Gettin' a Face Lift

The Transitional-Woman is getting a face lift.  Not me, the blog.

Not that I would object to some nipping, tucking and lifting myself, but I don’t think I could convince the insurance company to foot the bill.

No, Transitional-Woman is in the midst of being revamped with a fresh, clean look so that it will be easier and more enjoyable to read.  And along with the evolving new look, because I’m not finished yet, I’ve been refining the blog’s focus.  I hope to write about not only the transitions I am facing in my life, but transitions women face in many stages of life.

Hope you’ll enjoy the changes in both look and content.  If you have any comments or suggestions or topics you'd like to read about,  please feel free to share them.

Some other bits of news….

 I’ll be removing the Google Friends Connect widget from the sidebar soon so you’ll need to click on the new NetworkedBlogs icon to become a follower of Transitional-Woman.

And finally, the winner of the DaySpring giveaway was Katy.  Congratulations Katy!

Image source

Tender

Five Minute Friday - today's word is Tender

Tenderness.  What a beautiful concept.  We think about passion, love, kindness and gentleness, but how often do we consider the idea of tenderness?  Tenderness seems to be a gentle, nurturing kind of love and caring with a little something extra thrown in.
  
Tenderness is what we might feel for a soft, tiny newborn.  Or a person fragile, in pain in their sickbed.


Tenderness draws from a different well of emotion; from somewhere deep in our heart, that unselfish place where we give without considering the cost to ourselves.


What a little-used emotion tenderness is.  Oh, to feel more tenderhearted toward those I am angry with. Or to feel more tenderhearted even toward those I love so that I develop a less self-centered type of love toward them


Tenderness ...

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back to 5 minute friday and invite others to join in.
3. Go a little overboard encouraging the writer who linked up before you.

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An Open Letter to AARP

Dear AARP,

I don't know where you got the idea that I was interested in joining you.  And although I persist in throwing your mailings into my recycling bin, you persist in sending me more.

Since you are obviously not getting the message that I AM NOT INTERESTED, here are some clues that I am not AARP material.

1.  I am not retired.

2.  I can run.

3.  I have a child who is under 18.

4.  I work.

5.  I don’t repeat myself

6.  I periodically alter my hairstyle.

7.  I can still touch my toes.

8.  I am not eligible for Social Security and won’t be for a Very Long Time.

9.  My hair is blonde, not grey, blonde 

10. I have great shoes.

11. I don't eat "Early Bird Specials"

12. I keep the TV volume low.

13. I don't repeat myself.

So save your money and stop contacting me.  I’ll let you know if I ever need you.

Change of Plans

All morning I had this great idea for what I felt was a funny post.  And I still plan to write it sometime soon, but I changed my mind because of three pieces of news I heard this afternoon.


Three women I know are facing serious surgery.  One, on Wednesday, for  recurring brain cancer.  Another, very soon, possibly this week, for spinal surgery .  The third, date undetermined, for yet another skin cancer, she had one removed last week.

All of them are strong women of faith, but these are heavy crosses to bear.  They may stumble and sometimes fall as they walk these dangerous roads but I know they won't be walking alone.  The one who bore the heaviest cross of all will be carrying their crosses with them.


Pray with me for them this week.




Photo source

Encourage One Another and be Blessed

When my mother died last year, the two things that meant the most to me were the friends who came to visit offering support and comfort and the sympathy cards I received in the mail.  I felt loved.

It seems the older I get, the more I treasure cards and notes from friends and family whether they’re for a special occasion or just expressing love, encouragement and appreciation.  I have a big, dented, light green tin decorated with Impressionist paintings where I keep my cherished correspondence.

Receiving those cards filled with love makes me so happy that I decided recently to make a point of sending more cards of thanks, support and encouragement to women who I think could use an extra little bit of love.

So I was excited when I was given the opportunity by (in)courage to review the Hope & Encouragement card pack and Thank You cards from their Holley Gerth line.      

You can see that the cards are beautiful, but the sentiments they contain are filled with caring, hope, concern, love and encouragement thoughtfully and sincerely expressed.  


 As I started to read through these cards, specific women came to mind who I knew would be blessed and encouraged by the heartfelt love expressed .  It says in I Thessalonians 5 that we are to encourage and build one another up.  What better way to do that, especially for friends far away, than with a card?


Do you want to be a fellow encourager?  I will be hosting a $20 give away (thanks to the generous people at  (in)courage) good toward products offered on the (in)courage website.  You can enter by doing any or all of the following:

• Become a Member of transitional-woman
• Post a comment and share how giving or receiving cards has been a blessing to you
• Subscribe to posts or follow by email
• Share on Facebook (let me know where I can find this)
• Tweet this

So you have up to five chances to win this giveaway.  Let me know how many entries you are eligible for by posting a comment.  The random drawing will take place January 25. You will be notified shortly after if you're the winner and given the special coupon code to be used at (in)courage. 

DaySpring provided the cards free of charge for me to review.  The opinions stated are my own.

Awake

Welcome to 5 Minute Friday.  Today's word is AWAKE

Why, oh why, oh why is it so hard to come awake?  The soft bed cocoon is a seductive siren urging me to stay where I am.  It doesn't matter what I have to do that day, I can rationalize it all away when I am in the loving arms of my bed.

The flip side is that staying in bed means I don't get anything accomplished that day and I would hate that feeling since I am a goal-driven person.  I must accomplish or I feel like I have wasted the day, wasted part of my life.


I think it would be easy to settle into middle-age and not be awake to any of the possibilities life offers at every stage.  Our society celebrates the idea of retirement, but my life is such that at a time when people are thinking, "Oh, retirement is just a decade away," I am at the point where I'm thinking "What's next for me?"  I am not planning to retire, I'm hoping for a brand new kind of life with brand new opportunities and hopefully, adventures.


My husband and I will likely never be able to retire, but I'm starting to feel all right about that.  This is just how life seems to be working out for us.  But even more than that, I'm not sure the Lord wants us, or any Christian to retire.


Time's up.  Darn.  I was just getting started.


Five Minute Friday is all about writing.  Write for five minutes, non-stop, no editing on the word proposed by The Gypsy Mama for that Friday.  Link your post back to The Gypsy Mama, invite others to join in, then read the post before yours, comment on it and encourage the writer.  What could be easier or more fun?










Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Can you believe it?

I am doing homework.  It's been a while since I've done that.  I am, much to my family's great bemusement, taking a four week blogging class.
  
One of the avenues I'm exploring for my transitional life is, Can I be a blogger who makes money?


I love to write, that's why I started a blog, but as my June transition deadline approaches (last homeschooler graduates from high school) and I'm looking/praying about what to do next, I'm wondering if blogging is the answer or an answer or not the answer.
But you don't know if you don't try.

Here's who I'm taking my class from:

3G, 4G Gee Whiz

During the past two decades while I've been busy giving birth and raising and homeschooling my children, the world of technology has not stood still.  While I contemplated the merits of contemporary cursive over traditional cursive, computers shrank from room sized to notebook sized.  I didn't mean to become ignorant, it just happened naturally.


After all, when you're trying to teach several someones how to read, then multiply and divide, dissect earthworms and, eventually, write a college application essay, who has time to debate the merits of PC vs. Mac?

But learn I must and I've made great strides in understanding technology in 2011.  With the help of my husband, children and PC World not to mention Best Buy ads and ShopSmart Magazine, I've learned a lot.


This old dog (who is finally on Face Book, but still has a flip phone), at least knows what a smart phone is, can discuss web hosting, is bereft without WiFi and feels like a hotshot with her new Kindle Fire, has learned some new tricks.


Image sources: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1786
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659

Roar

We roar with rage.  We roar with pain.  We roar with frustration.  We roar when experiencing so many painful and, sometimes, sinful emotions.  There seems to be no other way to express ourselves when the unfairness of life descends on us and presses us down.


The word of God tells us that sometimes God speaks through a storm.  And sometimes He speaks with a still, small voice.  At times, a roar is the appropriate response, but at other times a quiet response, a whisper, a silent acceptance is what is needed.

Whatever happens, and whatever feelings we experience we are not left alone.  We have someone who hears our roars, the loud roars and the silent roars of our hearts.

And so in the midst of writing, the blue screen of death appeared and my son asked, "Did that make you want to roar?"

Here's how it works:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – don’t edit; don’t second-guess.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Must: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

Image sources: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=172

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sad+person&view=detail&id=E4A20D251F20C9838C2933A2A2B005799E6FDBC0&first=661&FORM=IDFRIR

Starting to Finish

We are taking one more day of holiday time so we'll officially start our 2012 homeschool year tomorrow.  But I'm spending some of today scheduling out the rest of this year's school work for my remaining homeschool student.

This is the final stretch of a 17 year race.  On June 9, 2012, this young man will graduate from our homeschool high school, the fourth and final graduate from Emmanuel Christian Home School.


He has been diligently sending in his college applications and has one and a half to go.  This is challenging for both the student and the homeschool parent who needs to fill out all of the academic paperwork that is normally handled by a guidance counselor.


We are starting to approach the finish line quickly.  He will go on to a university and I will be out of a job.  Because make no mistake, homeschooling is a full-time job and then some.


He and I are both transitioning.  He knows where he is going (or will know after he receives his acceptances or rejections and then makes the final decision).  


And me?  Well, I am slowly beginning to sift through options (but must speed up) and praying.  Don't know what I'm transitioning toward yet, but I'm getting ready.


Image source: picturesof.net