Stronger

Another birthday looms on the horizon

forgetting the wrinkles staring back

hiding the scales that tipped long ago

and ignoring the "I had 2 kids" waistline...

all I want is to be stronger.

Polyvore Art by laurel, August 1, 2015

"Just Photos of Stuff" Day...

Birthday stuff...

Sewing stuff...

Garden stuff...

Stained Glass stuff...

Laurel. love my stuff...

Best years ever...

Have I ever mentioned how traumatized I was in turning 35? When I was in my twenties, my friend's sister had her 35th birthday and despite the fact that she was great-looking, all I could see was her age.  It seemed so old to me at the time.  So when 35 came knocking at my door, I saw all my "hot" years come crashing down all in one day.

I swore I saw my first wrinkle that very day. It seemed that my bust line dropped an inch at 8 in the morning, my backside looked somewhat flattened by noon and my long legs developed cellulite at the dinner table. Luckily, I snapped out of it, as shortly thereafter I met Dave in a country-western nightclub - him sporting a white dress shirt and me rockin' my tight jeans, boots and silk blouse...we were ever so hot!

As my birthday approaches this weekend, all those body changes that were in my imagination over 30 years ago have, alas, materialized.  But what's different is that I'm finally "starting" ( I use the word loosely) to be comfortable in my own skin. I did have an brief foray into the world of Restylane, but it didn't last. I am destined to have my mother's face, lines and all.

What is beautiful about growing older, if it can be said that old is beautiful, is that your brain knows where you have been, how far you've come and it starts to honor life in a whole new way. My brain knows instinctively that all that I am today is a reflection of the collective wisdom stemming from my own experiences in the past...some horrific, some challenging, some exceptionally magnificent. I learned from my mistakes, got stronger in the face of adversity and most of all, learned to cherish what's here and now...today.

My mom is rockin' 88, looking trimmer and more healthy every year.  I guess that bodes well for me if heredity has anything to do with it. Her new-found healthy eating habits made a huge impression on me, as well as those of friends like Suzan, Peg, Cynthia, Denise, etc.  All these lovely women are focused on healthy lifestyles, good eating and being "all they can be"!

Though I'm not especially fond of the number 66 (one more "6" digit, and we all know what that is - LOL!),  I'm not overly bothered by my age. I appreciate and enjoy the blessings of life that have been afforded to me - my home, my creative endeavors, my good health and my wonderful husband. We will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary this August, and he still loves me in my tight jeans.  Who could want more?

Down time...

We all need it...sometimes more than others. We live our lives rushing around as if it really mattered that we accomplish every last one of the voluminous laundry list items of "want to's", "have to's" and "ought to's".  The truth is that many of the items on our daily lists really don't matter in the larger scheme of life.  And sometimes (actually often for me!) you just need to chill.

In celebration of my birthday this year, my girlfriends and I found a vacation home in the foothill wine country...we would normally hit Palm Desert in the Fall for our annual get away, but we changed it up this year. It was a lovely log home with a spectacular view. No pool, but

It was nice to just sit and watch the sky...

Enjoy the beauty...

Be with friends...

Celebrate Passages over a great meal...

Exercise our minds...

Listen to a Beethoven Sonata on a concert grand (yes, in a vacation home!)...

Shop and "do lunch" in a cute little nearby town...

Then come back home, relaxed, kiss the hubby, check the mail for birthday cards,

and see this...

Happy Birthday, Laurel!

Now that's what I call Real "Down Time"...good grief!

Laurel.  65 and another year closer I guess!!

Sharing today with



Hello 65...

When I turned 35, I thought the world had ended.  I remembered thinking back in my 20's how ancient my friend's sister must have felt at 35, so the reality of actually being that old was devastating when I hit that mark.  It was my only really "rough" birthday, and looking back, it's hard to imagine that I was that traumatized. I have had some friends longer than that!

I'm turning 65 in a couple of days, a birthday many a woman would cringe over.  But since that memorable 35th years ago, I have remained relatively nonplussed with each succeeding number. Granted, I'm underwhelmed when I count the wrinkles that appear on a yearly basis, and certainly not too excited with the new little aches and body annoyances that accompany the aging process, but I like where I'm at in my "story". There is something precious about the wisdom and clarity that age brings...something that having a bikini-ready body can't match.

I was never around old people growing up.  My grandparents were long gone, so I never had the benefit of all that sage advice that comes with life experience. These days it seems that growing old and wise is not as revered as it was in former generations, and most of us who are in our 60's and 70's today are just victims for the Wall Street hackers of Depends, Viagra, scooters and that walk-in bathtub thingie...can't wait til I can have one of those!

So since I'm only going to be 65, I want to start early dishing out advice to the younger set...here's my top words of wisdom based on lessons learned in these 65 years:


Laugh at yourself.  You are your biggest source of screw-ups, missteps and downright bad choices in life, so learn to take yourself a little less seriously. Everyone else is laughing - you may as well join in.

Have faith. You don't have to believe what I believe, just believe in something with your whole heart and soul. Okay...if it's not Jesus, you might be wrong...but hey, I'm not passing judgement or anything.

Don't worry. If you can't control it, then don't waste your energy thinking about it. ( I'll let you know if I ever conquer this one...but I know I'm right!)

Don't wish your life away.  You are probably not going to win the lotto, so don't spend your days thinking about what you're going to do with the money.  Live today's day and enjoy it.

Eat well, drink some wine for your health and stay away from liver pate.  It doesn't matter who it is or how famous a chef they are, it's still liver...it's an ORGAN that CLEANS your blood of waste..nasty stuff.

Once a Mom/Dad, always a Mom/Dad...forever. There is no such thing as the empty nest, just a vacant room for a time.

Pretty underwear makes you feel better. Your mother was right about this and a hundred other things she told you growing up. It's a good daughter/son who recognizes the wisdom of their parents early in life.

Divorce is easy - marriage is work. If you're not good at picking, perhaps you should stay single. The unfortunate side of this advice is that you don't always know you've picked badly until after you're in it. My mantra as the eternal optimist: third time's a charm:)

You can't put a price tag on friendship.  Friends are precious and they need to be cultivated - learn how to keep them.

Pot makes you crazy, booze makes you sick and meth...well I never did that, but I hear it's murder.  Live your life awake. Enjoy the little things and find other ways to cope with the sh**.

Don't read the newspaper. If you think you are "keeping up", you better think again. Behind everything you read and hear, there is someone who just wants you to see their side.  Think for yourself. Read my blog...I'm totally impartial to everything:)

You are never too old to ride a roller coaster.

There ya have it...like I know what I'm talking about...not saying I follow all this sage advice, but I wonder if I would be different today if some old 65 year old had rambled on to me when I was 20. Like my Mom always says, "You wouldn't have listened, anyway, Laurel." She's right.

And that's a wrap.

Laurel. I'm still hot!!! LOL!!!