The Love of My Life

Eighteen years ago, I married my best friend.....

Honey, this is for you...

EIGHTEEN REASONS WHY I LOVE YOU (these are not in order of importance):

1. You rock at Ultimate Frisbee and let me tease you about being the "grandpa" of the team.

2. You are an excellent provider for our family. I'm so glad you are able to change your situation seamlessly while still being the best loan officer EVER.

3. You put up with all my little quirks....fear of frogs, having to make the bed every day, having to have the air conditioning on.

4. You are very sexy. 'Nuff said.

5. You respect my place on my spiritual path but you also recognize my "cool" factor in regards to my belief that people should coexist.

6. You're willing to try new things....First Fridays, Jerusalem Cafe, the Rime Temple.

7. You love Colorado as much as I do.

8. You still make me laugh.

9. You give me wonderful compliments. (My writing, my cooking, my teeth...it's so fun to get complimented)

10. You're very supportive of my nursing school plan.

11. You indulge me in the nicest ways.....coming to Costco to buy trees, making sure my laptop works, making coffee in the morning.

12. I trust you with my heart.

13. You're so interesting. You tell me the most fascinating things.

14. You love to travel like I do. You don't make me camp.

15. You totally get that I'm a "baby" person instead of an "animal" person.

16. You gave me Max.

17. You gave me Tucker.

18. You're my best friend and I love you!

Happy Anniversary, honey bunny!

Love, Your Brown Eyed Girl

The Big M

Am I there yet? The signs say yes......nightsweats, inability to sleep through the night, insatiable hunger, weight gain, emotional roller coasters (including some pent up rage that comes out of the blue). Ugh, I am NOT ready for this. I live with three guys and they are less than compassionate. I need them to understand because two of them will, hopefully, have wives of their own and I want them to be kind.

I need to do some reading about how to handle this gracefully and without drugs. I have no desire to be popping pills, unless it's vitamins or organics. I need to eat better. I need to exercise. Meditate. And, I need to understand that this is a process and could take quite a while so I need to RELAX and go with the flow. After reading the following, perhaps I need to move to another country! :)

Indigenous cultures, many outside of the United States, view women in menopause as entering their wisdom years. They are valued as important leaders of their family group and tribes. Many of them are the leaders and directors of the culture, passing down historical and valued knowledge to the younger members. Elders are not viewed as limited physically or mentally, but more wise because of their reflective experience.

Sometimes using the process of elimination is actually making a choice.

-Lisa Blanchard