Now I've done it!

This week I gave my books, and research papers on menopause and post menopause to my daughter.  Mostly to assist her to deal with the controversial issue of using hormones or using natural estrogen type foods/diet to sustain the period of loss of hormones.  She had only a couple of questions;  when did you go through menopause, Mom?  And when did you do this research.   Ummm - it was so very important at time I was studying it, and yet there were no dates on the research or books to help jog my memory.  Now isn't that something!

Recognizing that over the years I have done a lot of blogging on several topics when blogging was still in it's newness age, it occurred to me that one or two blogs might have the information. And we have Google now so I googled my name and the word menopause, and thank goodness 2 blogs came up where I had an entry or two which gave me the date, therefore my age, of menopause.  Happens that was also the time I quit smoking.  Wow, talk about a double whammy.  Weight gain both ways.

I have since listed the dates, and decided maybe there is something to blogging elements of life as it happens, now maybe more so as in becoming part of the Boomer generation, it would seem we have some things to say!

In 2006 I quit smoking and the blog entry indicated it was my second year as a non-smoker; and the blog entry also indicated that I was going through menopause.  I would have been 55 years old.  Allowing that menopause is not an event, rather a process, it would be 2005/2006 at age 54 and 55 years.  Allowing the decade or so of perimenopause before that which I knew next to nothing about, would have begun the process at about age 42 until at age 55 it was clear that I was done with the monthly flows.   I would say though in respect for myself, the psychological elements of loss were much more difficult to bear and manage than the physiological aspects.  Great sadness as I was saying goodbye to my younger womanhood, yearning for and wishing I had done more with that young woman body while it was young instead of worries about how it looked or whatever the societal norms of the time suggested I should look like....young ladies, proud to read that you are getting information that encourages you otherwise!!

Morphing

500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art



Music: Bach's Sarabande from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 performed by Yoyo Ma

Project; Extend too short pants/jeans

Clever idea for 'extending' those too short pants or jeans. You have to love those people over at Wardrobe Refashion for some of the clever ideas they come up with in taking the pledge and sharing their projects via photos.

Project; Refashion skirts from old trousers

Refashioned Skirts from old trousers

Call me odd (it's okay - my kids do), but I think these refashioned skirts are just too cute.

Refashioning a couple of pairs in into maxi skirts. The original idea is from a skirt belonging to Babylonglegs.

The first is from chocolate needlecord bootlegs, with added godets (inserts) from William Morris curtain material and waxed cotton wide trim on the bottom.

The other skirt*photo below) is made from honey beige brushed cotton twill trousers and more William Morris godets. It isn't quite finished (and needs an iron!) but it will have cotton curtain trimming, which I have tea-dyed, added on the bottom .

(posted to Wardrobe Refashion blog by Annie - there was not a link back to Annie's blog, so linking to her show and tell at Wardrobe Refashion. Why not take the pledge?)