Hiya Club 39ers! We're still kickin' ...

If you were following this site, my apology for the apparent lapse. Actually, I just moved everything to one place ... the official 39 and Holding Club. Please feel free to meander through these archives, dating back to our 2012 beginning - then pop over to the new site where we're still thinking young! 
Remember: It isn't your age ... it's your attitude that counts!TM Cheers!

A Chance Encounter of LIKE = Love … Lust … and Lies

He was hot, passionate, full of promise. It was one of those affairs that burn with white-flame intensity. Ignoring the instinctive warning that hit my stomach at first touch, I smiled coquettishly.

Waves of electricity shook my body with his responding grin of anticipation. Yes! As a 39er (many times over) I wasn’t dead yet!

We began like many other couples; a chance encounter through friends formed an instant, tenuous bond. At first hesitant, we fumbled for words. He held my hand just a bit too long on first touch. A red flag tried to rise, but I shoved it back down.

One brief moment led to more; sometimes with friends, but more frequently, we escaped on leisurely walks down darkened roads. Soon we chatted with the likes of old chums. Morning coffee links lead to early evening happy hours. Eventually, we turned to late night smooches with our favorite libation.

It didn’t take long. In mere weeks, I couldn’t deny it … to like him was no longer enough.   

My 39er Pet Peeve - Fashion Frustration

Originally posted on 39AndHoldingClub site July 19, 2014 - please enjoy again!

Most of the time as a “retiree” (excuse me while I laugh into my coffee), I have no need to wear anything other than the sloppiest of casual clothes.

However, I’m not (yet) a hermit and there are those times when I must face the public. I would like to do so in something other than my 20-year-old halfway decent fashions.

But shopping for clothes is no longer the fun past time that once showed off my bargain finds, demonstrating fashion sense for mere cents.

I have … ahem … “matured.” While I enjoy the added wisdom of my mental maturity, I do not appreciate my body’s insistence on keeping up with my bulging brain.

I will not soon again, however, don a mini-skirt (stop laughing! I once rocked 'em ... and yes, young’uns, you are simply regurgitating our '60s-revolutionary style) … yet nearly all of the current fashions fit me like one! I would like to find something “in my size” in our department stores. 

Does it truly escape the attention of designers and retailers that the FIRST sizes to sell out in a popular style are the AVERAGE and PLUS sizes?? Do you not recognize that “average” sizes in reality, are 12 – 18, NOT sizes 6 – 10?

Have the clothing manufacturers adopted the same stick-it-to-the-consumer ploy as grocery suppliers? 

Do they REALLY believe we don’t notice that we’re paying the same price for a loaf of bread – in which the slices are SMALLER than they were five years ago?!

A Dose of Life with my Morning Cuppa Joe - Pass it On ...

You know, most mornings I power up the laptop and dive into the day without a serious thought. Some days it’s just business – others are a rambling of the mind, wherever it may take me.

My early routine involves quick meditation, lots of coffee, and a hop on the well-traveled global highway.

I make an early pit stop at Words With Friends, to ensure my Pennsylvania friend, JohnHarnish, is up-and-at-‘em today, as usual. It’s our way, at 65+, to make sure the Universe hasn’t done something stupid with us, overnight.

I play the Facebook version of WWF on the laptop. Ugh. I much prefer the tablet edition. Hate Facebook and all the social networking required for business – and some pleasure.

Of course, I enjoy the interaction with friends and sometimes, mere acquaintances. But often, I “hide” many of the posts that are inane and/or inflammatory – that’s my choice – and consider the policing of my feed a time-wasting chore. It does though, shorten the distance between us.

Once in a while, a real nugget crosses my FB path and stops me in my tracks. Today, one comes from PeterShankman’s obviously heartfelt and poignant post flowing from his perch above us. Yes, he is a member of New York’s elite business crowd, but this personal prose emanated from the seat of a plane.

When Webhosting Goes Wrong - Sites Go Offline!

FYI - ALL of my websites are temporarily offline. That includes:
39AndHoldingClub.com
PenchantForPenning.com
BlastFromYourPast.net
WomenWritersWorldwide.com

There are minimal holding sites at 39 and Holding Club and LRochelle.com ... where you'll also find periodic updates. Look for the others to be following suit asap. WHY the sudden termination of my sites? Well ...

Sometimes, life just doesn't want to cooperate. I have plans ... but the Universe has its own scheme for me ... and it's always a surprise.

Not necessarily a welcome surprise.

Case in point ... I recently wrote on my Penchant for Penning blog about the trials and tribulations with my webhost's server(s) five-day crash. And the angst continues ...

3 Attitudes to Beat the New Year Blues

A 39ers’ Guide to Shake off 2013 – You can do it!

I like to reserve my thoughts about the New Year until at least halfway through January. Okay, truth be told I’m a procrastinator and it’s nearly the end of the month.

With my New Year’s hangover long gone, I can’t seem to shake the pall of 2013. Some years continue to hold you hostage long after you’ve celebrated their demise. 2013 is that way for me.  Well … and 2012, 2011 … absolutely time for a change … you too?

So let’s get ON with it, 39ers! We have a New Year in front of us. Let’s attack it with new ATT-I-TUDE!

As 39ers, we want to be upbeat and happy about our age. Isn’t it a miracle that inside we can revel at our youthful attitude – at any age? We know though, with chronological growth, comes certain aches and pains – physical, emotional and intellectual ...

Mr. Murphy, the Move from Hell, & a Korbel Cheers!

Some of you know by now that I am a new resident of Santa Rosa, in the heart of California’s Wine Country!

Yes, I’ve left my beloved San Diego (not to mention kids and grandkids) to return to my native Northern California – although my roots are in a direct line from Santa Rosa to the state’s eastern border county, El Dorado, in the Gold Country – Sonoma County borders the ocean, and that works for me.

The ambivalent decision to move so far from my loved ones was not made lightly. However, cousins Ron (like my brother) and Jimmy (it’s his childhood home!) made a roommate offer I couldn’t refuse. (Think of us as The Golden Girls of Three’s Company. LOL!)

Although no one of retirement age wants to move – what an odious project at best – I’m hoping it will provide more time to work on my writing. Timing is everything …

You've heard of Murphy's Law, right? "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Ol' Murphy just LOVES me.

The plans were set – all was in order to move. Penske rental truck reserved, help on the way, 90% of “stuff” still in storage/boxes from earlier this year – easy-peasy, right? Ah, Mr. Murphy had his own plans …

Are You Where You Want to Be?

And … Will You Leave a Personal Legacy? 

[Note: You will have an opportunity to answer these questions in an essay. Everyone who enters will receive a free Lifetime Membership in the 39 and Holding Club! If already a member, designate a gift recipient. Read below for entry details.]

It’s been said many times, “we are not our parents’ grandparents.” Style, relevance, and most of all, ATTITUDE, define the current older generation – which is setting a Rock & Roll precedent for the future of society.

Moving into an unparalleled aging demographic, it’s the refusal to acknowledge sedentary “old age” that is also unique to this era of 40+ people.

If you are over forty and agree with those statements, take a moment to consider where you are in life. Introspection is frequent for those “of a certain age.” Lately I’ve been scratching my head, wondering what the hell was I thinking twenty, thirty years ago … how about you?

Not all people close to or already in retirement … OK, fewer than you might think … prepared for those once-called Golden Years. Even in a perfect scenario, it’s a daunting time as our lifestyles, minds and bodies undergo intense alterations. Add the Great Recession and it’s been pure, tarnished hell.

Alcoholism – or Not. It’s Proprietary.

Just before St. Patrick’s Day I half-read an article on Yahoo! Shine that quotes Dr. Richard Saitz (a primary care internist and professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University Medical Center) in an unequivocal statement: "Any woman who drinks four drinks is going to feel it, unless she has alcoholism." 

Worse, the article warned, it (alcohol consumption) can cause breast cancer, brain damage, and heart disease” and other dire ailments. 

I say “half-read” because I’ve seen the statistics before. They are nothing new. Yes, it’s true, alcohol is bad for you. But …

Life … Half-Full … Half-Empty … Half-A_ _ ed!

 Wow – three months to the day – sorry for such a delay in posts, but sometimes life is NOT “just a bowl of cherries.” [Anyone under 39 won’t know the significance of that statement. :-) ]

Yep, I’m wrestling with the pits. So this is going to be a short one.

I’m experiencing one of life’s many speed bumps and it’s a doozie. You know how the older we get the less we like change? And moving? Well that’s right up there with the taste of sour grapes. Or a twist of lemon. Or that over-ripe lime slice … hmmmmm, wonder if I have any Corona in the fridge?

Ummm, anyway … I’m packing my life away once again for another turning-me-on-my-head move. At my age, moving isn’t just a short interruption, it’s a back-breaking, joint-crunching, headache increasing, pain in the a _ _.

I know in a few weeks I’ll be settled “somewhere,” and I always find a measure of joy wherever I am. But THIS is the furthest from any vision I had of myself oh, so long ago, when stretching my 39-year-old mind to consider beyond middle age. How did I get here?!

Choices … we must live with the consequences of them, as well as those with exciting results. But much of my current angst is also thanks to our country’s misrepresented financial state of affairs, coupled with the debilitating recession/depression (my own interpretation).

New beginnings … I used that topic once for my most successful essay contest (I ran several in the ‘90s while heading a Southwest writers’ group). For most, the phrase elicits visions of hope … not necessarily true when facing (or surviving) drastic, life-changing events.

So wish me luck … through a veil of emotional and physical pain, I’m trying to view it optimistically and hope that the new life which awaits can be cheered, not with a glass half-empty, but one half-full that I can enjoy filling to the brim again. (Pass the Guinness!)

 

It isn’t an age … it’s an attitude!

Rock On!

I’m 39 and Holding – AGAIN! Life and Legacies

Scorpio: Oct 23-Nov 21 - cares deeply; hurts deeply

The Moon enters mystical Pisces today to soften the Scorpio sting … yep, it’s that time of year … turkey on the table, un-boxing Christmas decorations … and … my birthday!   

It was four yearsago to the day that I bought the 39AndHoldingClub.com domain name. Though I haven’t had the time I’d like to devote to it, at least it now has a presence and some fun pages to peruse when you realize that “Life isn’t about age … it’s an attitude!”

By the time you begin ignoring birthdays if you haven’t already, you may start thinking about the legacies you will have established by the time you head on up to Rock &Roll Heaven (that’s my vision of it anyway).

Here’s a thought to ponder … even if you don’t consciously create a legacy (or two or three), you will leave some. It’s the essence of being human that we affect those we leave behind, in some way. Do your “default” legacies reflect how you want to be remembered?

Think and Drink with Club 39 Nifty Gifts!

Quick Note: 39AHC’s 1^st radio interview on Barb Beach’s Longevity show this morning, at 11:30A/PT! http://www.gabradio.com/shows/longevity If you miss it, listen to the archive in 24-48 hours.

So, you may think that all I do is drink … and make silly rhymes. Some days, maybe so. After a bad week when my brain is fried and a cold beer or fruity cocktail helps numb the effects.

But I realize there are many 39ers out there who have chosen the “virgin” route with a cuppa tea or a Latte perhaps, as their consolation or celebratory libation. And chocolate’s good for anyone, right?

With this in mind, I need to create a 39AHC/Club 39 secondary logo that reflects you, too. Any ideas?

I ask because it’s an important part of the Club 39 branding process … I opened a Club 39 Nifty Gifts online retail shop on the auspicious day of my twins’ birthday, last Sunday (Sept. 30^th – and before you go awwww, they’re old enough to be in the 39AHC too!).

Yep – I did it – actually, I have two CafePress shops. One for Club 39 and one for my book/website, Blast from Your Past. Though I only have one design in each (for the moment) there are LOTS of products to choose from; and more designs should be up by this weekend.

But I need to snap on that thinking cap and conjure up a few wild and wacky images to give you a plethora of fun styles and products to buy, for yourselves or as gifts for your friends.

With the click of a button, I uploaded the new (and improved?) Club 39 logo, along with my trademark tagline, “It isn’t an age … it’s an attitude!” It’s available in soooo many cool products from the ubiquitous t-shirts and sweats, to beer glasses, tote bags, travel mugs, iPhone cases, hats, even a doggie t-shirt and a cute little teddy bear!

It isn’t difficult to do – CafePress makes it relatively painless. It’s amazing what we can do with our keyboards these days, huh? And I thought my long-ago typing class was only for flirting with the only guy in the class. J

If you’re bored during a meeting, or need to find a fun birthday gift for a friend, check it out. And if you purchase, email a copy of your purchase receipt, and I’ll automatically enroll you in the 39 and Holding Club, at no cost! (OK, granted, you’re only saving $3.39, but hey … it’s the thought that counts.)

And please, let me know what you think!

Cheers to your day,

Martinis - Shaken or Stirred? The Controversy Continues ...

Debate has raged since the dapper 007 insisted martinis should be shaken, not stirred, in Ian Fleming’s novel, Dr. No (1958). The book however, did not stir the controversy as much as James Bond’s villainous adversary, Dr. No himself, who first uttered the fluid phrase in the 1962 same-titled movie.

The tepidly received film didn’t mix up much trouble though, and the dispute was still just a mild gentlemen’s disagreement. Until the smooth Sean Connery claimed the iconic phrase in 1964’s uber-popular Goldfinger. Gin-based Martinis were the sophisticated cocktail of the 1950s, but the mid-‘60s cocktail world was shaken by the declaration as Mr. Bond ushered in a new era of vodka Martini drinkers.

Milestone Birthday Parties – Fun or Frustrating?

Depends on your att-i-tude …

Here at 39AHC we believe every birthday should be celebrated with equal pomp and circumstance. However, before we arrived at this mature state of mind …

PAR – TY! Ah yes, the good ol’ days. When we thought aging was for old people and birthdays were simply the BEST reason to party hearty.

I won’t deny it … I partied through the 1980s and loved every minute of it. I danced my way around many a nightclub and concert. Rock, R&B, a little smoooooth Jazz, and yes even some Disco. But somewhere towards the end of that festive decade I also turned … yipes! The big 4-0.

Single, at my best weight (I’ll never see that again), and livin’ in San Diego just begs for a blowout 40^th birthday. And my girlfriends done me proud!

Website Willies - When a Bogus Dot-com Bombs your Business

WARNING – your website may be dangerous to your computer’s health! So said my computer screen when I checked out a “competitor’s” website, “39AndHolding.com.”

The site invokes a warning from Trend Micro, my Internet security company, as “confirmed that this website can transmit malicious software or has been involved in online scams or fraud.”

Yipes! Considering the Club 39’s parent site is just four letters away from that dangerous site – 39AndHoldingCLUB.com – I have right to be concerned. It’s common knowledge that when the GP (general public) performs a search, their search terms are not always accurate or even spelled correctly.

With this in mind, I decided to track down the people who claimed this website name long before I decided to unite those of us “of a certain age” around the world, with the 39 and Holding CLUB.

Win the coveted "00039" Lifetime Membership!

The 39 and Holding Club is official! We have a website, a blog, a Twitter account, and finally a Facebook page! Phew ... are my fingers tired ... 

But hey, nothing stops me from having fun (well, OK, enough work to keep things running, but that's it). And today's fun was all about making a contest to give away the one and ONLY Lifetime Membership #00039.

Enter here ...
Will YOU win it? You will if you submit the best tip or technique in our 39 Ways to Stay Young contest! Like the 39 and Holding Club, it's all in fun--not much seriousness to be had, but there are a few other cool prizes I hope you'll like. Deadline, Saturday, June 23, 2012 (not long, so hurry!).

Even if you're already a 39AHC member, you can win--we'll simply retire your old number and issue the coveted 00039 membership card. How cool is that?

Your membership in the 39 and Holding Club makes you officially, forever young! It's cheap and easy--tell your friends--or better yet, buy them a gift membership for their next birthday!

Check out the contest rules and prizes--Club 39 contest--and join today!


So tell me--what's your secret to staying young? :-)

Here a Link, there a Link, everywhere a Link, Link

In roaming around the ‘Net looking for interesting links for active 39ers, I found many “health,” “fitness,” and “how-to-do-practically-anything,” sites, blogs, and organizations—all wonderful topics, with some wonderful and many not-so-terrific representatives.

What didn’t I find? Ways to maintain our fun and active lifestyles after we’ve been deemed “old” by society.

Most of the information I’ve uncovered so far pertains to our physical and physically mental aging process and how to cope or in some claims, slow/stop/reverse the effects. That’s all well and good—so long as you disseminate between what is true for you, and what is not, or simply what is purely bogus.

But my whole premise for the 39 and Holding Club is to treat your ethereal state of mind … that spirit which is the essence of you … not how to oil your creaky hips, or remember everything on the grocery list you “forgot” on the kitchen table.

Why “39 & Holding”? Because “40 isn’t funny …”

My good friend, John F. Harnish, recently reminded me that Jack Benny was the consummate 39-year-old. Mr. Benny was a popular radio, TV, and movie comic actor from the 1930s through most of the 1960s. He perfected a droll, penny-pinching persona who refused to age past his 39^th birthday.

Mr. Benny reportedly began his running gag to celebrate his 39^th year—again … and again—because “40 isn’t funny.” And Jack Benny was all about being funny. He demanded it—and he got it.

 

For those of us who remember his television shticks (I do, barely, of course—being just a kid myself—heehee), The Jack Benny Program was a highlight of our evening entertainment on the tiny boob tube. Mr. Benny and his cast of kookie characters and high-profile celebrities kept us laughing throughout the show.

The venerable comic was 39 years old 41 times before he passed into Comedian Heaven (in 1974, at 80 years old), and gave more character and emphasis to “Well,” than anyone I have ever heard utter the word.