Random Thoughts by Shelley: Mid-life moments aren't that bad afterall

In between all your goals, priorities, obligations and everything else that might appear on one of your upcoming to-do lists, there are moments called life that still have to be lived and enjoyed. – Melchor Lim

Week #24 - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!

Wow - We’ve reached the middle mark – ½ way to 50! It’s June 1^st, and I’m amazed that ½ the year has flown by already. I’ve been right here through all of it, but I can’t believe it is really June. Half way through a project is a great time to take inventory of where you’re at, and regroup and find clarity.

I’m still on target with turning 50 – even if I haven’t blogged about it. Finding enough time to sit at the computer has been more difficult. My part-time job of being a landlord has consumed much of my “free” time. Years of neglect by some former tenants has provided us with so many projects for the past 6 weeks. We’ve had little time to breathe on the weekends. Our renovation project is over half-way done. It’s nice to finally see completion of certain areas and the homestretch for the others.

Another couple mid-point events this week, a “midlife” physical and an eye doctor appointment. They say it is important to have regular physicals and eye exams. So I faithfully scheduled the appointments, i.e., made time to do so. Since I’m not officially 50, I don’t have to do the dreaded colonoscopy yet, oh…but they’ll gladly send me a reminder later this year. Well, I guess that is something to look forward to later this year.

Mid-life physical exams can be scary or confirming of best laid plans. Doctors seem to look for the telltale signs where they need to prescribe something to help you keep healthy. I’m extremely happy to report that I wasn’t a typical 49 year old patient. I’m healthy and don’t need to take medications. So far, my lifestyle choices are helping prevent the very things that turned my mom’s life around at my age. I’m not diabetic, don’t have hypertension or high cholesterol, and I’m not overweight. Yippee – I’m here to report that regular exercise and an intermittent fast diet works after all! http://www.amazon.com/The-FastDiet-Healthy-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1476734941

Unfortunately, my eyes continued to decline with age, I’m almost at the point of needing trifocals due to the type of work I do. I’m opting for the occupational lenses instead. If you have bifocals, you can relate to my pain. The progressive lenses simply do not work well for reading or working at the computer. There’s the small sweet spot on the lenses and it is frustrating to work with! I’ve worn glasses so long I’m not sure what it would be like to not have them. I’m going to give the lined bifocals a try this time. I’ll keep you posted, are they better than the progressives or not?

Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit more comfortable with the whole midlife, turning 50 thing. Partially due to acceptance. I know I can’t change time, only change how I react to it, why not embrace it and enjoy every minute of it? I can’t change all the things that life throws me. At a midpoint in life, there have been so many opportunities to learn how to deal with obstacles and the joys in life. It’s really kind of nice to know you do get through them one way or another.

Well…as I look out the window, the rain has let up and the project list still has much to cross off…time to get back to the projects at hand. I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite midlife quotes!

Thanks for stopping by – enjoy your moments of mid-point in your summer projects!

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you. – Ogden Nash
The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits. – Theodore Roosevelt
The process of maturing is an art to be learned, an effort to be sustained. By the age of fifty you have made yourself what you are, and if it is good, it is better than your youth. – Marya Mannes, More in Anger, 1958
Middle age is when we can do just as much as ever – but would rather not. – Author Unknown
Middle age: The time when you’ll do anything to feel better, except give up what is hurting you. – Robert Quillen
Middle age is when work is a lot less fun and fun is a lot more work. – Unknown
Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle. – Bob Hope
The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it. – Arthur Schopenhauer
Middle age is having a choice between two temptations and choosing the one that’ll get you home earlier. – Dan Bennett

PS - photography moments. I found a few more settings on my camera that I need more practice on. Yesterday I was complaining to my daughter that I felt like I needed to travel to find something interesting to photograph. She told me "the best photographers are able to take great pictures right where they are with what they have." Thanks for the reminder, you don't necessarily have to look else where to enjoy life!