Table of Contents
Welcome
Women’s Wisdom
Topic for July
WOW! Forum
WOW! Internet Pass-Arounds
Upcoming Events
Web Sites of Interest
Closing Notes
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Welcome!
The details for 2008 WOW! Cruise are posted in this
newsletter and on the website. We have lined up a dream of a
deal—a seven-night cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s
Spirit in a sea view room for $100 a day? Less for an
interior room. WOW! It would be hard to find another
vacation that brings equal value, entertainment and ease—not
to mention traveling with a group of fabulous women. Don’t
delay—read all the details and get your $25 per person
deposit in by July 23.
Cheers! May’s record of 20 new subscribers has fallen! June
brought 22 new friends! This is happening for one
reason—many of you are forwarding our newsletter to your
friends. Give yourself a hug from all of us. Each of us
benefits from the wit and wisdom of all our subscribers. How
about another record this month?
Now, get your cup of coffee or glass of tea and settle in
for this month’s topic. Hopefully it will provoke your
response as you read about my “more than just an imagined”
experience of elderhood. Then enjoy the wit and wisdom of
Kate Emery, Karen Webb, Edie Jurmain, Eleanor Wandke
and Meg Madellen.
Be well,
Nancy
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Women’s Wisdom:
“So put me on a highway
Show me a sign
And take it to the limit
one more time”
... Eagles' song from the 80’s
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Topic for July: Show Me a Sign
I need help—a sign, a map, or at least a friend to walk into
this dilemma with me. You know I am in the process of
relocating to San Antonio, Texas—emphasis on process. The
place where I want to live won’t be ready until the middle
of the month. For weeks, I’ve been camping out in the barn
apartment between the horse stalls and my son-in-law’s
office.
Every morning after Teddy, Bear and I untangle our sheets to
crawl out of the almost-too-small-for-the-three-of-us
twin-size bed, I am greeted by two neighs, two friendly grrr/yawns
and one meow. Everyone in the barn is signaling their need
for feed. By the time my tea has steeped, horses, dogs and
the barn cat are chowing down.
My big chore for the day is done—and it wouldn’t be a
problem if I didn’t do it. My son-in-law or daughter could
easily take care of it, but I want to do it. There are so
few things on my do-to list these days.
The barn apartment is just about the size of an apartment in
an active retirement center. There’s a small sitting/bedroom
with an easy chair, a bed, a TV, a microwave, small
refrigerator, a few dishes and my electric tea pot. There is
a bathroom and that’s it.
The big difference between the barn apartment and the
retirement center is no one else lives here. There’s no one
to play cards or do anything else. Oh, my kids include me
when they’re not working and sometimes my grandchildren are
available, but usually they are busy or involved elsewhere.
So, it occurs to me that I’m living ahead of my time. That’s
if I’m lucky enough to live beyond my ability or desire to
care for myself. I’ve always hoped I would die before I
reached that time, but since I’ve started reading, What Are
Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World, by William
H. Thomas, MD, I’m wondering if my attitude is a result of
brain-washing. I started Thomas’ book, in part, because he
states that one of his reasons for writing it is to show us
how to enjoy what aging has to offer and to encourage us to
welcome it into our lives. Sounded like information I
needed.
I’ve read about half the book. It’s one of those best read a
few chapters a day, and his message dramatically opposes
what I have absorbed during my lifetime. I’ve realized how
much ego I’ve invested in what I do—my human-doing—and how
little value I have placed on my human-being. Dr. Thomas
says our society is only valuing the productive time of
adulthood. Even childhood is now about quasi-adulthood, as
kids are also busy doing—not being. That can explain why I
haven’t relaxed into this time to take long walks, read my
store of books, and, dare I say it? Take naps! Society
assigns little value for those activities, and truth be
told, I haven’t either!
Dr. Thomas says, “There is no slavery more powerful than a
servitude that is self-imposed.” Should I begin to see my
bonds of human-doing as a choice I make to deliver myself
into slavery?
I remember a conversation with one of my cousins a few
months ago. She said something like this, “Oh, sure, when I
call my kids and tell them I’m cooking, they come, but
that’s about the only time I see them.” I wonder what’s
happening now that she’s in the middle of chemo and
radiation with little energy to do anything? Does that mean
she is without value? “No,” you say, “She has a good
reason.” Okay, let’s take it one step farther. What if she
chose not to do and had no good reason? Is there any value
to a human who is not producing?
So, here’s the question—the sign I’m looking for. If we’re
not a human-doing, and we are a human-being, because of
choice or force, does our life have value? Do I have value?
What about you? Let’s decide—should the world be saved from
this crazy cycle of busy, busy, busy, 24/7? Are you only
worthwhile as long as you are producing? If there is value
without production, then we must look deeper to find the
true meaning in life. Show me the beef—uh, value! Give our
world a sign. Take it to the limit.
You know we will have to do it—no one else has time.
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WOW! Forum:
From Kate Emery:
I always love your newsletters, and would like to offer
everyone another tool that could help create more WOW!
circles.
http://www.CareCircle.net is a free online
community offering you a way to connect with other
like-minded people who care about a global or local issue,
and support groups are welcome. First time users need to
register, and then you can create a CareCircle around
any issue. Our hope is that as membership grows, we can
become a place where anyone can go to in order to find
like-minded people who care and want to take positive
action. Just another option!:)
From Karen Webb:
I'm 53 and just had my first novel (first in a long fantasy
series) published. At this rate, I think I will be at least
70 by
the time the whole thing finds its way into print! However,
I
intend to keep plugging because I believe in the book and
feel it's
the sort of fantasy the world needs right now -- more about
getting
along and resolving our differences and cooperating to
achieve a common, worthwhile goal than about beating up the
bad guys. Most of the characters are not "of a certain age,"
but the spiritual depth and
positive outlook of the book are finding it acceptance among
older women who normally don't even read fantasy.
(Remember: Support WOW! Buy your books (and lots of other
stuff) by going through our website
www.wiseolderwomen.com and clicking on the
amazon.com link.)
From Shirley Haight:
I found a recipe on the Internet at the Wellness site called
"immuno soup"
Because my cancer school teacher is such a believer in good
nutrition, I downloaded it and planned to make it. I believe
in good nutrition too, I haven't practiced it—until today.
Sandra (cancer school teacher) says it's essential to have
good nutrients in our body. This Immuno soup looked like
just the ticket for all the daily requirements. Thinking a
cup a day will bring me good health and make up in a month a
half a lifetime of bad eating choices, may be crazy, but I’m
determined to at least start.
There are ingredients in this soup we have never heard of!
Because I'm lazy and have a perfect excuse (I’m sick!) I
sent my darling husband off to Kroger's for the ingredients.
He returned, throwing his hands up and said, "I simply
cannot find all this stuff.” You must know what a courageous
man my dear husband is to come back empty handed. We can
thank God for Prozac. He was not abused!
My daughter-in-law called about that time and I told her
about DH coming home empty handed without even a stick of
celery. Sweet little caretaker she is, she said, “Mimi, sit
tight, give me the list and I will get them for you.” And
that she did, even the Kosher salt.
You will never believe the sheer abundance of what she
brought! She brought every fresh vegetable and fruit in the
Kroger store, including peppermint, parsley and parsnips.
She and my son dropped them off and headed to Commerce to
see Chelsy, their daughter, daddy was suffering from
separation anxiety and needed to see his baby, that's
understandable, she's been gone five days!
I took one look at all those veggies: Potatoes and turnips
to be peeled, beans to be snapped, spinach to be washed,
things to be scrubbed, washed, diced, chopped and knew right
then I was on the horns of another dilemma.
That’s when I remembered how wonderful it was in the days
Mama was alive. We would all go to her little house
which was scant bigger than my cottage, gather around her
table and stove, cooking for our family get-togethers. I
love those memories! We would sing, tell jokes, catch up on
our families—ah, the days before our innocence died.
That’s when it occurred to me I could pick my own family
from my friends right here in St Francis Village. I got on
the phone, called Murf (She’s a good surrogate
mother), Anne, perfect spoiled younger sister,
Marilyn, will fill right in as a sensible older sister
and Mary, well, she’ll be our aunt. I called them all and
asked them to (maybe told them to) come, bring a sharp knife
and their biggest pots to help me make soup. Then along came
Dawn—our real grand daughter (Actually, I plan to
have a few therapy sessions with her. She doesn't yet know
that, she will soon enough!
We had that soup done in less than three hours, ate the
sherbet I had in the freezer, enough for everyone a cone and
Marilyn two, drank cokes, had many laughs and I now
am the proud owner of a pot of soup that even my mama would
appreciate, Mama believed in volume and this pot of
soup would make a start on feeding all of St Francis
Village!
It has occurred to me how many of us don't have families, or
they are not available, so what a great idea it is to choose
our own little family from our neighborhoods. This way we
can drop expectations of our busy, busy families and depend
on our adopted ones.
WE ARE FAMILY!!
From Nancy:
Twice in the last few months, I have been notified
information someone could use to assume my identity has been
inadvertently published to the web. Arrrgh! AARP magazine
had information that helped me learn how to protect myself
for free. I hope you never need to know, but if you do, this
will help.
Just call each of the credit-reporting bureaus and place an
alert on your credit report. This means a creditor must
contact you before new loans or credit cards are issued in
your name. The numbers to call are:
Equifax: (800) 392-7816
Experian: (888) 397-3742
Trans Union (800) 916-8800
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WOW! to WOW!
From Edie Jurmain:
Maya Angelou said:
"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it
seems today, life does go on, and it will be better
tomorrow."
"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the
way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost
luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."
"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your
parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."
"I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing
as "making a life."
"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second
chance."
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw
some things back."
"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open
heart, I usually make the right decision."
From Eleanor Wandke:
This ought to make you feel better about your computer
skills! If you skip any, you have to read the last one!
Unbelievable, but supposedly all are true!!!!
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...
===============
Customer: Hi, this is Mary. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No , wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet...
it's still on my desk... sorry....
===============
Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left
of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
===============
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...
Customer: Listen pal, don't start getting technical with me!
I'm not Bill Gates.
===============
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print.
Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even
lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor,
but the computer still says he can't find it....
===============
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Ugh....................thank you.
===============
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at
Wal-Mart.
===============
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: Okay
Tech support: Did the keyboard go with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in.
Do you have another keyboard you could use?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does
work...
===============
Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in
apple, a
capital letter V as in Victor, and the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters ?
===============
Customer: Can't get onto the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Sure, it was Five stars.
===============
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...I meant Internet Explorer.
===============
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a
screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the
mouse, it disappears.
===============
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but
how do I get the circle around it?
===============
Customer: Hello, I'm having a problem with my printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a
good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is
under a window, and his printer is working fine."
===============
And last but not least...
Tech support: "Okay Colin, let's press the control and
escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in
the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring
up the Program Manager."
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Colin.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Colin.
Customer: ARE YOU CRAZY? I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!!
From Meg Madellen:
(Originally written by Elizabeth DiPietri.)
I have two dogs. I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow
at Wal-Mart and was standing in line to check out. A woman
behind me asked if I had a dog. On impulse, I told her that
no, I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I
probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last
time. I had lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive
care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and
IVs in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that
the way that it worked was to load your pockets with Purina
nuggets. Then simply eat one or two every time you feel
hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so I was going to
try it again.
I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line
was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who
was behind her.
Horrified, she asked if I'd ended up in the hospital in that
condition because I had been poisoned. I told her no; it was
because I'd been sitting in the street licking my privates
and a car hit me.
I thought that one guy was going to have a heart attack
since he was laughing so hard he had to stagger out the
door.
Why else would anyone buy dog food??
From Elizabeth Mote-Caras:
Warning! If you receive one of these, don’t open it.
Snopes.com verifies that it is a miserable virus started in
June, 2007.
In the "subject" line:
You've received a greeting card from a class-mate!
You've received a greeting card from a colleague!
You've received a greeting card from a family member!
You've received a greeting card from a friend!
You've received a greeting card from a neighbor!
You've received a greeting card from a school mate!
You've received a greeting ecard from a class-mate!
You've received a greeting ecard from a colleague!
You've received a greeting ecard from a family member!
You've received a greeting ecard from a friend!
You've received a greeting ecard from a neighbour!
You've received a greeting ecard from a partner!
You've received a greeting ecard from a worshipper!
You've received a greeting postcard from a colleague!
You've received a greeting postcard from a family member!
You've received a greeting postcard from a friend!
You've received a postcard from a class-mate!
You've received a postcard from a colleague!
You've received a postcard from a family member!
You've received a postcard from a partner!
You've received an ecard from a partner!
You've received an ecard from a worshipper!
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Upcoming Events
WOW! Cruise, February, 2008
Join us on NCL’s Spirit February 24, 2008 for a week of fun
and sun!
February 24, 2008, depart New Orleans at 5:30 pm
February 25, 2008 At Sea
February 26, 2008 Costa Maya 8:00 am 6:00 pm
February 27, 2008 Santo Tomas de Castilla 8:00 am 6:00 pm
February 28, 2008 Belize City, Belize 8:00 am 6:00 pm
February 29, 2008 Cozumel 8:00 am 5:00 pm
March 1, 2008 At Sea
March 2, 2008 arrive New Orleans 8:00 am
Hurry! Space is very limited, don’t miss the boat!
Call us today to reserve your cabin, 1-800-953-7469
Interior cabin only $547 per person*
Ocean view cabin only $703 per person*
Hold your cabin for as little as $25 per person along with
name, date of birth, address, home phone number and
emergency contact person information.
Remainder of Deposit: $225 per person, Due October 20, 2007
Final Payment Due: December 4, 2007
*All rates are per person based on availability and double
occupancy and include cruise, all port charges and
government taxes, all shipboard meals and entertainment.
(Want to check out the Norwegian Spirit? Click on
www.cruisecritic.com
then Ship Reviews .. and enjoy!)
PLEASE NOTE:
Everyone will be required to have a valid passport to travel
in 2008.
Join a WOW! Wise Older Women! Circle:
Third Sunday
New WOW! Wise Older Women! Circle in Dallas/Richardson
area!
1:30 p.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living. International
Place, 4801 Spring Valley Rd., Suite 115, Dallas TX 75244.
For more information email Sue at
s.haarala@att.net
or call her at 214.373.8898.
Second Sunday
WOW! Wise Older Women! of Grapevine
Join us at 1:00 p.m. at Fellowship Hall of Unity of
Grapevine, just off 121 at Glade.
Book Club of this group meets the third Thursday at 7
p.m.
Contact: Debbie Holt at
holtdl@verizon.net
for information about the Creative Group that meets
some Saturday afternoons, about an out-to-eat group and a
group that gathers occasionally to share financial knowledge
about investing.
Third Sunday
Elizabeth Mote-Caras has moved and she wants to start
a WOW! Circle in Richardson. If you are interested, contact
her at:
elmcaras@hotmail.com or on her cell: 972.429.1156.
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Web Sites of Interest:
Rather not wait a month between newsletters to be in touch?
We now have a Yahoo! group you can post to whenever you
wish, but first follow this link to join the group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wiseolderwomen
When you are ready to send a message, just address your
email to:
wiseolderwomen@yahoogroups.com.up . Your message
will go to all who have signed up.
WOW! Wise Older Women! website: Subscribe to this newsletter
and view archives of previous ones:
http://www.wiseolderwomen.com
From Gather the Women
http://www.gatherthewomen.org .
From Kate Emery:
http://www.CareCircle.net , a free online community
offering you a way to connect with other like-minded people
who care about a global or local issue
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Closing Notes:
Enjoy this newsletter? Want to change the paradigm for women
in the second half of life to one that values our wisdom?
Forward this month's newsletter to all WOW! Wise Older
Women! friends.
It’s easy to start a WOW! Circle in your area. Email
nancy@wiseolderwomen.com .
Your creative efforts, astute comments, lavish praise and
short criticisms are encouraged and appreciated. Send them
to
nancy@wiseolderwomen.com
Copyright© 2007, all rights reserved. Permission is granted
to reproduce, copy or distribute this newsletter as long as
this copyright notice and full information about contacting
the author are attached.
The author of this newsletter is Nancy Garland, M.Ed., LPC.
She is a writer, coach and facilitator for women in the
second half of life, individually and in groups. She plans
workshops, retreats, and travel events for WOW! Wise Older
Women!
Wise Older Women!
®