I find blogging to be the new world of domestication. Remembering that homemakers relied heavily on television and bought up magazines to spruce up homes back in the good "ol" days, we've come a long way baby! Sharing our own talents freely on the internet is the most inspiring homemaking trend these days. Google any type of "how to" and you'll most likely find it on a blog. That search can be anything from making perfect lemon meringue to roofing a whole house.
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| Source: Good Housekeeping |
This blog hop shall be interesting.
Being a DIY blogger, this particular hop gave me a topic obstacle.
And; I slightly panicked.
What do I write about? That I collect junk to redo or repurpose? Everyone already knows that.
Do I say that I use a 2x4 board as a balance beam and have 3 seconds of private world games glory before I fall off and hurt my ankle?
Or how about, I'm 55 and refuse to exercise in a room full of zumba enthusiasts? I'd have to work really hard just to get in shape before joining a public exercise group like that! Don't get me wrong, I realize that exercising is important and don't take the time for it when I should; more now than ever. Despite that app I added to my phone that alerts me to do so many steps per day, I just don't do it.
Now that Pinterest app... is something else! At least I pinned a few exercise moves to try someday.
I also realize that my upper arms continue to wave for 10 minutes after I have waved hello or goodbye. I can't understand why moving 50 bricks in a wheelbarrow and mixing 80 pounds of concrete at a time hasn't cured that problem. Maybe because I don't do it everyday. But sanding and scraping furniture on a regular basis should count. Wouldn't you think so?
It's not like I haven't tried.
At home.
In private.
I bought an exercise ball intended to balance weight and exercise body movements while tightening the inner core. Seemed like fun until I rolled on it across the floor and hit my head on the dresser. So it ended up as a pool ball, you know, under the cover for winterizing.
It's just another good repurposing idea.
Besides; I'm menopausal. I'm already overheated with hot flashes. Exercising could set my hair on fire.
Until I become more proactive, I suppose longer and more frequent walks with the dog will be the extent of my regular exercise routine... that's if the dog doesn't run off with me chasing him down.
That was an experience last month. It's morning. He got loose. I went after him. In a short tank dress. With boobs flying to the sides of my ribs and with my bare feet stretching my legs the farthest ever, I chased the dog through all of the neighbors' back lots. Then, I tripped through some tree roots and my feet went over my back and head. (An upside down back flip, as I call it.) I landed hard. Gained control only to trip again. (My head must have refused to get knocked out while my body was in shock.) After getting the dog and walking gracefully home, I realized my underwear did match my tank dress. Thank God I had underwear on. The neighbors probably never saw gymnastics like that before. The unannounced performance was just as surprising to me too.
Oh well,
...working on a lot of physical DIY projects does have some advantages with my aging body. Crouching over a table with a palm sander for hours could be considered a workout because it hurts so bad when I'm finished.
No pain, no gain... who started that rumor?
As for my eyes. I've finally progressed to poor eyesight. With the help of glasses, my bifocals do a fine job of double duty as safety glasses while working in the shop. For really close up work, a magnifying glass helps. I use both, my bifocals and a magnifying glass to thread needles. The tricky one is on the sewing machine. I've attempted to thread it off the machine and carefully replace the needle. The time it takes isn't any longer than trying it on the machine to begin with.
What's worse than that, is trying to put on eye makeup.
I haven't figured out how to do that with my glasses on.
Without them, I apply shadow, liner and mascara, then put the glasses on and scare myself. Washing it off leaves remnants of the makeup and very red skin around the eyes. Then I look like I have a head cold.
I even attempted false eyelashes, thinking it's a no fail solution to messy mascara. But, I glued my right eye shut because I couldn't see where I was applying the adhesive. I guess it's not for me. A friend suggested getting eyelash extensions at a salon. After seeing the cost for a temporary situation, I steered away. If I could spend that much money on my eyes, it would be to get my eyesight back! Laser eye surgery is a big wish list item that may never happen. So sporting bifocals in the shop will continue to be so savvy.
It's probably a good thing that I'm a basic fashion plate with my beauty fails. T-shirts, jeans, plaid shirts, cargo pants (best for working in) and cowboy boots are what complete my wardrobe. And some of those could be mixed together at the same time. Obviously, I'm not a model primadona. I could never be a fashion or beauty blogger. It's a real life disaster for me and I'd set the worst examples ever. I'm surprised I haven't seen myself in those "Whale-mart People" photos.
You would think I could DIY beautify my body but I seriously can't keep a pretty color of nail polish on for one day. My before and after photos of my hands are from clean and pretty to slivers, ripped finger nails, and skin abrasions.
I had to laugh out loud and spit my coffee when asked for a photo of me with one of my projects for a feature. Are you kidding!?!?! When 99% of the time I look like this:
I'm not photogenic material.
I'll stay behind the camera.
Although I have so much more DIY lined up for the blog it will eventually run out. As will my body. After numerous carpentry accidents, I'm learning to slow down. So, I'm currently contemplating rebranding to more of a "complete home" blog... where I can add recipes (it's a safe zone), home decor, design, and other lifestyle elements of the home.
Perhaps I'll have nice fingernails for a couple of days in a row. Maybe even talk about "private summer" remedies. (You know, those hot flashes in January) And, the fact there is no "i" in "uterus". It's been a shared territory with ambitious sperm and growing infants a few times. It's basically expired and possibly removing it can alleviate some problems so I can feel 20 again. After all, 50 is the new middle age and I do have a "tween-ager" to keep me busy.
The blog will go on, despite my behind the scene "maturity" dilemmas. Hopefully, I'll have a new photo that is more professional, or ask someone with good photo editing skills to fix one for me... maybe they are talented enough to paint on some fake eyelashes.
For now, I'm really excited to read what the other amazing middle aged women of our group have written. We're a supportive bunch. And we're not "old"; we're "seasoned". It does take years of experience to achieve perfection. We may even be reinvented souls.
Feel free to browse the links and get acquainted with all of us! And, we'll be using #fiftyandfab on our social media if you would like to follow along!
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