Category: The New Me

Late, Very Late, Midlife Crisis

Jane Carlile Baker, Author, Editor, Teaching ConsultantLeave a comment

flowers fun girl hat

It’s my sister’s fault. (Does this type look really small?)

So, she told me about this set up where you dress based on your personality. You do your hair and makeup that way, too. I took the test. OK, it hit me right on the money. It said I’m a crash bar person. I like to get on with it. True that.

So I watched the videos, and they made sense. So I cleaned out my closet and got some new colors of Crocs and styles of clothes. Then I got a new haircut that moves and changed my makeup away from old lady makeup. I feel good, nah nah nah nah nah nah nah. (Hear the song?)

People are saying, “Hey, you look good.” I’m responding, “I’m having a late midlife crisis.” I guess midlife really is determined by how long you plan to live. I do not plan to live to 140, so mine’s late.

Now, how much does this matter? It’s a good idea to put your best foot forward, and my foot is looking a lot nicer, especially in the dusty rose Crocs. However, I’m still me, a daughter of God, and inveterate crashbar person. I still put my pants on one leg at a time, albeit in deeply colored pants. I may, however, be loving my neighbor a little more than I used to because spending a little love on myself makes it easier to spend some on my buddies.

Thanks, Sistiyounger!

Thicccc

Jane Carlile Baker, Author, Editor, Teaching ConsultantLeave a comment

I discovered there’s a new word among the younger set this week. Funny how things happen.

I’m a woman blessed with dutch legs, short and sturdy. Sometimes they come in handy, but they didn’t do much for a little girl who wanted to be a ballerina. Mom said, “You can’t be a ballerina, your legs are too thick.” So I took a few tap dancing lessons. Not my style. The end, well not exactly.

I was telling this story to a group of ladies at my church the other night, and one of them said, “You have it made.”

“I do?”

“Yes. The new word for really great, terrific, awesome, is thicccc, and the more cccs you put on the end, the better it is.” She wrote it on a 3×5 for me, and I have posted it on the mirror.  I am thicccc, and I’ve come a long way, baby.

New beginnings

Jane Carlile Baker, Author, Editor, Teaching ConsultantLeave a comment

This year started with the one and only 1/1/11. Now if that’s not a new beginning, I don’t know what is. However, how does one make a new beginning with the same old self?
One doesn’t. The only way to make a new beginning is to connect to the Creator, over and over again. So I don’t need 1/1/11. I just need to pay attention. When I worry, it’s time to pray. When I weigh too much, it’s time to ask the One who loves me more than I can even understand to help me make good food choices and have fun when I exercise that day. When I realize I miss him, it’s time to set a new habit. What changed since we were talking regularly? Where do I need to put the new habit schedule-wise. When I don’t have enough time, I need to ask him to show me the priorities, and then say the no’s. When I’m focused more on goals than relationships, I need to ask him to interrupt my mad dashing. And so on and so on. New Years Resolutions don’t work, but connecting with the Creator does.