90 degree weather in October?

I don't know about you, but I'm totally disappointed in the weather Michigan is experiencing! Of course, tomorrow it will be more like fall temps, but here it is Oct. 8 and I haven't even been to the cider mill yet for some fresh cider and donuts!! I WILL go in the next week though!

Today is Columbus Day. Ok, so what? No government offices open today, but everyone else has to go to work or school. I heard on the news that there were protests out west about the US celebrating someone who really wasn't so great afterall. Another example of how far things have gone since the days when we studied about Columbus "discovering America".

I was just looking through one of the "dating" sites out there to see what's available these days. hahahah....it never seems to change. I'm still surprised about the guys who say they want to find a woman who likes sex. Just like in High School....one thing that is most important. You would think that guys in their late 50's would finally realize that women don't want to plan ahead on the sexual activities for the first date! Most of the guys don't actually say it, but you get the idea from they way they describe the first date. Oh well, I don't really think about dating much anyway these days. I've never met one guy from those sites because I always back out before it gets to that point.

I didn't have much to talk about today, but at least I posted something!! :)

Advertising to babyboomer women

I got this picture in an email for a menopause website last week and I just felt discouraged that they wouldn't take more time to find an image that more closely depicted someone my age. Here's what I put in my newsletter and then go here to see the numerous responses:

Most of you know that I don't make much of an issue out of my age (I'll be 60 in April) or the fact that I'm not the pretty young thing of my youth (I'd say until I hit about 40?), but I'm finally at the point where if someone is going to claim they are speaking to ME as a middle aged woman who is NOT a model, they really should try to use age appropriate photos so as not to send me over the edge like this one did.

I tried to let it go unnoticed, really I did, because it was in one of the fairly reliable, interesting, and as they say, "trusted" sources for menopause information, but my eyes kept going back to the smooth face on this lovely girl, the smokey, sultry eyes and that sunlit, slightly tossled mane of blond hair. I've got to be honest, I have no idea what is in the rest of the email. This really deflated my energy level today for some reason.

After nearly 11 years of running my website, I'm fully aware that the woman in the picture could very well be suffering with symptoms of peri-menopause and her looks have nothing to do with the need for information, but how do we get it through to these people who are trying to sell us something that we need to feel represented, understood and taken seriously. I may be wrong, but what do you want to bet that it's a man who put this particular email together? I really doubt if it was a woman, or if it was, it was a young woman who probably thought "this woman looks like she's wondering why she pee'd her pants as she was getting down off her horse." I just want to have the opportunity to review a product or information that is truly made for my benefit without feeling like whoever is pushing this or that, assumes they know what I need or want. And trust me, there are millions of women who feel the same as I do. Your comments are welcome.

A change is upon this website!

First of all I'm amazed that I haven't posted anything since July! I guess I just haven't found my groove yet...until today. I finally realized what makes other blogs interesting to me is that they (the people who write their blogs) just talk about themselves and the small (or big) things that happen in their everyday lives. I've been so used to trying to find the right things to say to a large audience (over 12,000 subscribers), that I found it difficult to bring things down to a more personal level.

Then it hit me....I write a monthly newsletter and constantly update my website, but I don't have a daily record of my thoughts, dreams, happenings, sorrows and rants. Yes, I knew that's what a blog is for, but I couldn't find my voice even in two blogs I started. Yes, I could (and have) posted daily on my forum, but still, it's not the same. Today, after reading a couple of really good blogs like this one and this one and this one I realized that I just needed to write about my day....each day. Simple. I've been making it too difficult all along.

I wanted to make a blog that lots of women would read, but then I didn't post very often and on top of that, I didn't tell anyone about the blog! hahahah....well, maybe I mentioned it once in the newsletter and a couple of times on the forum, but I clearly was not proud of my offering so I didn't really invite many people in. Today that has changed!

I used to switch back and forth from being "Minnie Pauz" and having the blog be an extension of her, the website and what I've been working on for over 10 years, to being "Dee" and writing about the things that irritated me or that I thought were important to all women. You know, trying to help "the cause"....mostly the "pause cause". :) I'm still going to be doing that and getting on my soap box, but now I'm more clear on what I want to say....I found my voice. I do hope readers will respond when they see something that touches them or that they relate to.

Speaking of that, I definitely hit a nerve in the latest newsletter when I mentioned the picture of a beautiful woman in an email I got for a menopause site. I will post it here, but in a different post since I want this one to be about my day TODAY, but in case I don't get it done, you can read all the responses I got here. Clearly, many women feel the same way I do about using appropriate photos or people in advertising that is directed to us.

Ok, so today (a Saturday) I'm sitting here waiting for the satellite service guy to arrive. Everything was going fine until a week ago Thursday when my office tv was only giving me half of the 8,000 channels it's suppose to show. :) No, I don't watch all of them either, but damn it, I want them to be available just in case I decide to see how many I can watch in one day!

First of all, let me explain how important the office tv is! I spend about 14 hours a day in my office, at the computer and I like to have the tv on for both noise and so I don't miss the news or my favorite talk shows, etc. Here's what my office looks like so you can see the relation of the tv to my computer:

Hey! The technician just finished so I'm feeling fully "connected" right now! :) It's a good thing since I had to miss my granddaughter's soccer game this morning waiting on the guy!

So half my day is now gone and the only thing I've accomplished is being able to watch tv while I'm on the computer! Guess I should be glad, but now it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. I'm going to finish this post, add the post about from the newsletter and then pay the rest of my bills (which I do online....do you?)

I'm also going to start telling people about my blog! I hope you will leave a comment if you come across this page in your travels through the internet. I just have to make it a habit to post here each day!

Reviving some older posts from former blog

I was looking over my old blog (that really never got off the ground) and decided to transfer some of it over here where I'm making more progress towards a daily commentary! I thought this report was right on since so many of us are dealing with insomnia throughout our menopause experience.

Insomnia keeping you awake?
While new moms and pregnant women are suffering, they are not suffering the most. Yes, more pregnant and post partum women experience insomnia a few nights each week than other age groups but when it comes to sleep disorders, such as snoring, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea, a condition characterized by difficulty breathing, post-menopausal women are having the hardest time. 50% of post-menopausal women, more than any other women’s age group, said they experienced a sleep disorder, according to the poll. Six out of ten women in this group said they battled insomnia. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/03/06/couricandco/entry2540168.shtml

What kind of things do you take to help you? I've had some women write me and say they have to use sleeping pills like Ambien or Lunesta (both of these are linked to a free trial offer) and others use things like SleepyTime tea (definitely my favorite). It's more important than we initially realize to get a good night's sleep because it affects every part of our life if we don't.

Please take care of yourself and do what you have to do to get as much restful sleep as you can manage, ok?

Let me know what kind of problems you're having with sleep. I found something new that I'll be bringing to you in the near future called Dreamerz. I'll let you know in a few weeks if it's something that might help a lot of us!

Press Release for New Book!

Menopause, you can let it get you down or you can find something in it to laugh about.

That’s what Dee Adams, creator of the one of the top web sites on menopause has done with the release of her first book, “Laughing Your Way Through Menopause.”

The book offers many of the most popular cartoons featuring the character Adams created 10 years ago, Minnie Pauz, who’s adventures with hot and cold flashes, hormonal changes and general craziness caused by menopause, have appeared on http://www.minniepauz.com/, a web site that offers humor, information and the chance for menopausal women to interact.

In addition to the cartoons, the book is liberally sprinkled with humorous stories, and anecdotes contributed by Minnie Pauz fans. “I call these stories Minnie Moments.,” Adams said. “They’re sort of like senior moments, but we don’t like to use the S word.”

Adams created the minniepauz website because “I wanted to help women get a giggle out of what we are going through in midlife. When I first showed women the cartoons, everybody said they had not seen anything like them out there. My website was the first site where women could come together and talk about menopause.” Adams and her website have been featured in Time magazine, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Forbes magazine, More magazine and numerous other media outlets, including a PBS special on women's health.

“People have been after me to do a book for 10 years,” Adams said. “I think I have a lot of readers who will like having something to hold in their hands instead of having to go to the computer to enjoy the cartoons. Women tell me that on those days when they feel blah, they need a dose of Minnie Pauz cartoons. This book gives it to them.”

“Laughing Your Way Through Menopause.” is currently available on http://www.lulu.com/content/965290 and will be later sold in bookstores and through Amazon.com.

Menopause and UTI's

I came across some info today about bladder infections (or UTI's ) and wanted to share it with you. Most of us go back to the old "cranberry juice" solution, but it's what's IN the cranberries that helps, not the sweet juice.

Here's what Dr. Mercola says: "A naturally-occurring sugar, D-Mannose is absorbed eight times slower than glucose, and is not converted to glycogen or stored in the liver*. It goes directly to the blood stream from the upper GI tract, so it's mostly filtered through the kidneys and routed to the bladder*.

Cranberry juice is NOT a good choice for promoting urinary tract health because it is high in fructose that can lead to greater health issues. The D-Mannose found in cranberries, however, is exceptional for promoting a healthy urinary tract* - and is now available in a high-quality form you can read about below!

The bladder lining is comprised of polysaccharide molecules. D-Mannose is so remarkable that its chemical structure causes it to adhere to unfriendly bacteria even more stubbornly than such bacteria sticks to human cells*.

Thus, the unfriendly bacteria preferentially attach to D-Mannose molecules, forming a compound that is expelled with urine. It's amazingly effective and many preliminary D-Mannose studies support this*.

When mannose is taken, the body redirects it to the urine, where it will start to show concentrations in the urine within 30 minutes. Once it is passed into the urine, it goes to work immediately*.

Because D-Mannose is a nutritional food substance, it is safe to use with antibiotics and will not interfere with antibiotic treatment. If you do use an antibiotic, always remember to take a high-quality, high-potency probiotic to help replace the beneficial bacteria that the antibiotic may kill.

Bird Watching time!

I'm so excited because the hummingbirds are back to Michigan, plus the Baltimore Orioles returned again this year! They won't stay all summer and I'm sure the hummingbirds won't mind because the Orioles like to feed on the h. feeders even though I have the larger o. feeder out there. This first picture is the way it's supposed to be! :) The second photo is the problem:



















I can tell you one thing though. It wasn't easy to get these photos!! My office window looks out over the my small yard so I can turn my head when I hear a unique bird call and see them on the feeders, BUT if I make a move to get closer with the camera, they take off and then it seems to take hours before they come back. Here's one of the first times I saw a hummingbird standing STILL!

Here's another photo I'll share....the best rainbow I ever saw!

Whew! I still haven't figured out how to get this all laid out the way I want, but at least it's somewhat presentable. :) I didn't mean to wait so long before posting again, but I seem to forget about the blog with all the other things I'm doing (website, newsletter, etc)

Have a great Mother's Day weekend. I'll be sending my Mother an e-card and probably a phone call, then both sons will call sometime during the day. I may have brunch with my daughter and granddaughter. It gets complicated when everyone in the family is a Mother!! :)

How to approach a birthday!

Every year I hear the same thing from friends and family....they start talking about their upcoming birthday like it was something that had never happened before! My Mother is the worst and she's 77 as of April 3! I keep wondering, has she forgotten that she says the same thing every year? "I'm not having anymore damn birthdays!!" At least she doesn't say she's "39 and holding". I get kind of tired of that one too. I think my daughter has taught her daughter to say "29 and holding". She's going to be 34 in September.

Fortunately, most of the people that I talk to are between 50 and 63 and strangely enough, they're not moaning and groaning about their age! I know it's the way our generation (the babyboomers) have taken on every segment of their lives that has prevented them from falling in that "deny your birthday, deny your existance, deny your mortality" frame of mind. All we really want to do is celebrate our one special day of the year and would really love to have our friends and family feel cheery WITH us, but NOOOOOOOO....if we mention our birthday, it sends most people off to their deep, dark thoughts about their OWN dreaded unhappy day. :(

I like it when women throw themselves a birthday party!! How cool is that and since they're in charge they can kick out anyone who is not acting like the proper 4 year old at their party! I would also kick out anyone who did not bring a gift!! That seems to be the biggest disappoint when MY birthday rolls around (coming April 27, by the way...heheheh)....how can people who KNOW it's your birthday, NOT buy you a gift???? But they do it (or DON'T do it). I can't remember the last birthday gift I received. It might have been a pair of gold earrings from my cousin, Sharon...yep, I think that was it because I said, "ahhhhh, you didn't have to do that, especially since I never even remember YOUR birthday!" I have to say though, Sharon is not one of the age appropriate ones I mentioned who are taking their birthdays gracefully...no, she's more like my Mother in that she would rather not even mention the horrible day!

This year I'm going to let it all slide....the comments, the e-cards (instead of real cards), no cake, no presents from the kids (and they're all old enough and make more money than I do, so there's no excuse), and anything else that makes April 27 seem like just another day. That's because this year I'm turning 59. You see what I'm getting at, right?

Oh, but I pity the person who doesn't make SOME kind of special effort next year!! I'll be working on becoming healthy and good looking again!!
:) No more excuses about forgetting, Sister! No more 6pm phone call from the kids saying "Happy Birthday".....and I mean literally, that's it! I have had more heartfelt greetings from my minniepauz.com subscribers who I've never even met!

So this year, from 4/27/07 to 4/27/08, I'm going to be working on myself and secretly working on everyone around me to help me make my 60th birthday the best one ever!! So that's my advice on how to approach a birthday!

1. Start a year early!

2. Tell everyone you know!

3. Write out a birthday wish list (just like a Christmas list)

4. Plan your own party (so they HAVE to show up and are obligated to bring a gift! :)

5. Let your inner kid come out!

And for those of you who have been single for a long time, even if you haven't met anyone in the last 10 years, find yourself a date for that night! Either get someone to do you a favor (like the 28 year old neighbor-with a sense of humor) or spend a few bucks to rent an escort! What better way to say, "hey, I'm still celebrating life!!"

What are some of your suggestions for making birthdays fun again?