Do You Remember?

photo by Calsidyrose@Flickr.com

It's hard to believe that typewriters and their accessories, including ribbons and rolling erasers like the one pictured here, are outmoded designs. When did I get so old that the stuff of my youth is considered "vintage"? I grew up using an old manual typewriter much like this:

My typewriter had a two-colored ribbon and when it got stuck in the red, I typed an entire term paper in red ink on onion-skin paper. I can imagine my poor English teacher shaking her head as she squinted her way through pages of Lewis Carroll's imagery and references. (Remember when we put footnotes at the bottom of each page?)

For high school graduation, I received an electric typewriter as a gift. It traveled with me across the country to my college in Missouri, where I was introduced to a new writing device, the computer. I loved the ease with which I could make changes to my words, even after they were on the printed page. No more typewriter eraser needed! I believe the word processor influenced my decision to become a newspaper editor.

Kickin' Fifty

I'm 50 and I like to kick.


When I turned 50 in May the day my daughter graduated from college, I knew that many changes were in store for me, but I had no idea that within only weeks I would be armpit-deep in perimenopause and living in an empty nest. In June, my hot flashes moved from night-time sweat to all-day terror and both my adult children moved out of the house. Like many of my (older) baby boomer friends have done before me, I'm determined to kick this new era with as much positive energy and thoughtful humor as possible. Reclaiming my own creative space within our home, reflecting on memories collected from the past, and rejoicing in a healthy future is my three-pronged approach to successfully negotiating this noteworthy year. My goal for writing this blog is to record my journey into the "second half" of life. I look forward to sharing it with you, my friends and family, both old and new.