Tag Archives: life after 50

What Michael Douglas Said … Sex After 50

Posted on June 7, 2013 | 2 Comments
What Michael Douglas Said...Oh, My!

What Michael Douglas Said…Oh, My!

What Michael Douglas Said

by Peggy Browning

Disclaimer: This post is a bit naughty and sarcastic. If you’re offended by that, then don’t read it. However…if you’ve already heard what Michael Douglas said about oral cancer, this post shouldn’t offend you at all. Read at your own risk. And please…don’t contact me saying you were offended by my post. You’ve been warned.

 

 What Michael Douglas Said…

Oh. My. God. I can’t believe what Michael Douglas said. In case you haven’t heard…he said that he thought his throat cancer was caused by contracting HPV. Then he added how he contracted the virus that’s been proven to cause cervical cancer. Yes…yes, he did. He said he was exposed to the virus by performing cunnilingus.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading about what Michael Douglas said, so I had to read several articles about it. It was all over the Internet yesterday, so I had quite a few articles from which to choose…Yes, I read most of them.

I was surprised that he would be so open about his sexual proclivities. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised since celebrities are accustomed to people hanging on to their every word and reporting what they say. But what Michael Douglas said about oral cancer is not usually the subject matter of mainstream news outlets.

(Michael, please…this was just too much information. Way too much. I know you’re a public figure/celebrity, but this was truly more than I needed to know.)

Actually, this subject was something that I had actually given a passing thought when reading about HPV. I had wondered if oral sex might spread the virus to more body parts other than the genitalia. Mr. Douglas, according to his own theory, has proven my fleeting thoughts to be possible and even probable.

I think he was giving himself a back-handed compliment. He might as well have said…I please my women and I’m willing to die for it. Never mind that Michael Douglas’s throat cancer could have been caused just as easily (and more likely was) from his many years of smoking and heavy drinking. No…he’s blaming it on the women he’s been pleasuring.

Isn’t that just like a man?

So…after reading Douglas’s theory, I started thinking about what will happen next. I wondered if Michael Douglas and his wife would lead a whole new movement to fight oral cancer…caused by cunnilingus and fellatio (because, yes, you have to mention that, too).

I wondered what the ribbon will look like. What will the symbol be? Will there be walks and tee-shirts and rubber bracelets to raise money to fight oral cancer caused by…well, you know…

I don’t know. I just know that after what Michael Douglas said, I will never look at him and Katharine Zeta-Jones the same way. An indelible image has been burned into my mind that I can only hope will fade with time.

What Michael Douglas Said...Oh, My!

What Michael Douglas Said…Oh, My!

 

Michael Douglas has never been one of my favorite actors, however, since he has told all the world about his other special talent,  I may come to  view him a bit more favorably  now.

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Posted in Aging, Aging Gratefully, Boomer Lit, Dating after 50, Life after 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Self Awareness, sex, women over 50, women writers over 50

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Life is Good …

Posted on June 4, 2013 | 2 Comments

Life is Good

by Peggy Browning

Life is Good!

Life is Good!

Life is Good

I bought this ceramic mug at the Dollar Store. I didn’t need a new mug…I have enough at home. I needed the message it brought: Life is Good. Even if it’s upside down.

And sometimes it is upside down. We make plans. They go awry. We make new plans. They may not work out either. So we struggle onward, trying to make things right…trying to pay the bills…trying to keep our self-image intact…trying to keep up the image that we think other people have of us…trying to hang on to things, thoughts, rules, images that we actually don’t even need now.

Do you still believe that life is good, even when it doesn’t go as planned? I have a problem with it myself…I want everything to go exactly as I planned it. I try to stay on course, and when I get knocked off it,  I want to believe that it was the fault of someone else. Or I can do a total 180 turn and berate myself for being such an F-up. Neither form of blame changes anything; it simply distracts me from finding a new solution…or from remaining calm, quiet, and patient enough to see if everything works out anyway…even better than I planned it.

When I saw the Message on the Mug, I had to laugh. I was having a particularly discouraging…even bad…day. I doubted myself. I wondered whether I had made the right decision to throw everything to the wind and pursue my dreams.

I wandered down the aisles of the Dollar Store, idly looking at the items on the shelves with no intention of buying anything. I thought there was nothing in the store that I needed. I had cleaning products, shampoos, even a spray can of Silly String, at home.

What I really needed was some encouragement. I only needed a little bit…just a word or so would do…

How was I to know I’d find that at the Dollar Store?

But there it was…right in plain sight…a mug with Life is Good printed on it…upside down. There was the encouragement I needed…right there on the shelf with mismatched plates and chipped saucers.  Along with the encouraging words was more good advice: Make Memories, Celebrate Every Day, Smile and Laugh Often.

OK…I can do that. I can make memories, celebrate every day, and smile and laugh often.

And I can believe that, no matter what…Life is Good.

Even when it’s upside down.

 

Life is Good...Even When It's Upside Down

Life is Good…Even When It’s Upside Down

So…smile and laugh every day, make memories, and CELEBRATE LIFE.

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Posted in Aging, Boomer Lit, Post 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Reinvention and Starting Over, Self Awareness, women over 50, women writers over 50

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Be a Bad Ass

Posted on May 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

 

Be a Bad Ass

by Peggy Browning

Be a Bad Ass...Wear a Helmet

Be a Bad Ass…Wear a Helmet

 

This is Memorial Day weekend and it seems that everybody over 50 has dusted off his motorcycle and is taking it for a spin. Everybody wants to be a bad ass.

There are motorcycles all over town today. There’s lots of  vrrrrooming and zooming and sputtering up and down my normally quiet residential street. There’s no motorcycle rally here today…it’s just that every man over 50 in my hometown has decided to celebrate Memorial Day and this glorious spring day by riding a bike.

Everybody wants to be cool…be an easy rider…be free…be a bad ass…even if by light of day you’re a mild-mannered accountant, psychologist, high school science teacher, plumber, or whatever. It’s a chance to prove to yourself that you’ve still got it. Or it’s simply a chance to get out of the house, enjoy the beautiful day and let the wind blow through your hair while driving down the highway. Fun. Lots of fun.

I totally understand that. I would like to be a bad ass, too.

But…here’s a word of advice from me…someone who drives a car. Keep on having fun…keep on truckin’…have a great day…and wear a helmet. Please, for your safety, wear a helmet.

I drive a car. My car is several tons of speeding metal moving down the street or highway. In my car, I’m easy to see. I have steel reinforced doors and a roof; air bags; bumpers; safety belts; fenders, etc. protecting me from the effects of crashes and accidents.

You, on the other hand, gliding down the highway with horsepower between your legs; you…are hard to see when you weave in and out of traffic. You are much smaller than the average car or truck. Smaller items are always harder to see, whether they are newsprint, ants, or motorcycles. Motorcycles are rarely brightly colored and they blend into the background.

I stop at stop lights and signs. I look both ways (several times) before entering an intersection.  I try to be a cautious driver. But I don’t always see a motorcycle. Not because I’m not looking, but because motorcycles are harder to see than cars and trucks.

So, I’m begging all you motorcyclists out there, especially the ones who ride only occasionally and are just being a bad ass for a day…please, please wear a helmet.

Your brain will thank you for it.

I know there’s no law in Texas requiring a helmet to ride a motorcycle. However, common sense should tell you that a helmet provides more protection for your noggin than does a doo-rag. Yeah, that rag looks cool wrapped around your shaved head, but it’s not going to do you much good when a granny in a Lincoln pulls out in front of you and you flip over your handlebars, over the hood of her tank of a car, and onto the asphalt on the other side. Your skull will splat on the pavement and someone can use that rag to wipe up your brains that spilled when you landed.

So…maybe I’m being a little over-dramatic…but just this week a motorcyclist was killed here in my mid-sized city. I lost a friend last year to the same kind of accident…no helmet, just a doo-rag.  Maybe a helmet wouldn’t have helped in either case; but then again…maybe it would have.

I want you to be cool…I want you to have fun…I want you to enjoy your right to be a bad ass. But I’m begging you to wear a helmet. Please. Please. Please. Do it for yourself, do it for your kids, do it for your grandkids, and do it for the silver-haired vixen who’s riding on the back of your cycle. In fact, buy a helmet for her, too.

You really don’t want your children having to make the decision to take you off life support because your brain is too injured to support life. You don’t want to miss the best years of your life…and many good years are ahead of you. You don’t want to miss your grandkids’ high school graduations and weddings.

Rev up your bike, wrap a rag around your head, load Motorcycle Mama on the back and top all that off with a safety-regulated, fully cushioned helmet for both of you.

Be a bad ass, not a dumb ass…and wear a helmet.

And…oh, yeah…have a great weekend…you big ol’ bad ass, you.

 

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Posted in Aging, Aging Gratefully, Boomer Lit, Friends, Life after 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues

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Judith Barrow … Women Writers over 50

Posted on May 7, 2013 | 1 Comment

Women Writers over 50

Fifty Odd is featuring women writers over 50 each week for 50 weeks. Each guest answers questions about her writing subjects, her writing inspiration, her purpose for writing, and her current books and upcoming writing projects.

English author, Judith Barrow, is featured this week.

Judith Barrow … Women Writers over 50

Author Judith Barrow Women Writers over 50

Author Judith Barrow
Women Writers over 50

Judith Barrow is originally from Saddleworth, a group of villages at the foot of the Pennines in North West England. She moved to Pembrokeshire in Wales in 1978 with her husband, David and their three children, where she is a creative writing tutor.

She has completed three children’s books and two adult novels published. Her third book is due to be published in May 2013.She has a MA in Creative Writing, a BA (Hons) in Literature and a Diploma in Drama. She has had short stories, plays, reviews and articles, published throughout the British Isles and has won several poetry competitions.

Pattern of Shadows was published by Honno in 2010

Pattern of Shadows

Pattern of Shadows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silent Trauma

Silent Trauma

 

 

Silent Trauma, published December 2012.

 

http://www.judithbarrow.co.uk/

Judith Barrow … Women Writers over 50

I always knew that I wanted to be ‘a proper writer’, someone who had books out there for people to read. But that didn’t happen until I was in my forties, had beaten breast cancer, and gained a degree in Literature and a Masters in Creative Writing.

I’ve been a compulsive reader for as long as I can remember. As a child, every Saturday morning I went to the local village library with my mother and carried home a stack of books that didn’t always last the week. Books were both my passion and an escape. They also became an inspiration for the writing I did in secret. I hadn’t the confidence to show anyone what I was doing; the short stories, plays and poems stayed firmly hidden. And, later again, like many women, work, getting married and bringing up a family was a priority for a lot of years.

Judith Barrow…

Women Writers over 50…

Her Books

My latest book, my first eBook, is Silent Trauma. Silent Trauma is the result of years of research, and the need to tell the story in a way that readers will engage with the truth behind the drug Stilboestrol. So I had the idea of intertwining this main theme around and through the lives of four fictional characters, four women, all affected throughout their lives by the damage the drug has done to them. Their stories underpin all the harm the drug has done to so many women all over the world. The story is fictional, the facts are real.

Pattern of Shadows was inspired by my research into Glen Mill, a disused cotton mill in Oldham, Lancashire, and its history of being the first German POW camp in the country.

I was researching for an earlier book in the Local Studies and Archives in Oldham, while staying in the area, but reading about the mill brought back a personal memory of my childhood and I was sidetracked.

My mother was a winder in a cotton mill and, well before the days of Health and Safety, I would go to wait for her to finish work on my way home from school.

I remember the muffled boom and then the sudden clatter of so many different machines as I stepped through the small door, the sound of women singing and shouting above the noise, the colours of the cotton and cloth – so bright and intricate.

Above all I remember the smell: of oil, grease – and in the storage area. the lovely smell of the new material stored in bales.

When I thought about Glen Mill I wondered what life would have been like for all those men imprisoned there. I realised how different their days must have been from my memories of a mill and I knew I wanted to write about that.

So started 18 months of research…

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Please go to Judith Barrow’s website to learn more about her. I think you will find that she is a fascinating woman. She is one more of the great women writers over 50!

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Posted in Life after 50, Post 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Stilboestrol, women over 50, women writers over 50, writer, Writing

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Karen Pierce Gonzalez … Women Writers over 50

Posted on April 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

Women Writers over 50

Fifty Odd is featuring women writers over 50 each week for 50 weeks. Each guest answers questions about her writing subjects, her writing inspiration, her purpose for writing, and her current books and upcoming writing projects.

Author Karen Pierce Gonzalez is featured this week.

Karen Pierce Gonzalez … Women Writers over 50

Author Karen Pierce Gonzales Women Writers over 50

Author Karen Pierce Gonzalez
Women Writers over 50

Karen is an award winning fiction and nonfiction writer. Her writing credits include nomination for the Pushcart Prize and awards from Farmhouse Magazine National League of American Pen Women, California Writers Association, and others.

She has been a journalist and freelance contributor for The San Francisco Chronicle, Marin Independent Journal, Australian Trade Community Journal, and Press Democrat  as well as other magazines and newspapers. Her fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Farmhouse Magazine, Sonoma Style, Sonoma Mandala, and Zahir Tales.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Creative Writing and Anthropological Linguistics/Folklore from Sonoma State University in California. Her memberships include the Western States Folklore Society and is a columnist for Big Blend Magazine.

Links to Karen Pierce Gonzalez’s books and author page:

Black Pepper Visions: Original Folktales & Stories You Can Eat

Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories – workbook

Family Folktales: What Are Yours?

FolkHeart Press Blog:

Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations Blog

Karen Pierce Gonzalez … Women Writers over 50

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I have been writing since I was 8-years-old and found the process both creative and comforting.

What or who inspired you to write?

My mother was an avid reader who shared her appreciation of books with me. As a very young teen I was inspired by the BEAT poets and writers and occasional school teachers who recognized that I had talent.

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing? (i.e….save the world, make people laugh, share knowledge, make a living, etc.)

I want my fiction to explore possibilities and flush out choices and potential consequences. In writing I seek out the humanity of characters and their situations, hoping to reveal them (to myself as well as others) with compassion rather than judgment.

I want my non-fiction (workbooks, journalism, blogs) to celebrate the folklore (customs, traditions, beliefs) of our lives and to introduce people to how others around the world express their versions of folklore. 

What is your favorite part…(paragraph…page…line) from one of your books?

” At times I must blink to drive away the moisture that appears in my eyes. It is a sign, I am told, of growing old. In the opening and closing of my eyelids, I sometimes forget what I was thinking. And, standing here, waiting for the children to finish their lessons, this can be good. Back then I thought I would never forget the way my throat closed, not letting a sound escape. His efforts to comfort me were lost, too. Hearing that I and my fruits would be greatly missed did not touch me with the tenderness he had hoped. They could not erase the pain of my tightened face.

Sometimes, like today, I remember more than I want to. I can see again the way the sun ran its warm fingers through his dark hair as he bent down to pick up the fruit that had fallen from the tray. This is the best fruit and the children here are very lucky to have you,” he had said.”

From Isalene/Black Pepper Visions

What have you learned from writing?

Two important lessons I have learned:

  • Writing is a process and I need to be willing to let go of ‘control’ while a piece is being formed. This allows me find the heartbeat and rhythm that, in the end, will dictate the structure (story/essay, etc.)
  • Creating stories and writing news articles allows me to focus intently on the depths of a particular topic and at the same time provides a common bridge between me and others.

What are you working on now…or what is your next writing project?

I have just finished editing LOVE Lotions, Potions & Lore, a Kindle e-book sampler (20 authors/artists around the world). All proceeds benefit the National Center for Family Literacy.

I am also working on a collection of short stories.

Thank you to Karen Pierce Gonzalez for letting us learn more about her. Please follow the links and check out her works.

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Posted in Karen Pierce Gonzalez, Legacies, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Reinvention and Starting Over, Wisdom, women over 50, women writers over 50, Writing

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MK Turner … Women Writers over 50

Posted on April 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

 Women Writers over 50 … MK Turner

Fifty Odd is featuring women writers over 50 each week for 50 weeks. Each guest answers questions about her writing subjects, her writing inspiration, her purpose for writing, and her current books and upcoming writing projects.

Author MK Turner is the featured guest this week.

Women Writers over 50 … MK Turner

Author MK Turner Women Writers over 50

Author MK Turner
Women Writers over 50

A short biography of MK Turner.

I spent almost twenty years working for a large corporate property agency, at a senior level.  When I left that behind I began writing.  I published my first novel, Misplaced Loyalty, in September 2012, and my second, Murderous Mishaps, in January 2013 just before my 52nd birthday. Both are murder mysteries, but Misplaced Loyalty looks at the serious subject of euthanasia. Murderous Mishaps, however, is as the title suggests a more lighthearted take on murder (I know it doesn’t sound quite right does it?). I never intended publishing, but now I have, I’m running fast to catch up with all the things I should have done, and those I should be doing. I’m married with two children and live in Bristol, England.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I have always enjoyed writing, but didn’t write my first full length novel until I was fifty.  I suppose the decision to publish came when those that had read the first part of Misplaced Loyalty began chasing me for the next installment. I was quite thrown by the fact that not only were they happy to read more, they were actually demanding it.

What or who inspired you to write?

Having left a job which seemed to require my attention, twenty four, seven, (one of the pitfalls of smart phones and the internet), I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I realised there was only so much cooking, gardening, and cleaning I could do without going totally mad. A friend made a passing comment to the effect that people wouldn’t believe it if it was written down, and I decided to scoop up all the gossip and scandal, tweak it and exaggerate it, and Murderous Mishaps was born. Originally it had a working title of “whodunitchiclitfarcicalthing” It’s still saved on my laptop under that name.

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I will be a very happy bunny if I can earn a few pounds, and provide a little entertainment, during which readers can escape the norm.

What is your favorite part…(paragraph…page…line) from one of your books?

I don’t really have a favorite part as such, it’s the characters themselves I get attached to.

In Murderous Mishaps the detective is attempting to ascertain who was where in the hotel when the murder was committed. During this process several people confess to the murder. This is his final scene in that chapter.

“Right. So that’s now four of you involved.” Barlow looked up at the ceiling and chewed his lip attempting to calm himself. He sighed. “Well, we’ll deal with this in the interview room, unless of course anyone else wants to throw their hat in?” He looked around and was relieved, and just a little surprised, that they all remained still.  “Good let’s get on with it then.”  With this he turned and marched briskly from the room.

Barlow needed to collect his thoughts. Solve this one? The way this was going he would be telling his Superintendent that it was Spartacus in the toilet with a wine bottle.”

What have you learned from writing?

More than any other job I have had in the past, I find that writing is all consuming. Even when I’m not writing, editing, or promoting, I’m thinking about it. Whether it’s the next twist in the plot, or a possible character for the future that I bumped into at the supermarket checkout, it seems impossible to switch off.

What are you working on now…or what is your next writing project?

I have just sent the second in the Meredith & Hodge series, Ill Conceived, off to the editor. I’m torn between starting work on the third, as I have the basic storyline, or doing something totally different. I might try both and see which one pulls me in.

Links to MK Turner’s books, author page, and blog.

Author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-K-Turner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarciaKimTurner

 

Murderous Mishaps

Misplaced Loyalty

Ill Conceived

 

 

 

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Posted in Boomer Lit, Employment/careers after 50, Life after 50, MK Turner author, Peggy Browning writer, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, women over 50, women writers over 50

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Mary Ann Bernal … Women Writers over 50

Posted on April 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Women Writers over 50…Mary Ann Bernal

by Author Mary Ann Bernal

by Author Mary Ann Bernal

Fifty Odd is featuring women writers over 50 each week for 50 weeks. Each guest answers questions about her writing subjects, her writing inspiration, her purpose for writing, and her current books and upcoming writing projects.

Author Mary Ann Bernal is the featured guest this week.

Author Mary Ann Bernal Women Writers over 50

Author Mary Ann Bernal
Women Writers over 50

Thank you for having me, Peggy.

About the Author

Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane novels, is an avid history buff whose area of interest focuses on Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain during the Viking Age.  While pursuing a degree in business administration, she managed to fit creative writing classes and workshops into her busy schedule to learn the craft, but it would take decades before her “Erik the Viking” novel was ultimately published.

Mary Ann is also a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter writing campaigns and other support programs since Operation Desert Storm.  She has appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work.  She has also been a featured author on Triangle Variety Radio, The Phil Naessens Show, and The Writers Showcase, and has been interviewed extensively by American and European bloggers.

Mary Ann is a New York “expat,” and currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska.

Women Writers over 50 … Mary Ann Bernal

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Since grade school, after having impressed my teacher with one of my rhythmic poems

What or who inspired you to write?

The Hollywood Blockbusters of my youth was the inspiration behind my dream to write my Erik the Viking novel.

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

One of the themes running through The Briton and the Dane series is the plight of the warrior and his family.  My stories shed light on the effect a warrior’s “career” has on the family, and the sacrifices made by loved ones.  My subtle inferences are seen in today’s society, with our deployed men and women serving their county and preserving our freedom.  Thank a service person and/or veteran for their service.  Freedom is not free.

Excerpt from The Briton and the Dane:  Concordia

This excerpt is from chapter one.  The reader is introduced to Brantson, a gallant warrior serving in King Alfred’s army.  Brantson is the perfect embodiment of honor, truth and justice, in a violent world.

” Brantson walked amongst the wounded as his able-bodied men made the necessary preparations to bury the dead.  He spoke with every man, assessing their wounds while providing comfort, but his demeanor was somber as he silently counted the number of warriors he had lost.  Brantson gestured to the stableboy who hurried towards him, and he smiled slightly when the lad removed his hat and bowed.

“How are you called?”

“Alden, my lord.”

“Alden, I would have you bring the wounded men to the holy brothers at the abbey, but return quickly for the dead.”

“We will need more wagons,” Alden replied while pointing at the heathen bodies.

“Nay, we will alight a funeral fire as is their custom…I would not deny them their beliefs.”

“As you wish,” Alden mumbled before taking his leave.

“The boy seemed surprised by your honorable treatment of the enemy,” the first officer said quietly as he approached his commander.

“It is only fitting,” Brantson murmured as he gazed upon the lifeless bodies.  “But you already know my thoughts in this regard, so why are you troubled?” ”

What have you learned from writing?

One’s writing improves the more one writes.

What are you working on now…or what is your next writing project?

My next project is The Briton and the Dane: Timeline  — since I’m not ready to leave the Anglo-Saxon Britain.

Following is a synopsis of Mary Ann’s Latest release, The Briton and the Dane: Concordia: 

Travel back in time to late Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain where Alfred the Great rules with a benevolent hand while the Danish King rules peacefully within the boundaries of the Danelaw. Trade flourishes, and scholars from throughout the civilized world flock to Britannia’s shores to study at the King’s Court School at Winchester.

Enter Concordia, a beautiful noble woman whose family is favored by the king. Vain, willful, and admired, but ambitious and cunning, Concordia is not willing to accept her fate. She is betrothed to the valiant warrior, Brantson, but sees herself as far too young to lay in the bedchamber of an older suitor. She wants to see the wonders of the world, embracing everything in it; preferably, but dangerously, at the side of Thayer, the exotic Saracen who charms King Alfred’s court and ignites her yearning passions.

Concordia manipulates her besotted husband into taking her to Rome, but her ship is captured by bloodthirsty pirates, and the seafarers protecting her are ruthlessly slain to a man. As she awaits her fate in the Moorish captain’s bed, by sheer chance, she discovers that salvation is at hand in the gilded court of a Saracen nobleman.

While awaiting rescue, Concordia finds herself at the center of intrigue, plots, blackmail, betrayal and the vain desires of two egotistical brothers, each willing to die for her favor. Using only feminine cunning, Concordia must defend her honor while plotting her escape as she awaits deliverance, somewhere inside steamy, unconquered Muslim Hispania.

Links:

http://www.maryannbernal.com

facebook.com/TheBritonandtheDane

http://twitter.com/#!/BritonandDane

http://maryannbernal.blogspot.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-ann-bernal/33/5b/a9a

http://pinterest.com/maryannbernal/

https://www.youtube.com/user/maryannbernal/videos

The Briton and the Dane Concordia – Book Trailer:

http://youtu.be/yDPaiQqmaIs

The Briton and the Dane Concordia — Purchase Information

US   http://www.amazon.com/The-Briton-Dane-Mary-Bernal/dp/148188994X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358684323&sr=8-&keywords=The+Briton+and+the+Dane+Concordia

UK    http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Briton-Dane-Mary-Bernal/dp/148188994X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358684038&sr=8-1

 

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 Thank you to all the women writers over 50 who are participating in the Fifty Odd blog tour.

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Posted in Boomer Lit, Employment after 50, Life after 50, Peggy Browning writer, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, reading, women over 50, women writers over 50, Writing

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Greta Burroughs … Women Writers over 50

Posted on April 1, 2013 | 4 Comments

Women Writers Over 50

by Peggy Browning

Fifty Odd is featuring women writers over 50 each week for 50 weeks. This week, we are pleased to feature Greta Burroughs.

Author Greta Burroughs …Women Writers over 50

Author Greta Burroughs

Author Greta Burroughs

Greta Burroughs loves to read. No matter where she is, there is always a book close at hand. Her love of reading began at an early age and blossomed over time to include many different genres, her favorite now being fantasy.

As a preschool and elementary school teacher, Greta tried to instill the joy of reading in the children she worked with. Books were an important part of her classroom and story time was the highlight of the day.

It has been a while since Greta was in a classroom but she had lots of experience in reading to children of various ages and remembers what they enjoyed listening to. She tries to incorporate that knowledge into her work as an author and believes it makes her a better writer of children’s and young adult books.

She now resides in South Carolina with her husband, Robert and two dogs. Greta has six books published at the present time; three children’s books in the Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat series, two MG/YA fantasy entitled “Gerald and the Wee People” and “House on Bo-Kay Lane”, and a nonfiction account of her experiences with an autoimmune blood disorder called ITP - “Heartaches and Miracles

 

Women Writers Over 50 … Greta Burroughs

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

In 2005, I was diagnosed with a chronic blood disorder (ITP) and could no longer work at a “normal” job. I had to find a means of working out of my home. Fortunately, I obtained a job as a freelance newspaper reporter. It was something new and exciting and I really enjoyed researching information and talking with people for my articles.

At that point, I got the writing bug and began working on my first book, “Gerald and the Wee People” in my spare time. It took several years to complete the book but it was worth it. The encouragement I received from my friends and family led to my digging out some children’s stories written years earlier, refurbishing them, and getting them into print. I was hooked and have been writing ever since.

What or who inspired you to write?

My husband, Robert DeBurgh, was and still is my inspiration. He had quite a bit of success with his first novel and coached me with my newspaper articles and later on with my manuscripts. He gave me the confidence I needed to begin this new phase in my life. If it were not for him, I would have never become a writer.

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I would love to be able to make a living from my writing but that is a wish that has not been fulfilled …yet.

In “Heartaches and Miracles”, my major goal is to inform readers about ITP. This autoimmune blood disorder strikes its victims without rhyme or reason, to young and old alike. The problem is – no one knows anything about it. When a person is diagnosed with ITP, it is bewildering and takes a while to understand what is going on inside his/her body and why. That is why I wrote about my experiences – to help others understand and know that there is hope for remission.

My children’s books are mainly for teaching and entertainment. In the Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat series, I try to give children a fun way to learn about caring, sharing and the value of good friends.  It seems to work, parents have told me their children talk about some of the silly situations the two characters get into and why they (the children) would not do such a thing.

The young adult books are for entertainment but I try to give a few life lessons as well. I cannot help it; I used to be a teacher. Once a teacher, always a teacher!

What is your favorite part… (paragraph…page…line) from one of your books?

I do not know why I love this excerpt from “Gerald and the Wee People” so much. Maybe because it was so much fun to write:

“This time it was no illusion. The walls burned their hands; the hot air burned their throats. The floor was sticky with some kind of hot substance that burned their feet through their shoes. They began to hear a distant sound like the laughter they had heard earlier.

Cian fell to his knees and cried out in pain as the scalding liquid burned his skin. “I can’t go on, just leave me here to die,” he screamed.

Tomas reached out to his brother and tried to help him up. It was no use. He was too weak and exhausted. In a very weak voice he said, “You all go on. I’ll stay with Cian. I can’t go another step anyway.”

No one else said a word, the other two boys were too tired to talk, too tired to walk, too tired to care.

This was not supposed to be happening. Gerald did not remember this from his nightmares. Something was wrong. He yelled to whoever was listening, “Did we take a wrong turn or something? Stop it, Miach, stop it. You want me, leave my friends alone.”

That just made matters worse. The scampering, unseen creatures came out of nowhere. They did not just run past this time but stayed and started pinching and biting the legs and arms of Gerald’s companions. For some strange reason though, the creatures did not bother him.

All four of his companions were down, rolling around on the ground trying to fight off the shadowy figures. The screams intensified from his friends as the burning liquid covered their bodies and the creatures’ biting turned to gnawing. Gerald could hear pieces of flesh being torn away as the other boys were being eaten alive. The laughter was all around them now bouncing off the walls and echoing through Gerald’s head.

“Stop it, stop it now. Please, I’ll do anything you want, Miach, just stop the noise, and stop torturing my friends.”

Total silence fell. All the gnawing, screaming and laughter were gone. Gerald did not know if the total lack of sound was worse than all the noise. He noticed a light shining above him. He looked around and realized he was all alone.

A voice spoke inside his mind and said, “Anything I want, huh,” followed by a soft, haunting chuckle.”

What have you learned from writing?

My writing has improved. When I looked at the children’s stories I had written years ago, I was shocked at how bad they were grammar/tense/punctuation wise. I still am not great, but better. My writing has taught me to express myself more clearly both verbally and on paper.

What are you working on now…or what is your next writing project?

Our 18 year old dog, Spike, passed away a few weeks ago and I am writing a children’s story based on his life. He was a very intelligent dog. We always joked about him being an alien sent to spy on us. In the story, Spike will be an alien and will expose his observations of the human race.

 Read more about Greta Burroughs …

and Buy Her Books!

Women Writers over 50 … Links to Greta Burroughs

Greta’s Website 

Greta’s FaceBook Author page 

Greta’s Books

Gerald and the Wee People  on AmazonOn Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble

On Smashwords: Smashwords

House on Bo-Kay Lane

Smashwords

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Heartaches and Miracles

 

US Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat

 Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

 

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Posted in Author, Boomer Lit, children's literature, Life after 50, Post 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues

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Hoarder or Historian? Boomers…Life after 50

Posted on March 30, 2013 | 2 Comments

Hoarder or Historian?

I know what I am, but what are you? I ‘m a hoarder.

by Peggy Browning

I’ve been going through boxes, closets, and yes…piles of stuff…in preparation for moving from my 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom house into a much smaller domain (a travel trailer.) Now I’ve come to the awful conclusion that I’m a hoarder.

Yep. I’m only one box of junk…one Rubbermaid box of outdated clothing…and a pile of newspapers with a dead cat underneath it…away from being a hoarder.

All this time I’ve thought more kindly of myself…calling myself a pack-rat, a collector, even a historian. But no, I have to face reality and this can be called nothing other than being a hoarder.

I derive a certain pleasure from just looking at my stuff. I even go to garage sales and estate sales because I get excited about looking at other people’s stuff. I love to open a box and find a long forgotten treasure and wax nostalgic about it for a few minutes.

And now that I’m sorting through my belongings, trying to weed out the fluff and keep only necessities, I find it to be rather painful to think of getting rid of all this junk. Some of it holds memories of good times past; some of it holds the hope of good times ahead.

For instance…I bought a pewter teapot at a junk store recently. To me, this is not simply a beaten up old teapot. In my mind, I see this teapot sitting on my kitchen table holding a bouquet of peace roses cut from my rose garden decorating a little home filled with love and grandchildren and fresh-baked cookies. I imagine my grandchildren having fond memories of seeing that little teapot filled with roses, remembering all the love at Grandma’s house. I see them fighting over the teapot after I die. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I'm a little teapot...filled with imagination...

I’m a little teapot…filled with imagination…

But…I don’t have a rose garden much less a blooming peace rose. I don’t have fresh baked cookies straight from my oven. Soon I won’t even have a kitchen table, other than the one in my soon-to-be-purchased RV.

So…shall I toss the teapot thereby tossing my hope for nostalgic remembrances of me after I’m gone? Well, duh…toss the teapot. And write that descriptive scene about the roses in one of my yet to be published novels.

They have stories to tell, but nobody's talking.

They have stories to tell, but nobody’s talking.

And what about my naked Chatty Cathy doll who no longer chats? My Francie (Barbie’s cousin) with the broken leg and smart short hairdo that I styled for her? My Pepper & Pete & Penny dolls with the bendable wire legs? My naked  beheaded original Barbie doll body?

I tried giving them to my five-year old granddaughter only to be rebuffed with “Eeewww, Grandma, that’s yucky. I don’t like them.”

I’ve considered it my place to pass along memories, to tell my descendants about my life. I’ve considered myself a historian. When I was two years old, our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gill, entrusted  a china doll, a porcelain cup, and a Frozen Charlotte doll with my mother to keep for me.

 

My china doll, Angela Amelia and Frozen Charlotte, her companion.

My china doll, Angela Amelia and Frozen Charlotte, her companion.

Mrs. Gill too, was cleaning out her home, sorting through her treasures, preparing to down-size from her big two-story home in the country. The doll belonged to her daughter, who died in childhood.  The cup was a gift from Mrs. Gill’s best friend in honor of her 14th birthday. Frozen Charlotte was accompanied by no story. My mother kept these things secure for me and gave them to me when I grew up, passing along the trust to ensure their safe-keeping. I’ve packed these possessions in boxes and moved them over 30 times, from apartments to rentals to my own home. There are no chips or dings on them anywhere, except for the original chips and dings.

Now what do I do with them? Move them again or entrust their well-being to someone else? (I’ll probably take them along with me.)

My first Trade Days purchase.

My first Trade Days purchase.

I’ve been collecting junk since I was a kid. My Daddy let me tag along to Second Monday Trade Days when he took pigs to sell there. He would give me a dollar and allow me to wander the streets at the monthly trade fair. My first purchase was a set of bookends for a quarter…which left me enough money to buy a snow-cone and other niceties. Those bookends have been packed up and transported on over 30 moves as well.

I’ve called myself a collector all these years, but all that I consistently collect is merely dust. I have some in every room of my house…

The naked truth is…I’m a hoarder. I hoard memories of the past and hope for the future.

But now where will I stash all these memories and hopes in a travel trailer? I sympathize with the hoarders on the TV shows. I know it’s painful to let go. But it’s time. It’s time to let go.

I’ll have a moving sale and set my treasures out for the public to buy.

Anybody need a mute, naked Chatty Cathy? She needs a good home. She’s ready to move on.

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Posted in Happiness, Home Improvement, Peggy Browning, Post 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Reinvention and Starting Over, women over 50, women writers over 50

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Middle-Aged Mean Girls … Boomers Life After 50

Posted on March 27, 2013 | 4 Comments

Middle-Aged Mean Girls

by Peggy Browning

"There's a special place in hell for women who do not help other women"...Former Secretary of State, Madeline Allbright

“There’s a special place in hell for women who do not help other women”…Former Secretary of State, Madeline Allbright

Middle-aged Mean Girls…could there possibly be anything worse than this? I mean, really, it’s bad enough when mean girls are tweens and teens, but to have to put up with middle-aged mean girls is a special kind of torture that most of us would give anything to avoid.

Middle-aged mean girls are commonly called something else…a word that starts with “b”. And in the case of some old mean girls, it’s spelled with a capital B.

The Mean Girls weapon of choice...a knife in the back.

The Mean Girls weapon of choice…a knife in the back.

I would call them heifers, but I like heifers. Middle-aged mean girls are more like old hens who will swiftly peck a vulnerable chicken to death and then walk over the dead chicken until she is smashed flatter than a flitter. Or sometimes a group of old hens will slowly pull the feathers from another hen until she is naked and exposed and then she gives up and dies.

Either way, it’s a cruel death. And it’s a method at which middle-aged mean girls are particularly adept. Pick, pick, pick. Peck, peck, peck. Finally the hen being pecked on dies…or in the case of women, quits her job because she is dying a slow death.

Mean girls gossip, spread rumors, make shit up, and spread it all over the barnyard or office, whatever it may be. They post on Facebook, they slander co-workers, they talk in the break room until the one being gossiped about comes in to get a cup of coffee or to make a copy. They finally hush…until the gossippee walks out again. And the shit starts to fly again.

Oh, those mean old hens. Oh, those hateful old capital Bs.

I am thinking in particular of a dear friend who has a terrible job situation. She’s currently in a heartbreaking mess . But is she being supported by her co-workers…those women who work beside her each day…those women whose support would be greatly appreciated by her right now?

Oh, hell no. She’s being gossiped about and raked over the coals. Her integrity is being questioned. Her good name and reputation is being besmirched by people who called themselves her “friends” until she really needed a friend. Now that she needs some encouraging words from them, they are busy posting on social media, texting other co-workers, and generally talking smack about her.

I’m disappointed in these women, but I’m not surprised. It’s a common occurence in the work place, as well as in most other organizations where women are in attendance. I hate those capital Bs.

With friends like these middle-aged mean girls, who in the world needs enemies?

I’d like to tell my friend that things won’t always be like this, that she will go to another job where everyone is nice and appreciates her good work and her helpful attitude.  However the fact is that there’s always a group of mean girls, small or large, no matter where you go.

Women don’t have to behave this way. We should pull together, help each other, encourage each other, educate and instruct each other by sharing our hard won wisdom.

Wouldn’t it be better if we grew up to be nice, kind women rather than just growing older and becoming middle-aged mean girls?

I think so…but I seem to be in the minority.

(Clip art from www.hasslefreeclipart.com.)

 

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Posted in Aging, Employment after 50, Integrity, Life after 50, Mental Health after 50, Random Thoughts about Post 50 Issues, Relationships, Relationships after 50, women over 50

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