Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Matuschka's Midlife Mayhem: NOTHING BEATS A VACATION
Matuschka's Midlife Mayhem: NOTHING BEATS A VACATION: by Matuschka Lindo Well, it's the first week of summer so it made me think of something I love to do this time of year… READ! Did I me...
NOTHING BEATS A VACATION
Well, it's the first week of summer so it made me think of something I love to do this time of year… READ! Did I mention I can still do it without cheaters? Oh I heard all of you out there who just cursed at me. Don't worry I know I am on borrowed time with my 20/20 vision. I must confess I have turned into a book reader-slash-listener. I like to read in bed at night with a cup of tea or a yummy glass of wine. But I also like to walk or sometimes even drive and continue the book I'm reading. It completes my summer escape. Click Here for some of the best reads for 2014 in a variety of literary genre. I am part of a book club called Bad Girls Book Club! The name was chosen to welcome all… Meaning if you love to read come! If you don't like to read come drink and eat! If you read the book you were a good girl come share. If you didn't read that months book, bad girls are still welcome… come anyway and listen. It's a great Book Club no pressure, perfect for finicky me!
It's interesting to listen how others read. I fall in love with my characters. When I start a book, I become part of whatever family or situation I am reading about. So, I read one book at a time and I read slower the closer I get to the end. It's almost agony to leave the setting I am in and my new friends and the plot that has me riveted in the land of make believe until three or four in the morning. I have another very dear friend in book club that reads two or three books at one time. How can that be? When reading Rebecca and you are on the Manderley Estate watching the evil and sinister Mrs. Danvers spinning her web… how can you pause and then start reading Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus? You dare to leave Maxim to follow the historical events of the well known murder. How do you retrace the brutal killing of this man by roman soldiers; while at the same time, trying to justify the theft of a baby on Janus Rock? The high energy plot of The Light Between Oceans makes you ache for Tom, Isabel and Lucy. How can you keep up with all the lies… oh the terrible lies? ARGHHH I can't do it. So which type of reader are you? A wild love affair reading book lover, or the book monogamist like me? Do tell! I found a convert blogger who went from reading one book at a time to almost ten. Here is Rachel Ann Hanley's story.
Now for those of you who don't like to read (Christy L). It's really not a big deal as long as you are exercising your mind in other ways. There is an article that states Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old Age. If you have always loved to read it may slow down cognitive decline as you get older. But don't stress it's not just reading it's also writing. So choose one of the two or both because those who didn't do either, according to the study had a 48% faster memory decline. There is so much out there to read. Cook books, play books, magazines, newspapers, recipes and BLOGS! Don't panic because you aren't a book lover. Just read something else. Yes, Christy L. even baseball stats count! Go Cards!
Keep looking forward so you don't miss what God puts in front of ya!
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
MY BAD GIRLS BOOK CLUB!
by Matuschka Lindo
Well, it's the first week of summer so it made me think of something I love to do this time of year… READ! Did I mention I can still do it without cheaters? Oh I heard all of you out there who just cursed at me. Don't worry I know I am on borrowed time with my 20/20 vision. I must confess I have turned into a book reader-slash-listener. I like to read in bed at night with a cup of tea or a yummy glass of wine. But I also like to walk or sometimes even drive and continue the book I'm reading. It completes my summer escape. Click Here for some of the best reads for 2014 in a variety of literary genre. I am part of a book club called Bad Girls Book Club! The name was chosen to welcome all… Meaning if you love to read come! If you don't like to read come drink and eat! If you read the book you were a good girl come share. If you didn't read that months book, bad girls are still welcome… come anyway and listen. It's a great Book Club no pressure, perfect for finicky me!
It's interesting to listen how others read. I fall in love with my characters. When I start a book, I become part of whatever family or situation I am reading about. So, I read one book at a time and I read slower the closer I get to the end. It's almost agony to leave the setting I am in and my new friends and the plot that has me riveted in the land of make believe until three or four in the morning. I have another very dear friend in book club that reads two or three books at one time. How can that be? When reading Rebecca and you are on the Manderley Estate watching the evil and sinister Mrs. Danvers spinning her web… how can you pause and then start reading Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus? You dare to leave Maxim to follow the historical events of the well known murder. How do you retrace the brutal killing of this man by roman soldiers; while at the same time, trying to justify the theft of a baby on Janus Rock? The high energy plot of The Light Between Oceans makes you ache for Tom, Isabel and Lucy. How can you keep up with all the lies… oh the terrible lies? ARGHHH I can't do it. So which type of reader are you? A wild love affair reading book lover, or the book monogamist like me? Do tell! I found a convert blogger who went from reading one book at a time to almost ten. Here is Rachel Ann Hanley's story.
Now for those of you who don't like to read (Christy L). It's really not a big deal as long as you are exercising your mind in other ways. There is an article that states Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old Age. If you have always loved to read it may slow down cognitive decline as you get older. But don't stress it's not just reading it's also writing. So choose one of the two or both because those who didn't do either, according to the study had a 48% faster memory decline. There is so much out there to read. Cook books, play books, magazines, newspapers, recipes and BLOGS! Don't panic because you aren't a book lover. Just read something else. Yes, Christy L. even baseball stats count! Go Cards!
Keep looking forward so you don't miss what God puts in front of ya!
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
WHAT IS OLD 50, 60, 70?
Whatever it is I'm not there yet! My father travels the country playing softball for a 70 and over team. I don't even look at him and think old. My mother never ever lets that word cross her lips. Maybe that's why I scratch my head when people in their 40'as and 50's are always saying they are OLD? I bring this up because I had another birthday last week and I inched ever closer to 50. What does that mean exactly? Some people feel once they hit 50 they are 'Old'. That's a scary thought to me... why? I still feel 21 inside most days. It varies really, are we talking physically or mentally. HA! Yes, I have aches and pains but I've had fewer broken bones than when I was in my 30's. In my late 20's when I had kids my hair fell out. I have healthier hair now even though there is more gray. Who says when you are old? And when do you go from 'Old' to 'Elderly'. Elderly sounds awful to me… it will take a lot of chutzpah to call me elderly! We need a new word for older than old. Senior? Advanced Age? What do you think? I'm in better shape than I've been in years? Will I really feel 'Old' just because I hit 50? Thankfully in most recent survey's people believe 'Old Age' begins at 69! Wooohoooo! "Push it back, Push it back Wayyyyyy Back!"
My theory is that we feel old for two reasons. One, a generational gap between the millennium generation (or any generation younger than you). Secondly, the constant changes in our body as we age that we don't like so much. For me, the things that differ between us are awesome! I love to go to the basement and throw an 8 track at my teenagers and say "Hey what's this?" I usually do things like that when I can't figure out how to do something on the computer and they demonstrate to me as if I am a two year old! It's called equalizing in the Briggs house. They catch on real quick too! Both my kids believe music from our reel to reel is better than from a cd! Also they are both appreciating vinyl after I show them how good you have to be to replay a song over and over. It's all in the wrist, the way you drop that needle baby. They'll thank me later vinyl is making a come back. I just want them to know, there is a lot I know too… that they don't! Making me wiser not old in their eyes! The best revenge is listening to music with them in the car and the new 'IN' band introduces their latest hit and my young adults are singing their hearts out. Then I break into song KNOWING EVERY WORD! You guessed it remake! Love it when that happens, they have this dumbfounded look like… Wait you know this song? Ya punk I do! I knew it before you were born! Here are 50 things only people around 50 or over understand!
Where was I? Lost my train of thought. I am older this week heee. Oh yes, the second reason we tend to feel old, the ever changing and aging body. You know… your birth age and your biological age don't always coincide. Another reason not to fall into the I'm old trap. You could be younger than you think! Take a Biological Age Quiz by Clicking HERE. No wonder I don't feel old, my biological age is 28! SWEAR! It's an interesting quiz and takes only 2 minutes but goes through what you eat, how you sleep and how stressed you are etc. Which makes me a firm believer that 50 is nowhere close to old. Now if you don't take care of yourself, old may very well be in your near future. Either make a change or feel old. It's up to you. Besides if 69 is the new old, do you really want to go through 20 years of your life saying, "I'm old" as early as 50? What the hell are you going to say when you're 69 and you really are entering old age? Everything I read throws middle age between 45-65 so drop the 'Old' and enjoy the blessings of a likely life expectancy beyond 80. Plato is now wrong in his definition of Advanced Age.
The Official Definition of Old Age:
Old age comprises "the later part of life; the period of life after youth and middle age . . . , usually with reference to deterioration" In the 4th century BC, Plato divided the human lifespan into six phases, the last two constituting "Old Age" (the ages of 62-79) and "Advanced Age" (80-). The last phase, he noted, "is one that, fortunately, few attain."
*Above Photo by Acid Cow
Keep looking forward so you don't miss what God puts in front of ya!
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Names, Numbers and More OH MY!
by Matuschka Lindo
Hi… um… just give me a sec… Yes, I know you were in my wedding. It’s coming, just hold on. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS 'S' Stephanie That's It! Hi, how are you! I miss you… 'So much, that I flippin’ forgot your name!' It’s truly embarrassing that I can’t remember peoples names anymore. It’s weird, I just go blank. I know we have talked about memory loss as we get older, but that’s the multi tasking over stimulated phenomena. I'm talking basic names! Names of good friends, classmates, family etc. The name blank is just not right. To be at a family reunion and look across the room at a relative and think! Damn that’s what’s his face. Oh hell he’s walking my way… please please let it come! PLEASE! Name Gods don't let me down. Nothing! So, it goes something like this… Hi, how is my favorite Uncle? (Pathetic!) What is it about names that just POOF vanish from our minds? Might I add, at the absolute worst times? I have introduced friends that I have known for years at a party with the wrong name. I knew there had to be a good explanation for this, and apparently, forgetting someone’s name is a common misstep. Studies show our brains are not really wired to remember names, according to a psychology professor from Northwestern University! AMEN I say, Amen! Now the next time you go to an event and you see the person checking everyone in, be nice. Cut those people some slack, especially (if it's me dammit) if they look over forty. Go up and immediately say your name even if you've known them since you were in diapers. They are probably so stressed out, knowing that the odds of forgetting their neighbor of 20 years is a high probability!
Do you think that’s why I call my son by my dogs name and my husband by my sons name, or is that something entirely different? Is that forgetfulness or more of a freudian slip where the name I shout out is who they are acting like? Maybe that’s similar to when I am writing and I forget how to spell a random word like 'school'. I stop and think wait is there an ‘H’ in school? Or wait what is in-between the ‘S’ and the ‘H’? Another word mind-blank is when I am writing a word like seen. Is it scene or seen? I just can't remember, then I write it out 5 different ways and see what looks good. Holy Cow! Talk about brain malfunction and wasted time! Forgetting how to spell common words is a problematic fault that can start crumbling as early as when you hit your Thirty’s. YIKES. Many people forget how to spell the most common of words like ‘hour' and ‘apple’. Click HERE to read more, and get a good laugh on common memory mistakes that can start early, according to recent research.
Numbers are also quite the joke. When I call information (411) I better have an army around me. One person remembers the area code, the next person the prefix, finally someone has to remember the last four digits. Lord knows I can't remember. I’m screaming the numbers out loud and trying to listen to the recording at the same time. That must count for something. Just the other day I was at a car dealership and they needed the number to my license plates. I ran out looked at the 6 number/letter combo. Ran back inside started to recite the letters and went BLANK after the second one. The 23 year old on the other end of the counter looked at me in a way that made me want to slap him. Hard!
There is a name I will never forget. It's a name and word all in one and it's the first one that ever came out of my mouth. Poppy! With Father's day coming I wanted to say no matter what happens to my brain or mind as I age and things slowly deteriorate, all I have to do is look into my dads eyes and see the love that pours from them every day to know he's my poppy. I can look at pictures from every stage of my life and his eyes are twinkling with so much love for me. I am an official Merriam-Webster definition of a Daddy's Girl. This Sunday take a trip down memory lane with your father or the memory of your beloved dad. Refresh your memory with stories, pictures or old letters. My dad is the best I could ever ask for, Love You Poppy! I'll end this with 21 of the Best Dad Movies! Just in case you were looking for some good entertainment this Father's Day!
Keep looking forward so you don't miss what God puts in front of ya!
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD CRY!
by Matuschka Lindo
Did you CLICK on that pathetic scene of Bridget Jones's Diary? We've all been there. That day where we want to feel sorry for ourselves, we want to watch the sad movies on the couch and eat the gallon of ice cream. We just want to CRY and Cry Hard… WHY??? Well, for me its graduation season and I have my firstborn getting ready to graduate high school. Preparing for the college journey; which in turn means, I have spent the last few months holding in the tears trying to be in control. So when I woke up one morning this week and Beaches with Bette Midler was on, that was it… My reason to throw in the towel and bawl my eyes out. They say crying is a cleansing of sorts. Maybe I was trying to get rid of some tears that were building up. I don't know but I looked like Bridget did in the clip above. Hair mangled, in my pajamas schlepping around and eating shit I never put in my mouth anymore at 5:45 in the morning. Ice cream, Cinnamon Pop Tart, Nacho Cheese Doritos then panicking and thinking get it together and finishing up with Skinny Pop. Definitely going for the sweet salt thing here.
Researches say there is a lot of good that comes out of crying like elevating your mood and lowering stress. Actually they have 7 Good Reasons To Cry Your Eyes Out. I definitely think this is a female thing. I say its equivalent to watching a Bond 24 hour marathon on TNT for men. I even plan out these Good Cry All Day Events. Prime time for them is when I already feel sad. For some reason I want to go full throttle and just make myself feel worse and feed the pain. My brain works crazy that way, not sure this is normal. Kind of like when I cheat on my diet… I say screw it! Let's just eat like a garbage disposal now. I know the binge eating is not healthy but the water works show is a definite must at least twice a year.
Funny thing that happens to me is that some of these shows I always catch at the same scene flipping through the channels. Never fails for Terms Of Endearment it's when Debra Winger is getting ready to say goodbye to her sons in that hospital bed and is putting on her make-up and that horrid orange/red lipstick. I know I should change the channel before that little boy comes in… BUT I CAN'T! I have to see it! I have to get to where my throat hurts. I am trying not to cry, then the tears start pouring down my face and the snot follows and I am practically mouthing the lines waiting for it to get more tragic. I can tell you my top Good Cry Movies and the scenes that have me just short of hyperventilating because I am crying so hard. Steel Magnolias, "Why! Why! Why!… Lord I wish I could understand!" Sally Fields is screaming with her friends around her talking about how she is so mad she doesn't know what to do because her daughter was taken away from her. Beaches, when the little girl runs into her bedroom and finds her mom dead on the floor and she starts screaming, "Mom wake up PLEASE I don't know what to do." And I can go on and on with my heart wrenching flicks, The Notebook and Stepmom. Here are Cosmopolitan's Top Tearjerkers! So if you see me with swollen eyes the next few weeks, I'm just working through this stage of my life which will demand another Good Cry Day. I think I'll go for the jugular with an oldie like Brian Song or Where The Red Fern Grows.
Keep looking forward so you don't miss what God puts in front of ya!
Matuschka's Midlife... Telling it like it is...
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Hot (news) Flash - The Affair I Ended
by Matuschka Lindo
We have heard about these since we were teenagers. We knew that we would eventually get them. But we didn’t realize it wasn’t like the movies where you were just sitting with an evening drink. You reached down for a napkin and lightly start tapping your forehead with an, “Oh my, its rather hot. I think I’m having a dreadful hot flash.” Nope doesn’t really go down like that, at least it didn’t for me. I think the nickname for hot flashes should be ‘drenches’. Now a lot of things make this entire experience that much worse. It didn’t take long for me to figure out I would have to stop meeting my 5:00 lover. I was in denial for quite some time. Unfortunately the constant headaches and the beads of sweat dripping down my breast every time we had our 5:00 rendezvous, made me realize this affair would have to end. How I loved the smell of him, the feel of his exterior in my hand. There was the coolness and smoothness I always looked forward to. I would stare at the darkness and richness knowing in seconds he would be part of my body, that the two of us would soon become one. I would savor his scent of oak, the masculinity swirling through my senses. Then, ever so gently I would put the cool rim up to my quivering lips. The anticipation brought a quickening to my heart. Ahhhh the first spicy liquid would touch, I opened for more and let it fill the insides of my mouth. My 5:00 affair… right on time with no regrets no looking back. The heat would travel down my throat, a slight comfortable robust burn of pure pleasure. But by 5:30 p.m. it would all go terribly wrong. The pounding at my temples, the heat rising from deep inside, he never treated me like this before; it was a betrayal of sorts. Yes, it was time to say goodbye, the affair was over. No longer would I be able to dally with Mr. Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol and peri-menopause/menopause don't mix.
My romance with wine isn't the only hot flash no no out there. Of course, it is different for every woman. Wine may not bother many of you. But it's one of the top things to stay away from when trying to avoid hot flashes. Some other culprits we are advised to avoid include Stress, Spicy Foods, Caffeine and Tight Clothing. I think to myself really? So what's left. Granted I gave up tight clothes long time ago. Then again, I never really had the body for tight clothes. So I think it comes down to weighing your options or maybe what you can do to counter making the reaction so intense if you do dally with these forbidden midlife fruits. Exercise, Yoga, and Wearing Light Layers can keep hot flashes at bay. The Menopause Goddess sums it up rather well… comparing it to hell.
With summer right around the corner I started thinking of the heat and the hot flashes combined. I can't find a firm answer on how long hot flashes will last, or how bad it can get. It just truly varies all across the board. Imagine that… no straight forward answer for a woman's hormonal body temperature? I do know that if you have severe symptoms when it comes to hot flashes it's not something to ignore. Seek medical advice quickly and get yourself checked out. There are some medical conditions that can cause severe hot flashes such as thyroid disease, infection, or even cancer. So if you have any doubts follow your gut and get it checked. MORE Magazine shares some great advice on how to keep your temperature down with 5 Hot Flash Fixes! Below is the most accurate information timeline I could find on Hot Flashes according to Women's Health Magazine. Wish I had better news… Sorry
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