Bye-bye to the 5s

Today is it. The big 60.

I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more
of a transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why
that is. It's just another day, made different only by my
cognitions about it.

I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box
electronics store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely,
wearing my badge of gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had
a hard time ignoring the credit card I was, by now, visibly
displaying in my hand, and he got the sale.

I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.

I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to
accomplish. I try not to compare myself with some of my peers
from my teens and 20s and 30s, but I do, and I find myself
lacking. I could have done more. And, comparing with others, I
could have done less. I find myself wondering why I crave
recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. I remind
myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible
things in my life that I treasure. Dwelling on regrets is a
rapid trip to nowhere.

When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long.
I still don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there
is no tangible reason why I won't, except my weight and
self-indulgence. My health seems to be pretty good, otherwise.

And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? I
don't see much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with
how we humans interact with each other and with our planet, and
so many who see nothing wrong with raping (literally and
figuratively) each other, raping the planet. I saw "No Country
for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes - increasing,
senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned people
to stem the tide - really resonates with me. Are there more and
more psychopaths among us? (Yes. But has their % in the
population increased?) But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.

Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the
kitchen, not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not
dealing with failures to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or
frozen enchiladas, habits I've drifted into over the past few
years. It means taking a stand with Hubster about leaving out
delectable goodies and snacks - he MUST store them out of my
sight, and stop offering them to me, because I lack will power to
resist when I can see and smell them. It means becoming much
more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than
eating unconsciously, out of craving or habit. It means that I
will walk a lot further than I can with my breathing-challenged
dog. He looks so forlorn when I walk without him, but I can't be
using him as an excuse for not walking very far. It means
resuming a mild weight-training program and resurrecting
long-dormant yoga. I hope to take a tai-chi class at the local
college, if enough students sign up.

I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
life, and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones,
would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess
one of my first goals is to develop some goals.

FurPaw
--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

FurPaw wrote the following on 12/30/2007 12:32 PM:
> Today is it. The big 60.

Well, happy birthday!

> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box
> electronics store.

Hmmm, Could there be some advantages to being invisible? There must be
something, other than taking up a life of crime. :-)

I suspect that my car has an invisibility coating that prevents it from
being seen by people running red lights, pulling out of side streets,
cutting in front of me, making right turns on red, and other actions that
they would surely not indulge in if they were able to see my car in the
right of way. I don't consider that an advantage, though I'm tempted to
start speeding and see if I am invisible to police. :-)

Karen R.

FurPaw wrote:
> Today is it. The big 60.
>
> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more of a
> transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why that is. It's
> just another day, made different only by my cognitions about it.
>
> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
> store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely, wearing my badge of
> gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had a hard time ignoring the
> credit card I was, by now, visibly displaying in my hand, and he got the
> sale.
>
>

Happy Birthday - someone better tell that clerk about "silver surfers"!

--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

x-no-archive: yes

FurPaw wrote:

> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the
> kitchen, not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not dealing
> with failures to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or frozen enchiladas,
> habits I've drifted into over the past few years. It means taking a
> stand with Hubster about leaving out delectable goodies and snacks - he
> MUST store them out of my sight, and stop offering them to me, because I
> lack will power to resist when I can see and smell them. It means
> becoming much more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather
> than eating unconsciously, out of craving or habit. It means that I
> will walk a lot further than I can with my breathing-challenged dog. He
> looks so forlorn when I walk without him, but I can't be using him as an
> excuse for not walking very far. It means resuming a mild
> weight-training program and resurrecting long-dormant yoga. I hope to
> take a tai-chi class at the local college, if enough students sign up.
>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my life,
> and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones, would help
> lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess one of my first
> goals is to develop some goals.


Happy birthday, Furry! Whatever you decide your other goals are,
choosing to be as fit and agile as possible is the most important step
toward them.

Congratulations on finding yourself at this age with no firm plans
because you didn't expect to live this long. ;-) You have a clean
slate to write your story on, kind of a new starting line.

I guess any day or year can be that, but you seem to have chosen to mark
this one, and I say GO FOR IT (whatever IT turns out to be).

Enjoy.

Susan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.

Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.

Here is my favorite poem on aging:

When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
By Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
and pay our rent and not swear in the street
and set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

FurPaw <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote:

> Today is it. The big 60.

Oh.

Wow.

When my boss hit 60, we said it wasn't sixty, it was sexy. And you know,
we weren't wrong. :-)

> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box
> electronics store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely,
> wearing my badge of gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had
> a hard time ignoring the credit card I was, by now, visibly
> displaying in my hand, and he got the sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.

Only if you let it. I had a friend who was old enough to be my mother,
and she always wore brightly colored clothes. She knew that her graying
hair would make her less noticeable, so she dressed herself up. Everyone
notices color and style.

> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to
> accomplish. I try not to compare myself with some of my peers
> from my teens and 20s and 30s, but I do, and I find myself
> lacking.

The fact that you have peers in that age group says a lot about you.
You're aren't isolated, tucked away, un-with-it, but still associating
with all sorts of people.

> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday.

I'm looking forward to the big whoop of joy when you succeed. Even if I
have to imagine it by reading your words. You'll still be posting here,
yes?

> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
> life, and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones,
> would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess
> one of my first goals is to develop some goals.

Here's one: Enjoy your day. Happy Birthday, {{{{{Furry}}}}}!

--
Keera in Norway * Think big and then ask for more.
http://home.online.no/~kafox/

"FurPaw" <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote in message
news:Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Today is it. The big 60.
>
> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more of a
> transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why that is. It's
> just another day, made different only by my cognitions about it.
>
> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
> store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely, wearing my badge of
> gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had a hard time ignoring the
> credit card I was, by now, visibly displaying in my hand, and he got the
> sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.
>
> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to accomplish. I
> try not to compare myself with some of my peers from my teens and 20s and
> 30s, but I do, and I find myself lacking. I could have done more. And,
> comparing with others, I could have done less. I find myself wondering
> why I crave recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. I
> remind myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
> met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible things in my
> life that I treasure. Dwelling on regrets is a rapid trip to nowhere.
>
> When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long. I still
> don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there is no tangible
> reason why I won't, except my weight and self-indulgence. My health seems
> to be pretty good, otherwise.
>
> And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? I don't see
> much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with how we humans
> interact with each other and with our planet, and so many who see nothing
> wrong with raping (literally and figuratively) each other, raping the
> planet. I saw "No Country for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes -
> increasing, senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned
> people to stem the tide - really resonates with me. Are there more and
> more psychopaths among us? (Yes. But has their % in the population
> increased?) But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.
>
> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the kitchen,
> not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not dealing with failures
> to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or frozen enchiladas, habits I've
> drifted into over the past few years. It means taking a stand with
> Hubster about leaving out delectable goodies and snacks - he MUST store
> them out of my sight, and stop offering them to me, because I lack will
> power to resist when I can see and smell them. It means becoming much
> more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than eating
> unconsciously, out of craving or habit. It means that I will walk a lot
> further than I can with my breathing-challenged dog. He looks so forlorn
> when I walk without him, but I can't be using him as an excuse for not
> walking very far. It means resuming a mild weight-training program and
> resurrecting long-dormant yoga. I hope to take a tai-chi class at the
> local college, if enough students sign up.
>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my life, and
> this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones, would help lift
> this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess one of my first goals is
> to develop some goals.
>
> FurPaw
> --

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

I don't think one ever stops contemplating life whether 30- 40-50-60 and
you'll be doing this at 70 too. Life truly is too short and as the decades
fly by it out mortality is thrown into our face, I found especially after
hitting forty. One has to somehow learn to live in the moment or you end up
piling regrets in your trash can, there's no turning back, so it's move
forward with the choices one has made. I TRY, although frequently not
successful at being grateful for what I have and try not to rehash the
"should haves" and "what ifs". I'm a number one "dwell on the past" person.

I think we all want to be remembered as someone who has made an impact on
the world and made a difference in someone's life and you know,we all have
to a degree or other but not always aware of it. That recogniton of an
impact adds to a sense of self esteem and accomplishment, that we are here
for a purpose and someone will remember us for that into inmortality.

Getting into a weight loss program and excercising gives you a sense of
control over your well being, after all, it is up to you to take charge of
unheathy lifestyles and habits, it in no way guarantees longevity, but it
makes you feel like you've done the best you could.If you tend to be a
control freak like me, this feeling of drifting aimlessly is probably due to
the lack of goals with a structure and timeline in place.there are things
you want accomplished before your time is up.

I feel this way all the time and want to work towards some goals but on the
other hand I tell myself I'm too tired & weary for all this, too much
struggle and angst over past & present issues. One day at a time... one hour
at a time...stay in the moment.

How did I start this rambling? Your post triggered something.

Roseanne

On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:32:05 -0700, FurPaw
<furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote:

>Today is it. The big 60.


Happy Birthday!!

You have to ask yourself "How old would I be if I didn't know how old
I was?"

It's only a number.

Dana
PS: I am still in my 20's. That's why it's so hard to look into a
mirror and not see her looking back. LOL.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

On Dec 30, 12:02*pm, "foggydoggy" <foggydo...@cogeco.ca> wrote:
> "FurPaw" <furrealpaw...@gmaildog.com> wrote in message
>
> news:Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Today is it. *The big 60.
>
> > I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. *It seems like more of a
> > transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why that is. *It's
> > just another day, made different only by my cognitions about it.
>
> > I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
> > store. *One clerk managed to ignore me completely, wearing my badge of
> > gray hair with a dumpy body. *Another one had a hard time ignoring the
> > credit card I was, by now, visibly displaying in my hand, and he got the
> > sale.
>
> > I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.
>
> > I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to accomplish. *I
> > try not to compare myself with some of my peers from my teens and 20s and
> > 30s, but I do, and I find myself lacking. *I could have done more. *And,
> > comparing with others, I could have done less. *I find myself wondering
> > why I crave recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. *I
> > remind myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
> > met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible things in my
> > life that I treasure. *Dwelling on regrets is a rapid trip to nowhere.
>
> > When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long. I still
> > don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there is no tangible
> > reason why I won't, except my weight and self-indulgence. *My health seems
> > to be pretty good, otherwise.
>
> > And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? *I don't see
> > much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with how we humans
> > interact with each other and with our planet, and so many who see nothing
> > wrong with raping (literally and figuratively) each other, raping the
> > planet. *I saw "No Country for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes -
> > increasing, senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned
> > people to stem the tide - really resonates with me. *Are there more and
> > more psychopaths among us? *(Yes. *But has their % in the population
> > increased?) *But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.
>
> > Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> > birthday. *It means that I need to take a more active role in the kitchen,
> > not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not dealing with failures
> > to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or frozen enchiladas, habits I've
> > drifted into over the past few years. *It means taking a stand with
> > Hubster about leaving out delectable goodies and snacks - he MUST store
> > them out of my sight, and stop offering them to me, because I lack will
> > power to resist when I can see and smell them. *It means becoming much
> > more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than eating
> > unconsciously, out of craving or habit. *It means that I will walk a lot
> > further than I can with my breathing-challenged dog. *He looks so forlorn
> > when I walk without him, but I can't be using him as an excuse for not
> > walking very far. *It means resuming a mild weight-training program and
> > resurrecting long-dormant yoga. *I hope to take a tai-chi class at the
> > local college, if enough students sign up.
>
> > I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my life, and
> > this picture is unclear. *Some goals, even small ones, would help lift
> > this feeling of drifting aimlessly. *So I guess one of my first goals is
> > to develop some goals.
>
> > FurPaw
> > --
>
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
>
> I don't think one ever stops contemplating life whether 30- 40-50-60 and
> you'll be doing this at 70 too. Life truly is too short and as the decades
> fly by it out mortality is thrown into our face, I found especially after
> hitting forty. One has to somehow learn to live in the moment or you end up
> piling regrets in your trash can, there's no turning back, so it's move
> forward with the choices one has made. I TRY, although frequently not
> successful at being grateful for what I have and try not to rehash the
> "should haves" and "what ifs". I'm a number one "dwell on the past" person..
>
> *I think we all want to be remembered as someone who has made an impact on
> the world and made a difference in someone's life and you know,we all have
> to a degree or other but not always aware of it. That recogniton of an
> impact adds to a sense of self esteem and accomplishment, that we are here
> for a purpose and someone will remember us for that into inmortality.
>
> Getting into a weight loss program and excercising gives you a sense of
> control over your well being, after all, it is up to you to take charge of
> unheathy lifestyles and habits, it in no way guarantees longevity, but it
> makes you feel like you've done the best you could.If you tend to be a
> control freak like me, this feeling of drifting aimlessly is probably due to
> the lack of goals with a structure and timeline in place.there are things
> you want accomplished before your time is up.
>
> I feel this way all the time and want to work towards some goals but on the
> other hand I tell myself I'm too tired & weary for all this, too much
> struggle and angst over past & present issues. One day at a time... one hour
> at a time...stay in the moment.
>
> How did I start this rambling? Your post triggered something.
>
> Roseanne- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Birthday Girl,
A friend told me his philosophy about birthdays--even if we're not
thrilled to be a year older, we should be grateful that we survived
another year. Now I can't forget it, since he didn't make to his next
birthday. I don't really celebrate birthdays any more, but they're a
good excuse to get Hublet out for our annual camping trip.
I too had cancer, the cervical variety, 22 years ago. Though that
kind is easy to survive if not too advanced, some clueless relatives
hinted around that I was on my way out. It's a triumph to prove them
wrong. Congrats on your own survival and making it another year.
Les

On Dec 30, 12:32 pm, FurPaw <furrealpaw...@gmaildog.com> wrote:
> Today is it. The big 60.
>
> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more
> of a transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why
> that is. It's just another day, made different only by my
> cognitions about it.
>
> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box
> electronics store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely,
> wearing my badge of gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had
> a hard time ignoring the credit card I was, by now, visibly
> displaying in my hand, and he got the sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.
>
> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to
> accomplish. I try not to compare myself with some of my peers
> from my teens and 20s and 30s, but I do, and I find myself
> lacking. I could have done more. And, comparing with others, I
> could have done less. I find myself wondering why I crave
> recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. I remind
> myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
> met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible
> things in my life that I treasure. Dwelling on regrets is a
> rapid trip to nowhere.
>
> When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long.
> I still don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there
> is no tangible reason why I won't, except my weight and
> self-indulgence. My health seems to be pretty good, otherwise.
>
> And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? I
> don't see much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with
> how we humans interact with each other and with our planet, and
> so many who see nothing wrong with raping (literally and
> figuratively) each other, raping the planet. I saw "No Country
> for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes - increasing,
> senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned people
> to stem the tide - really resonates with me. Are there more and
> more psychopaths among us? (Yes. But has their % in the
> population increased?) But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.
>
> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the
> kitchen, not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not
> dealing with failures to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or
> frozen enchiladas, habits I've drifted into over the past few
> years. It means taking a stand with Hubster about leaving out
> delectable goodies and snacks - he MUST store them out of my
> sight, and stop offering them to me, because I lack will power to
> resist when I can see and smell them. It means becoming much
> more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than
> eating unconsciously, out of craving or habit. It means that I
> will walk a lot further than I can with my breathing-challenged
> dog. He looks so forlorn when I walk without him, but I can't be
> using him as an excuse for not walking very far. It means
> resuming a mild weight-training program and resurrecting
> long-dormant yoga. I hope to take a tai-chi class at the local
> college, if enough students sign up.
>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
> life, and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones,
> would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess
> one of my first goals is to develop some goals.
>
> FurPaw
> --
> "Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
> every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
> a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
> those who are cold and are not clothed."
> - Dwight D. Eisenhower
>
> To reply, unleash the dogs.

furpaw, i think that there is so much that i would like to say to you
- happy birthday being the most obvious - & so much that i sense from
your post that i would like to address. yet, my state of being today
is quite unstable & useless.

i have searched my uncooperative memory for a snippet of wisdom or a
favored poetic passage to substitute for my inability to think/
express. but nothing quite says what i think i mean.

so may it be this, then - this whole glorious & troubling mystery of
life that we travel is made worthwhile & perhaps given meaning by the
company that we keep & whose love & friendship we share. i celebrate
you on your birthday. may it be a day surrounded by much love & joy &
the year to come be one of unfolding revelations & beauty.

best,
ellen

On Dec 30, 2:05 pm, marcy <ngtybtn...@aol.com> wrote:
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.
>
> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>
> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
> By Jenny Joseph
>
> When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
> with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
> And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
> and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.
>
> I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
> and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
> and run my stick along the public railings
> and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
>
> I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
> and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
> and learn to spit.
>
> You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
> and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
> or only bread and pickles for a week
> and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.
>
> But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
> and pay our rent and not swear in the street
> and set a good example for the children.
>
> We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
> But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
> So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
> When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

hi, marcy. i almost missed this. happiest of birthdays to you as
well. this is a great piece - i hope that you wore your finest
birthday suit (um... you know what i mean) & engaged in little
sobriety but much revelry. best wishes today & in the new year.

xo,
ellen

"FurPaw" <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote in message
news:Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Today is it. The big 60.

Happy Birthday!

>
> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more of
> a transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why that is.
> It's just another day, made different only by my cognitions about
> it.

But special because it's the day a unique person (you) were born.

>
> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
> store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely, wearing my badge
> of gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had a hard time
> ignoring the credit card I was, by now, visibly displaying in my
> hand, and he got the sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.

I think it's more a state of mind - if I feel (want to be) invisible
then that's how I'm treated, but if I want to be visible........ it's
as if I'm shouting to the world "here I am". I don't know, can't put
my finger on anything that's is different except my state of mind.

>
> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to accomplish.
> I try not to compare myself with some of my peers from my teens and
> 20s and 30s, but I do, and I find myself lacking. I could have done
> more. And, comparing with others, I could have done less. I find
> myself wondering why I crave recognition from people I otherwise
> care nothing about. I remind myself that had I made other choices
> in my life, I would not have met Hubster, I would not have had many
> of the less tangible things in my life that I treasure. Dwelling on
> regrets is a rapid trip to nowhere.
>
> When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long. I
> still don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there is no
> tangible reason why I won't, except my weight and self-indulgence.
> My health seems to be pretty good, otherwise.
>
> And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? I don't
> see much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with how we
> humans interact with each other and with our planet, and so many who
> see nothing wrong with raping (literally and figuratively) each
> other, raping the planet. I saw "No Country for Old Men" yesterday,
> and one of its themes - increasing, senseless violence and the
> inability of well-intentioned people to stem the tide - really
> resonates with me. Are there more and more psychopaths among us?
> (Yes. But has their % in the population increased?) But I'm not
> ready to cash in - not yet.
>
> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the
> kitchen, not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not
> dealing with failures to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or frozen
> enchiladas, habits I've drifted into over the past few years. It
> means taking a stand with Hubster about leaving out delectable
> goodies and snacks - he MUST store them out of my sight, and stop
> offering them to me, because I lack will power to resist when I can
> see and smell them. It means becoming much more mindful of what I
> eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than eating unconsciously, out of
> craving or habit. It means that I will walk a lot further than I
> can with my breathing-challenged dog. He looks so forlorn when I
> walk without him, but I can't be using him as an excuse for not
> walking very far. It means resuming a mild weight-training program
> and resurrecting long-dormant yoga. I hope to take a tai-chi class
> at the local college, if enough students sign up.
>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
> life, and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones,
> would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess one
> of my first goals is to develop some goals.

{{{{{{{Furry}}}}}}


--
Shirley
http://community.webshots.com/user/shirleycatuk

"marcy" <ngtybtnice@aol.com> wrote in message
news:ce14c2f0-4c89-4e37-b874-c5b81b9f8a75@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.

Happy Birthday Marcy.

I love the poem. :-)

--
Shirley
http://community.webshots.com/user/shirleycatuk

marcy wrote the following on 12/30/2007 2:05 PM:
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.

Happy birthday!

> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>
> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
> By Jenny Joseph

There is an organization based on this for women over 50. We get together
in our red hats and purple clothing and have a great time. Look up Red
Hat Society.

Karen R.

"marcy" <ngtybtnice@aol.com> wrote in message
news:ce14c2f0-4c89-4e37-b874-c5b81b9f8a75@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.
>
> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>
> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
> By Jenny Joseph
----------------
Happy birthday, Marcy!

Purple is my favorite color, and I've been wearing it for many, many years.
I just bought a purple parka from L.L. Bean. Even on sale it cost more than
any other jacket I've ever bought, but I really wanted it badly, and since
my own battle with cancer began I've been willing to indulge myself a little
more with stuff like this.

Life is, unfortunately, short. If you like purple, don't wait!

Take care, Eva

"FurPaw" <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote in message
news:Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Today is it. The big 60.
--------------
Happy birthday, Furry. You share your birthday with one of the greatest
founding fathers of rock & roll, Ellas Bates McDaniel a/k/a Bo Diddley!

I was nodding and going "uh huh, uh huh" all along as I read your post,
because so much of it resonated with me. My 60th birthday (should I live to
see it) will arrive in February.

Last year, I resolved to really, *really* lose 10 lbs., and I succeeded at
last, due in part to another resolution--to get up a little earlier and take
a walk every morning, rain or shine. I also took up a nasty habit, mainly
chewing sugarless gum all day. This enables me to forego eating the
cookies, bagels, nuts, cakes and candies that are always lying around at
work. I dislike vegetables, but I make myself eat them every day, and I
discovered that if you eat enough of them, you actually do eventually feel
full. Another thing that helped is that I built a daily treat into my
diet--either 2 squares of Hershey's Special Dark or a serving of rice
pudding, because these are my favorites. In the summer it might be a
serving of Edy's reduced-fat ice cream. But no cookies or coffee cake,
because I know these are things where one bite will trigger a binge.

I wish you luck and success!

Eva

ellen wrote:

> On Dec 30, 12:32 pm, FurPaw <furrealpaw...@gmaildog.com> wrote:
>> Today is it. The big 60.
>>

>
> furpaw, i think that there is so much that i would like to say to you
> - happy birthday being the most obvious - & so much that i sense from
> your post that i would like to address. yet, my state of being today
> is quite unstable & useless.
>
> i have searched my uncooperative memory for a snippet of wisdom or a
> favored poetic passage to substitute for my inability to think/
> express. but nothing quite says what i think i mean.
>
> so may it be this, then - this whole glorious & troubling mystery of
> life that we travel is made worthwhile & perhaps given meaning by the
> company that we keep & whose love & friendship we share. i celebrate
> you on your birthday. may it be a day surrounded by much love & joy &
> the year to come be one of unfolding revelations & beauty.
>
> best,
> ellen



But .... that's beautiful!!

HAPPY HAPPY Birthday to Furpaw and to marcy!





--
pax,
ruth


Save trees AND money! Buy used books!
http://stores.ebay.com/Noir-and-More-Books-and-Trains

"FurPaw" <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote in message
news:Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Today is it. The big 60.

Happy birthday to you! :-)


> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. It seems like more of a
> transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why that is. It's
> just another day, made different only by my cognitions about it.

Yeah. I *hated* 30 - that was the beg. of middle age vs. still being
thought of as young. 40 & 50 were still in the middle age category, so they
weren't such big deals, IMO. But 60... different connotation.

> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
> store. One clerk managed to ignore me completely, wearing my badge of
> gray hair with a dumpy body. Another one had a hard time ignoring the
> credit card I was, by now, visibly displaying in my hand, and he got the
> sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.

Unless you keep that cc visible. <g> But as a couple of others mentioned, I
think one's attitude/personality & colors/clothes one wears might play into
how visible one is, too. Then there are times when I *want* to be
invisible, & others when I don't.

>
> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to accomplish. I
> try not to compare myself with some of my peers from my teens and 20s and
> 30s, but I do, and I find myself lacking. I could have done more. And,
> comparing with others, I could have done less. I find myself wondering
> why I crave recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. I
> remind myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
> met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible things in my
> life that I treasure. Dwelling on regrets is a rapid trip to nowhere.

Yep.


> When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long. I still
> don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there is no tangible
> reason why I won't, except my weight and self-indulgence. My health seems
> to be pretty good, otherwise.

May it stay that way! Incl. cancer-free.

> And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? I don't see
> much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with how we humans
> interact with each other and with our planet, and so many who see nothing
> wrong with raping (literally and figuratively) each other, raping the
> planet. I saw "No Country for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes -
> increasing, senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned
> people to stem the tide - really resonates with me. Are there more and
> more psychopaths among us? (Yes. But has their % in the population
> increased?) But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.

Good!

> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. It means that I need to take a more active role in the
> kitchen... (snipped>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my life, and
> this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones, would help lift
> this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess one of my first goals is
> to develop some goals.

I'm a bit hazy on this, too...

Good luck shedding those pounds. I now know what works for me - keeping a
running tab of daily calorie intake. But not denying myself foods I like -
that does *not* work for me. If I have a pastry, then I need to later
balance that out with radishes, etc. And need to put goodies in a small
bowl, rahter than take the whole bag or box of whatever it is w/ me from the
cupboard. Otherwise will go over my goal of ~1800 calories/day. So works
in the end, re: moderately healthy diet. Another idea: you could set out to
lose 30 - 40, then if you find that the going is good, keep on... that way
would feel that you did extra-well. ;-)

Cathy

"marcy" <ngtybtnice@aol.com> wrote in message
news:ce14c2f0-4c89-4e37-b874-c5b81b9f8a75@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.

Happy birthday to you, too! :-)

I like to wear purple (seems to go well w/my coloring), but only certain
shades of it - which aren't always easy to find.

Cathy

On Dec 30, 11:32*am, FurPaw <furrealpaw...@gmaildog.com> wrote:
> Today is it. *The big 60.
>
> I'm trying to figure out how I feel about it. *It seems like more
> of a transition point than 50 or 40, although I don't know why
> that is. *It's just another day, made different only by my
> cognitions about it.
>
> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box
> electronics store. *One clerk managed to ignore me completely,
> wearing my badge of gray hair with a dumpy body. *Another one had
> a hard time ignoring the credit card I was, by now, visibly
> displaying in my hand, and he got the sale.
>
> I guess I'll become less visible as time goes by.
>
> I think more about what I've accomplished, and failed to
> accomplish. *I try not to compare myself with some of my peers
> from my teens and 20s and 30s, but I do, and I find myself
> lacking. *I could have done more. *And, comparing with others, I
> could have done less. *I find myself wondering why I crave
> recognition from people I otherwise care nothing about. *I remind
> myself that had I made other choices in my life, I would not have
> met Hubster, I would not have had many of the less tangible
> things in my life that I treasure. *Dwelling on regrets is a
> rapid trip to nowhere.
>
> When I got cancer at age 52, I did not expect to live this long.
> * I still don't expect to live "that" much longer, although there
> is no tangible reason why I won't, except my weight and
> self-indulgence. *My health seems to be pretty good, otherwise.
>
> And then I wonder, for how much longer do I want to live? *I
> don't see much hope for the world - there is SO MUCH wrong with
> how we humans interact with each other and with our planet, and
> so many who see nothing wrong with raping (literally and
> figuratively) each other, raping the planet. *I saw "No Country
> for Old Men" yesterday, and one of its themes - increasing,
> senseless violence and the inability of well-intentioned people
> to stem the tide - really resonates with me. *Are there more and
> more psychopaths among us? *(Yes. *But has their % in the
> population increased?) *But I'm not ready to cash in - not yet.
>
> Today I'm starting my "60 by 61" program - lose 60 lb. by my 61st
> birthday. *It means that I need to take a more active role in the
> kitchen, not leaving so much to Hubster to plan and cook, not
> dealing with failures to plan by pulling out frozen pizzas or
> frozen enchiladas, habits I've drifted into over the past few
> years. *It means taking a stand with Hubster about leaving out
> delectable goodies and snacks - he MUST store them out of my
> sight, and stop offering them to me, because I lack will power to
> resist when I can see and smell them. *It means becoming much
> more mindful of what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, rather than
> eating unconsciously, out of craving or habit. *It means that I
> will walk a lot further than I can with my breathing-challenged
> dog. *He looks so forlorn when I walk without him, but I can't be
> using him as an excuse for not walking very far. *It means
> resuming a mild weight-training program and resurrecting
> long-dormant yoga. *I hope to take a tai-chi class at the local
> college, if enough students sign up.
>
> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
> life, and this picture is unclear. *Some goals, even small ones,
> would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. *So I guess
> one of my first goals is to develop some goals.
>
> FurPaw
> --
> "Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
> every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
> a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
> those who are cold and are not clothed."
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * - Dwight D. Eisenhower
>
> To reply, unleash the dogs.

just remember dear as women go 10 is the best , we're 6x better then
those pesky 10s

Eva wrote:
> "marcy" <ngtybtnice@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:ce14c2f0-4c89-4e37-b874-c5b81b9f8a75@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>>
>> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.
>>
>> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>>
>> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
>> By Jenny Joseph
> ----------------
> Happy birthday, Marcy!
>
> Purple is my favorite color, and I've been wearing it for many, many years.
>

Ditto - but not with a _red_ hat ... it just *clashes*. Pink, that's
the colour. Even certain shades of green.


;-)

--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

In article <Ap6dnWj7UvDSS-ranZ2dnUVZ_oSnnZ2d@comcast.com>,
FurPaw <furrealpawdog@gmaildog.com> wrote:

> I need to figure out what else I want to do with the rest of my
> life, and this picture is unclear. Some goals, even small ones,
> would help lift this feeling of drifting aimlessly. So I guess
> one of my first goals is to develop some goals.

I have every faith in you, Furpaw! Mazel tov on your 60th, and best of
luck with 60 by 61.

I'll save the rest of my remarks for your "Bye-bye to the 6s" post, to
come.

Priscilla

WWWSC #4 wrote:
> FurPaw wrote the following on 12/30/2007 12:32 PM:
>> Today is it. The big 60.
>
> Well, happy birthday!
>
>> I feel more invisible, like I did yesterday in a big box electronics
>> store.
>
> Hmmm, Could there be some advantages to being invisible? There must be
> something, other than taking up a life of crime. :-)
>
> I suspect that my car has an invisibility coating that prevents it from
> being seen by people running red lights, pulling out of side streets,
> cutting in front of me, making right turns on red, and other actions
> that they would surely not indulge in if they were able to see my car in
> the right of way. I don't consider that an advantage, though I'm tempted
> to start speeding and see if I am invisible to police. :-)

Thanks, Karen - that's a whole new take on invisibility. I
suspect the same thing about my cars!

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

Susan wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes

> Happy birthday, Furry! Whatever you decide your other goals are,
> choosing to be as fit and agile as possible is the most important step
> toward them.
>
> Congratulations on finding yourself at this age with no firm plans
> because you didn't expect to live this long. ;-) You have a clean
> slate to write your story on, kind of a new starting line.
>
> I guess any day or year can be that, but you seem to have chosen to mark
> this one, and I say GO FOR IT (whatever IT turns out to be).
>
> Enjoy.

Thanks, Susan! Today, I think the goal will be to rediscover the
color of the top of my desk.

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

Jette wrote:

> Happy Birthday - someone better tell that clerk about "silver surfers"!

Thanks, Jette.

FurPaw



--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

WWWSC #4 wrote:

>> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
>> By Jenny Joseph
>
> There is an organization based on this for women over 50. We get
> together in our red hats and purple clothing and have a great time. Look
> up Red Hat Society.

I found out that there is a Red Hat Society in my town when I
walked in an Alzheimer's Memory Walk last year - they showed up
wearing purple shirts and read hats. Kewl!

FurPaw


--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

marcy wrote:
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>
> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.
>
> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>
> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
> By Jenny Joseph


Happy belated, Marcy! And thank you - this poem is one of my
favorites, too. I am accumulating a number of purple items in my
wardrobe, and I actually did wear a lavendar shirt on the 30th
(accidentally, as it turned out).

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

Jette wrote:
> Eva wrote:
>> "marcy" <ngtybtnice@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:ce14c2f0-4c89-4e37-b874-c5b81b9f8a75@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY FURPAW.
>>>
>>> Today is my birthday, too... although I am 4 years behind you.
>>>
>>> Here is my favorite poem on aging:
>>>
>>> When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
>>> By Jenny Joseph
>> ----------------
>> Happy birthday, Marcy!
>>
>> Purple is my favorite color, and I've been wearing it for many, many
>> years.
>>
>
> Ditto - but not with a _red_ hat ... it just *clashes*. Pink, that's
> the colour. Even certain shades of green.

But the whole point is to wear WHATEVER makes you feel good,
regardless of what the fashionistas say about clashing colors.
(Besides, the colors that 'clash' have changed since I was a
kid.) Take your inspiration from a flower garden - if someone
told the zinnias that they clash with the dahlias, would they care?

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.