – your personal survival and thrival guide for the menopause transition.)

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