Ooops! It's April...

 April Fool's Day is perfect to admit that I forgot to post a blog in March! I did THINK about it a few times in March, but never quite got here to write. So I should have double the news/stories/complaints for this one, right? Well, we shall see...

Actually, everything I have to tell you today would have happened in March, so I will have to post more often this month as things happen. :) As always, I will try!

So today is my Granddaughter's 19th birthday....yup, born on April Fool's Day! She's always been the most photographic child and has just become more beautiful each year! She's like a chameleon...always changing her look! :) 

 

Here's a collage I made showing her "then and now" with her Great-Grandmother, my favorite "peekaboo" picture, and her 1st bday vs last year's 18th cake. :) 

But NOW she has fake eyelashes and hair extensions! It's really hard to accept what we consider fake beauty when it's our own grandchild, but she's old enough to make her own decisions now and those things are the most current trends. Most of us participated in the trends of our generation, so I guess we have to let these "kids" have theirs. She's still my beautiful Claudia! :) Here's her current look!

So! That was my most current issue...the first of many April birthdays! I'm sure we all have certain months like that! Claudia 4/1, my Mom 4/3 (she'll be 92), Grandson Jude 4/6, 2 ex-husbands 4/9 & 4/12 (no, I don't celebrate those), DIL 4/23 and mine 4/27, plus my Niece 4/27...we share our birthday!

So I've been doing watercolor paintings and taking care of my houseplants. These hobbies have really helped with feeling "shut in" for the past 2 years, but I think I would have been fine anyway because I'm a very good hermit! Enjoy my time alone and do my visiting online or on the phone. I'll end this blog with showing you the paintings I did of my Mom's cats....Millie has passed on, but they had her for many years. Miner just wandered onto their deck and then stayed. :) This collage shows the photos I used as reference. Mom loved them!

Until next time...whenever that will be...Happy April!

Dee

 

Falling into the rabbit hole?

Happy February! If you have had (or will have) a birthday this month, I'm sending you soooo many good wishes! This was one of my early Minnie Pauz cartoons. :)

I'm trying to remember what may have been one of my last ones, but it's been so long that I don't think I could figure it out. I do know that it was before 2013, because that was when my hard drive crashed and I lost the programs I had been using for years to finish each cartoon (coloring, etc) AND update my website. Also lost a lot of my photos I had saved that year.

That was when I fell into the rabbit hole of depression and was unable to find the motivation to draw or write a newsletter. At that point I had been doing Minnie Pauz for 15 years, probably longer, but when it crashed I couldn't rev up the energy to draw or learn a new program to put it all back together.

I was 50 when I started Minnie Pauz and 65 when the bottom fell out so that was basically my "middle age". Guess what? I'm 73 now! And even though remnants of Minnie Pauz are still there, (www.minniepauz.com and on Facebook plus this one for those of you who are also seniors), I'm still trying to climb out of the rabbit hole! My life has had many twists and turns like most of yours have, I'm sure. 

At this point I'm realizing (or admitting) that I'm not "middle-aged" any longer! I think I'm accepting being a SENIOR pretty well, but still not able to lift myself totally out of the rabbit hole.

I DO still rely on humor to keep myself climbing up instead of sinking any further down! How about you? What keeps you moving forward? Please use the comments below to share how you do it. I also find a lot of comfort and satisfaction in my hobbies of houseplants, photography and painting.

I'm in a safe and comfortable situation now, with most of my kids & grandkids nearby, with pretty good health (other than T2, psoriatic arthritis and sleep apnea LOL) and good insurance so I decided to try therapy to figure out how to... 

1. Find the Me that I love & admire (so much curiosity & enthusiasm)

2. Manage the regrets from the past (instead of reliving them constantly)

3. Make my kids and grandkids proud of me

Between Covid and Michigan weather, I'm fortunate that I can do online therapy and although I don't think I've found the right one yet, I feel I've taken a step forward in my quest for finding the fresh air and pleasant feelings and thoughts for the rest of my Senior time on earth. :) Could be 20 more years!!!!! My Mom is almost 94!

Next blog... Donating my entire body to science!

Is it Menopause or Old Age? Only 6 months behind schedule!!

 

When I left you last, it was July 2021! Good Heavens, do you think I procrastinate? I think this picture is is good to pull July 2021 together with January 2022!

A lot has happened since my last post, but since I'm trying to get caught up again, I think I will choose my favorite picture from each month, plus a short description.

I quit making New Year resolutions a long time ago. Guess why? Nevermind. I just want you to know that this is proof I don't give up when there's something I really want to do, and I want to do this! So here we go again! :)

This pic is actually July 31, but I'm including it for August since the happiness overflowed when my Daughter married her love! Perfect day, perfect location, perfect match!

Also, youngest Grandson turned 8 and youngest Granddaught turned 4! It's great to still have g-kids this age since the other 6 are from 16-26 now! ♥

In September I really got into painting! Well, I made this collage in Sept. :) One for the wedding, one for the 4 yr. old, one for my oldest Grandson...he worked on a schooner in Maine. The cat belongs to my oldest Granddaughter and was my first attempt at doing an animal. I was quite pleased with it and so was she! The cat has ears in the original. LOL

I have since done a dog and a cat for friends when their pet passed away. :(

So, October brought a shocking event! My middle child turned 50!! (obviously, my first born has already passed that marker so I'm experienced at this! :) 

This was a special birthday considering there were several years of addiction that made me wonder if he would even make it to this stage of his life. I'm so happy to report that he's in recovery, married 2 years to a wonderful woman and stepfather to a darling 4 yr. old girl...my 8th grandchild!!

"On November 30, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at Oxford High School in the Detroit exurb of Oxford Township, Michigan, United States. Four students were killed and 7 others were injured, including 1 teacher"

Thank GOD they had a normal Thanksgiving with their children, but unfortunately for those four families it will be remembered as their last normal Thanksgiving. A tragedy for our community that will never be forgotten. :(

 

I thought the least I could do was show my face in December! :) I had to push myself to smile because for the entire month, I kept thinking of the families who would probably never celebrate the holidays with joy ever again.

I was so aware of how blessed I am that I have my kids and grandkids in my life! Even with covid, there was a LOT of hugging going on this year! You can't stay 6 ft. away and touch elbows after you've seen how young lives can be cut short like this!

So here we are at the end of January You do know I'm in Michigan, right?) and I'm just getting caught up! That's ok, right? It's not how many times you fall (or fail), it's how many times you get back up and try again! 

I have a new year to try to fill with interesting and compelling posts that will not only bring you love and laughter, but will also help me to challenge myself to make the changes I need to be a better me!

Although I said I don't make New Year resolutions, I do plan on bringing all my MinniePauz pages back to life. That includes www.minniepauz.com as well as the Facebook Minnie Pauz and the AFTER the PAUSE with Minnie Pauz (for those of us who are living the life after menopause!). I just found out that my website has been down for awhile. :(  GoDaddy is trying to figure out why it's down, but that is why I want to get things going again. 

Please join me on the Facebook pages! Today (1-28-22) I will be doing my very first FB Live! Should be a riot since I'll be talking to myself and answering questions that viewers post... I HOPE!! hahahah....join me at 1pm Eastern!

Thank you to those of you who hang around and I would love to get a few comments on this blog. It has gone from being about Menopause and Minniepauz cartoons to being a middle-aged woman and now...??? I need your imput! Ok, I'm off to play Wordle for today! :)