Over 50 and Happy

My new site is coming along.  I have been working very long hours on setting this up and figuring it out.  I've become obsessed!  I'm not even sure why I'm so obsessed with this, except to say that this is all I've been thinking about all hours of the day and night for several weeks now.  I have so many ideas and thoughts that I want to put into this new site and the more research I do the more I realize how hungry Women Over 50 are to get more information and support for depression, menopause, divorce, empty nest, etc.  I want to encourage and offer some support and I'm so passionate about it.  Even my husband is wondering what in the world has gotten in to me!  I haven't turned on the TV for days, which isn't like me at all.  I'm just so involved in reading and studying, not to mention trying to figure out this Wordpress system of site building.  That's been a whole course of it's own!  
This whole process has made me realize how important it is to have a passion for something, especially as we get older.  It makes you discover a purpose and offers an excitement to looking forward to each day.
I have finally been able to get my sign- in box up on my new site so women can sign in to receive Newsletters with blog posts, daily quotes and sayings, and happiness tips.  I'm actually working on an E-Book that I'm writing about Health and Fitness for Real Women Over 50.  That could be a while down the road before that's ready to go.
Please stop over and visit my new "house".  I'm ready to show it off a little, but still have more "furniture" and "decorating" to do.

 New website can be found here

I also want to get back to visiting all of you, my great blogging friends out there!  I'm sorry I've been so neglectful.  Please forgive me and don't give up on me.  I just don't have enough hours in the day and I know I try to take on too much - but I'm happy !  Now I have my Spokane kids coming tomorrow for 2 weeks so things aren't going to slow down for a while yet.

Talk to you all again real soon, I hope!

Hugs, 

Nina

No More Bad Hair Days

No More Bad Hair Days

Click title above to visit my new website and read all about it!  I'm working on a lot more to come,, but it's been a very time consuming project.
I'm currently working on a sign-in page where you can sign up to receive email newsletters, along with tips and quotes on "Being Happy Over 50" .  As you all know, I'm just a regular ole' Grandma that isn't extremely computer tech savvy, so it takes me a little while to figure these things out.  But I'm having so much fun and I'm so excited to see where this new road can lead and excited to possibly support, help, and guide "real" women over 50" in having the best 2nd half of their life that's possible!
I sincerely don't want to lose touch with the very good friends I've made at my Blogger "home".  Theresa, DJan, Val, Rae, Denise, Debbie, Judy; Mariah, Vee, Connie, Marydon, and I could go on and on.  In fact, it's because of all of you that I truly have come to appreciate how blessed and happy I am at age 53.  I also realize that there are so many women out there that don't have such support, blessings, self esteem, and joy in their lives.  And they can!  It's there for all of us!
So thanks to all of you.  I may even call on some of you from time to time to guest blog for me.  You all have so much to offer "women of a certain age".
I'll be talking to you again soon.
Hugs and Stay Happy,
Nina  

It's a Bumpy Ride with Kids!

This was posted on Facebook by my DIL describing their day yesterday!  I'm so glad I'm the grandma and not the mother.  I found out about all of this after the fact and once everything was calmed down and fine.  I would have been a basket case if I had to deal with this:


What a day! Things started wonderful. Got up and to the gym by 8:30. Ran 4 miles. Came home. Got the baby up so Austin could take her to the gym child watch.  Discovered that she had taken her diaper halfway off and was playing in her poop! Tubby time! Cleaning her with the shower on. She falls. Starts crying. I say "It's ok peanut. You just got scared"   Flip her over and start rinsing the soap off her. Feel the back of her head and there, lodged in her head is the metal hair strainer!  I thought maybe it was stuck in her hair. Nope, there's the blood!   ER here we come! I freaked out. Didn't know what to do, but knew enough not to pull it out myself!  She had to get a staple. She was such a big girl though. We had to put her on my lap to take her to the hospital and she laid on her belly smiling and waving to her daddy the whole time!   The nurses and docs at IRMC were absolutely amazing though! We were out of there in 20 min.   So, then, I think she figures "oh well, I already have a staple in my head... let's see about this walking thing" and she took her first steps! 

Leanna walking

Then she freaking falls... and her head starts bleeding again!!! I am so happy she is in bed sleeping for the night! I need a padded room for this one!!!  It was definitely scary, but I have to say that I have the most amazing family. Austin basically flew us to the hospital and the boys got out the door an d into the car quicker than I could have imagined. My goodness I love my family. I truly am so blessed   As for me, I am loading the dishwasher and hitting the hay! 


My comment later in the evening:
What a day! The upside?! You're not bored and you know your family can work well together in a small crisis! Hope you have a calm Sunday! Love you all!!


Oh My!

Oh Deer!!

This has been just a beautiful summer!  Yes, it's hot, but I'm loving it.  It feels so good to wake up at 6:00 in the morning, walk three miles from 7 to 8 with a tank top and shorts on, then sit on the back deck at 8:15 with my cup of coffee!  It was 72 degrees at 7:00 this morning!  I love it!
I worked in my garden until a little after noon and then it was just too hot to be working out there any longer.  I think it got up to 96 degrees, but it is so pretty out!  Now it's 6:30 pm and it is still 90 degrees.  WOW!!

OK, now that you have a full weather report,  here is what I saw the other morning at 5:30 when I got up to get ready for my morning walk.  I've lived on the lake for 7 years now and this is the first time I ever saw the deer swimming in the lake.  I guess they're hot, too!

They were a family, with the mom and dad washing the two babies!  I took the pictures from the window because I was afraid if I opened the door to step out onto the deck I would scare them away!  It was the most amazing site.  I get so mad at them when they eat my flowers in the middle of the night, but you can't get mad at them after seeing this!

Fun in the Sun

It is hot!! But I'm not complaining!  I promised that in the midst of ice and snow and below freezing temperatures last winter, I would not complain when the heat came in the summer. Here we are and I am true to my word.
Little Miss Leanna is visiting for a few days while her Mommy is a week in Pittsburgh for her annual Air Force Reserve training.

She has a good time with Grampy Bobby doing things she wouldn't be allowed to do at home or with Mommy around!

She hates when Grammy Nina puts those darn cute clips in her unruly hair!

Ready to walk any day!

 She's finally taking a nap, so I'm going to try to catch up a little.  I know my blogging has really gotten behind this summer.  This summer seems especially full for us.  I barely have time to write anything and my enjoyable blog reading has really suffered.  A person can only do so much!

Last Saturday, July 2nd, we had our annual 4th of July party.  It was a beautiful day, as most of our summer has been, we had a great attendance of friends and family and plenty of good food.  

My brother in law, John, on the left, was designated grill cook.  He did a great job!  John and his wife, my sister in law Debbie, came from Cincinnati, as did my brother, Chuck, and his wife, Jill.  This is my cousin Fred on the right.  Two days after our party, Fred and my cousin Susie, his wife, became first time grandparents of twin boys!

cousins Frank and Betty

l-r: son Austin, cousin Fred, cousin Steve, DIL Melissa, cousin Betty

Cousin Mark with my brother's dog, Frankie

Look behind Mark in the above picture to the bank on the other side of the lake.  That is where the fireworks were set off that evening.  We have a beautiful front row seat to the fireworks show right in front of us!  

My good friend, Paula, along with her daughter, Marielle, and Marielle's newly adopted twin daughters from Africa.

It was also Leanna's first birthday on June 28, so we celebrated while we had the gathering of friends and family.  I got her a Tinkerbell cake because she sort of got nicknamed "tinks" when she was a very young baby due to the odor that such a cute little thing could put out!

She thoroughly enjoyed her first birthday cake!

And was very happy to share with Big GG (Great Grandpa, my dad)

This post for today is done and she's still sleeping!  It felt good to sit for a while and write in quiet!  Maybe I can even get another load of clothes folded if I hurry up!