Naked Motherhood
May 12, 2011, by Prudence Baird
As if being a mother wasn’t difficult enough; Prudence illustrates what its like to be a mother of an autistic child, navigating familial relations, good intentions and bureaucratic ignorance
The popsicle stick-thin figure in rumpled pajamas who is my 16-year-old son stands in the darkened corridor in a fighter’s stance, small white hands clenched into fists. His face, lit by a shaft of light from the laundry room, is contorted with rage at being roused from his slumber—probably by me shutting the dryer door.
Casey’s eyes dart from the lit laundry room to the clothes in my arms; then to the crack of light under his brother’s bedroom door.
This could go any direction, including ones I cannot imagine, so I float a storyline: “I’m going downstairs with these clean clothes; time to go back to bed.”
“Mom? Who are you talking to?” comes from behind my oldest son’s door.
I dart a warning glance at Casey, whose free-floating anxiety wicks towards the sound of his brother’s voice. He erupts, “Shut-up! I’m trying to sleep!”
“You shut-up. You’re the one who’s yelling,” comes big brother’s voice. Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Health, Parenting, Prudence Baird | 41 Comments
The Best of Anniversary Edition
May 4, 2011, by Group Post
Cathy and friends look back on three years of midlife musings picking their favorites along the way
Recently Fifty is the New celebrated its third anniversary. Wow! Three years? Time sure does fly when you’re sharing the virtual stage with smart, witty, passionate women.
When we started out there were few, but these days “midlife blogs” are everywhere. Sometimes, when I want to throw in the blogazine towel, I find myself inspired by the writings of Carine, Connie, Christie, Melissa and Pru, such amazing women, and deeply touched by the community that supports us. Readers, both old and new, you are the reason we do this. Your warm bear hugs and smart comments keep us keeping on. We thank you.
There have been so many excellent posts in the past three years that it’s time we reached into the archives. For part one of our anniversary celebration, I’ve asked the Bloggerinas to pick a favorite post written by a fellow contributor.
Here are their selections. Enjoy the “best of” Fifty is the New… and let us know what you think!
Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Group Posts | 8 Comments
The Sublime and The Ridiculous
April 21, 2011, by Connie Stetson
It’s the end of an era, as Connie bids a fine farewell to her favorite soaps
I always thought “The Sublime and The Ridiculous” would be a great title for a soap. Oh wait—there are no more soaps. ABC has canceled One Life to Live and All My Children, and I am shocked and saddened to my soap opera loving core. General Hospital is still with us, interesting, given it’s morally ambiguous and violent content. I’m not complaining, mind you; it has Maurice Bernard as crime boss Sonny Corinthos, and he’s just yummy. Maurice Bernard was also equally yummy, Nico Kelly, on All My Children. Remember when Nico and Cecily got married? It was a beautiful wedding. Oh, not as fancy as Cliff and Nina’s with the horse drawn carriages and all, but very nice, and in Hawaii. I must confess that I’ve had steamy recurring dreams where Maurice Bernard pleaded with me to leave my husband and shack up with him for some really hot sex in Port Charles. But since Vanessa Marcil came back from the dead, again, as Sonny’s soulmate, Brenda, I am not indulging that dream anymore. Destiny designed them to be together and even in my rich fantasy life, I would never mess with that. That would be soap opera evil. Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Connie Stetson, Media, Pop Culture | 8 Comments
WANTED! Truthtellers. Apply Within.
April 13, 2011, by Melissa Howden
When Melissa’s trust is broken, she examines past and present with hope for the future
Here a lie, there a lie everywhere a liar, liar pants on fire.
When someone loved and trusted lies, its hurtful and makes me feel as though I am not worthy of the truth. Trust is so precious, and yet we take so much of the universe on trust. Having my trust violated leaves me feeling lonely and kind of empty. Ironically, it’s also kind of lonely to try and stand strong and sure in my own truth and experience.
In the third grade, my teacher Mrs. Randolph gave the whole class a word problem. Something along the lines of, “If ten monkeys hiked to the peak in search of one banana, but two of them took the bus half way, and had to wait for the bus for 30 minutes, and the bus travelled at 20 miles an hour and the rest of the monkeys high tailed it, who got to the banana first?” Mrs. Randolph instructed us to remain at our desks until we had the answer to the problem. When we thought we knew the answer we were to come up to her desk and whisper it to her. I came up with the answer right away and in front of the whole class Mrs. Randolph called me a cheater — except there was no way I could’ve cheated. In effect Mrs. Randolph was lying but calling me the liar. At eight years old, it was challenging to hold on to what I knew was true even as my teacher was abusing her power. I knew in my heart that I came up with the answer and that was an early lesson in trusting myself. A year later I read in the newspaper that Mrs. Randolph had been arrested for shoplifting, which somehow proved my case. Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Melissa Howden, Relationships | 19 Comments
10 Reasons to Smile
April 7, 2011, by Cathy Fischer
Cathy finds inspiration for lightening up in dark times
The world seems to be in an upheaval these days. There’s so much bad news, it makes me want to burst into tears. But, I’ve decided to take a different path, to turn away from the sad and focus on the good.
From soul stirring to silly, brilliant to ballsy, here are ten things to get your face grinning.
#1) Smile! It’s Good for You
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that we look at ourselves in the mirror each day and smile. “What better way to start the day than with a smile?” he writes. “Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy.“
Smiling lowers blood pressure and relieves stress, it’s contagious, and everyone looks better when they smile. Even if you don’t feel like it, try smiling and get some sunshine from deep within.
#2) Hop on the Bus Gus!
In Los Angeles, where wheels rule, the Do Good Bus gives participants an opportunity to get involved in their community. With no religious affiliation, each trip is different and assignments are kept a secret until on board. Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Cathy Fischer, Health | 20 Comments
10 Things My Dog Taught Me
March 30, 2011, by Carine Fabius
Carine’s dog Tulip, photo by Pascal Giacomini
Carine observes that some of life’s best lessons come from our four-footed friends
1. When you have an itch, scratch it. If something is nagging at you, insisting a certain person or circumstance just doesn’t feel right, go with it sooner than later. You’ll save yourself a lot of grief. Plus, your wallet may still be where you left it when you go to pay for your session with that shrink.
2. If you need to fart, just do it. If you are feeling bloated with the gaseous fumes of critical words that need to be said or important ideas which need to be expressed, let them out; you’ll feel a lot better. When you’re sick, do you try to repress your cough with syrup? Stop it! Cough up the mucus, baby. Blocking a bodily function has never been a good idea.
3. Show love with enthusiasm. If there is someone in your life who you just adore—be it a spouse, friend or special family member—show them you can’t live without them (you know, get all excited when they walk in the door, jump all over them, ask if you can sit on their lap, etc.). They’ll think you’re nuts but they’ll be thrilled, and you will have them eating out of your hand. Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Carine Fabius, Humor | 11 Comments
Long Live the Mademoiselle Makeover!
March 23, 2011, by Prudence Baird
She waves her ink-filled wand and…poof! From frumpy to fabulous! Marvel at Prudence’s dedication to the magic of the makeover.
Like an annoying jingle that—with the right prompt—goes viral in a neural nanosecond, there’s a bit of pop culture ephemera skulking near the surface of my gray matter, ready to be triggered any time a certain visual cue crosses my line of sight.
And what, you might ask, is that cue? I’ll give you a hint: Drab to fab.
Yes, I’m talking about the legendary “Mademoiselle Makeover,” a regular installment of the now defunct Mademoiselle magazine, that glossy monthly that competed with Glamour and Seventeen magazines for smart young ladies’ attention for 66 years before it finally folded in 2001.
Maybe you can relate if you, like me, were a devotee of the column that featured normal-looking (okay, somewhat dowdy) young women, who, with the help of the Mademoiselle fashion and beauty editors (and products from the magazine’s advertisers) morphed into beauties from their former beastly selves. This monthly step-by-step narrative implied that behind every lumpy Plain Jane lurked a paint-by-numbers Anne Hathaway-like princess yearning to emerge from her cocoon and fly off to a new-and-improved life on gossamer wings.
The message: Magic can happen; all you need is the right makeover! Read more
Filed Under All Posts, Beauty, Prudence Baird, Style | 18 Comments
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