Santa Claus is coming to town…Oh wait…he’s already here!

I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus…in August!  Literally.

For the last few years, I have dreaded to see Christmas rear its ugly head.  Only because Christmas is not the Christmas I knew growing up.  Honoring the birth of our Lord and Savior, who gives us life, has turned into the honoring of a man in a red suit who brings us lots of “stuff.”  It’s sad.

And, not only do we honor this man in a red suit, but we start honoring him in the heat of summer!  I walked into Cracker Barrel 2 weeks ago and Christmas decorations were everywhere!  And, when I say Christmas decorations, I should say Santa decorations.  I saw very little, if any, Christian décor, except for some angels.  And, I think that was only because they are pretty.  Cracker Barrel even had the station set up to do gift wrapping.  Really? 

 

And yesterday I walked into Hobby Lobby, where “This is My Father’s World” was playing as I looked at religious pictures and decorative crosses.  I was feeling the Lord’s presence and singing along to the music, when I looked up and saw Santa staring me right in the face.  His smile was wicked.  I swear I heard him say, “I will get you, my pretty, and your little dog too. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”  All while his face was turning a nuclear shade of green! 

Do I have to endure 5 months of this? 

And, of course, there will be the after Christmas clearance sales extending this torture for another whole month.  Think about it…over 1/3 of the year dedicated to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and his merry henchmen. I don’t think I can stand it this year.

And, to take this even further…you don’t have to physically go in a store to be bombarded by Santa “Claws.”  My inbox is also blowing up with emails about early Christmas shopping.  Yes, every email claims I can save up to 50%...if I shop early.  I don’t want to shop early!  I don’t want to see the emails yet!

Am I the only one who feels this way?  I mean, if they put this “stuff” out there so early, it must be because people buy it??  Right?? What are your thoughts?  Do you like the Christmas “season” as it is now-a-days?  Chime in and share your perspective.

Merry Christmas everyone!

May your hot flashes be mild and your wrinkles even milder.
Kim York

Menopausal Moms of Kentucky: Why, yes, I will take the student discount.

Menopausal Moms of Kentucky: Why, yes, I will take the student discount.: By Mary Meehan Menopausal Mom,  I'm the one addicted to Hallmark Holiday Movies Let it be known that I have received my f...

Why, yes, I will take the student discount.

By Mary Meehan

Menopausal Mom, I'm the one addicted to Hallmark Holiday Movies

Let it be known that I have received my first student discount since 1986.

The guy at the hardware store made a point to ask every Co-Ed in the store if she knew about the discount. Strange, he didn't ask me.

But I do have a student ID....one from Harvard. I was kind of giddy when I got it. I know it gets me into Harvard's libraries. Although, I think it has some other perks.....like signing up for Harvard classes... but it also saved me 90 cents on a curtain rod. 

My Nieman Fellowship starts officially tomorrow with the first of 10 days of orientation. I'll keep you posted as to what all I become orientated to. 

So far, on my own I've learned these things about Cambridge. 

There are a lot of coffee shops. It seems to hurt the barista's souls if you put cream and sugar in their coffee because apparently it overwhelms the notes of caramel or hibiscus or nutmeg or treebark or whatever. One had me watch him pour the coffee through a filter as if it was a magical experience. I wasn't sure whether or not to applaud. When he wasn't looking I put in both cream and sugar. But tomorrow I will gaze upon my Mr. Coffee as it perks to see if it enhances my coffee experience. 

I've learned how to manage the subway. Here it is called the T. At the station nearest my house it might stand for Terribly Far Underground. Here are the stairs and the escalator. 

Some people have perfected a way of running down the escalator that involves leaning back slightly. I have not seen anyone run up. I tend to stand and ride. 

The weather has been in the mid-80s to mid 90s I need to conserve energy for the walking that follows the ride.

In seven days I have almost gotten on the wrong train twice. I have twice followed directions to a particular place only to find that it wasn't really there and I've missed my stop once. Not bad, I'd say.
Especially for a person who once ended up on the wrong Florida coast while trying to go to the beach.

As far as the walking goes, I've learned that SalonPas doesn't really work, Alleve does and my walking shoes where a good investment.  

Here is the other thing I've learned. People are very nice if you ask politely and look harmless. I unwittingly asked an intoxicated hooker for directions on my first subway trip. She gave very good directions.

My mailman, Joe, stopped his route to come inside and show me which mail box was mine. When I said I was from Kentucky he said he'd never heard anyone say that before. One of my fellow fellows from the Netherlands said he knows Kentucky mostly from music and it seems like a fantasy to him. I'm not sure what music he is listening too, I've got Florida-Georgia Line on Pandora and there is a lot of beer drinking and bad white boy rapping...but he meant it sincerely and Kentucky is a beautiful place.

I miss it. I miss my daughter. I miss my friends and family. I miss people saying "ya'll" like the one syllable word it is meant to be.

But I'm here, it's official. I've got the ID to prove it and I can't wait to see what it brings me more than 10 percent off.  This is the Lippmann House. It is home base for the Nieman Fellows. It looks pretty beautiful, too.

Shout out to Albania and Croatia!

 Menopausal Moms of Kentucky has readers in 46 countries and counting. Moms and Menopause are Universal!

I've made it to Cambridge and maybe back to badassery

My hometown is Georgetown, Ky. There are about 36,000 people in the whole county and probably and equal number of cows and acres of tobacco. If I would venture a guess, I'd say there is a Ford Ram Truck for every 1.7 people, although that estimate might be low.

Sometimes on the way to work I get stuck behind farm equipment and have to go 2 miles an hour.

My fellowship was a complete moon shot. I stumbled forward through the application fueled by frustration. The newspaper business I love was dying from decades of self-inflicted wounds. I loved my job but it hurt my heart to go into that office everyday without a path to making things better.

Oh, and I turned 50. No further explanation needed there, right?

And much, much to my surprise I got it. There was a moment in the interview when they asked me what I would bring to the fellowship. I said I'd been told Kentucky was pretty much fly over country. That for folks at Harvard it was the same as Kansas or Mississippi or Tennessee.

I said I hoped I would show the other fellows that someone from Kentucky could be insightful, progressive, passionate, intelligent....the list went on for a bit. No one was more surprised than me to hear those words  come out of my mouth. But I felt in that moment something I haven't felt in a long time....I was once kind of a bad ass. I looked at possibilities and believed I could make them realities. I told my fellow Menopausal Mom I was ready to get back some of that badassery.

When I finished my list of attributes I made a joke like "wow, I just said an awful lot of nice things about myself."

And everybody laughed. Me too. But, for once, I believed those nice things I said about myself. I also instantly felt the need to hug everybody but, mostly, I restrained myself.


So now I yearn to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity....I feel like I should be thinking big thoughts but so far have noticed that Cambridge seems filled with that carefully messy hair trend that is the...Man Bun

Shout out to Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. Menopausal Moms has been read in 45 countries and counting. Menopause is Universal.

Bend and snap! Mary is on her way to Harvard!

I dropped her off at the airport around 8:00am.  She cried, and then I cried!  (I didn’t let her see it though…I sat in my car five minutes drying tears before I could pull out.)  I am sad, but so excited for her to make this adventure!

 

You see, the day has finally arrived.  My fellow Menopausal Mom, Mary Meehan, is making her way to the big city of Boston to represent Kentucky as a Nieman Fellow.  This is huge!  You can read about it here:
http://nieman.harvard.edu/alumni/current-fellows/

 

And, I realize she is a bundle of emotions today.  I mean, seriously…she is saying goodbye to her daughter for a while, and she had to find temporary homes for her pets.  And, she is flying to a new city, to stay in a new apartment, where she will attend classes and meet lots of new people and do lots of exciting things.  Holy Crap!  Happy.  Sad.  Blessed.  Scared.  Pee-in-your-pants want to scream excited!

All that I can say is, “Wow!”  Mary has always been a great friend, but now I see her as a role model for me and all women of our “age range.”  How many menopausal moms would pack up their lives and move away for a year to do something meaningful, fun, and exciting??  I would be scared to death! 

But, Mary has me thinking more about climbing outside of my box.  Yes, my box is deep…but my husband has a big ole ladder I can borrow anytime!  And, it’s taking that first step that can be the hardest!  I remember how difficult it was for Mary just to complete the application to be a Nieman Fellow.  And, once she completed that process, her self-confidence grew leaps and bounds.

Now she is on her way.  She actually just texted to say the wheels were up (8:38am.)  OMG!  She is actually doing this!  So, I have to show Mary what she is doing is an inspiration…that she has definitely inspired me to do something adventurous.  

Mary, if you are invited to a party...be sure to ask if costumes will be worn.

Many of you know I am severely claustrophobic.  This fear limits my life.  I have never flown in an airplane because I do not want to be trapped in a big silver coffin. (That is what my head is saying to me.)  But, this keeps me from seeing the world.  And, the ironic part is that my son works for American Airlines…guess who could be flying practically free?  Yep…ME!  So, conquering this fear and getting on a plane would be huge for both me and my family. 

Mary, you have inspired me to get the counseling I need to conquer this fear and fly!  Holy crap…I am going to do this!

What about you?  Do you want to step out of your box and do something exciting?  Do you think you are too old?  Tell us what you would do if you could climb out of your box and be adventurous.  

May your hot flashes be mild and your wrinkles even milder.
Kim York

 

The Menopausal Moms 10 Second Movie Review: Trainwreck

                                                 

By Mary Meehan

Original. 

RomCom. 

Sex. Sex talk. Goofy. Heart. 

Amy Schumer? Charming.

 John Cena's butt? Damn! 

Bill Hader surprisingly sweet, dreamy 

Lebron: Scene stealer.

 Verdict: See it