Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alternative

[movie zombie]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

same age as JewelFreak......

i was last carded at age 50........seriously. now at age 62 time has caught up with me. sigh. but i do agree that it beats the alternative! especially since i'm in that age group that thought the cuban missle crisis would see us all dead. the cold war threat loomed real with air raid drills and crawling under desks....not to mention the threat of polio.

is no one else bothered by white hairs in the brows and lashes?! i don't mind the hair on my head [well, i do object to those hairs on my lip and chin...] but i absolutely hate what those traitorous white hairs do to my brows and lashes.

MoZo

 

[Gailey]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

after reading this thread...i'd feel like a "SPRING CHICK"!!...

What are you laughing about DF? You're no youngster yourself!!

OK DF, fess up. How old?

GG...let me put it this way....i can call you my older sister ...

Ha ha, who do you think you are kidding? You wish! I've seen that grainy old yellowing wedding photo you posted. You are one very old geezer!

and i can call you GRANDMA!!

Well, yesss, you could call me GRANDMA DF.......

BUT......

Unless you are an exceptionally handsome 4 year old or an amazingly cute 2 year old, you would not be qualified to do so. Proceed with caution my friend, you are in a den with some pretty fierce lionesses.

Now in honour of our dear friend LoriKen, whose birthday it is today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORI, I'm going to do something I said I was going to do a long while ago. Lori posted her photo, Whitby posted hers. I lost my bottle. It's hard enough to be an old chick, but a bloody sight harder to be an old chick in a minority, on a forum full of young vibrant beautiful women, so full of life, many of whom are embarking on the most wonderful journey of their lives (I can vaguely remember it!).

It wasn't until today that I felt OK (not good, but OK) about getting older. Up until now, I've hated every frickin second of it. I dread it and the thought of it. It sits on my shoulders like a huge gorilla that squeezes the breath out me. It scares me silly, it really does, but I tell you this, I'm not going down without a bloody good fight. Can I say it again? Uppy, thank you. Thank you for creating a place for us and bringing us all together.

So, once again, call me GRANDMA if you dare DF. In precisely 30 days and 39 minutes time, I will be 49 years old. I am madly in love with the two best GrandGaileys anyone could wish for, and I don't think I look too bad on it.

How do you look DF? BTW, this photo was taken two weeks ago, unlike yours which was taken 30 or 40 years ago.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

haha bras are optional! I just posted a few days ago on facebook that I wanted to burn my bra. My husband loves my boobs but if I even walk past a window without them holstered he gives me a look and honestly I give him the look right back - what right does he have to have an opinion on my boobies if he isn't waxing his back hair! seriously.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Thanks for that thought Dragonfly. I think my carefree attitude is partly a mask for an anxiety I have. I am 48. My dad died at 52, my mom at 65 and my brother this year at 54. I just don't think I'll be around till I'm 80, you know? It gives a person a different perspective to think they may be reaching the end of their lives, especially when there is still so much to dnd enjoy. I accept all the choices I've made, I just hope I have the time left to see my daughters through their big milestones.

I can relate to this... my mom died at 54 and her mom at 57. I don't know why I focus on that as my expiration date, but I do tend to. My father is 73, my mom's dad lived to be 76, my other grandma lived to be 83 and I have at least one great grandmother who lived to be 96. And yet when my mom died I told myself, I have 25 more years to live... and now I'm down to 15. I can't imagine this thinking is healthy, but the optimist in me says, "Wow, that's 15 whole more years!"

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Both of my grandmothers wore housedresses! My Ukranian grandmother (who lived to 97) wore black for all of my life that I remember, but always a dress. She was a "Rosie the riveter" during the war (in Canada here). My other grandmother made her own clothes, she sewed beautifully and always wore a full apron for cooking. I'm starting to see the comfort value these might have had...like the muumus?

Is anyone else sick of wearing a bra? Some people might wait until what they think is a decent hour to have a cocktail at night, while I guess at how soon it's appropriate to take off my bra! Pretty sure this was NOT a concern of my grandmothers. Underwire is not kind at my age, but non-underwire is equally as uncomfortable and sweaty.

Lyra if I did not wear a bra there girls would be touching my knees. I haven't found a bra strong enough to keep them where I want them to be. Maybe duct tape would work?

I have a bra that does this - but it's almost absurdly perky lol Most of my cute tops require me to wear them though so all the darts and stuff fit in the right spots, but I always think, these people saw me yesterday with my more comfortable bra, I'm not fooling anyone!!! And mine are so freaking big... a G/H (but hey that's better than when I was nursing and they were a J!!!!) I hate bras... men really should have to wear crotch supports every day before they have an opinion!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

I just want to mention that I really hate that you are all sleeping when I am posting and that it discourages me from commenting because it looks like a long list of posts only from me and there's no dialog!!! Darn time differences! I seriously start thinking come my evenings, oh look it's 6am on the east coast, maybe someone will wake up! lol

 

[ksinger]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

same age as JewelFreak......

i was last carded at age 50........seriously. now at age 62 time has caught up with me. sigh. but i do agree that it beats the alternative! especially since i'm in that age group that thought the cuban missle crisis would see us all dead. the cold war threat loomed real with air raid drills and crawling under desks....not to mention the threat of polio.

is no one else bothered by white hairs in the brows and lashes?! i don't mind the hair on my head [well, i do object to those hairs on my lip and chin...] but i absolutely hate what those traitorous white hairs do to my brows and lashes.

MoZo

What are these "brows and lashes" of which you speak? I know them not.

 

[ksinger]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Gailey, grandma-hood ain't what it used to be is it? You are just beautiful.

 

[ksinger]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

On the issues of "getting ready" and bras...

One morning not too long ago, my smartass husband (who keeps me laughing, so I keep HIM) shot at me while I was getting ready, "Are you in there getting tarted up??" Me: "Tarted up? TARTED up?? I'm just getting READY to go outside the house!" Then it came to me. I poked a laughing head into the computer room and said, "You know, getting "tarted up" used to mean taking my bra off, nowadays it means putting my bra ON!"

He darn near fell out of his chair. Getting older has got to have something good to it, and being able to laugh at yourself like you simply could not in your 20's is probably the biggest.

 

[Sparkalin]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

About gray hair; I don't have time or money these days to see and spend money for a hair stylist. I cut my own bangs and color at home. But lately the grays are coming in so fast, nothing "sticks" any more. So just this weekend I gave myself highlights, just to give me an idea how I might look gray. I think it might be ok. The husband doesn't seem to care as long as I keep my hair longer, past my shoulders. It's always in a tail or clip, but I guess it's a man thing. Grandma always had long hair in a bun. Mother in law always tells me how I need to cut it short because I'm old. Daughter says don't cut it because short hair makes me look old. Sigh.

Linda

 

[ksinger]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

About gray hair; I don't have time or money these days to see and spend money for a hair stylist. I cut my own bangs and color at home. But lately the grays are coming in so fast, nothing "sticks" any more. So just this weekend I gave myself highlights, just to give me an idea how I might look gray. I think it might be ok. The husband doesn't seem to care as long as I keep my hair longer, past my shoulders. It's always in a tail or clip, but I guess it's a man thing. Grandma always had long hair in a bun. Mother in law always tells me how I need to cut it short because I'm old. Daughter says don't cut it because short hair makes me look old. Sigh.

Linda

LOL! Yeah at some point you just get exasperated: Well, crap, what DOESN'T make me look OLD???

 

[Sparkalin]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

On the issues of "getting ready" and bras...

One morning not too long ago, my smartass husband (who keeps me laughing, so I keep HIM) shot at me while I was getting ready, "Are you in there getting tarted up??" Me: "Tarted up? TARTED up?? I'm just getting READY to go outside the house!" Then it came to me. I poked a laughing head into the computer room and said, "You know, getting "tarted up" used to mean taking my bra off, nowadays it means putting my bra ON!"

He darn near fell out of his chair. Getting older has got to have something good to it, and being able to laugh at yourself like you simply could not in your 20's is probably the biggest.

Ha ha. Tarted up for me is changing out of his gym shorts and throwing on a long skirt to cover those blue veins that are all over my legs!

 

[soocool]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

About gray hair; I don't have time or money these days to see and spend money for a hair stylist. I cut my own bangs and color at home. But lately the grays are coming in so fast, nothing "sticks" any more. So just this weekend I gave myself highlights, just to give me an idea how I might look gray. I think it might be ok. The husband doesn't seem to care as long as I keep my hair longer, past my shoulders. It's always in a tail or clip, but I guess it's a man thing. Grandma always had long hair in a bun. Mother in law always tells me how I need to cut it short because I'm old. Daughter says don't cut it because short hair makes me look old. Sigh.

Linda

I've been thinking about getting a wig to wear when I do not have the time to retouch my hair or between haircuts. I saw Raquel Welch has a line of wigs in all lengths. My husband snuggled up right next to me as I was looking at all the different wigs. He kept pointing to the long hair ones. I let my hair grow out to just past chin length and to tell you the truth I hate it. I liked it better shorter. It looked thicker and I could go several days without washing which meant that I did not have to retouch the color as often.

So what is it with men and long hair??? We don't tell them to get hair replacement or to wear a toupee when their hairline starts to get sparse.

ETA: Sparkalin, just wanted to add that I know that some salons and some tech schools offer haircuts and coloring either for free or for an extremely reduced rate. Someone I know goes to a salon in our area that is also a teaching salon and is always looking for people their students can work on (supervised). Her hair always looks great, but I don't know how often she goes.

 

[gemgirl]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

I just want to mention that I really hate that you are all sleeping when I am posting and that it discourages me from commenting because it looks like a long list of posts only from me and there's no dialog!!! Darn time differences! I seriously start thinking come my evenings, oh look it's 6am on the east coast, maybe someone will wake up! lol

Oh Cehra, I felt so bad when I read this. If I thought anyone would be on line, I would have tootled across the hall to our office to check the goings on here. I'm an every hour on the hour girl, just like Michelle. I have been for the past two or three years. Grrrrrrrrrr! I'd actually pay someone for a full night's sleep!

 

[gemgirl]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Miss Gailey, I have to say....... you are adorable! and you don't look 49. Rock on baby. You're doing something right!

 

[soocool]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Both of my grandmothers wore housedresses! My Ukranian grandmother (who lived to 97) wore black for all of my life that I remember, but always a dress. She was a "Rosie the riveter" during the war (in Canada here). My other grandmother made her own clothes, she sewed beautifully and always wore a full apron for cooking. I'm starting to see the comfort value these might have had...like the muumus?

Is anyone else sick of wearing a bra? Some people might wait until what they think is a decent hour to have a cocktail at night, while I guess at how soon it's appropriate to take off my bra! Pretty sure this was NOT a concern of my grandmothers. Underwire is not kind at my age, but non-underwire is equally as uncomfortable and sweaty.

Lyra if I did not wear a bra there girls would be touching my knees. I haven't found a bra strong enough to keep them where I want them to be. Maybe duct tape would work?

I have a bra that does this - but it's almost absurdly perky lol Most of my cute tops require me to wear them though so all the darts and stuff fit in the right spots, but I always think, these people saw me yesterday with my more comfortable bra, I'm not fooling anyone!!! And mine are so freaking big... a G/H (but hey that's better than when I was nursing and they were a J!!!!) I hate bras... men really should have to wear crotch supports every day before they have an opinion!

My mother passed away several years ago and as we were packing my parents' stuff ( dad was moving into an assisted living facility), my sister and I found that mom kept everything. We found those "housecoats" and stiff and pointy bras they used to wear back in the 1960s (maybe she thought they would come back into style?? My sister now wears those housecoats when she's home and says they are the most comfortable thing she has ever worn and no wonder mom held on to them. I don't think I want one. But I was thinking about trying on one of those bras!

Funny, my sister looks a lot like my mom and a few times I called her "mom" (it just slipped,I swear) when she was wearing the housecoat.

 

[gemgirl]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

About gray hair; I don't have time or money these days to see and spend money for a hair stylist. I cut my own bangs and color at home. But lately the grays are coming in so fast, nothing "sticks" any more. So just this weekend I gave myself highlights, just to give me an idea how I might look gray. I think it might be ok. The husband doesn't seem to care as long as I keep my hair longer, past my shoulders. It's always in a tail or clip, but I guess it's a man thing. Grandma always had long hair in a bun. Mother in law always tells me how I need to cut it short because I'm old. Daughter says don't cut it because short hair makes me look old. Sigh.

Linda

I actually have a solution that works! It's something that's very hard to find and unless you have a cosmetician's license, you can't walk into any place to buy it, but it can be found on line at baycitiesbeautysupply.com. It's something called "Gray B Gone" made by Trionics.
My girlfriend colors my hair monthly at her old fashioned "beauty parlor", and because I have CFIDS and all of the accompanying sensitivities to chemicals, she set out to find a color developer for me that was not chemically in either smell or the burning sensation on my scalp. Gray B Gone is an enzyme color developer with no peroxide and no ammonia, but better than that, my color never changes or fades. Once you hair is colored, the color sticks, and the only thing that has to be colored the following month is new growth. It'a actually a product that works and it doesn't smell bad and I don't get the crushing headaches I used to get from regular, off the shelf 20 or 30 volume developer.

 

[ksinger]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

About gray hair; I don't have time or money these days to see and spend money for a hair stylist. I cut my own bangs and color at home. But lately the grays are coming in so fast, nothing "sticks" any more. So just this weekend I gave myself highlights, just to give me an idea how I might look gray. I think it might be ok. The husband doesn't seem to care as long as I keep my hair longer, past my shoulders. It's always in a tail or clip, but I guess it's a man thing. Grandma always had long hair in a bun. Mother in law always tells me how I need to cut it short because I'm old. Daughter says don't cut it because short hair makes me look old. Sigh.

Linda

I've been thinking about getting a wig to wear when I do not have the time to retouch my hair or between haircuts. I saw Raquel Welch has a line of wigs in all lengths. My husband snuggled up right next to me as I was looking at all the different wigs. He kept pointing to the long hair ones. I let my hair grow out to just past chin length and to tell you the truth I hate it. I liked it better shorter. It looked thicker and I could go several days without washing which meant that I did not have to retouch the color as often.

So what is it with men and long hair??? We don't tell them to get hair replacement or to wear a toupee when their hairline starts to get sparse.

ETA: Sparkalin, just wanted to add that I know that some salons and some tech schools offer haircuts and coloring either for free or for an extremely reduced rate. Someone I know goes to a salon in our area that is also a teaching salon and is always looking for people their students can work on (supervised). Her hair always looks great, but I don't know how often she goes.

Yeah, long hair - guy thing. Although even at my age, I look worse in short hair, so my guy doesn't have to nag me too much. And let's not get started on thinning hair. I noticed it at about 38, and while I'm still looking decent, the day will come.....
Ironically, it is my DAD whose hair didn't thin. My MOTHER was the one who gave me that. I adored her, but I could have done without THAT.

 

[Sparkalin]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Thanks soocool. Years ago I used to let anyone who wanted to "play hair" go at with mine. My sister in law was my fave. Cut and color. She now lives 1000 miles away.

Linda

 

[gemgirl]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Yeah, long hair - guy thing. Although even at my age, I look worse in short hair, so my guy doesn't have to nag me too much. And let's not get started on thinning hair. I noticed it at about 38, and while I'm still looking decent, the day will come.....
Ironically, it is my DAD whose hair didn't thin. My MOTHER was the one who gave me that. I adored her, but I could have done without THAT.[/quote]
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My hair started to noticably get thinner back around the same age, about 38, but it was because of my hormone imbalance and severe Endo. I would know that it was time for another Lap when my hair started falling out all over the place. A guy who came to pain my apartment when I lived alone in NYC actually said to me (as he prepped a room) "do you know your hair is everywhere?" I was mortified to say the least. BUT, the woman who was cutting my hair five years mentioned Biotin to me, and I thought "yeah, sure". Then one day at the Vitamin Shoppe I said "what the hell" and bought it. I've been taking it for years now and my hair is healthier than it was fifteen years ago. Try Biotin. It comes in 1 mg. tiny capsules. I take three a day, although every one says five, but I don't like to over do anything. Another thing that works!

The only downside to Biotin, it strengthens ALL of your hair. So pesky things like nose hair, upper lip hair and chin hair - grow faster, and I still have to shave my legs every day.

 

[soocool]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Yeah, long hair - guy thing. Although even at my age, I look worse in short hair, so my guy doesn't have to nag me too much. And let's not get started on thinning hair. I noticed it at about 38, and while I'm still looking decent, the day will come.....
Ironically, it is my DAD whose hair didn't thin. My MOTHER was the one who gave me that. I adored her, but I could have done without THAT.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My hair started to noticably get thinner back around the same age, about 38, but it was because of my hormone imbalance and severe Endo. I would know that it was time for another Lap when my hair started falling out all over the place. A guy who came to pain my apartment when I lived alone in NYC actually said to me (as he prepped a room) "do you know your hair is everywhere?" I was mortified to say the least. BUT, the woman who was cutting my hair five years mentioned Biotin to me, and I thought "yeah, sure". Then one day at the Vitamin Shoppe I said "what the hell" and bought it. I've been taking it for years now and my hair is healthier than it was fifteen years ago. Try Biotin. It comes in 1 mg. tiny capsules. I take three a day, although every one says five, but I don't like to over do anything. Another thing that works!

The only downside to Biotin, it strengthens ALL of your hair. So pesky things like nose hair, upper lip hair and chin hair - grow faster, and I still have to shave my legs every day.[/quote]

I was getting excited about the Biotin until you said you have to shave your legs everyday. That is the other beauty of getting older...not having "hairy" legs. So now I have to decide "Thicker head of hair " vs "Shaving legs everyday " I have to think about this one.

 

[gemgirl]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

What exactly is the deal with nose hair? In women...... why?

 

[Catmom]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

I'm hoping that once these hot flashes finally go away I might get to sleep again. Yes, I'm 55 years old and still getting hot flashes. Heck it wasn't until a few months ago that my period stopped. What the heck, I thought there were supposed to be a few perks to getting old.

I am waking up a lot, and sleeping is what I do best... Hate this waking up crap..

Michelle, have you gone 12 months without a period??


I am at the start of all of this. The night sweats drive me nuts..

BUT I sleep with a heating pad for my neck, and have the AC cranked!! No wonder I am hot and cold, LOL!!!

Hubby is very thoughtful he sleeps in the other room...

Kaleigh it's only been about 5 months without a period. I was beginning to think I would be 60 and still getting it. I still have hope the hot flashes will go away.

Oh yes, the white hairs in the eyebrows. Such a wonderful look right? I choose to believe that they make my fake blond hair more realistic.

 

[Catmom]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

And what's with the long dark hairs popping up in strange places?

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

same age as JewelFreak......

i was last carded at age 50.
is no one else bothered by white hairs in the brows and lashes?! i don't mind the hair on my head [well, i do object to those hairs on my lip and chin...] but i absolutely hate what those traitorous white hairs do to my brows and lashes.

MoZo

MoZo, yeah, white hairs in the eyebrows are driving me NUTS. They just started turning up in the last 6 months -- I hunt 'em down practically with an AK47. I'm afraid I won't have any eyebrows left pretty soon!

Carded at 50??? Not bad! I think I got carded last around 35 & was ready to dance down the street, I was so flattered. Hope you left the bartender a HUUUGE tip, I think I would've adopted him.

--- Laurie

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Please tell me I'm not the only one getting skin tabs.... Thankfully I don't have v-veins, I guess it's a tradeoff lol

 

[soocool]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

And what's with the long dark hairs popping up in strange places?

So far I've only found them on my big toes. Plucked the hell out of them and so far they have not come back.

 

[lulu]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

If you're having trouble sleeping try melatonin, it really does work and it also has anti aging properties. My doc told me you can take as much as you need. I have no solution for the night sweats. I've thought about ordering one of those pillows that's supposed to be constantly cool.

As for hair, mine is now about 1.5 inches long and I love it-just shower and go. It's been wonderful for this hot and humid summer.

What I want to know is if any of you ladies have done anything like botox or fillers. I like to watch the "lifestyle lift" infomercial, but I don't think I'd really have surgery.

And Gailey you look great!

 

[Gailey]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

Ksinger and Gemgirl, thank you both. XX

I got an e-mail this morning with a whole bunch of stuff in it about beautiful women. This last bit was a passage read at Audrey Hepburn's funeral apparently. Arguably, a lady among the most beautiful in the world.

Enjoy.


For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

 

[soocool]

Re: Getting older isn't so bad when you consider the alterna

lulu,

I haven't had a need for Botox of those fillers.... yet! Not sure I would ever want to, but I may change my mind as I get older. I think it is pretty pricey too. I definitely won't do surgery. That is too invasive for me, plus the risks from anasthesia.

I guess I just have to accept the fact I don't look the way I did when I was 21. I can always look at DD though and remember.