Age Challenged rQQzy: In and Out

Nice to see you!

Three major events occurred for me last year (2010), all in the space of about 2 weeks. I turned 50. The following day I got married. Two weeks later, my oldest daughter became pregnant with her first child and my first grandchild.

Most middle-aged people will tell you that in their minds, they still feel 20 something. It's the same for me.

Wasn't it only yesterday that I was planning a night out with guys from the surf club? That gorgeous new perm. Flaired, cuffed denims and the red t-shirt with the off-the-shoulder frill. Corked platform wedgies. **sigh**

Suddenly I'm looking in the mirror and wondering how 30 years can flash by so damned quickly!

So here I am in cyberspace, sharing my genuine shock and horror with anyone who'll listen and maybe I'll even meet some other over 50s who find themselves in the same predicament!

Welcome to my dilemna!!

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

In and Out

I stole this from Facebook, because I can totally relate …

* Never going to be the strong woman again. I want to be the happy woman. The soft woman. The kind of woman who doesn’t always have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. I want to laugh without holding back, to smile without forcing it, and to feel light again. I don’t want to always be the one who hides her pain just to look tough.

I want to feel safe enough to cry when I need to, and to ask for help when I can’t do it alone. Being strong all the time is exhausting, and I don’t want to keep proving myself anymore. I want to be free from always needing to show how strong I am. I don’t want strength to be the only thing people see in me.

I want to live with peace in my heart. I want to enjoy the little things again. I just want to be me. Not trying to be unbreakable, not hiding anymore, but free to live and to finally be the woman I couldn’t be when I was busy trying to stay strong. *

I was awake at 5.45am and knowing that I had to be ready to leave at 7.30 am, I couldn’t relax enough to fall back to sleep, so lay in bed thinking and clock watching.

Even after all that, I wasn’t ready to leave until 7.45am!

Adoring Husband and I drove directly into the Bay, to the butcher for a decent purchase and to farm gate for another decent purchase. While we were at Eli Waters, I visited Frox Fashion, tried on five tops and bought one. Even their size 8s are too big for me!

We were home at 10am.

I cleared the old fruit and veg from the crisper drawers and refilled them with the fresh stuff.

Then it was time for a big cook off. I made a batch of Butter Chicken to freeze and an even bigger batch of curried mince to fill pastries for our future dinners.

I had an hour break and lay down on my bed for a 30 min nap before returning to the kitchen where I crumbed some chicken and prepared a strawberry/broccoli salad and a garden salad for dinner.

I’m now laying on my bed watching the T20 cricket - Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers.

The Brisbane International tennis is on too, so I’ll be channel surfing again.

I think I shall make myself a cup of soursop tea and settle in for the night.