After a week delay due to our move to Arizona and waiting for the new internet service to finally be installed...here is this week's Featured Mid-life Mama.

This week's Featured Mid-life Mama is Jacci T.  Please make her feel very welcome by leaving her a thoughtful comment below.


(Jacci and her Grandbaby)

Hello, My Name is: Jacci T.

What age group are you in Biologically:  50's

What age do you feel?  When I was little my aunt asked me when I wanted to get married. Since I never wanted to be married, I thought of the oldest age I could think of and said, 28! So, I'd better say 25, that way I have a few good years left!

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight? Empty, but it doesn't feel that way. My husband and I tend to adopt people and our guest room is often full, which I love. I also love when it's just the two of us.

Are you a grandparent?   Yes, best thing ever!

~What are the ages of your grandkids? 3, and two 1 year olds. I'm grinning just thinking about it.

~ How is being a grandparent different from being a parent? It is soooo much more fun. I feel more patient and able to enjoy just 'hanging around' with them without the stress of having to "parent."

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed? Married to the same man for 28 years and still in love.

Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don't see retirement in my near future? I hope I never retire. I love my job working with college students, it keeps me young. And I love writing young adult fiction, it keeps me interested in life!

What stage of 'the Change' are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or Post Menopause) Post, thank God.

~ On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how well did you manage your Peri-Menopausal symptoms? I did not handle them well at all. They came on early and with full force at 42 and my doctor was not helpful, she just kept saying, "you're too young." I guess that makes me a 1.

~ Did you use HRT? (hormone replacement therapy)  If yes, are you still using HRT? I had to lobby for HRT with my doctor, but for me it was a quality of life issue. My kids had a better life quality when I was on it! They'd often tenderly ask me "Mom, did you forget your little white pill?" I used it for eight years until I was post, then went off.

~ Do you still have Menopause symptoms? I still get hot flashes. When I went off HRT the hot flashes were back in force. Black Cohosh really helped but I'm off that now as they are mild.

When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that? I had no idea what to expect! There was not one single woman in my family that had gone through menopause. All had received early hysterectomies. I wish I'd had a website like this to turn to. Thank you all!

Tell us what being a 'Mid-Life Mama' means to you. I LOVE being a Mid life Mama! I care less what people think and feel more like I can speak my mind. I started Karate at 40, writing at 50 and plan to jump from a perfectly good airplane this summer!

If you have a personal blog that you would like to share, what is the name and URL address of your blog? My blog is on my website at http://jacciturner.com

~ What one piece of Wise Wisdom would you like to share with us Peri-Mama's still making the transition?  Get help, read books, talk to friends and be your own advocate. I read "The Wisdom of Menopause," and it helped me a lot!

Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with our other Mid-Life Mama readers? Don't forget to take care of your soul! No one else will. And never stop learning, growing and taking risks!

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Thank you Jacci for letting me feature you.  And thank you for being so patient with me while I, not so patiently, waited for our internet service to be installed.  I really enjoyed reading your interview answers

Jacci and I welcome any comments.  Did any of her answers resonate with you?  Did her answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share?  Or would you just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!


 

If YOU would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line.  I will send you my complete list of interview questions.  I would love to feature YOU!

**Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts!  An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.  If you leave a comment below and want to be notified about any replies to your comment, be sure to select the box: 'Subscribe to this Post'.  You can also subscribe to the blog at the same time.

I am looking for Guest Authors!  If you would like to post an article related to being a Mid-life Mama on this blog, please contact me at anna@mid-lifemama.com with "Guest Author" in the subject line.  See HERE for more details.  Being a Guest Author here could bring more visitors to your website as well!

I am very excited to introduce you to today's "Featured Mid-life Mama" because she is one of my favorite bloggers.  I never miss reading a single post on her blog.  She is also the inspiration behind this feature.  Her blog "Grandmas Briefs" has a feature called 'Grilled Grandmas' where she interviews grandmas.  I had the honor of being one of her Grilled Grandmas too. 

Please give a very warm welcome to my bloggy friend Lisa!



Hello, my name if Lisa C.

What age group are you in Biologically: Late 40s.

What age do you feel?  Depends on the day.  I have a tendency to think I'm 10 years younger...til I see pictures of myself or look in the mirror and see all of the age spots and gray that needs covering.

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight?  My nest is empty...except for two dogs and two cats who can sometimes be more work than kids.  My three daughters have all been out of the house for a few years now.  My oldest lives in the same city; my youngest about 75 miles away; my middle daughter 815 miles away.

Are you a grandparent?  Yes, I'm happy to be a grandma! I have two grandsons -brothers ages 3-1/2 years and 7 months.  Both from my middle daughter and her husband, who live 815 miles away -meaning I'm a long-distance grandma.

How is being a grandparent different from being a parent?  Less responsibility, more fun.

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed?  My husband and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary in June.  I consider it quite an accomplishment since we were married the week before I turned 18 and he was 21.  Or maybe I should consider it a sign of sheer lunacy (thought I'm not sure if that's on my part or his!)

Are your Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don't see retirement in my near future?  I'm a freelancer, working from home as a writer/blogger/proofreader and other word-related activities.  I've been fortunate to make a smidgen of money at what I love doing after having been laid off from my newspaper editor position (special sections department) in 2008.

What stage of 'the Change' are you currently in?  I'm pretty sure I'm in perimenopause, although symptoms are few, fortunately. Only thing I really notice is undependable periods that once came like clockwork and more like exclamation marks than periods.  Plus, the weight gain.

On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how well are you managing your Peri-menopausal symptoms?  9 -- and only not a 10 because I don't pay much attention, as I probably should.  But my symptoms are so few at this point that I tend to not focus or worry too much on any of it.

Are you now or have you ever been on HRT? No

Have you tried alternative, natural therapies to treat your Peri-menopausal symptoms? No

If you could wave a magic wand and make the worst symptom go away, which one would it be?  The weight gain...and lack of motivation to curtail the weight gain with more exercise, less chip-eating.

When you were in your 20's, what did you think Mid-life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that?  I didn't have huge visions of what it would be like other than I thought I'd be a published book author by now, and I've not yet managed that.  I still have time, though -and an agent doing her best to help me to meet that goal.

Tell us what being a 'Mid-life Mama' means to you.  For me, mid-life mama means to be juggling being a MOTHER with GRANDMOTHER.  Parenting still takes a lot of your time and worry and attention, even though my daughters are adults.  Grandparenting is the more fun of the two, although I wish my grandsons lived nearby, which would make it even more fun, I think (except for the head-butting I'd surely do with my daughter at times, as moms/daughters are wont to do).

If you have a personal blog that you would like to share, what is the name and URL address of your blog?  My blog is Grandma's Briefs.  The taglines are "It's not just for grandmas" and "Bits & bytes of life's second act."  I write not only about grandparenting and parenting but about still doing what I can with my work-in-progress life.

Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with our other Mid-life Mama readers?  Anything else anyone might ever hope to know about me can be found on my blog.  Well, at least those things I'm willing to admit to.  :0)

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Thank you Lisa for letting me feature you...I love your blog and really enjoyed reading your interview answers

Lisa and I welcome any comments.  Did any of her answers resonate with you?  Did her answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share?  Or would you just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!


 

If YOU would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line.  I will send you my complete list of interview questions.  I would love to feature YOU!

**Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts!  An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.  If you leave a comment below and want to be notified about any replies to your comment, be sure to select the box: 'Subscribe to this Post'.  You can also subscribe to the blog at the same time.

This weeks Featured Mid-life Mama is Rita P.  I hope you will give her a very warm welcome by leaving some comment luv below. 



Hello, my name is Rita P, aka Megryansmom

What age group are you in Biologically?  40's until October

What age to you feel?  Depends on when you ask me.  Right now it's 50 degrees and sunny out so I feel 20, but there are days I feel 110 years old.

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight? Technically I have an empty nest, but one of the birds had baby birds and they are flying back and forth from their nest down the block to mine daily.

Are you a grandparent?  Yes!

~What are the ages of your grandkids?  Almost 6 and 2

~How is being a grandparent different from being a parent?  Oh grand-parenting is so much easier.  I'm much more relaxed, and I've lowered the bar.

Are you single, engaged, married, divorced, widowed?  Married

Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don't see retirement in my near future?  I have to work full time, but it's only for the benefits.  I care for my grandson while their mom works.  So you might consider that semi-retired with no sign of real retirement in my near future.

What stage of 'the Change' are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or Post Menopause)?  I've been peri-menopausal for what seems like forever.

On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how well are you managing your Peri-Menopausal symptoms?  I haven't killed anyone yet, so I'd say very well.

Are you now or have you been on HRT? (hormone replacement therapy) I was on the pill until about 5 years ago for my symptoms, but now I'm a little old for that. Too many risks.

Have you tried Alternative, Natural therapies to treat your Peri-Menopausal Symptoms?  If yes, are (or were) they beneficial? I'm taking Krill oil and evening primrose along with my multiples and as I said above I haven't killed anyone yet.

If you could wave a magic wand and make the worst symptom go away, which one would it be?  Only one? That's tough.  I hate the sleeplessness, when I do sleep soundly, I hate waking up drenched in sweat. I hate the mood swings. The hair loss and I really hate the forg...

When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that? HA! When I was in my 20s I thought 30 was OLD.  I had no thoughts of ever being old.  But I do wish someone would have warned me.

Tell us what being a 'Mid-life Mama' means to you.  How should I know? I'm a Young Mema. Mid life? That sounds too much like 1/2 way to dead.

If you have a personal blog that you would like to share, what is the name and URL address of your blog? I do have a blog! I'm the Bloggin' Mema at Look It's Megryansmom http://www.megryansmom.com

Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with our other Mi-life Mama readers?  What do you want to know?  Leave me a comment here and I'll answer it all.

What one piece of Wise Wisdom would you like to share with us Peri-Mama's still making the transition? Find someone to talk to about what you're going through.  A girlfriend, a blog friend, a forum.  It helps knowing you're not going crazy and that other women feel the same way you do.  Hide the knives and drink wine, it's the cure-all.

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Thank you Rita for letting me feature you...I love your blog and really enjoyed reading your interview answers

Rita and I welcome any comments.  Did any of her answers resonate with you?  Did her answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share?  Or would you just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!

 

If YOU would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line.  I will send you my complete list of interview questions.  I would love to feature YOU!

**Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts!  An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.  If you leave a comment below and want to be notified about any replies to your comment, be sure to select the box: 'Subscribe to this Post'.  You can also subscribe to the blog at the same time.

Today's "Featured Mid-life Mama" is a really neat lady out of Texas.  Please make her feel very welcomed with some comment luv below.

Hello my name is Vicki V.

What age group are you in Biologically? I'm in my 50s.

What age do you feel?  Mentally, I feel much younger, probably in my 30s. Physically, some days I definitely feel my age which is 57. My husband and I were both moaning about knee pain the other night and we started laughing as we wondered how we're going to sound when we're really old.

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight? Our nest has been empty since summer of 2000 when our baby left for college. He moved back home for about 6 months after graduation, but he mostly left his stuff here and stayed elsewhere. On the topic of our Empty Nest, I recently reclaimed my closets. Both of our kids left lots of their "stuff" here in their closets. Just last month, I packed boxes for each of them and delivered it to them on our next visit to their homes. It was freeing and empowering and I gained two closets. The Empty Nest is the best part for me. I hardly ever have to yell at my husband to turn down the stereo. And, when I put something away, it stays there.

Are you a grandparent?  Yes, we have two granddaughters.

~ If yes, What are the ages of your grandkids? Ezra will be 3 years old in February and June is 8 months.

~ If yes, How is being a grandparent different from being a parent? It's so much more fun. I've given a lot of thought to why it's so much more fun. I think it's because most grandparents don't bear the ultimate responsibility for grandchildren. We don't have to deal with the day to day. We also have the advantage of age and experience. We know that it won't really matter if something gets broken or doesn't get done on schedule. We are able to understand that the children are what is really important.

 

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed? I'm still married to my original husband. We celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary in November.

As I look around at the people in this predominantly 55+ community, I have noticed something that is quite striking to me...the people who 'look' much younger than their biological age have one thing in common -they are mentally and physically active people.  I compare these young, vibrant seniors to my own father who just turned 72 years old, a heavy smoker his entire life, use to be a heavy drinker as well but can't tolerate it with his daily regimen of medications, living his sedentary life, has never even read a book or traveled outside of his small town, living (if you can call it that)  in extremely poor health that was 100% self-inflicted, and is now basically just sitting around waiting to die.  The difference is that these young, vibrant seniors have lived their lives in the opposite fashion that my father has.  They stay physically active doing things that they enjoy, they seem to eat a healthier diet because they realize that junk foods make you feel less energetic, they keep their minds active by socializing, reading, and educating themselves about new things.

Just last night we went to the Raven Cafe, a small downtown place that has live music after 8pm on weekends.  The place was packed with middle-aged people (and some youngins sprinkled in as well).   They are very socially active, seemed to know each other on a first name basis and if they didn't know you already, they were not afraid to get to know you before the evening was over.  We met a man who was 68 but I would have guessed he was in his 50's.  He hikes, bikes, sails, travels, reads, writes, teaches, is active in civic duties and even dates on a regular basis.  He does not appear to be slowing down one bit with age.  Because he is so worldly, we had a wonderful time talking with him about all sorts of topics.  My husband is even going to meet up with him soon to go sailing.  Meeting this man so close to my fathers age made me feel sad that my father did not have this kind of life left in him.  It seems that my father gave up growing as a productive human being many decades ago...and his health has gone down hill ever since.

Everyone wishes they new the secret to the fountain of youth...well, this is it - Take care of your body and your mind and it will take care of you.  Your muscles need to be used or they will atrophy. Get off of that couch and do something with yourself.  Become more social with other active people your age, when you have friends to do things with it is so much more fun and you can help motivate each other.  Remember that your brain is a muscle as well...use it or lose it!  Read books, newspapers, write a blog, do crossword puzzles to give your brain a workout.  Travel, even if only short distances like day trips.  Live your life to its fullest by actually living instead of just waiting around to die.



If you would like to be a Guest Author here at "Mid-life Mama" just contact me at anna@mid-lifemama.com  I accept any article that is originally written by you, and related to women in mid-life.  See more details about being a Guest Author by clicking here.

Today I am so happy to introduce Grace as our Newest Featured Mid-life Mama!  Please give her a very warm welcome!"

Name: Grace H.

What is your Biological Age Group? (40s, 50s, 60s,  70s)  50's

What age do you feel? 20's but a whole lot smarter.

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight?  I have an empty nest.  At first it hit me hard so I bought a bird as I guess I needed something to love.  (I still have him 13 years later.)  I went to K-mart one day and bought a hairbrush.  I got to the checkout and realized I hadn't bought myself a new hairbrush probably in about 16 years.  I had always bought my daughter a new brush and took her old one.  I suddenly realized that maybe this empty nest thing wasn't going to be so bad after all. 

Are you a grandparent?   Yes

What are the ages of your grandkids? 12, 8, and 5

How is being a grandparent different from being a parent?  I'm always loved and adored rather than at time being thought of as 'She, who must be obeyed'

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed? Married

Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don't see retirement in my near future?  I have no plans to retire as I think work is what keeps me young.

When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that?  I don't think I ever contemplated Mid-Life.  I had a mother that always stayed fit and young so that probably helped me not think Mid-Life was a death sentence.

What stage of 'the Change' are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or post Post Menopause) Post Menopause.  I went through menopause early at 40.

On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how well did you manage your Peri-Menopausal symptoms?  10

Did you use HRT? (hormone replacement therapy)  If yes, are you still using HRT? NO I never used HRT and I'm not using it now.

Which did you find most helpful in managing your Peri-menopause symptoms: Synthetic HRT, Bio-Identical HRT, or Alternative, Natural therapies? I used Natural therapies such as  black cohosh and other herbs.

Do you still have Menopause symptoms?  None

Did you try Alternative, Natural therapies to treat your Peri-Menopause Symptoms?  If yes, were they beneficial? Black Cohosh seemed to even out my moods.

Tell us what being a 'Mid-Life Mama' means to you.  I love being a Mid-Life Mama and I love being the age I am.  I'm so comfortable being in my own skin and wouldn't turn back time for anything. 

Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with our other Mid-Life Mama readers? I would share the advice to embrace each stage of your life and to enjoy it. If you don't like something about yourself or your situation then change it instead of feeling stuck with it.

If you have a personal blog that you would like to share, what is the name and  URL address of your blog? My personal blog is BlessedElements/Create at http://www.blessedelements.com/create

What one piece of Wise Wisdom would you like to share with us Peri-Mama's still making the transition?  I think the best advice to give someone is to pay attention to your body and don't take anything for granted.  Research the effects a medicine will have on you now and several years up the road.  If a doctor prescribes something then still research it before you take it and if you’re not comfortable with it then tell them you want something else.   It is your body and you have the right to be a co-doctor in the treatment of it. 

Thank you so much Grace for allowing me to Feature you as a "Mid-life Mama!" 

Grace and I welcome any comments.  Did any of her answers resonate with you?  Did her answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share?  Or would you just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!

 

Happy Happy New Year!  I am going to make 2012 my best year ever well, at least since I gave birth to my two daughters!

Along with the true beginning of my semi-retired life, creating this blog in hopes of helping other mid-life mama's while learning some things myself, and taking control of my health, I also wish to make this my goal for 2012 and beyond...


I hope you will join me in making this a New Beginning and the Best Year of your life...so far!

Happy New Year!

If you have not subscribed to our posts yet, please do it now.  You don't want to miss a single post, who knows what you might learn or want to share with others yourself!  We welcome guest authors who have valuable content of interest to all of us Mid-life Mama's!

Do you get enough exercise?  Most of us don't.  If you are like me, I know I should be exercising.  I use to be a daily jogger so I know how good it makes me feel when I do exercise, but I just have not been able to motivate myself ever since my hormones went crazy.  It's hard to drag my tired body out of bed in the morning and exercise when I was up half the night with night-sweats...that is after I finally was able to fall asleep.  Besides being dog-tired, my joints ache and it usually takes me at least half and hour to clear my head...by then I have a million things that need my attention and then the moodiness sets in.  How am I suppose to find time to exercise with all of this going on?

So I avoid exercise and complain about the extra weight around my middle that was not there before my hormones got on this endless roller coaster ride.  Then I heard about Dr Mike Evans and his 23 -1/2 hours a day campaign.  He puts a whole new spin on exercise.  One that I cannot avoid any longer.  Have you seen his video on YouTube?  Here it is...watch it and see if you don't feel differently about exercise after watching it.
 
Entertaining video isn't it?  I could not stop myself from watching every second of it and listening to every single word.  Did you catch what he said about Menopause?  He said that exercise, even just 1/2 an hour a day, can reduce many of the common complaints of Menopausal symptoms!  So maybe if I exercise 30 minutes a day, I will actually be relieving some of the complaints I have that make me not want to exercise...who knew?  He also said that we can break this up into three 10 minute intervals throughout the day and still get the benefits of exercise.  I think I can vigorously do anything for 10 minutes at a time, how about you?

I am going to give this a go.  I'm taking the Dr Evans approach to exercise by only doing whatever it is that I currently fill my day with, for no more than 23-1/2 hours each day and I am going to spend that left over 30 minutes doing some form of exercise.  I hope you will join me!

Time to share...

Do you exercise?  How often, how much, what type of exercise do you do?  What motivates you to exercise, even when you just don't feel like it?  Can you commit to just 30 minutes a day in three 10 minute intervals???

Today I am so excited to introduce Colleen, our first official Featured Mid-life Mama!  Please give her a very warm welcome!"


Here is my Q & A Interview with Colleen...

What is your name: Colleen F

What age group are you in Biologically: 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s?  I am in my 50's

What age do you feel?  Ahhh I asked my mom this exact question when she was in her 70's.   I was very surprised by her reply.  She said that she felt like she was 18 years old trapped in a body that wouldn't let her do what she wanted to do.   She still thought the same and felt the way she did in her youth!    I've pondered that lately and have to agree.   I feel like I am in my 20's.   My body is making it difficult for me to do many of the things I did in my youth...arthritis and other issues with aging!   But I feel young at heart and want to do what I've always done and continue to seek out more and more adventures.

Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight?  I  have what I call a Quiet Nest....My 2 son's have left the nest.

          

Are you a grandparent?   YES!!

~ If yes, What are the ages of your grandkids?  My oldest son & DIL have 2 children...Aaron who is 3 yr 7 mo and Joy who is 7 months.   My youngest son is in a PHD program and has a wonderful girlfriend who is also in a PHD program.   But I don't think they are focused on anything else but their PHD programs at the moment.  I am very lucky that I am able to see and be with my grandkids monthly for a couple weeks at a time!    I live in Alaska and live in 2 cities...Homer and Anchorage.   My oldest son lives in Anchorage.

~ If yes, How is being a grandparent different from being a parent? Aside from the fact that they sleep at night in their house....I still worry much about them.   Aaron was a difficult baby and I lived with my son & DIL for a few weeks after his birth.   He's very attached to his grandma....calling me mommy when he was younger, grand-mommy or grandma now.   He was more than colicky...and he was tested for allergies when he was just a couple months old and they found him allergic to corn (which is in everything), dairy, beef, pork and chicken!!   So my DIL had to eat vegan so she could nurse him.    He continues at this age to be very allergic to dairy and he has asthma....so they have to carry an epi pen with them.  Both my sons had asthma from very young and this feels like I am a mommy all over again.      My DIL is not familiar with any of these issues so she lets me, when I am in Anchorage, take over.   My son, having asthma, is very familiar and knows what to do and how to use the inhalers for my grandson.  But, when he is working, my DIL is a bit scared of it all.   So helping her get use to this....and cooking vegan has been a tender road to walk for me.    Learning when to be grandma...and when to be more assertive....and less assertive.   It's been very nerve wracking for me.   I'll simply say the pediatrician they have tends not to treat things aggressively,  our pediatrician did...so I see the kids suffer longer periods of time and I get very frustrated and have to hold my tongue!    Now with our granddaughter...Joy...it's been much easier for my DIL since Joy seems to be allergy free, asthma free and easy going little girl.     I feel more responsible for Aaron than Joy...but I suppose that is because I have been so involved in Aaron's life since he was born.   I was holding my DIL leg during delivery for Aaron.   For Joy's birth...I wasn't present, I was taking care of Aaron.    It is still such a new experience for me being a grandparent!    I am more intimately involved than I prefer...I am trying to say no more....and have free time to myself while I am in Anchorage instead of always babysitting.    I love taking care of them and being with them but I don't want to feel like I am a mommy....they exhaust me .   So I go back to Homer to gather more physical and emotional strength and do it all over again when I come back up to Anchorage.   Finding the balance between my life and being grandma is something I am still working on.

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed?  I am married to my high school love...married 39 years!!

Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don’t see retirement in my near future?  We moved to Alaska 10 years ago....I worked up until our move.  I am an RN. I had every intent to continue working after a year off but my husband decided to work in both Anchorage and Homer....so that changed my plans.   I thought and told him how can I get a float job when your hours are never consistently set!    He said well I guess you'll just have to quit work then....which was a shock to me!   I had never contemplated not working at that age.    And I had never considered he would be ok with me just not working.    I've been keeping my license up but this year I think I will let it lapse...maybe....   In my mind I'm retired now.   Can't seem me going back to work but hate to give up my license in case something were to happen to my husband......well maybe I'll renew the license again this year. 

What stage of ‘the Change’ are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or post Post Menopause)  Post Menopause...which I was thrown into due to an emergency surgical hysterectomy in 1998. I took hormones for the first couple years but my mom had breast cancer which was estrogen receptive positive....so I stopped taking hormones after a couple years and had a rough time.   I had hot flashes  galore....and would have to stand out in the snow to cool down.   Tried progesterone cream which didn't do anything... herbal oral supplements which helped  and then I began taking more soy products which seemed to help the most.   I still have flashes on occasion!

~ On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how well did you manage your Peri-Menopausal symptoms?  Well the hormones I took did the trick obviously immediately post surgery. After 2 years when I decided to quit, due to family history of breast cancer, I had a rough time.   I'd say it was 5.   I say that because I didn't soak my bed with sweat at night like I know some do....standing outside naked worked.   And I didn't have to use a fan running at night.

~ Did you use HRT? (hormone replacement therapy)  If yes, are you still using HRT?   Yes..I started with that because surgical menopause (hysterectomy) throws you into menopause right away.   NO I am not using any hormones after the first 2 years on them.

~ Which did you find most helpful in managing your Peri-menopause symptoms: Synthetic HRT, Bio-Identical HRT, or Alternative, Natural therapies?    Synthetic vs natural hormones worked the same....I chose to use natural because I couldn't stand the idea of using something made from horses pee.    I'm not sure what Bio-Identical HRT is.     At the time I had my hysterectomy....I wasn't into alternative or natural remedies.   But now I am...very open to that.    My symptoms are not bad now but if they were I would consider doing either Alternative or Natural remedies.    I did try natural supplements which seemed to help hot flashes....and tried progesterone cream which helped my sister but did nothing for me.

~ Do you still have Menopause symptoms?  Only the occasional hot flash.   BUT I consider weight gain a problem of Menopause and I've not yet been able to get a handle on that.  So I am seeing a Naturopathic Doctor this week.   I will let you know how that goes!

~ What one piece of Wise Wisdom would you like to share with us Peri-Mama’s still making the transition?   Alcohol makes the symptoms worse.   Read alternative methods to use and try them...they can't hurt.   For some symptoms are much worse and others barely get them...so its very hard to give advice.   Don't be afraid to try what's out there to see if it works on your PHYSICAL symptoms.   It really is a wonderful life when you come out the other side!

When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that?  When I was in my 20's I thought mid-life would be a time you went crazy.   I saw my mom have horrid mood swings.  I also thought married life was over.... I was very scared when I knew I had to have a hysterectomy.   Physically it took me 2 years to recoup from surgery as my body was so weak.   I felt emotionally labile ....but after the 2 years it has been much easier than I thought!   Marriage is better than ever.....and I do NOT feel old.    I do find I have a very difficult time with weight, and weight around my middle section.   Whether it is due to the hysterectomy or menopause?   Who knows.   But before the hysterectomy I know I use to have a waist!!   This is something I am going to address this week with a new Naturopath Doctor.  It seems like western medicine just hasn't been able to offer help.

Tell us what being a ‘Mid-Life Mama’ means to you.   Being past all the hormone fluctuations.....love not having to worry about that time of the month!   AND it is a time of self discovery..I believe having a family, I sort of lost my individuality...so for me it has been a time to rediscover myself and also discover life with no limitations now.  

If you have a personal blog that you would like to share, what is the name and  URL address of your blog?   I just began blogging in September....  my blog is http://www.colleensbooknook.com   I began it as a way to highlight Usborne Children's Books which I promote and do book reviews and giveaways.    I got into that when Aaron just started wanting books to be read constantly!  I just loved those books and he seemed to favor them over other books.    But since then I wish I would have named it something else because my direction is evolving to include...my life and Alaskan life,  my Vegan journey and giving back by supporting fun giveaways!  I hope you will stop by and share your comments.

Is there anything else about yourself that you would like to share with our other Mid-Life Mama readers?  I wrote on the "Empty Nest" and if you like, you can see my thoughts on my blog at colleensbooknook.com/category/guest-posts/ Pretty well sums it up for me.

I want to thank Colleen for allowing me to Feature her as a "Mid-life Mama." 

Colleen and I welcome any comments.  Did any of her answers resonate with you?  Did her answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share?  Or would you just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!

 

Here are five simple rules and instructions for submitting a Guest Authored post to the "Mid-life Mama" blog.

1.) Your article must be original and written by You. 

2.) It must be directly related to, and benefit, women in mid-life.

3.) If the post is about a product that you will benefit from directly (or indirectly) then we suggest that you submit it for a product review, rather than as an article...advertisements are not allowed to be submitted as Guest Authored posts.

HOWEVER: If you would like to Guest Author a post that is not simply an advertisement for your product or service, but informs our readers and offers valuable tips or techniques they can use in their lives, then I welcome that type of article...here are some basic examples:

You own a Travel Service...you could post an article on Tips for Travel for Middle Aged Adults.

If you run a Stress Clinic...you could post an article about the benefits of stress reduction for women experiencing menopause. You can include a video of simple stress relief techniques.

If you are a Dr who specializes in Womens issues...you could write an article about techniques to recognize the signs of menopause, or what she should discuss with her doctor before starting HRT.  Or maybe you could explain what is the difference between Synthetic and Bio-Identical Hormones (this would be very valuable because many women don't understand what Bio-Identical hormones are).

In this type of Guest Post (that is not merely an advertisement) I will gladly include a brief bio about the author and her (or his) business at the bottom of the post with a link to their website, facebook, twitter page, etc, but not a direct link to product or service for sale.

4.) I do allow YouTube Video's to be included in your post (with a limit of 10 minutes runtime). Just tell me where you would like the video inserted in your article and include the url of the video on YouTube. (You must own the rights to the video or have consent from the owner to use their video).

5.) Digital images are allowed if you own the rights to the image yourself.  You cannot use copyrighted images without the owners consent.

How Do You Submit an Article?  Easy, just email it to me for approval at anna@mid-lifemama.com with the phrase "Guest Author Submission" in the subject line.  Once approved, I will publish the article with you named as the 'Guest Author' of the article.  To help promote you, I will gladly include a photo of you (if provided) as well as a link back to your website, facebook page, twitter, etc. (be sure to provided us with these urls)

That's it!  I'll let you know the exact date and time that your 'Guest Author' post will go live and provide you with the URL of the post. 

The primary goal of this website is to bring us "Women of a Certain Age" together.  I want us to be able to seek answers and find them here.  My hope is that you will feel comfortable enough to become an active participant in conversations, that you will share your personal experiences with our other readers, support each other in difficult times, and help bring the resources that we need to the attention of other women in our sister-hood of Mid-life Mama's. 

To help us get to know each other, I have created a special meme for this website that I am calling "Featured Mid-Life Mama" where I will periodically shine the spotlight on one of our Mid-life Mama Readers.  Each featured mid-life mama will be interviewed by me.  Through her answers I hope that we can not only get to know her better, but also that we can learn that we are not alone in our journey.  With so many of us 'Women of a Certain Age' out there, each in a different stage of this great transition in life, it can be comforting to know that others have been-there-done-that and haven't pulled all of their hair out, or killed their spouses.  Whether you are just beginning this transition and have a million questions about what is happening to your body (and your mind) or you are a seasoned expert on managing the many symptoms of menopause, we want to meet you.


Since my interview questions are quite personal...I thought it only fair that I answer them first, so here is our first edition of 'Featured Mid-Life Mama'...



Your name is: I am Anna

Your Biological age is (40s, 50s, or 60s):  I am in my 50th year of life. 

What age to you Feel:  Sometimes when the Peri-menopause symptoms are at their worst, I feel like I am in my 60s or 70s, but most of the time I would say that I feel like I am in my mid-forties. 


Do you have an Empty-Nest or is there still a birdie waiting to take flight?  I am an Empty-Nester.  Originally became an empty-nester about 11 years ago when my youngest daughter graduated high school at the age of 16 and insisted on spreading her wings.   I didn't feel she was old enough to be out on her own but she was employed full-time and legally emancipated so there wasn't much I could do to stop her.   She came back home to my nest a few times off and on over the next few years but overall my nest has been empty since then.  


Because my older daughter had just turned 18 and went to college just six months before my younger daughter graduated high school and moved out, I did not have time to adjust to having an empty nest.  It was probably one of the toughest times in my life.  It took me several years to come to terms with this change.


Are you a grandparent?   Yes!  I am the proud grandma to two beautiful babies. 

~ If yes, What are the ages of your grandkids?  My granddaughter Sydney is turning 5 in February and my grandson Russell just turned 3 years old earlier this month.  Both grandbabies belong to my younger daughter.  The older daughter is working on giving me a few more grandbabies, but I am not putting any pressure on her.

~ If yes, How is being a grandparent different from being a parent?  You are always a mom to your children no matter what their age, but the role of mom changes drastically when they become an adult.  Keeping my mouth shut when appropriate is sometimes difficult -but I try very hard. 

Being a grandmother is way more fun than being a mom was because I don't have to worry so much about being the 'responsible mom' ha ha!  I can indulge the grandbabies and get away with it because I am a grandma.  They think I am pretty cool because I don't have the tough job of being the disciplinarian.  I try to stick by their moms rules but I get to bend them just a little when I want to.
 

Are you Single, Engaged, Married, Divorced, Widowed?  I am happily married.  We were both previously divorced and both new exactly what we wanted -and didn't want- in a life-partner.  We've been together for almost 10 years and I can honestly say that I am even more in love with him today.  He is my best friend and I am his.


Are you Retired, Semi-Retired, Still working but planning to retire soon, or Don’t see retirement in my near future? I am Semi-retired.  I recently retired from owning and operating a brick & mortar as well as an online baby and maternity shop.  Now I work very part-time managing our commercial property.  Since my recent retirement from the shop I am enjoying being domestic, baking bread, getting my home in order, visiting the kids and grandbabies down in Arizona whenever I want, and we also plan to do more traveling in the near future.


What stage of ‘the Change’ are you currently in? (Peri-Menopause or Post Menopause) I am in the Peri-menopause stage.  Have been for at least the last 4 or 5 years. Hoping I will be in the Post stage soon.  Never thought I would be wishing for Post-Menopause to hurry up, lol.


When you were in your 20s, what did you think Mid-Life was going to be like?  Did it turn out to be like that?  Gosh, when I was in my 20s I don't think I had a a clue about what mid-life was going to be like.  I thought people in their mid-life were 'old' and their life was pretty much about over for them.   Now that I am in my mid-life I don't feel 'old' at all.    I occasionally feel like my world has been turned upside down, and sometimes I feel very alone in this transition and frustrated by the lack of information available to me, plus confused by the conflicting information that I do find, but I certainly don't feel like my life is over...afterall, I still have the 2nd half of my life to live!   


Tell us what being a ‘Mid-Life Mama’ means to you.  I think that being a Mid-Life Mama means that I get to take the time to finally discover who I am.  For the first time in my life, I am giving myself permission to focus on 'me'.  Not in a selfish way, but in a nurturing way.  How I spend the 2nd half of my life is totally up to me.  It is actually kind of empowering


For Peri-Menopausal Mama’s:

~ On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst) how are you managing your Peri-Menopausal symptoms?  At this very moment I would say I am managing at about an 8.  My symptoms have been really bad at times where I thought I was falling apart and losing my mind...I was not handling it well.  I was probably at a 1 at that time.  Then I took an pro-active role in my own health and started researching options, treatment, alternatives, basically I went on a mission for answers.   So at this moment I am managing my Peri symptoms pretty well, but that can change by the day
 

~ Are you now or have you been on HRT? (hormone replacement therapy)  If yes, was it synthetic or bio-identical?  How well did it work for you?  When I was at my worst (handling things at a level 1 as mentioned above), I went to a Gynecologist who specializes in Menopause.  He put me on a bio-identical estrogen alone...at first it was amazing...I felt like a 25 year old again.  But that did not last.  After about 6-7 months my menstrual cycles started going wacky again.  He added a synthetic progesterone but I did not tolerate the synthetic progesterone at all.  It made me feel generally un-well, therefore I didn't take like I was suppose to.  I then began spotting continually for the next several months.  We tried a bio-identical progesterone thinking if it didn't make me feel bad then I would be more likely to take it as prescribed.  However I went from continually spotting to continually bleeding.  My quality of life really sucked.  My doctor and I decided that I was going to stop taking all hormones and try alternative, natural remedies.   Several days after I stopped all HRT I had a D & C procedure to stop all of the bleeding. 


~ Have you tried Alternative, Natural therapies to treat your Peri-Menopause Symptoms?  If yes, are (or were) they beneficial?  Please share details if you like.  I am now (after stopping HRT and having a D & C) experiencing less symptoms then I had before and I am trying different alternative therapies with hopes of keeping it that way.


~ If you could wave a magic wand and make the worst symptom go away, which one would it be? Just one symptom???? I guess it would be my foggy brain, I hate not being able to focus and multi-task like I use to.  However, if the magic wand would work for two of my worst symptoms then I would make the vaginal dryness go away too.  Yes, it can be managed with Vitamin E suppositories and other natural remedies, but it would sure be nice if it was just naturally like it use to be. 


I welcome any comments.  Did any of my answers resonate with you?  Did my answers make you think of a question that you would love to ask?  Do you have some suggestions that you would like to share with me?  Or if you would just like to say 'Hello!'  Please introduce yourself!  Be sure to subscribe via email so you will never miss another 'Featured Mid-Life Mama' post or any of our posts!  An easy sign up box is in the upper right-side column.

If you would like to be a 'Featured Mid-life Mama' too, just send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with: "Feature Me" in the subject line.  I will send you my complete list of interview questions.  I would love to feature YOU!

Welcome to Mid-life Mama, the blog that was created by and for "Women of a Certain Age" who want to meet other mid-life mama's to share our experiences, support each other in this great time of transition, and learn from one-another in all area's of our new life from peri to post menopause, from empty-nesting to being grandparents, from retirement to getting and keeping our health in check. 

I will be sharing my own experiences, things I am learning along the way, resources to help you manage the transition, funny stories and posts, and even honoring our Mid-life Mama Members with a special Featured Interview post, and so much more.  I always welcome guest authors who have valuable information to share with our readers about products (not ads), services, tips & techniques, or just their own personal story that other 'Women of a Certain Age' can relate to and find some comfort in.

All of this and so much more will be coming soon.  I hope you will take a moment to subscribe to our posts via email (there in the upper right column).  Don't worry, I will not share your email address with ANYONE, nor will I spam you.  You will only receive an email when a new post goes live, or if I am personally replying to one of your comments.  This is not a business website, so I will never try to sell you anything, although I may from time to time have a few advertisements posted on the blog page to help cover some of my cost of operating this blog.  I might even do a product review & giveaway if the right product is presented to me.  I will never do a review for a product unless I find it to be so exceptionally wonderful that I would want to share it with my best friend.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope we will get the opportunity of getting to know you personally through your interaction with this blog



If you are interested in being a guest author send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with 'Guest Author' in the subject line.  Also include your contact information along with the subject that you would like to post about.  If you would like to be one of our Featured "Mid-Life Mama's" send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with "Feature Me" in the subject line.  I will contact potential featured mid-life mama's in the order they are received. 

If you have a product that you would like us to review, or you would like to advertise on this on this blog, please read the Frequently Asked Questions below to find the answers.  If you do not find the answer here, please contact me directly via email at anna@mid-lifemama.com.

Product Reviews:

Q.) What type of products to you accept for review?

A.) Just about any product or service that benefits women in their mid-life.  If I cannot personally use the product I can post it on the blog asking if any of our readers would like to do a review for you.

Q.) Do you offer Giveaway's with a Review Post?

A.) Yes, I am always willing to do a Giveaway in conjunction with a review. You are responsible for shipping the prize(s) to the winner(s).

Q.) How do I submit a product for review?

A.) Simple, send me an email at anna@mid-lifemama.com with the phrase "Product Review" in the subject line.  Provide an image of the item as well as product details.  Also include your contact information and if you would also like to offer a giveaway for our readers.  If approved, I will contact you via return email with instructions for submitting the actual product.


Advertising:

Q.) Can I advertise on your blog?

A.) Certainly, I accept advertisements for products or services that are directly related to our reader base (mid-life women). 

Ad Sizes:

150 x 150 Button Ads in the sidebar  = Cost is $15.00 per calendar month.

350 x 150 (approx) banner ad posted at the bottom of select posts (at least 4 posts over a 30 day period). The banner ad will remain static on those posts forever so each time one of those posts are viewed in the future, your ad will be seen. = Cost is $50 one-time fee. 

All ads must be pre-approved by me for content.  Each ad will contain a clickable link directly to the product or service website.  Contact me at anna@mid-lifemama.com with the word "Advertising" in the subject line.  Include your contact information and a copy of the ad that you intend to post and the url (no shortened urls) to be linked to the ad.  If you do not have the ad ready, include details about the product or service, the size and placement you were interested in, and the url to be linked to the ad.

Payment for ads will be via Paypal.

Still have questions??? Contact me at anna@mid-lifemama.com with the word "Question" in the subject line.