Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

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Bella Grace Giveaway Winner!

April 2, 2016 by Barb 3 Comments

Good morning everyone, today I’m thrilled to announce that I have not just one winner of the Bella Grace giveaway, but two winners! Yes! I’m so excited to be sending one copy to Jo-Ann Blondin, and one copy to Linda Sattgast! Congratulations to both of you! A huge thank you to Bella Grace Magazine for sending me two complimentary copies … oh my gosh … I adore this beautiful publication!

Ladies, I will have your copies in the mail shortly …Bella Grace Giveaway, Keeping With the Times

This post is part of the Grace Notes blog hop. Grace Notes is the new blog companion to the stunning and inspirational Bella Grace magazine. Much like the magazine, Grace Notes is devoted to discovering life’s ordinary magic.

I’ve been following and reading all the other blogs on the hop and it’s been a fun ride so far. The hop goes until May 6th.

I’d like to thank everyone for reading and commenting on my blog post A Different Kind of Power, and adding to the discussion about aging. I’ve read and re-read all the comments and it seems like we are overall a pretty positive bunch and I find that very heartening.

 

Filed Under: Still Life Tagged With: bella grace, blog hop, giveaway

A Different Kind of Power (and a giveaway)

March 18, 2016 by Barb 60 Comments

I’ve always had a pretty healthy outlook on aging. Growing up, I had an amazing role model in my Mom who insisted that for her, growing older was not a bad thing. She was a no-nonsense woman, and I can still hear her saying “for the most part, I’ve been healthy. I have all my senses, I don’t get headaches, I’m quite agile, and I’ve lived a good life.”

Even after everything life threw at her, she was quietly defiant, completely unapologetic, and fiercely independent right to the end, and I loved her.

For years I was greatly influenced by my Mom’s positive outlook, and other than a few minor glitches I felt quite well-adjusted.

Turning 50? no problem … what’s the fuss about?
A Different Kind of Power, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank55? … still OK …A Different Kind of Power, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank60? … hmmm, now you’re getting my attention! I’m not sure I like the way my body is behaving. It used to let me garden from sunup to sundown (not just from 10:00 am to noon.) My knees and hips didn’t hurt when I got out of a chair.

It used to let me eat whatever I wanted without causing some kind of discomfort, and when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t used to cringe a bit. Mom didn’t talk about this.

A Different Kind of Power, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank

Photo: Barb Brookbank, Lightroom Preset: kk_Soft_Light Kim Klassen

As a blogger, I’m often reluctant to reveal my age. I don’t know why. If people like what I post, age shouldn’t matter. Just don’t expect any goofy selfies here … oh wait … maybe one!

Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the Times

… because I’ve always wanted to do this …

I’ve come to learn that life is about letting go. As a mom I’ve had to let my children go as they started kindergarten, went through school, university, and eventually made their own lives and built their own families. I’ve had to let go of my position as the centre of their universe.

Now I’m having to let go of my youth and all the beauty, power, and dreams that that magical era brought with it (avoiding a mirror helps.)

A Different Kind of Power, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank

Photo: Barb Brookbank, Lightroom Preset: kk_DarkDay Kim Klassen

I often feel as if I’m drifting down a river, knowing I’ll never see the same scenery again. But that’s what makes life more beautiful and precious than I could ever have imagined when I was in my 20’s, 30’s, or even 40’s.

Power-Tulips-Aging-Barb-Brookbank-4

Photo: Barb Brookbank, Lightroom Preset: kk_Chocolate Kim Klassen

And something in me has shifted. I’m able to sift and sort through life’s curveballs, figuring out what I have control over and letting the rest go.

It comes from years of experience and a “been there done that” sort of attitude. I don’t mean to sound uncaring, I’m not. But instead of trying to control every situation (like I used to) I watch and wait and let it unfold. I’ll say what I think (or not) and let whatever is happening take its course, remembering I’m not responsible for every single thing that swirls around me on a daily basis. However, if it’s something that hurts me and is about me, I’m not going to sit there and say it’s OK. Nope. You’re going to get a blast.

It truly is rather freeing.

“It’s this freedom that’s the key to becoming visible again.
Not caring what others think is freeing.
Expressing yourself any way you want is freeing.
Having opinions, emotional wisdom, spiritual understanding…these things free you.
And in freedom, we find power.”
Jane Tara, The Happy Endings Book Club

A Different Kind of Power, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank

Photo: Barb Brookbank, Lightroom Preset: kk_Midnight Kim Klassen

GIVEAWAY!

This post is part of the Grace Notes blog hop. Grace Notes is the new blog companion to the stunning and inspirational Bella Grace magazine. Much like the magazine, Grace Notes is devoted to discovering life’s ordinary magic.

I adore this magazine and am thrilled to be able to host a complimentary give-away of Bella Grace magazine Issue 7!

Bella Grace Issue 7 Cover

Simply leave a comment saying you’d like to win this copy, and perhaps share a personal story of how you deal with change.

Here on my blog the competition is open world-wide—yay!

Contest closed Thursday, March 31st.

Filed Under: LIFE Tagged With: bella grace, blog hop, blogging, grace notes

Welcome! I'm Barb, and this is where I practice my mantra to "learn something new, try something different". It's my hope that something I do here may inspire you! Read More…

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