Fifty, Not Frumpy

I think someone switched closets with me.  It looks like the same one I've had for years, yet somehow it doesn't belong to me.

It seems lately I put on outfits I've worn many times before and somehow, they don't look the same.  The skirt seems a tad short or the slit a little high.  The neckline is showing too much of my neck and decollete.  The waistline of the pants seems a wee bit snug.

I've decided that around 50 is the hardest time in a woman's life to find clothes that look good on her.  It is like walking a tightrope.  On one side, I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard to look younger, and on the other side, I don't want to look "geriatric" as we say in our family.

I'm noticing that I bypass the shorts and reach for capris instead.  The tanks all seem to show too much skin, and not because it looks too sexy, but because the skin doesn't look so great!  Those tops that fit close to the body, well, they seem to show every bulge and bump.  I gravitate more to the fabrics that "skim" the body.

And jeans, well, that's practically impossible!  Trying to find a waistband that falls where I want it is difficult at best.  They all seem to come either right under my tummy or through the middle of it.  Not a good look!  The ones that come right under the navel are my favorite, but good luck finding those, especially without them looking frumpy.

Dresses are also challenging.  I'm the type of person that looks best in tailored, dramatic clothing, yet most dresses favor the tiny print and lace lady with a hem around the ankles, kind of like "Little House on the Prairie".

And shoes!  I have a closet full of heels that I put on and take off after walking around in them for five minutes.  These are shoes I have worn for years!  Too painful--I reach for the more "sensible" shoes instead of the "sitting" shoes.

So every time I have to go somewhere that requires decent clothing, my bed becomes a pile of discarded outfits as I try on one thing after the other and look in the mirror.  The only one happy about this is our local thrift store who gets all my cast-offs.

I'm considering posting future blogs with outfits I wear to get my readers' opinions on them to help me decide whether they are frumpy or lovely and sophisticated (the look I am going for).

Please join me in my clothing journey.

I am also considering hairstyles in this project as I have grown my hair out after years of it being short and I'm thinking it makes me look like a teenage wannabe.

Let the games begin!

Change is Never Easy

Change.  It is never easy.

Especially change that is not chosen but is thrust upon us. 

Some change is exciting, like having my oldest daughter expecting my first grandchild in January. 

Some change is difficult, like having my oldest son and his wife move back to Louisiana after having lived with us for almost three years.   Or my sister going back to work after almost twenty years of spending time together on a daily basis.

Then there are the high school graduations in our extended family and what comes after that.

Our family is certainly in the midst of a time of transition.

It seems that things stay the same for a few years and then suddenly, change comes in bunches.

I'm not really good with change, although when I was younger, I loved it.  My husband and I moved at least ten times in our early years of marriage.  We had five children.  I loved trying new things out, like Mary Kay or college classes or a part-time job.

But now, I like ordinary.  I like boring.  I like things on an even keel.  I hate surprises.

But as I have grown older, I have learned to roll with the punches; to expect the unexpected; to go with the flow.

And life is much easier that way. 

I do admit to crying some tears over the changes that have been made and are occurring in our family.  Yet I find that I can handle them.  They are not keeping me down.  I just keep moving on down the road of life and focusing on my three children still living at home, and cherishing the time I have with them, as well as spending time with my parents.

I can't stop change.  Life is all about change.  But I can accept it as God's will and trust that He knows the plan and that He will help me through anything I need help with.  And that, my friends, is very comforting.

Where Has Patriotism Gone?

Our beautiful country celebrates its birthday today.  We are so blessed to live in such an amazing nation, "the land of the free, and the home of the brave".

But do we really appreciate the gift of freedom we have been given?  Do we think with pride of the United States of America? 

Not so much these days.  We take these gifts for granted.

I remember the days of "Desert Storm" back in the late '80s.  Patriotism was at a fever pitch.  Flags were everywhere:  on clothing, on lapels, on homes.  When the National Anthem was played, tears sprang into our eyes.  My children sang "God Bless the USA" every day at school after pledging allegiance to our beautiful flag.  We were so proud to be Americans.  We all felt as "one nation". 

But today, things have changed.  Instead of feeling like "one nation", we are all tearing apart at the seams.  Our pride in being Americans is overshadowed by selfishness.  It is all about "me" and not about "us".  We are not all working toward the common good.  We are working for our own good, ignoring what is happening next door or in our communities. 

So, on this day of Independence, let us call to mind the beauty and wonder of our great nation and the people within it.  Let us all come together and give thanks for the gift God has bestowed on us all.  Look at our "grand old flag" and remember what it took to have it wave on that pole.  Sing our National Anthem and really ponder what happened to bring it about.  And ask God to continue to bless our nation and guide our leaders to do what is best in these times of dissension. 

And "let freedom ring"!