It is hard to understand how women could forego their pretty dresses for holes and more holes?????? When the trend first started there was only one hole on the knee or back, but now there more holes than fabric.
Please leave a comment and tell us know what you think happened!
And never forget – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
CONGRATULATION! said the friendly voice at the other end of the line. I was taken aback – what do you mean Congratulation? What is there to be happy about when one needs a hearing aid?
When I told a friend about this she explained, “You got that all wrong, she meant Congratulation – you are finally getting a hearing aid.”
Yes, it has been a long time that I hear only half of what is going on around me, like lectures I attend, or not knowing what my grandchildren said, or having to put the TV up a few notches. I once read that when getting older the hardest thing to admit is that we don’t hear well anymore – how true!
I went through this with my mother who refused to get a hearing aid and blamed everyone for mumbling, not making it her fault that she had now clue who said what – and later claimed that nobody told her anything anymore. Her refusal didn’t go down well with me. I blamed her for being unreasonable and not facing facts. But now the moment had come for me to face facts. Admittedly, liker her, I delayed and delayed. Until last summer when I went on trip to Switzerland with my family and missed half of what was being said at dinner or otherwise.
Fate must have heard me because suddenly there was an add for a hearing aid on Instagram nearly daily. ‘A free trial, return within 6 weeks if it does not work out, nearly invisible, easy to handle and guess what? They finally convinced me. Me, a super-anti-shopping-on-line person went for the free trial. But before that I had my hearing tested by a doctor, and with the results went for a free trial.
When they came I opened the box carefully, hesitantly. I looked at all the instructions, and the two little gismos, looking like little flies, in the black round charger. Looking for another delay I put everything back in the box and decided to call my daughter-in-law Ann for help. Being a health teacher she is very efficient in these matters. Together we read the booklet and according to the instructions she inserted the two little flies into my ears. Result, I couldn’t even feel them and better yet they are nearly invisible. Very important because I am very vain.
My first trip out was a lunch with a friend, walking into the restaurant I the noise was deafening, but then I remembered that all I had to do was tap my ears lightly and the sound adjusted – it really did. This feature of tapping the ear to increase or decrease any noise is very discreet and easy.
By now I must sound like an advertisement for this hearing aid – well if you need to know – it is called EarGo. So if you miss a beat here or there – check it out -and the price is reasonable. AND I can assure you it works well.
I will certainly life longer hearing what the word around me has to say, but if I don’t live longer because of it, at least I was fully present while alive.
And never forget – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
…..TO YOU AND HER OR HIM!
During this time of the year I always get a little weepy, and the goodwill towards the world in my heart suddenly awakens from its hibernation it went into after last Christmas.
Getting out my address book all the ghost of the pass stand up – Oh, look there is Maureen – wonder what happened to her – going further there are lots of Maureens I have not been in contact with for a while. Actually rather a long while, which makes me impatient and writing a card and maybe not getting one back won’t do. So I make a phone list – I know phones work in two ways and it is tempting to think – well she could have called me too – but she didn’t!
I had a friend who said ‘if you don’t call your friends after a while you won’t have any.’ I first doubted that, but through the years it proved to be true. The reward of making the first step is hearing the delight in the voice on the other end of the line, “Is it really you Brigitte? who would have thought? How have you been? I often thought of you and wondered how you are.” It is hard to get a word in at first but eventually you get the chance to say how often you thought of them too!
By making the first step you will not only find your friends back, but also wonderful memories of the times you shared together.
Always remember – A Smile Changes Everything
Brigitte
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Today being Black Friday you might be out shopping – so while you are out there this would be a good moment to look for a new coat – saying this I am really talking to one of my good friends who came to visit me a few weeks ago.
One morning while putting on her red coat she said, “Isn’t it amazing – this coat is 24 years old and still holding up” (just barely was my thought) she went on to say, “Amy – that is her daughter – thinks it looks awful, and I should get a new one. But why should I, I think this is perfect. What do you think?”
Since I was in agreement with Amy, and can’t lie, I hid behind Amy and told her, “Maybe Amy is right. A new coat will make you feel and look better.”
My friend is not the only one who I have heard say that a garment is still holding up after x-years. And it is usually said with great pride, making me wonder why some women are so proud of owning old cloth. Here are some considerations that might help to get rid of them:
I would like to add to the last point that even if all of the above were not true we have to accept that over the years we have changed – put on some weight, lost some weight, became a little older – and what was suitable 10 years ago is no longer becoming, because our cloth do not change with us.
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Maybe my friend will read this and realize that the world is full of beautiful coats with which she can replace that too short, too tight, faded 24 year- old friend of hers.
And Never forget – A Smile Changes everything!
Brigitte
……..to all my friends and readers – and to the squirrels who live here!
And Never forget – A Smile changes Everything
Brigitte
Something happened to me this week I would like to share with you – it is about telling people how old we are. I talked about this in my book “Getting Over Growing Older” in the chapter Your Age is Nobody’s Business” and how true this is my recent experience really brought into focus again.
After many months of construction, on November 24, 2019 Nordstrom finally opened its store for women on Broadway and 57th Street in New York. It is a beautiful store and I could not wait to visit and check it out. Needless to say that while checking it out I found a lovely coat I convinced myself I needed for this coming winter.
When I came to the cash register the girl asked me if I wanted to apply for a Nordstrom Credit Card. I usually decline, but this time my answer was ‘why not?’ There were many questions – and one of them was my ‘date of birth.’ Now in a case like this you have to come clean and I thought I had. When the young lady, maybe in her early 30s, pressed the button to submit my application it was rejected after a few minutes. Then the phone rang and the back office who had rejected me wanted to speak me.
“How old are you?” a voice asked. I told them and the voice said, “Ah I know what happened. Your date of birth on the application says 1979 (if only was my internal reaction) and it did not match your social security number, so I will correct it.”
I gave the phone back to the sales attendant. When she hang up she looked at me with great concern and asked, “would you like a glass of water?” What had happened? Did I suddenly look different than 15 minutes earlier? When she thought I was born in 1979 she did not think I needed a glass of water, so what had changed? The number of course. She now saw me with different eyes. The number had changed her perception of me!
So if you don’t feel like you need a glass of water, don’t tell your age unless absolutely necessary, because it is really is nobody’s business!
To all question of how old am, if it is not a legal matter or being put through the wringer at Nordstrom, my answer always is OLD ENOUGH! An understanding smile is the reaction and nobody ever asks me if I need a glass of water!
And Always Remember – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
So true! But some of us who are older might not think so. They might say, ‘oh at my age it is too late to start’ or ‘I am not up to that anymore’ or I am happy with my life as it is now.’
I hear you, but let me ask you “do you have something to get up for in the morning?”
Yes, there is the internet, there are your friends, properly most of them on Facebook, not actually sharing real life experiences with you, and then there is your family (who have their own life!) You might even be volunteering. But when all is said and done is there something that you are passionate about? Something you always wanted to do? Something life – your career, your family never allowed time for?
I will demonstrate my point with personal experience. Since I am retired I have done all the things I mentioned here and it made me feel good. I was glad that there was no more 9-5, yet something was missing. – I knew what it was. I needed a project. But what? One day, walking in the country an urge of wanting to hang on to the glow of the mountains, the beauty of the scenery, the tranquility of the trees around overcame me. And when I arrived home I had my pockets stuffed with pine cones, stones, pieces of tree bark, and twigs. Spreading them out on the table, moving them this way and that way I suddenly saw a picture – and I was wondering if others would too? 
That was the start and motivation of following a creative urge I always had, but I never had a chance to follow because I needed to earn a living.
Now 9 months later I have created over 30 images made of natural elements and recycled objects. I have a website called http://www.reflection-of-nature.com and do pop up stores at places like the Pottery Barn, and West Elm. It is a slow start. I have sold only a few but it is not about sales but about having a purpose. –
Having heard my story, please don’t dismiss it with thinking something like this is not for you. It is! Creating art from nature might not be for you , but everyone of us has a talent to be uncovered. A passion deep down in our heart that was never unleashed – now is the time!
And you might have more time than you think. If you are in your 70s and knowing that life expectancy today is 85, 90 plus, you might have 15 to 20 years in front of you. And what will you fill these years with? You can’t rely on the outside world – it has to be with a purpose all your own.
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I want to leave you by remembering my friend Alice who became 100 years old. After she retired from nursing she took up painting – abstract painting – and did this to her last day. Her paintings became less and less sophisticated, but the purpose of painting them never left her. It carried her through all the ups and downs of becoming a 100 – and I suspect that is why she became a 100 years old.
And never forget – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
It has been a long time that I have posted something – life has been busy and challenging in the last year – but enough excuses.
I recently had an experience I would like to share with you. It is about inheritance! It might be helpful to those of us who are 70 or older. Yes, we all would like to leave something for our children and grandchildren – we would like to be remembered! Some of us even keep their lifestyle modest, and say ‘I want to leave something for the kids, you know.’
Yes I know! But when I started thinking about my own mortality, and asked myself how I might be remembered, an interesting question came up – ‘am I leaving my children and grandchildren with enough memories?‘ Of course – was my first reaction, remembering all the Christmases, birthdays, and holidays of the past – but what about now?
NOW became a trip to Europe for the whole family. Yes, doing this I gave away some of their inheritance, but being told – how nice to share this time with you – or the children (nearly teenagers) – will never forget the trip to the Jungfrau 
– or this was the best trip ever – I knew that making memories, which nobody can take away, is worth more than whatever an executor can assign.
How full is your family memory box? Is there room to add a few events? They don’t have to be big events – taking your grandchildren for a ride on the Staten Island ferry is one – or arranging (another word for picking up the tap) a picnic with the family on the beach – are memories your family carries in their hearts long after the sun has set.
And always remember – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
I Hope you had a wonderful beginning of 2019 and to help you start it off in the right direction here is an excerpt of my new book GETTING OVER GROWING OLDER .
When you speak about yourself, you always say, “In my life.” But do you really have only one life? I don’t think so. Looking back, I see that I went through many different phases, which all had a distinct beginning and end like chapters in a book. this phase of your life is a new chapter. Will it be a happy one filled with challenges, new experiences, joy, and laughter?
That depends on you. You are the Author of this new chapter in your life, and you will write the story’s happy ending. Yes, there will be difficulties, and your will have to deal with them, but the story will be happier and easier to write if you stay optimistic, positive, and refuse to let old age creep in between the lines.
The only thing constant is change. How you deal with change determines your future — and if you never give up – the future will be brighter
And never forget – A Smile Changes Everything!
Brigitte
Ready to Live Longer 