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Monday, November 9, 2020

Tips And Tricks To Make Holiday Fudge

Christmas and the holidays mean one word in this house - Fudge! It was and is the annual tradition to make fudge for the Christmas holidays. Fudge is not difficult to make, but does require strict attention to the recipe for a successful fudge dessert. I have compiled a few tips and tricks to make fool proof successful fudge for the holiday season.

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe is my favorite fudge recipe. It is tried and true. A smooth and creamy consistency that melts in your mouth. This is fudge made with marshmallow creme in a jar - old school with the original recipe ingredients. The recipe on the jar of today is slightly different from the original and as always, Grandma knows best when it comes to recipes.

Fudge Tips And Tricks

One cooking tip I have learned through which is now probably hundreds of times making fudge (disclaimer: the annual Christmas fudge tradition has transitioned into making fudge a few times a year, so I am not 100, but have probably made fudge at least 100 times through my fudge career) is the boiling time.

Perfect, creamy, melt in your mouth fudge with this recipe requires five minutes of rocking and rolling boiling. Not a second more, not a second less and the fudge comes out perfect.

The second cooking tip I have learned is to stir stir and stir. While the ingredients are boiling the fudge must be stirred constantly or the bottom will burn on the pan. Not only does this ruin the taste the pan will be absolutely horrendous to try and clean. Just when your arm is exhausted is not the time to walk away from boiling ingredients - keep stirring!

The third cooking tip I have learned is to split the cooked fudge into two batches: one with nuts and one without. Fudge lovers are definitely in two distinct groups as to if fudge should be with or without nuts. I prefer fudge without nuts so am very partial to leaving the nuts out entirely. This is a large recipe so there is plenty of fudge to make 3/4 of a batch without nuts and 1/4 batch with nuts or vice versa.

Fun Fudge Recipes From The Savvy Age

What else can you do with Fudge? Alot! Fudge is such a hit for the holidays with a little experimentation I have found fudge is also quite versatile. The favorites fudge spin off recipes so far:

Fudge Christmas Cutouts

Fudge Cups - Snickerdoodle Fudge

Fudge Balls

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Sunday, November 8, 2020

Basic Tips I Learned on My Self-Publishing Journey

Self-Publishing Tips for Newbies

Let me start by saying that I'm NOT a self-publishing guru. I'm just a work-from-home-self-taught woman who decided to jump in and tackle some of those dreams left dying on the table.

I've written quite a bit here on ReviewThisReviews about self-publishing books. You'll find a list of the links below.

To date, I've self-published eight books and am currently writing the ninth.

The topic of the books are Riddles, Poetry, and Sayings for Cards. Currently, I'm focussed on building a series of Riddle Books. There are five riddle books in the series and the sixth should be published in one to two months.

A General Overview of What to Do When You Self-Publish (According to my Personal Journey)

Note: To date, I've only published via Amazon's KDP self-publishing platform

Amazon Author Page: Once you've published your book, complete a detailed page about yourself on Amazon's Author Central Page. Here's Amazon's author central page for the USA. When publishing my books, I had to create author central pages for the UK and USA separately. Perhaps, Amazon will amalgamate things at some point, so we only have to do it once. Here's the UK author central page in case you need it.

Amazon Author Page Photo: Decide whether your Author Central page will feature a Logo or your personal photo. At first, I put up my logo but changed it to my personal photo. I prefer to emphasize that I'm just a regular person, not a 'big company.'

Build a Website that Relates to Your Books: If you've never built a website or can't, you can hire someone or just build a blog related to your books. I've built websites (I'm not a website building guru either!), so I was able to create a website to coincide with my Riddle Books. You can take a look at my StumpedRiddles.com website here. Think about how you want people to navigate your site before you build it; write it out, give it a lot of thought. The ease at which people can work their way through your website is important. The top navigation bar on my riddles website features these tabs: Home, Riddles, Answers, Riddle Books, About/Contact. Within those headings are subheadings. Don't forget to include all the legal jargon you need on the site.

Facebook Business Page: Build a business Facebook page that features a Shop with your books. It takes a little learning, and you need a certain amount of products before you can build a shop. I chose to link my books back to each of their product pages on my website; that way, when you publish your book on multiple platforms (not just Amazon), you don't have to worry about changing links - since each product/book will direct back to your own product page on your own site.

Social Media Main Photo & URL Names: Create social media pages for your business/books. Decide whether you want to use your logo or your personal photo. I decided to use my Riddles logo for my social media pages, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. However, I created a Promo-Video and included that video at or near the top of each social media site: It features my personal photo and personal story. You'll have to choose your social media URL based on what's available; I wasn't able to get "Riddles" - it was taken. However, I choose URL's that were close: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Promo-Video: Create your promo video using your favorite video platform. I used Animoto. If your book/business dictates it, I would suggest being personal while describing your books' purpose. You can take a look at the promo video I created here.

Your Tag Line and Book Purpose: If you're able to establish a "purpose" for your books, create a consistent tag-line that describes your purpose and includes that tag line on your social media, website, and books. The tag-line I came up with is "Turn the World Off With a Smile." It's a twisted variation of a lyric line in the Mary Tyler Moore theme song. I know, I'm aging myself! That lyric was "she can turn the world on with her smile." Given the craziness of the world today, I decided my riddles are created for the distinct purpose of helping people to "turn the world OFF with a smile."

Here are some additional articles I've written relating to self-publishing - Again, I'm not a guru, just learning as I go!

As I learn more, I'll add more articles here on ReviewThisReviews. My next learning journey will be how to self-publish on platforms other than Amazon. That should be challenging.

Here's the first riddle book I created - I went through several cover designs before finally deciding on this one:

#Stumped - Riddle Book - First Volume

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Saturday, November 7, 2020

Review of Progresso Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs

I was first introduced to Panko flakes over 6 years ago when I met my new daughter-in-law, whom I will introduce here as J. She is a delightful girl who is originally from South Korea. She's also a wonderful cook, naturally specializing in Asian dishes (which my son loves). One of the first dishes she made for me was Panko coated shrimp deep fried in a Wok. It was absolutely delicious.

I watched (and helped) J. make the Panko Shrimp that evening and, after tasting how good the Panko coating was, I have used it ever since. J. does a lot of food shopping at a local Asian Market, but I found a product similar to her Asian Panko Flakes in a product by Progresso. Not only is it good on shrimp, but it is equally delicious on fried chicken fingers and on pork chops.

Progresso Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs

Panko is drawn from Japanese crusine. It is a delicious flaky bread crumb which can be used in a variety of recipes. My favorite way is as a coating for fried meat and seafood. It adds a golden crispness to fried creations and makes the food crunchy and flavorful.

Panko bread crumbs can be used in many ways.

It makes a delicious stuffing for chicken breasts or pork chops when combined with cheese, onions and herbs.
You can make quick croutons by browning in a skillet with melted butter and spices for a tasty salad topping.
I haven't tried this yet, but I can just imagine how tasty it would be to replace your usual amount of regular bread crumbs with these Panko bread crumbs in your favorite meatloaf recipe.
Mix these Panko bread crumbs with olive oil and your favorite seasonings and sprinkle on top of casserole in the last few minutes of baking.
Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs come in two varieties – 'Plain' and 'Italian Style'. I prefer the Italian Style because they are so deliciously seasoned that no additional seasonings are needed. The Plain version is good if there are specific seasonings you prefer to add to your bread crumbs.

A dinner of rice, applesauce and pork chops with Panko flakes

Panko Coated Pork Chop Dinner

My teenage grandson's favorite meal served by his G-MA (the grandmother name he calls me) is pork chops and white rice with butter, along with applesauce. Here is a sample of our Panko-coated pork chop dinner.

Panko Fried Shrimp Recipe

Panko Fried Shrimp

For your dining pleasure (and a tasty way to duplicate the delicious deep-fried shrimp meal my daughter-in-law J made me), here is a recipe for Panko Fried Shrimp from AllRecipes.

Recipe: Japanese-Style Deep-Fried Shrimp

Ingredients: shrimp, seasonings, flour, eggs, Panko flakes and oil for frying.

Directions:

Place the flour, eggs and panko crumbs into separate bowls.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep skillet.
Dip each shrimp into the flour mixture, then into the egg, and finally into the panko crumbs to coat. Fry a few at a time until golden brown.
Drain and serve. Yum!

Progresso

The Progresso brand has been around for more than 80 years. Begun by the merging of two prominent Italian importing companies in New Orleans in 1925, they specialized in canned Italian food products. They are most known for their soups, as well as canned tomato products, olive oil, spaghetti, ravioli and beans. Progresso was acquired by Pillsbury in 1988 and today it is in the General Mills family of products.

Where to Purchase:

Progresso Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs are available on Amazon, which is convenient as it is delivered right to your door. And, in addition, besides the single packages, it is also available in bulk (6 and 12 box units).

It is also available online and in-store at Target and Walmart.

Wherever you purchase your Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs, it is a very tasty product to have on hand for all the reasons I mentioned above.

For more Recipe Reviews, check out ReviewThisReviews: Recipes

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Friday, November 6, 2020

How to Lose Weight While Playing Video Games on the Kindle Fire

I have been shocked by how much weight I have lost while playing video games when exercising. Previously, I found exercising to be boring and I simply couldn't force myself to stick with it. That was before I discovered video games on my Kindle Fire!

How It All Began for Me ........

Several years ago, one of our fellow contributors, Susan Deppner, helped me select a new Kindle Fire. Susan had lots of experience with the various electronic readers and I trusted her to know exactly what I needed.

I loved my Kindle Paperwhite, but I wanted a Kindle with color pictures for cookbooks and children's books. We all know images are the first impression of either of those kinds of books and are often the determining factor in which ones we purchase. After all, I'm not likely to even try a recipe without seeing a photo that looks delicious.

I remember laughing when Susan said a Kindle Fire with 32 GB would be more than enough, unless I played a lot of video games. I laughed because, at the time, I didn't play video games. The only video games I had ever encountered required a specific console & controllers connected to the television.

Fast forward 4 years and you will find me playing video games on my Kindle Fire every day.

How Video Games Helped Me Lose Weight

It has been said many times that video game players pack on the pounds while playing video games. That is simply not true for me! I play my video games on my Kindle Fire while I exercise.

I've never liked exercising. Frankly, in the past, I considered it boring and most often a waste of time since I couldn't force myself to stick with something so mind-numbing. When my daughter shared how someone she knew had lost a lot of weight on an exercise bike, I thought that very impressive, but lamented that I could not exercise an hour per day.

Time and experience has proven me wrong on that opinion too.

Fast forward 32 weeks and I am happy to say that I have worked up to exercising an hour per day, 5 days a week, on my recumbent exercise bike. I don't find that exercise boring because I play my video games while pedaling. I have lost 30 lbs. in 32 weeks without giving up my favorite food!

Favorite Video Games I Play on My Kindle Fire

My first encounter with a video game on my Kindle Fire, was a hidden object game. I quickly advanced to Candy Crush. From there, I discovered lots of games I love to play! Perhaps an hour a day is not enough.

These are some of my favorite free game apps that I have downloaded to my Kindle Fire. If you are already an experienced gamer, I recommend starting at the bottom of the list to discover new games you might enjoy.

Simply talking to my husband or son, you would find out quickly that everyone has a different taste or preference in game choice. That is totally okay! There is something for everyone in the Amazon Game Apps that can be downloaded to the Kindle Fire.

For me, I have always chosen the free game apps. They all have options to purchase specialty items, tokens, gems or whatever the game requires to continue playing or advance faster. That is not necessary. Most of the time, I simply switch to a different game and play until my "lives" are restored on my current favored game.

Start Your Exercise With Video Games Routine Today!

ProForm 235 CSX Recumbent BikeCheck Price Fire HD 10 Tablet (10.1Check Price Mystery Manor: hidden objectsCheck Price Cooking Diary®: Best Tasty Restaurant & Cafe GameCheck Price

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. You should consult your physician before starting this or any exercise program to determine what is best for your needs.

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Hiking Naked - Book Review

Kindle Unlimited Link

Are you taking a leave of absence? She whispered her question as if I were planning a prison escape.

No. What Iris had in mind did involve absence, but truly, it was more about arriving back at presence. In Hiking Naked, Iris Graville takes us along on her journey of stripping life down to what is most essential. This is a book about reclaiming your joys.

If ever there was a time to plan a prison escape, surely it would be now. Just as Iris felt imprisoned by the burnout of years in the public health field, who among us is not wishing for an escape from the weariness of daily crisis... from the pandemic stress in which we are engulfed?

For me, being immersed in the author's sojourn to a place far removed from constant bombardment was not only a much-needed respite, but also a knowing, as Graville put it, of "the riches of attending to what's truly important."

Anyone who has ever fantasized about moving to a remote haven far from the madding crowd will relish this account of Graville's time spent in Stehekin (a Native word meaning a way through), Washington. As Iris ferries us via her writing to this uplake North Cascades paradise, we discover ourselves in a place any lover of Northern Exposure would find intriguing and refreshing.

Imagine living without TV, phones, freeways, or frenzy. Think what it would be like to mail-order your groceries (and have a stranger named Alice select your food items for you).

Envision a time of reading, writing, hiking, and just being. Wrap your mind around days filled with art, bread-baking, letter-writing, laundry-hanging, and journaling about the desires of your heart.

In the process of becoming "Stehekinized," Graville found her own way through the tumult of both internal and external fires and floods. As she sought balance, and let Stehekin live within her, Iris found the path to what was next.

I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for clarity, for renewal, for a clear sense of calling, for a return to the essence of life. Here's to finding your own Stehekin. May the way through be a journey to joy.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Lawn Leaf Blowers

Lawn Leaf Blowers Reviewed
Photo from Getty Free Images

We Live in a small quiet village in Western New York, surrounded by so many big trees. We have a small yard so it's not that difficult to take care of. When the fall season arrives, and the leaves turn those beautiful colors it's a breathtaking sight and so beautiful.

It's not long before the leaves fall to the ground, cover the lawn and clog the gutters. Last year my electric leaf blower burned up, I wasn't too disappointed when this happened as I've had it for many years.

Lawn Leaf Blowers Reviewed

It was time to find a new leaf blower so I began my search. I had to decide between electric, gas-powered, or Cordless. My first thought was, instead of dragging a couple of extension cords around the yard how about a new gas-powered leaf blower.

As luck would have it a friend of mine let me use his gas-powered leaf blower for a couple of days. As far as blowing leaves it worked very well. But, for me, I found it too heavy and hard to start. This was my opinion I'm sure many people love their gas-powered leaf blowers.

There are many cordless leaf blowers on the market. I wasn't thrilled with the reviews that I read on cordless. I think the cordless is great for blowing off sidewalks, patios, and decks. I just wasn't convinced that cordless would be good enough for the big job of the leaves.

I decided on a new electric Weed Eater Leaf Blower. Since my old one was the same brand and it served me well. It's lightweight, with an ergonomic handle for ease of handling, has an airspeed of 130 MPH, with low noise.

I couldn't be happier with my new leaf blower. I use it throughout the year to clean off my deck and to blow the leaves out of my rain gutters. I made my own extension attachment from some leftover downspout and an elbow. Since we live in a one-story home it's easy to clean the gutter from the ground.

I would recommend this leaf blower to anybody. There are other popular brands on the market. I find this one to be inexpensive with a five-star review.

Greenworks 7 Amp 160 MPH/150 CFM Single Speed Electric Blower, 24012

Find more product reviews on Review This Here: ReviewThisProductReviews.com

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Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Reviewing The Joys And Uses Of Autumn/Fall Leaves

Autumn/Fall Leaves

I appreciate all the seasons and I love the time of year when the leaves start to change colour. Although the vibrant colours of the beautiful spring and summer flowers are now a fond memory, Autumn leaves are equally gorgeous.

I love to see all the different colours and when you look more closely all the diverse shapes and textures of the leaves. Underfoot if it's dry they feel scrunchy and if it's wet they are all slippery.

When the wind blows you can hear the rustle of the dry leaves and some get caught up and fly higher into the sky like wild confetti!

In the Fall/Autumn season we are treated to the stunning show of reds, golds, bronze and russets to lift our spirits as the days grow colder and shorter. I do have happy memories of Autumn that stay with me always.

There are many beautiful and lasting memories that can be made at this time of year between children and their parents or grandparents and I wanted to highlight some of the uses and joys to appreciate this season's beautiful falling leaves.

There is nothing quite like standing under a large tree when its leaves are changing color to golds and reds gazing up at the sky as the sun is streaming through, it is truly a magical experience.

Autumn/Fall With Children

This time of year always raises memories of my childhood. My parents always encouraged a love of the outdoors and Autumn always evokes memories as a child walking through deep rifts of crunchy leaves holding hands with my Mum and Dad kicking up the leaves, having fun!

We collected leaves of all shapes, colours and sizes to press, make into a picture and learn about. To succeed in this process on a basic level all you need is tissue paper and a very heavy book. Simply lay the leaf between 2 layers of tissue paper then place in the middle of a heavy book, close and leave. Before very long you will have beautifully preserved leaves. If you wish to learn more about leaf and flower pressing this book is a great starting point to learn how to create really lovely personalised art from simple leaves and flowers.

The Art of Pressed Flowers and Leaves

15%

The Art of Pressed Flowers and Leaves: Contemporary Techniques & Designs

For younger children dried leaves can be laid down on white paper, the outline drawn and then coloured or painted in whatever authentic or imagined colours they like!

Autumn leaves are so beautiful to paint and also to take photographs of. They have amazing colours and shapes and are always interesting for the artist. Such gorgeous rich colours and moods to capture.

When older children are involved in looking at and experiencing nature in this way it is then very educational to teach children about the different leaves and which trees they come from.

This gorgeous book is a wonderful resource, beautiful, visual and well organised to teach children about leaves, trees, seeds, flowers and so much more to encourage an interest in and appreciation of nature.

Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom

55%

Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom (DK Our World in Pictures)

Children and adults can enjoy making a collage of beautiful shapes and colours together from collected Autumn leaves.

As a child, I did this activity throughout Autumn with my parents and it was an enjoyable craft in the long dark evenings.

All we need is a large sheet of paper, a safe means of adhering them to the paper and dried pressed leaves. The only limits are our imagination!

Vibrant Autumn Trees Poster
by RaintreeDesigns

Making Leaf Mould For The Garden

I heard a neighbour say the other day how he would like this time of year if it wasn't for the leaves falling. I was surprised to hear this as I always see this time of year as a bounty! Fallen Leaves are a great harvest for me. Each year I eagerly wait in anticipation for the leaves to change colour and then fall. My task is then to gather them all up to make gorgeous leaf mold.

I make it by first raking up all the leaves on a dry day, then I set the mower blades on the highest setting and give a gentle mow over to break them down into smaller pieces. This helps to speed up the process. Next, I either place the leaves into black bags or a simple chicken wire crate.

If they are in black bags I make holes with a fork for drainage. If it is not raining I water them and place them out of sight around the back of the garage. This is so easy to do and I simply wait a year and then I have lovely crumbly free leaf mold to mix in with potting compost and use freely on our beds and borders!

Autumn/Fall Leaves And Wildlife

We can all enjoy the fall leaves but we should not forget about our wildlife. I always leave piles of leaves around in the borders of the garden in sheltered places so as not to be destroyed by strong winds. If we add large or medium-sized logs or piles of sticks that assist wildlife even more by providing protective cover.

Over the years I have seen blackbirds kicking these piles of leaves around to find dinner beneath, hedgehogs taking the leaves to another place getting ready for their winter hibernation, or even deciding that the pile itself will make a cosy home!

There are also all the unseen bugs, creatures and minibeasts who will inhabit the leaf pile to make it their home and find some winter comfort there.

Love Hedgehogs Postcard
by RaintreeDesigns

So just a few examples of how we and our garden creatures can enjoy and use this bountiful resource that is the fallen Autumn/Fall leaves. How do you enjoy Autumn/Fall leaves?

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Monday, November 2, 2020

Reviewing Beginning Soap Making Molds

My soap-making adventures began recently. Two weeks ago I wrote a Beginning Soap Making Supplies review recommending melt and pour soap bases for people like me who have wanted to make soaps but are intimidated by the hot and cold processes that use lye. It is true that soaps made with those processes can more easily be textured or their colors swirled. That made me feel as though I would be missing out on making pretty soaps. I was wrong. I cannot do color swirls as easily with melt and pour soaps but I can make beautiful soaps using these silicone molds.

If I am making soaps for myself, the simple rectangular molds (as pictured in my previous post) are perfect. But when thinking about making soaps for gifts or for sale, I quickly wanted more interesting molds. I made the decision to purchase more silicone molds since the rectangular bar soap silicone mold made such nice soaps.

The reasons I purchased these most recent molds:

Silicone molds produce smooth soaps
silicone molds come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs
the withstand the heat of the hot soap bases
they do not crack or break
soaps are easy to pop the finished bar out of the flexible mold
I have not yet learned how to measure the soap mix to fit into a "loaf" pan - I do not feel as concerned about having the right amount of "batter" for these single-bar molds
the silicone is super easy to clean. I pick off any larger bits of soap remaining on the tops of the mold (the "overflow" or drops of soap I left behind) then I run the mold under hot water. Voila, the mold is clean and ready for the next use.

My first choice of fancy molds were the flower molds. And I couldn't be more pleased. With these soaps I shave a bit of a solid color bar (using Shea or Goat Milk base) I made (using the plain single bar molds). Then pour over those shavings with a clear soap base.

I think the flower molds are gorgeous! And I've only used the flower that looks like a Dahlia thus far. This mold includes three different flower styles. To me they appear to be a sunflower, a daffodil, and a dahlia.

I also purchased the ocean waves silicone mold. It produces a larger bar of soap with a "wave" or engraved style top. In this example, I used one of the clear bases and stirred in fragrance, bits of tea leaves, and a mica powder that creates sparkle.

I do not feel experienced enough to give the instructions for using Melt and Pour soap bases. There are many tutorials online (written and video). I strongly recommend watching a variety of tutorials before diving in.

Many people enjoy receiving or buying handmade items. Crafts such as soap-making is a great way to spend quality time with kids (note: the melted oils are HOT, please supervise children closely). Whether you have considered making soaps for yourself or for others, these molds add something special to your project.

Related Links - Make your own with these craft supplies:

My Beginning Soap Making Supplies review. I was happily surprised at how few supplies it takes to make Melt and Pour soaps. However, once you begin, if you are like me, you will soon want many different molds, fragrances, and bases.

The holidays are approaching. These Easy Christmas Ornaments from beads have been a favorite and a requested activity over the years. Kids (and adults) love using tri-beads and pipe cleaners to make these beautiful ornaments.

Margaret wrote a wonderful step-by-step tutorial showing us how to make beaded, dangling earrings. Her earrings are a beautiful Romantic, Beaded Heart pair but you can use a variety of bead colors and shapes.

Our own Ms. Sylvestermouse also loves crafts and making things. Her Ebay store, House of Sylvestermouse, is a great place to find "a variety of crafts, craft kits, patterns, books, and supplies...". I especially like the beaded craft kits and the cross-stitch kits. Oh, if only there were more hours in each day...

Related Links - Some Handmade Items for sale:

If you want to give handmade items as gifts but do not have the time or inclination to make them, there are plenty of options from our contributors and friends.

Ms. Elf creates crochet (including amigurumi animals) and needlework gifts and offers them for sale at CoastalCrochetCrafts. Ms Elf's daughter-in-law also has an Etsy shop names Cute PurseNalities that offers "handmade purses, lanyards, coin purses, and table runners". The seasonal prints are adorable and I especially like the season print purses/tote bags.

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Sunday, November 1, 2020

Success After 60 - Is It Possible?

Success After 60? Yes, You Can Do It - Many Have

I'll start off apologizing in typical Canadian fashion because, yah, this review about age is a bit self-serving; I turned 60 this year - and - I'm just getting started.

I personally live by that famous quote we've all heard: "It ain't over, 'til it's over." Actually, older-me believes it's never over; we keep growing and learning even after we transition, but that's for another day.

Are you familiar with some of the famous people who built their dreams after the age of 60? Here are just a few to inspire your aching bones.

Three Outstanding Souls Who Exemplify the Cliche "Age is Just a Number"

Grandma Moses: She was born Anna Mary Robertson on September 7, 1860. She began painting at the age of 78. She was known for her rural scenery paintings. In 2006 her painting, "Sugaring Off," sold for 1.6 million dollars. Yep, proof right there, "it ain't over even when it's over!" She also lived to see her paintings sell for substantial amounts for her time (the 1930s) before passing on.

Harry Bernstein: He enjoyed fame very late in life as a successful published author. On June 30th, 1910, he was born in Stockport, England, living 'til the ripe young age of 101 when he passed away in Brooklyn, New York, on June 3, 2011. Do you know when he wrote one of his first published successful books, The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers? The loneliness of losing his wife of sixty-seven years was the catalyst of this book. He started writing it at 93 years old! The book was published in his 96th year in 2007. He wrote and published The Dream in 2008, The Golden Willow in 2009, and What Happened to Rose was published posthumously in 2012.

Fauja Singh: His absolute tenacity has garnered him the nickname the Sikh Superman. He's the oldest living Marathoner. He was born on April 1, 1911, in British India, and at the age of 109, continues to reside in the United Kingdom. The terrible personal family losses he suffered in the 1990s redirected him back to his first passion, running. In the over 90's bracket, at the age of 93, Singh completed a marathon in six hours and fifty-four minutes.

Hidden Dreams by Barbara Tremblay Cipak
In the Poetry Book - We Will Have Morning Smiles

What I've Personally Done For This Older Body, Mind, and Soul:

Last year, for whatever reason, at the age of 59, I felt "time." What I mean by that is I felt a powerful urge to do the things I've wanted to do in life but hadn't gotten off my butt to complete. So from last year, and now into 2020, I jumped in with both feet and committed to self:

I self-published a 50-year collection of a book of my personal poetry work.
I published a series of personally written riddle books and created the website StumpedRiddles.com. I'm currently writing book six in the series.
Keto saved my health. I lost over 60 pounds from 2019 to 2020. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 56 - and I was sick. Almost immobile. Today at 60, I feel ten years younger than I did at 56. Proper food and mild exercise are a part of my life every single day. It has taken a great deal of discipline, but feeling healthy is more important to me than eating the wrong foods and being sick.
I work very hard on body, mind, and spirit. Spirit (soul work) is just as important to my day as eating and exercise.

I'm not trying to be self-righteous - like I've had a perfect life or something. I haven't. Life has been filled with almost endless challenges. The difference for me at this age is accepting what has happened and moving forward. Always, always moving forward. After all, our time is limited.

The last page of my poetry book features a closing message to my kids. This message includes a quote that I feel perfectly describes life when times get difficult:

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete" by Buckminister Fuller (1895-1983) American Architect, Systems Theorist, Author, Designer, Inventor and Futurist

15 Personal Life Lessons I've Learned During These 60 Years of Living:

1. Don't give up.

2. When we're tired, rest.

3. When we need support, seek it from the safe arms of friends and family.

4. Love with all our hearts. Tell those who matter that we love them.

5. Find the good in others.

6. Live a life of service to others, big or small, it doesn't matter. Even the smallest contributions to another can brighten a day - something as simple as a smile or a kind word.

7. Guard our souls. There's a saying, "don't become that which you rail against."

8. Watch our thoughts and choose our words wisely.

9. Forgive. Forget about grudges and vengeance; they're a complete waste of energy and ultimately damaging to our soul. Accept that people will make mistakes, just like we'll make mistakes.

10. Find a way to reach our kids. Stay connected. This can be the toughest task. Do it anyway.

11. Read and advance our learning. Never stop.

12. Tolerance, compassion, kindness, and empathy are essential to the human condition. Live by those principles most or all of the time.

13. Fight temptation. Fight it hard. Dark/negative energy (whatever you decide to call it) is hunting us down every second of every day. It doesn't let up. We mustn't let it have our thoughts or our actions. We need to train our minds daily to recognize when we're slipping and put ourselves back on track as quickly as possible. We need to be proactive and kick that useless darkness out of our life-field.

14. When we need to cry, cry. Get those issues out; put them on paper, talk to someone, music, lyrics, art - whatever helps us release the pain.

15. Accept responsibility for our lives and for where we are in our life. Be honest with ourselves.

I'm currently advancing my soul by reading the best selling book gifted to me by a friend, "Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One" by Raphaelle Giordano.

I'll end this article with this moving song, inspired by the famous Paradoxical Commandments, "Anyway, by Martina McBride." If viewing this article via mobile, you can listen to the song on YouTube here.