"So Long, For Now, From An Old(er) Broad"...

I have surpassed a goal - over 20,000 views of my blog - and I want to thank you for your readership, your friendship and your support.  When I started this exercise in October, 2013, I had no idea I would keep at it this long.  It's been a lot of fun connecting, through my blog, with folks and finding out that I, maybe, touched a nerve or provided a nudge with a memory or two.

For now, I'm taking a breather -to live, learn ( "The greatest lesson I have learned in life is that I still have a lot to learn.") observe, and come up with some new "ramblings".   (And if you have any ideas or memories you wish to suggest, feel free...) I will, hopefully, get back to writing at a later date, because I have really enjoyed it.

For  those of you who've read my Tuesday and Thursday blog since 2013, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  If you jumped onboard later, THANK YOU!    I'll see you soon.  Take care and stay well.

Love,

Marysue
AKA "The Old(er) Broad"

"Summer Days at the Playground"

I was reading one of the many "Memories" pages on Facebook recently and there was a comment about the playgrounds of our youth.  Well, even though it's only spring, my mind went back to the days when we, as kids in Lindenwald, enjoyed many a summer day at our neighborhood park.

Those were the days!  A summer day, heading to the park with the neighbor kids, not a care in the world....Who wouldn't want to go back in time to that?

Sure, our park had playground equipment that would be deemed unsafe, by today's safety standards.  We didn't know any better back then, I guess, and despite some scrapes and bruises, we all lived.

One of the less-safe rides was the merry-go-round.  We would all get on, and someone, (usually someone who took delight in scaring the heck out of kids) would make it go round and round fast.  We hung on for dear life and when it came to a stop, we'd be dizzy and laughing.

The teeter-totter was for suckers...or extremely trusting kids.  You'd sit on one end and another kid would sit at the other, and you'd go up and down.  The kid who weighed the most pretty much decided who would be "up" most of the time.  Our park had some smart alecks who would jump off their end, when you were on the "up" part of the ride... Your side of the teeter-totter, and your fanny, would hit the ground...hard! (Maybe some of our current back problems come from being slammed down, onto the hard ground, by the smart alecks' antics?  Maybe....)

The swings seemed safe enough -unless someone would push you and you'd go sky-high.  The daredevils would jump from the swing when it was at its highest point.  Needless to say,  I never jumped.

The slide was my go-to ride...it seemed the most laid back of all the rides.  I remember the only downside was, in the heat of the summer, the shiny metal would scorch the back of your legs... that, and the puddle that always seemed to be at the bottom of the slide.

Come to think of it!  There always seemed to be puddles everywhere at
the park...under the swings, around the merry go round...everywhere young feet had worn paths into the hard ground.  That's right!  We had the hard earth as our play surfaces.  No rubberized products...no wood chips... just good old dirt, or mud, depending on the weather that week.

Our park had "park leaders", teenagers who were hired by the city to ride herd on the neighbor kids.  Sometimes there were crafts, sometimes games, organized for us to play, but the highlight of the week was "Park Pool Day".  That's when the park leaders would walk us to the neighborhood pool, where we'd sing our "park song" for free admission, and splash  around with the same hooligans we played with at the park.

Another highlight of summers at the park were when The "Show Wagon" would make a stop for those brave enough to perform for the other kids and their parents.  Some would sing, some would dance, some would twirl batons....any of the talents they wanted to show off.  I was never brave enough to sign up and kind of admired the kids who did.    It was a fun night but I'm pretty sure, there were no major talent discoveries in Lindenwald those nights.

Times are different now...kids have so many things to occupy their time.  But summer days, spent at the playgrounds of our town, in the 50's and 60's, would be hard to beat.  And I'm so glad I was there.

A Final Resting Place

So you know you're getting old when you and hubby buy a cemetery plot!  Yes, we went and did it. Have been talking about it for awhile and recently, we finalized it.

Not that anything's looming (that we know of)  but who's to say?   We're thinking of it as a gift to our kids...kids who shouldn't have to deal with such things, when we're gone.  They certainly don't even like talking about the topic so I think we're doing them - and ourselves - a favor.

We met the friendly cemetery representative (now THAT would be a hard job...don't ya think?) at the place, walked around, found our final resting place and put our money down.  Fact of the matter, I've spent more time shopping for shoes!  It was easy --- and it's done!

I've always wanted to be cremated.  With my claustrophobia always on my mind, the thought of being in a box forever, didn't excite me.  It really would be more appropriate to be planted next to hubby, getting on his nerves for all of eternity....side by side forever.  But with the help of the cemetery rep, I found out I can have it both ways....cremation and not far from hubby.  Problem solved...

The subject of death, dying, cemeteries, burials isn't one that I've relished.  But as I've gotten older, I've become more of a realist (some would say "fatalist").  We're all gonna go sometime.   I'm also a control freak and having a say on where I'm going to end up, is, in a bizarre way, comforting.  Getting to choose "my neighbors" - some of whom were wonderful friends in life - is the way it should be.

Please don't think I'm being maudlin...blogging about such a thing.  I hope hubby and I aren't going "anywhere" anytime soon but  I really do view this as another step in the aging process...an investment in the future...a downpayment on eternity, so to speak.

Next up?  A headstone!  Nothing too big or extravagant.  Just something to say "I was here".  At least, if I have a say in that, my name will be spelled correctly....  (I TOLD you I was a control freak!)

Things I've Wondered About Lately...

# We start the political stuff waay too early!  Here we are, two years out and I'm sick of it already!
# Watching TV the night before a colonoscopy is a bad idea.  Too many delicious-looking commercials!
# Just because the calendar says "April" doesn't mean the weather is going to be terrific!
# Wallpaper always seems like a better idea going up than coming down.
# Why are the Kardashians still here?
# When and why does toilet paper need a marketing campaign and so many tasteless commercials?
# Our seafood choices have become so much more than the fishsticks of the '70's.
#  Who decided weeds are weeds?
# Why have toasters never been improved upon?  Everything else in the kitchen has changed, it seems.
# Are marijuana dealers in states where its use is now legal, allowed to advertise in magazines, like cigarette companies used to?
# Why do some folks in our neighborhood have to fix their cracked sidewalks, when others don't have to have sidewalks at all?
# Food Network Chef Bobby Flay looks like Howdy Doody to me.  How has he landed three wives?
#  How bad must some product have been, to be "new" and "improved" almost every year?
# Funny how your day can go to hell in a hurry -  all because of a computer.

That's it for me!  What have you been wondering about?

"That Ship Has Sailed"

That's a term that's being used more and more around our house...and I don't like it --- even a little bit.

It was used recently by hubby, after he decided, after looking at a particular item, was questioning his need for it, after all.  "That ship has sailed", he said.  I heard it and took it as an age thing...that we've given up...that it's not worth pursuing anymore.

But I guess, instead of looking at "that ship has sailed" as a term of resignation, I should look at it as a sign of acceptance....that we've had things so good for so long... that we can change things up -or not - and still be alright.

So what if I can't wear stilettos anymore?  It was fun when I could.   "That ship has sailed".  Partying until the wee hours?  Not appealing anymore.  "That ship has sailed".  And if our so-called "toys" are enough, why want for more?  "That ship has sailed", too.

I'd like to think that we're both - hubby and me - in charge, making decisions, planning and doing things on our own terms.    There may be a whole lot of "ships sailing" around here, but we're still the captains of those ships, and that is alright!

"Faking It"

I  HATE fakiness! Now I'm not talking exterior fakiness. I color my hair, wear plenty of make-up and can sport "falsies" with the best of 'em! I call that "enhancement" or "embellishing". Nope, I'm talking about fake smiles, fake eyes, fake intentions, fake stories and fake hearts.

You don't have to go very far to see it today. It's everywhere! In politics, in Hollywood, in everyday conversations. We needn't look any further than Bill Cosby or Brian Williams to see its prevalance. Many people have been doing it for so long, they don't even realize it's fakiness.

 These days, social media makes it easier to be fake. Facebook can paint a totally different picture than what is true. Case in point... Say someone on Facebook presents her family life as the best there can be. Then when you see the entire family at a restaurant, faces buried in their phones... It just doesn't match up to what was portrayed online.

 It makes no sense, to me, to have fakiness in our lives. I try not to judge. But to me, when you start with the fakiness, you lose sight of what's real...and what's important.

 We all end up in the same place in the end. What we have and what we think we are, is of little value. Being sincere and genuine in our everyday lives, to my way of thinking, sure would be easier than going through life as a fake. Propping ourselves up as something we're not would be exhausting!

So let's all adopt a "what you see is what you get" attitude... Want to? But I'm not giving up my make-up and hair color! EVER! Nor should you WANT me to... Have a sincerely terrific day!

"Heal Thyself"

I know - my blog is usually light and airy stuff - but now that my Lenten "Positivity Project" has been shelved till next year - please allow me to rant, won't you?

Healthcare in America is a mess!  There I said it!  Having just been through the wringer and experiencing it firsthand, I can say that we are in a world of hurt, both literally and figuratively, if we don't fix it!

I recently experienced some health issues and went to the doctor.  Some testing was needed...first bloodwork, etc.  Meds were prescribed, made some headway with those, additional and more invasive testing was prescribed.

The orders went to the hospital on a Monday and there I was, four days later, waiting on approval from the insurance company!  Good thing I wasn't writhing in intense pain the entire time or bleeding from every orifice...It's almost like they were either expecting me to heal myself or hoping I'd just die in that waiting game.

I get it - the insurance companies take most of the heat - Folks using the emergency room as their primary care physician, the exorbitant cost of prescription drugs, unneeded tests ordered up  by unscrupulous doctors all add to their woes.  I get it.

And some doctors and some hospitals aren't blameless either.  Piggy-backing expensive procedures before results from other ones are in, the costly cutting edge equipment, insurance to protect them from folks who don't think they've gone far enough for them.  It's a mess!

I pity the elderly who have to go through the healthcare maze and have no advocate, willing to help steer them through.  But I really feel badly for our kids and grandkids -they don't know how it used to be - this is going to be their normal and their "good old days".  Sad.

Luckily, I like our doctors.  They've gone to the mat for us on more than one occasion.  I guess the lesson I've learned here is that you have to be aggressive and proactive about your own healthcare and that of your family's.  Don't be afraid to get in there and mix it up with the big guys.   It's your health and your well-being at stake here.   Oh, yeah...and say some prayers for a fix for the system.  Because, I can tell you, it needs it!

"On My Honor, I Will Try..."

I'm sure it wouldn't have ANYTHING  to do with the fact that I've consumed a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints this month that got me to thinking back to my scouting days.  Yes, I was a Girl Scout...but I'm getting ahead of myself here - first, I was a Brownie.

St Ann's, the grade school of my early years, had some terrific scout leaders.  I remember the patience and attention of Mrs McCool and Mrs Fruttoso, trying to ride herd on a group of young, rambunctious girls.  After school, on Mondays, we'd descend to the cafeteria for our meetings.  They always opened up with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Brownie/Girl Scout pledge.

On my honor, I will try:
To do my duty
To God and my country,
To help other people at all times,
And to obey the Girl Scout Law.

We then would hear about scouting business, pay our dues, begin our craft project and then enjoy a treat.  In addition to the lessons learned about patriotism, self esteem, commerce (had to sell those cookies!) and team work, the giggling, camaraderie, and the treats prepared me, I think, for the great relationships I have with my treasured women friends. (We still giggle and eat...)

After a few years as a Brownie, it was time for us to "fly up".  Not sure why that term was used but it meant we were advancing to the big leagues - The Girl Scouts!  I was always partial to the light brown color of the Brownie uniform, but I was ready to don the green of the Big Girls.  And although it was still fun, life as a Girl Scout got a bit more serious.  We had to "work" on getting "merit badges" - that reward that came after you performed certain tasks in a specific field. "Homemaking" is the only one that stands out in my memory (go figure!) but I'm sure there were a few more I earned.  I DO know that my sisters' sashes had more badges, but hey, they stuck it out longer....and probably worked harder at it.

I'm not sure why my time as a Girl Scout came to an end.  Maybe because we moved to a new school.  Maybe  my propensity to quit things reared its ugly head again (I've told you before about my short attention span).  Maybe it was when my Mom wanted me to sew the badges on my sash myself - and glue guns weren't invented yet.   I can't remember.  But I do know that scouting - then and now - is a great organization - and that the lessons I learned, as a young girl, were invaluable ones.

Now, where's that last box of Thin Mints?

P.S.  And thanks to my old(er) sister for her help in remembering the Girl Scout pledge... You didn't think I, with the short attention span, could recall that, now, did ya?

"The Problem With Doing Nothing"...

“The problem with doing nothing is that you never know when you’re finished.” —Groucho Marx

And therein lies the dilemma with retirement.  And why I hope hubby and I continue to stay involved with "something".  We HAVE to!  Or how will we "know when we're finished"?

Whether it's employment, volunteerism, having hobbies, being a friend,  or having some kind of project to work on, I hope I ALWAYS have something to do.  I know that things will eventually slow down.  My body already tells me I can't do what I used to do...like moving heavy furniture or climbing ladders to paint ceilings, but I sure hope there's something out there to fill those voids.  Or else, how will I "know when I'm finished"?

I know Someone else will determine when "I'm (really) finished".  Faith plays a big role here but I hope there's still plenty of time to see new places, try new things, meet new people, reach new goals.  I'm not ready to fold up the old tent yet. (Hmmm.  Try camping??? Nah!)   I hope I can keep "doing" or how will I know when I'm finished?