My good friend, Vicki, is back today sharing more of her thoughts on fashion, menopause and aging. Getting older isn’t fun, but we have to find ways to age gracefully in spite of the changes it brings to our bodies. Our spirits are still young at heart, isn’t that right!
Here’s Vicki:
Happy Independence Day week!
Hopefully you are celebrating with your family, maybe taking a road trip or long weekend away. These outfits with drawstring linen pants are perfect for a road trip!
Starfish silver jewelry complements this summery outfit.
I specifically chose the blue/white peasant blouse for a 2400 mile road trip I took with my husband and our son to San Antonio, Texas and back in only 6 days. It was a quick trip, but the comfy casual clothing I packed helped me enjoy the very long drive. Granted the puffy peasant blouse may not be the most flattering style, but it’s like wearing pajamas!
Adding jewelry makes any outfit look and feel more polished.
I found the navy/white peasant blouse and turquoise tunic at TJMaxx for under $20. The hat is from the thriftstore, as are the white pants.
Topping any outfit with a hat frames the face and can accentuate the positive by bringing the eyes up and away from my trouble spots, aka, bumps and bulges! These outfits work well for the beach too with the pale aqua and vibrant turquoise tunics bringing the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico to mind. I can feel the breeze now! We can be comfy and stylish at any age!
More thoughts from Vicki on menopause and getting older:
Your responses to my previous posts have been so encouraging to me. Your comments reflected some common themes we women over 50 can all relate to. Probably the most frequently lamented was menopause and the changes it wreaks on our bodies and our minds. If we live long enough, we will all experience this “change”. Due to surgery at the age of 49 1/2, I can’t tell you when I began The Change, but I can tell you I am presently immersed in it. While my weight did not fluctuate more than 5 pounds +/- for many years, my waistline has definitely grown.
For me, personally, The Change means so much more than my waist size, hot flashes, and night sweats. I want to ask God “Just what were you thinking?” Menopause, aging/dying parents, AND an empty nest? Really? As a girl, I heard my mother, grandmother and aunts talking about The Change, the mysterious metamorphosis women experience in their 50’s. I dreaded it my whole life trying to imagine myself all fluffy and frumpy with a mustache, like my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Abbott. What’s a girl to do?
Well, here I am! My body shape certainly has changed, hence the tunics! I exercise and try to eat nutritiously with my physical health in mind. But honestly, the other changes I’ve experienced have affected my well being much more dramatically. Losing my father in 2008 was difficult but he lived a wonderful and healthy life until his 80th birthday and was ready to go when his time came. Letting go of my sweet daddy was a natural part of life, but the caregiver role I assumed upon his death has taken a toll on me emotionally and physically. The empty nest has been the most difficult aspect of The Change for me. My life as a homeschool mom consumed me because I allowed it to, with our sons my primary focus. So naturally when they completed high school and began college, a very rich and blessed phase of my life ended. The summer of 2007 I sat on the back porch crying to my husband “I don’t know how to not be a mom!”
So, I took a few writing classes and we purchased a house in Florida’s panhandle, both very positive changes for sure! There are other wonderful aspects of this stage of life, like more time to spend with my husband of 33 years and more time to take care of our home and myself. My greatest joy of this stage of life is our 3 grandchildren!
Whether you’re a mother or not, if you are in your 50’s you are most likely experiencing changes too. Focus on the positive and be reminded we are going “through” The Change! There’s an end ahead and once we arrive there, we will be so much wiser and can encourage younger women who may fear their own Change. We can wear our hair, makeup and stylish clothing to accentuate our positives in our appearances, no matter our stage of life. Now I’m off to find my 10x magnification mirror and a pair of tweezers! Bless y’all as you live your lives to the fullest, no matter your age.
Don’t you just love Vicki and her outlook on life? She’s a dear friend to me and how cute does she look in that straw hat?!
You can find Vicki at her blog, Mother Mom’s Musings.
The winner of the Mikasa dishes giveaway has been posted on the Rafflecopter widget: Theresa K. Congrats to her!
Thank you so much for your wonderful articles, especially your recent one about Vicki! Such a positive, uplifting blog!
This month I will be having a total hysterectomy. I’m on medication now that, whew lawdy. Talk about hot flashes and the emotional roller coaster ride I’ve been on. I’m 45, soon to be 46. No kids of my own. Tried but that didn’t work out as planned. I am a step-mom of 8, so in some ways, I’m experiencing the role of a “mom”. I know the pros far outweigh the cons in my deciding to have a hysterectomy.
I have always said that life for me wouldn’t truly start until I turned 50. I’m looking at life from a whole different perspective now as I’m going through these changes. I can either embrace whats happening or let it hinder me in more ways than one. I’ve taken on a more simplistic lifestyle as well and plan on enjoying whatever time He allows me to have here on Earth.
Love the clothing and jewelry that you’re wearing. Love your outlook on life as well.
Hello Sylvia,
Good luck with your upcoming surgery. I had mine when I was 49 and wish I’d had it 5 years sooner. Nobody “wants” surgery, but sometimes to be healthy it is necessary. I’ve never regretted it and my problems stopped. I love your outlook as well. Thank you for sharing.
Vicki
Enjoyed the ideas and thoughts of your guest blogger, Rhoda. I visited her blog but don’t see a box to enter my email address to subscribe to her blog. What am I missing?
Mary, she probably doesn’t have that set up yet. You can bookmark her blog to check in for now.
Thanks, Rhoda. I have several blogs bookmarked already. The “trick” is to remember to check them! I really prefer them coming in my email so I don’t miss anything and it gives them more “views”. I’m not a blogger, just a reader; but your blogs sure make for an enjoyable “morning newspaper”!
Thank you, Mary! I so appreciate all of you out there reading every day.
Hi Mary and thank you so much for dropping by my blog. Sorry it’s not very developed yet as I’m a low tech gal. Please check back and say hello. I really appreciate your kind remarks. Bless you.
Vicki
You are a pretty person inside and outside. This posting was such a boost to me. I am 76 and my daughters are going through their changes. Lots more things available today to help. But attitude is paramount. You have a very positive attitude and a pretty way of expressing your feelings. Blessings
Why thank you, Nancy! Best wishes to your girls as they find their way. You sound like a dear mother who will be of great encouragement to them. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Vicki
Vicki….I absolutely love you in a hat! So pretty. I would love to hear more about your Fl house….we visit Cape San Blas annually and I am still trying to convince my husband to purchase one….to rent out until we are ready to retire. HELP>>>>>. do you rent yours or own???? if you rent it I would love to hear more!!!!
PS>…blue is a beautiful color on you!!!!
Oh wow! Our house is in the town of Port St. Joe where Cape San Blas is! How coincidental is that? We visited that area in 1992 but the paper mill was there and our boys were little then. We wanted easy access to go karts and hamburgers, lol! So we vacationed in Destin at the same condos for 25 years. It is the fishing that brought us to PSJ. My husband has enjoyed the bay and off shore fishing in the area. We like the slower pace and small town feel. Definitely the “Forgotten Coast” as compared to Destin and Panama City Beach. We don’t rent our house out and have not been there much lately. But I’m so glad to hear you have been enjoying one of the prettiest places in FL over the years. Thanks for your sweet comments. I’m so appreciative of Rhoda giving me a forum to share my heart. Blessings to you!
V
Vicki…I so enjoy your posts. You are so genuine and have a great positive outlook. I love your fresh style—we dress much the same as far as choosing what’s right for our shape. My weight has gone up and down during the past 15 years. As for The Change…I started in my early 40’s as did my mom and sisters. Sadly, I’m still going through it at 55. I am not only having day and night hot flashes, but all day “hotness”. I took estrogen for about a year a few years ago and it did wonders. I was just worried about the side effects so I stopped. I’m ready to try it again. I am in constant misery. I thank you for really opening up the conversation. We women really suffer!!!
Jane x
Hello Jane,
I feel like we’re friends! Don’t blame you for stopping estrogen. I’ve not taken it. So sorry you’re suffering. There are a lot of behavioral changes we can make to help manage the misery but I imagine you’ve tried those. Browse over the comments from this post and see what others have used to help with their symptoms. A dear friend told me she had hot flashes in her late 70’s. Oh my! Thank you for the encouraging comments. I’m very grateful to Rhoda for the opportunity to share my heart. God bless you, Jane. May you find what works for you as you work through The Change.
Vicki
Such a nice article! You look so good and your positive outlook was a real boon to me today:)
Oh thank you Suzanne! I’m so glad you were inspired. Rhoda is very gracious to allow me to share my heart with her readers. The encouraging comments mean a lot to me. Happy 4th to you and yours!
Vicki