Author

Cathy Lawdanski

Get Your Midlife Style Back – How I Did It!

Today we wrap up our series of fashion posts with a guest post from ME about midlife style on Shellie Bowdoin’s site, The FABulous Journey. You’ll recognize Shellie from my two posts where I feature lessons I learned from my favorite fashion bloggers.

Fashion Bloggers Rock A Summer Look

Lessons Learned From My Favorite Fashion Bloggers

This time, Shellie asked me to write about How I Got My Midlife Style Back. I have to laugh at the irony of this as I sit at my desk in short shorts, ratty t-shirt and no make-up, bra or shoes because everything I own is either in the laundry or in my suitcase that is packed for our vacation. You wouldn’t look at me now and think I had any business writing a fashion post! LOL!

How Blogger Cathy Lawdanski Got Her Midlife Style Back

Get Your Midlife Style Back – How Cathy Did It!

How I Got My Midlife Style Back

But seriously – Getting My Midlife Style Back hasn’t been easy. This 57-year-old body has grown and changed and finding stylish clothes that fit well or even knowing what looks good on me is a challenge! I have learned some valuable fashion tips from Shellie and others that I follow that help me feel more confident and fashionable when I do have to be seen in public.

Shellie is the “real deal”, as they say. While she is lovely and fashionable and always looks put together, her blog also talks about other issues that are important – health, fulfillment and personal growth. You can read more about her here.

Join me over at The FABulous Journey today for Get Your Midlife Style Back – How Cathy Did It!

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Accessories – The Icing on the Cake

3 Ways to Style a Vest

Outfit Ideas: What to Wear Shopping

Fun Fall Looks from My Favorite Fashion Bloggers

Quintessential Style: Cultivate and Communicate Your Signature Look

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June 22, 2016 15 comments

Be Brave

How To Talk To Your Parents About Their Funeral Arrangements

Have you thought about how to talk to your parents about their funeral arrangements?

Although we don’t like to think about it, most of us will be charged with the task of planning a funeral for our parents. And it’s safe to say that we want to honor their wishes as to what happens after they die.

How To Talk To Your Parents About Their Funeral Arrangments

*Disclosure: Some of the items in this post are affiliate links and link to Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission. There is no extra charge to you for purchasing through my affiliate links.

Funeral Arrangements – Questions to Ask

There are many questions to ask.

Do you want to be buried or cremated?
If cremated, where do you want your ashes placed or buried?
What type of funeral or memorial service would you prefer?
What special music would you like?
Any special poems or Scriptures that you would like to be read?
Do you want flowers? If so, what kind?
In lieu of flowers, is there a particular organization that people may contribute to instead?

–Partial list taken from The Dutiful Daughter’s Guide to Caregiving: A Practical Memoir

The only information that I received from my parents was that their funeral was bought and paid for. When the time came, what that really meant was that they had purchased funeral plots, a casket and a few other essentials, but that was about it. The rest of the planning was up to my sister and me. Don’t get me wrong – the plans they made in advance were great. Since they bought plots in the 1960’s and paid for some of the other funeral costs in the 80’s, we saved a tremendous amount of money. And any decision that they made ahead of time was one we didn’t have to make in a time of sadness and distress.

No doubt about it, knowing what your parents want before the time comes gives all involved great comfort and clarity. But how in the heck to you BRING IT UP?

Here are a few suggestions of ways you can break the ice and begin the conversation with your parents:

“Mom and Dad, I know this may be an uncomfortable topic, but would you be open to talking about your funeral service and some of the ways you wish to be remembered? When the time comes, I want to know that we are carrying out a ceremony that you want rather than stressing with one another over the details.”
Talk about your own pre-planning efforts as a way of breaking the ice and ask if they have any pre-arranged plans.
Ask about some of their favorite traditions and how your family will continue those traditions for generations to come before finding a natural transition to family traditions around funerals and what their wishes are.
Talk to them about the stress you have seen in other families where the parents’ wishes were not known ahead of time. Tell them you would like to know what they desire and how they want to be remembered, so that their family doesn’t undergo this type of stress.
If they have attended a funeral recently, ask about how that was conducted, what they thought about it and if they have thought about what type of funeral or memorial service they would like to have.

It is great if you can begin this conversation with them before they are ill or terminal.

As you open up these lines of communication about funeral arrangements:

Listen as much as you talk. They may have firm ideas about their plans or they may have not thought of it at all.

Give them time. If this is the first time you have ever discussed funeral plans, do not try to push everything on your parents all at once. They might need to take a few weeks to figure out what they want, or even to come to terms with the idea that funeral planning is something that needs to happen in the first place.

It’s no big secret that none of us are going to get out of here alive. You’d think this would be a natural conversation that all families would have. More often than not, it just isn’t. But it doesn’t have to be hard or difficult. The hardest part is just getting started.

This excerpt (Planning with Barbra Streisand’s help) from The Dutiful Daughter’s Guide to Caregiving: A Practical Memoir* by Judith Henry shows how the author broached the conversation with her mother. May all our conversations with our parents be this tender and full of joy!

The Dutiful Daughter’s Guide to Caregiving: A Practical Memoir* is a fabulous resource for those of you who are in the midst of caring for an aging parent.

Have you had “the talk” with your parents about their funeral arrangements? How did you bring it up? Or did they? Let me know in the comments!

5 Tips For Traveling With Friends

One of the perks being on this side of 50 is having time to travel with friends. Every year, I try to take at least one trip with just my girlfriends. On occasion, my husband and I will take a trip with another couple. Here are some tips on traveling with friends that I have learned along the way that ensure everyone has fun together AND that you are still friends when the trip is over!

5 Tips For Traveling With Friends

Everyone participates in the planning

Whether you like every minute planned or prefer a more “take it as it comes” approach, there are lots of things to research when planning a trip – airfare, car rental, accommodations, restaurants and sites to see. Make sure everyone in the group has an area to research then come together and make your plans.

Travel with people with similar spending styles

Some people, out of necessity or desire, travel on the tightest of shoe-string budgets. Others are able to spend extravagantly and not think a thing about it. These two vacationers should NOT travel together. There’s nothing worse than traveling with someone who is spending money on all the most expensive restaurants and experiences when you have to watch your budget. And vice versa, if you have the money to spend, it’s no fun having to scrimp on every little thing just because your fellow travelers can’t afford to travel in the style you prefer.

Appoint someone to keep track of expenses

In most restaurants you can get separate checks. But there are times on a trip when one person will cover the cost entire cost of something, such as a a tank of gas or tickets to an event. Appoint someone who is good at math to keep track of expenses and then tell everyone what they owe at the end. That way, everyone pays an equal share of the expenses. Even if you don’t mind picking up the tab for a cup of coffee or something that you think is small – document it. Those small charges can add up. And you may be with someone who feels the need to reciprocate, but really can’t afford it.

Everyone doesn’t have to do everything together

There are lots of sites to see and things to do on a trip. But have the understanding that everyone doesn’t have to do everything with the group all the time. There will be different energy levels and different interests. As long as one person doesn’t inconvenience the entire group, be sure everyone knows that they have the freedom to go with the group or do their own thing.

Plan for everyone to have a little space every day

Even the best of friends can get tired of talking and being together all day. On a recent trip, we rented a house and each had our own bedroom, so it was easy to get a break from each other for a little while every day. Even if you don’t have your own rooms, plan time for a cup of coffee, a walk or just sitting in the hotel lobby by yourself for a while every day. A break will do everyone good and you’ll enjoy your time together all the more.

Trips are a great time to get to know your friends better and grow closer as a result! I have so many great memories of trips with my friends. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll look forward to many more travels together!

Four Reasons You Need To Know CPR

Do you know CPR? Have you ever had to perform CPR on someone? Have you taken a class a long time ago, but need a refresher?

Last week, I attended my local American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women luncheon. This year, some friends of mine were honored for their great work with the AHA. During my friend’s speech, she recounted a time 20 years ago when her father went into cardiac arrest and then died in her arms at the hospital an hour later. She has learned a lot in her years working with AHA. My friend often wonders, “If I knew then what I know now, would the outcome have been different?”

Reasons everyone should be trained in CPR

4 Reasons You Need to Know CPR

4 Reasons You Need To Know CPR

Did you know?

Cardiac arrest is caused when the heart suddenly stops, usually due to an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat and disrupts blood flow through the body.
Over 326,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually. NINETY PERCENT of these victims DO NOT SURVIVE.
Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.

I took a CPR course many years ago, and “back in the day” we were trained to use a combination of breaths and chest compressions. The AHA has done extensive research and found that in adults, hands only CPR (chest compressions only), performed at the rate of 100 chest compressions per minute is just as effective. If you want to know how to measure 100 compressions per minute, just compress to the beat of the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive”.

One of the highlights of the luncheon for me was getting some hands-on training in from members of our local fire department. They had dummies on which to practice that showed how hard you actually need to press when doing chest compressions. They said if you break a rib during chest compressions, that is a good thing! That means you are pressing hard enough. Who knew?

So why learn CPR?

I learned that 70% of out of hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes or residential settings.
Chances are, if you are called on to perform CPR, you’ll be doing it on someone you love – a spouse, child, parent or friend.
For every minute a person is “down” without getting CPR, their chances of survival DECREASE by 7-10%. That’s why it is important to know what to do and to do it quickly.
I learned that CPR is not hard. I could do it now, based on a few minutes of training, but I want to do more. I am going to sign up for a CPR course.

[bctt tweet=”For every minute a person is “down” without getting #CPR, their chances of survival DECREASE by 7-10%” username=””]

If immediately starting CPR would increase a person’s chance of survival and it is something I can learn to do, why wouldn’t I do it?

So join me, will you?

Find a training near you.

The Gift of Midlife Girlfriends

I’ve spent the last two weekends with some midlife girlfriends. The first group I had known for 40 years. They were my college sorority sisters and we were together for our bi-annual reunion.

The second group, I didn’t know at all, other than through social media and their blogs. They were the women who attended the Bloggers at Mid-Life Conference in Las Vegas.

The Gift of Midlife Girlfriends

These events reminded me of why I enjoy my girlfriends, both old and new on this side of 50.

I’m inspired by their stories. You don’t reach this side of 50 without experiencing some pain, hard knocks & rough times, be it the death of a loved one, divorce, financial problems or getting fired.

There is a certain transparency that comes at this stage of life. We are past the point of caring so much what others think and don’t mind sharing the joy and pain of our experiences.”

We have empathy.

We aren’t so competitive, so it’s a thrill to be able to encourage and root for each other to succeed.
We’re resilient. Many of us had survived the “worst thing that can happen” (at least the worst thing as we would have defined it in our 20’s) and come out the other side stronger and more determined. It has made us who we are.

We are less judgmental. Gone is the black and white thinking of our youth. We don’t say “I would never…” very much anymore.

But the things we DO know, we KNOW – to the core of our being.

We are diverse – single, married, divorced, widowed, mothers, grandmothers. We differ in our political & religious views, how we dress, whether or not we color our hair. The desire to “fit in” with the crowd often is dwarfed by the desire to just be ourselves.

Being with my women friends is one of the things that makes this side of 50 the best time of life!

What do you value in your relationships with YOUR girlfriends?

“We make a choice in how we approach aging.” – Walker Thornton

“Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan

Southwestern University Tri Delta Pledge Class

Members of my Tri Delta Pledge Class in 1979. I’m on the top row on the right.

Southwestern University Tri Delta Reunion 2016

Tri Delta Reunion 2016. Photo by Laurie Heath Images. I’m sitting on the bottom row wearing red pants.

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April 18, 2016 69 comments

Be Brave

Melange of Fruit Salad | A Fruit Salad For All Seasons

My Mom was such a great hostess. She operated under the rule of having everything done in advance so that you can enjoy your guests. So, when I got married in 1984, it was no surprise that she asked some of her co-workers for their favorite “make ahead” recipes to feed all the out of town guests who would be attending the wedding. This Melange of Fruit Salad was one of those recipes and has been in our family for 32 years.

Melange of Fruits Salad

We serve it for just about every special occasion. I like it because:

You can make it year round with whatever fruit is in season. I’ve made it with apples, oranges, pears, mandarins, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries & grapes. Just whatever looked good in the store that day.
It keeps for up to 5 days. The wine in the dressing keeps apples & pears from turning brown.
You can double or triple it easily to have enough for a crowd.
It’s pretty & delicious.
After the fruit is gone, you can drink the leftover dressing and get a buzz. Someone told me that…

Melange of Fruit Salad

Berries, Apple & Kiwi for Melange of Fruits

Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Apple, Blackberries & Kiwi

Melange of Fruits Salad

Uses seasonal fruit with a dressing of white wine & honey.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh fruit of your choice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon
Dash of allspice
3 TBS. fresh mint, chopped
Dash of Amaretto

Instructions:

Put cut up fruit into serving bowl. Mix rest of the ingredients together and pour over fruit. Stir. Refrigerate and chill.

Melange of Fruits Salad served in a crystal bowl I received as a wedding gift in 1984.

*If I don’t have fresh mint, I have substituted Crème de Menthe for the mint and Amaretto.

Author Cathy Lawdanski and her mom, Pat Lynch, April 14, 1984

My mom & me at my wedding on April 14, 1984

hrecipe tags:

Fruit Salad

Fruit
White Wine
Honey

Takes 15 minutes,
serves eight people.

Start by mixing all the ingredients together.

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April 4, 2016 50 comments

Be Brave

Why the Resurrection Gives Me Hope

Why The Resurrection Gives Me Hope

Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your Sting? 1 Corinthians 15:55

As Easter approaches, this scripture keeps running through my mind.

You don’t get to this side of 50 without experiencing the sting of death. Some have experienced more of the sting than others. At the very least, a lot of us are losing parents and other loved ones of the generation before us. In some cases, we are losing our spouses and peers.

I lost both of my parents in 2015 – Mom in February and Dad in September. I am only just now beginning to feel the full impact of that loss. Death stings. Sometimes the sting is intense. It really hurts and can paralyze you. Sometimes, it’s just in the background, but constant. Either way, it’s painful.

I was blessed to have my parents with me for 57 years. And except for the last couple of months of their lives, they were blessed with good health.

On every other Easter that I can remember, my focus has been more on Good Friday. On the day that Jesus died a cruel, horrible death, which served as the sacrificial penalty for my sins. I am so grateful that He did that for me.

This year, my focus is on Sunday morning. The Resurrection. When Jesus overcame death and came back to life to live forever.

The Resurrection gives me hope that death is not the end. For those who have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, we can be sure that when our time on this earth is over, it is not the end. When our loved ones’ time on this earth is over, it is not the end. There is a resurrection. There is life beyond what we experience in this world. There will be a time when death will no longer sting because we will be alive and live with Jesus forever.

“Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?”

While the sting is real in the here and now, having the confidence that it is only for a little while gives me hope and comfort.

Celebrating the Resurrection with all of you and remembering my Mom & Dad.

Cathy

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March 24, 2016 25 comments

Be Brave

Mammograms, Ultrasounds and Taking Charge of Your Health

A few weeks ago, I had my annual mammogram. The report came back saying that everything was fine. But at the bottom of the report, it said that a breast ultrasound in 2012 revealed some abnormalities in my right breast and that there had been no follow-up.

I remembered that ultrasound in 2012. I have dense breasts. The mammogram showed “something”, so I had an ultrasound. The results of that ultrasound were inconclusive, but the radiologist assured me that she didn’t think it “was anything” and asked me to follow up in 6 months. I did – same result.

So, I didn’t think anything more about it. That is, until I read that one sentence at the bottom of my mammogram report that said “abnormality – no follow up since 2012”. How many times have you heard of a mammogram being normal, but cancer being detected in an ultrasound? My gut told me that I needed to follow up. So I called my doctor and requested an order for a follow-up ultrasound.

[bctt tweet=”How many times have you heard of a mammogram being normal, but something shows up in an ultrasound that ends up being cancer? @mysideof50″]

My Breast Ultrasound Appointment

I went to my ultrasound appointment last week. As I was waiting, I received a call from the nurse in my doctor’s office. She told me that the hospital was requesting a diagnostic mammogram and that my doctor would not provide the order. That was fine with me – I had just had a mammogram and didn’t need another. However, I was stunned by the next words out her mouth – “You know, we really weren’t supposed to provide an order for the ultrasound because you didn’t come for your annual exam last year”. Are you kidding me? Here I am, trying to be pro-active about my own health and my doctor is giving me a hard time about missing one annual exam. I have been her patient for OVER 30 YEARS and have rarely missed an annual exam. I expressed this to the nurse and assured her I would be making an appointment soon. But it was up to me to convince the staff at the Breast Center to give me the ultrasound.

I talked with the Breast Center staff, showed them my report and they talked to the radiologist who eventually agreed to do the ultrasound.

But what if she HADN’T agreed? What if I hadn’t pushed to get it? WHY did I have to PUSH to get it? Why were there so many hoops to jump through just to get a breast ultrasound?

The Takeaway:

• You have to be pro-active in taking care of your health

• Read the reports for medical tests that you have. I’m glad I read past the “mammogram is OK” part, so I could see that I needed to follow up with an ultrasound.
• When you have a medical test, do not depend on your doctor to tell you everything you might want to know. My doctor never called to suggest an ultrasound. If I hadn’t read the report and followed up myself, it would have never happened.
• Don’t hesitate to be firm and insistent when it comes to your health.

A Good Report

I am pleased to report that the ultrasound only showed some benign cysts, so I am just fine. It was also recommended that since my breasts are dense, that I opt for the 3D mammogram next year, which will save me having to have an ultrasound. My insurance does not cover the 3D mammogram, but I was told that it was only $50 more to have it, so I will gladly pay that out of pocket.

Have you ever had trouble getting a diagnostic test that you felt like you needed?

Is there a test that you need that you haven’t followed up on? An appointment for a check-up that you need to make? We only have one body. Take care of it. Make that appointment today!

After posting this, I heard from Dr. Aletha Oglesby who left this important comment:

“Neither mammography or ultrasound diagnoses cancer, we still need a biopsy for that; those tests help us determine the need for biopsy. Also, a diagnostic test is almost never a substitute for a face to face meeting with your doctor so you both fully understand the issue.”

15 Things to Do When You Can’t Sleep

Things to Do When You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night

15 Things to Do When You Can’t Sleep

A common problem that many of us face on this side of 50 is insomnia. That is what I have been dealing with lately and I know many of you suffer from it too. I know this because I see you liking and commenting on Facebook posts at all hours of the night!

Can’t Fall Asleep Insomnia

There are two kinds – the kind where you absolutely CANNOT fall asleep, for which there are all kinds of totally unrealistic remedies:

Turn off the TV and get off your iPad, phone and computer. And do what, I might ask?
Limit caffeine. Makes sense, but I do love a cup of coffee after dinner.
Limit alcohol. What? No evening glass of wine?

Can’t Fall BACK to Sleep Insomnia

I don’t suffer from the can’t fall asleep kind of insomnia. I fall asleep about two minutes after I turn on a TV show or start reading a book. I have the wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep to save my life kind of insomnia.

WITHOUT FAIL at 3 a.m., nature calls or a cat decides I need to get up. I make my way to the bathroom without turning on a light then stumble back to bed, followed by:

Getting a drink from the water jug by my bed because for some reason I am dehydrated.
My lips are dry, so I feel around in the dark to find my Chapstick.
I am wide awake by then and turn on the light to get out my Lavender essential oil and find the Melatonin.
Take off my socks to put the Lavender oil on the bottoms of my feet.
Lay back down on my left side.
Curse the cats for waking me up.
Roll onto my right side.
Stick one leg out from under the covers.
Put the leg back under the covers.
Curse my husband for breathing in such a way that I can hear him.
Curse my husband because he can sleep anytime, anywhere and nothing wakes him up.
Rearrange the pillows.
Try to read on my iPad.
Watch Netflix on my iPad
Lay on my back and try to FOCUS on going to sleep – yeah, like that works.

By this time, it’s 4 a.m., so I usually just get up and have a cup of coffee. Rarely do I fall back to sleep.

So, since I am exhausted, I’m going to let others from the Blogosphere do the work this week. Seriously, I have found some great posts that you’re going to like.

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

From Around the Blogosphere

3 Ways to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet from the Pioneer Woman

I LOVE Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. I DVR her cooking show. I bought 5 of her cookbooks to give as Christmas gifts. Her line of dishes and bakeware is lovely. She seems like someone who could just be your best friend.

I have a cast iron skillet that I love to cook with, but wasn’t sure I was taking care of it properly so . Now I know.

This article on Caring for Aging Parents called When You Don’t Think Your Sibling is Providing Adequate Care to Your Elderly Parents.

On this side of 50, if your parents are still living, you will likely be involved in caregiving at some point. You may be in the middle of it already.

This is a good article on ways that you and your siblings, given your proximity to your parents and your individual situations can pitch in and work together.

One book that I found to be very helpful was:

Excellent Resource for those taking care of aging parents.

How to Care for Aging Parents, 3^rd Edition: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues.

This book covers EVERYTHING and it is in an easy to use format. You don’t have to read the whole thing. It’s divided into sections that you can refer to for wherever you are on the journey.

2 Months as a Blogger

After almost two months into the blogging journey, I can’t thank you all enough for actually READING this blog and for your kind and generous feedback. I am overwhelmed.

Here are two ways you can help me grow my readership:

Subscribing to the newsletter here

One primary way that bloggers can earn the income needed to support their site is to attract the interest of potential advertisers. The more newsletter subscribers you have the better.

And it’s not just about helping support this blog. I have some exciting plans for subscriber only benefits coming up soon!

Share posts

that you like on any of your social media channels. If you like them, chances are your friends will too! There are “share” buttons at the top and bottom of each post.

PS – If you subscribe here – watch your inbox. There is one more step. You have to click a link in that e-mail confirming that you want this blog in newsletter form delivered to your inbox.

AND I never share your information with anyone and WON’T SPAM YOU.

Thanks for reading, subscribing, sharing and commenting on mysideof50!

January 20, 2016 50 comments

Be Brave

Grace and Peace

It all started a couple of months ago. I was feeling:

Fat
Undisciplined
Like I couldn’t “get it together”
Selfish
Unproductive
Like I wasn’t doing enough FOR God – serving enough, worshipping enough, praying enough.

I was feeling bad about myself and sorry for myself. What a loser. Well, being a loser and feeling bad is a problem that MUST BE FIXED NOW! So to fix it, I decided I would DO SOMETHING FOR GOD. I would serve somebody in some way. So I signed up for the first service project I could find at my church.

Immediately I regretted it. I just wasn’t feeling it. Could it be that God really didn’t need me to do something for Him with the motivation of making myself feel better? Or perhaps I was still to be in this “season of rest” He had given me, that at times could be very uncomfortable.

Cut to my Bible reading that morning. In the first chapter of Colossians it said:

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father.

Grace and Peace.

God extends his grace to me. I don’t have to perform. I don’t have to do a certain amount of anything – serving, worshipping, praying, reading the Bible, having a “quiet time”. I don’t have look, eat or feel a certain way. There are no hoops to jump through. Through Jesus, God extends grace to me. I can be at peace. I am at peace with Him.

Grace and Peace. I breathed in those words in like someone who hadn’t taken a breath in a very long time. I’ve heard these words for years. But it has taken getting to this side of 50 to start to believe and embrace them.

I haven’t been into Christmas this year. But as we get closer and I think about the birth of Jesus, I am reminded that He is the ultimate symbol of Grace and Peace.

He came from Heaven, was born into this world with all it’s problems and lived as a man. He never sinned. He modeled love and compassion. Then died on the cross for our sins.

He pursued us. Extended grace. The sacrifice of His life giving us peace with God.

So there you have it.

Grace and Peace.

The perfect gift from God.

And what a gift it is.

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

How are you trying to “do” more for God? In what areas do you need to remember that God extends grace and peace to you?

December 24, 2015 2 comments

Cathy Lawdanski

How I Got My Midlife Style Back

How To Talk To Your Parents About Their Funeral Arrangments

Funeral Arrangements – Questions to Ask

As you open up these lines of communication about funeral arrangements:

5 Tips For Traveling With Friends

Everyone participates in the planning

Travel with people with similar spending styles

Appoint someone to keep track of expenses

Everyone doesn’t have to do everything together

Plan for everyone to have a little space every day

4 Reasons You Need To Know CPR

Did you know?

So why learn CPR?

The Gift of Midlife Girlfriends

Melange of Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

Why The Resurrection Gives Me Hope

Cathy

My Breast Ultrasound Appointment

The Takeaway:

A Good Report

Can’t Fall Asleep Insomnia

Can’t Fall BACK to Sleep Insomnia

From Around the Blogosphere

This article on Caring for Aging Parents called When You Don’t Think Your Sibling is Providing Adequate Care to Your Elderly Parents.

One book that I found to be very helpful was:

How to Care for Aging Parents, 3rd Edition: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues.

2 Months as a Blogger

Share posts

How to Care for Aging Parents, 3^rd Edition: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues.