tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.comments2024-03-15T15:41:21.785-05:00 Midlife RoadtripperMidlife Roadtripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700277803842883251noreply@blogger.comBlogger6276125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-11415418384269158182024-03-15T15:41:21.785-05:002024-03-15T15:41:21.785-05:00Ha! You could be right about the exhaustion Ha! You could be right about the exhaustion Midlife Roadtripperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06700277803842883251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-13269107754659330482024-03-15T15:39:28.667-05:002024-03-15T15:39:28.667-05:00You are welcome. You are welcome. Midlife Roadtripperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06700277803842883251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-61282379484661648662024-03-15T15:38:49.826-05:002024-03-15T15:38:49.826-05:00Let's hope the younger generations will indeed...Let's hope the younger generations will indeed be better. Midlife Roadtripperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06700277803842883251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-88235903707811218652024-03-14T15:23:07.706-05:002024-03-14T15:23:07.706-05:00There are definitely some differences, but it kind...There are definitely some differences, but it kind of depends on the people and the size of the group. Like you, I prefer a balance of interaction and retreat. My girl friends can chat it up for ages without any other activity, but my partner's friends almost always pair conversation with activity. I wish more of my girlfriends were willing to DO things like golf, bowl, hike, bike, whatever. But they might be pretty exhausted from holding up more than half the world, so when they get together maybe they just want to sit and rest while they visit!Melissahttps://www.melwestemeier.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-31206936919593024122024-03-10T10:20:12.466-05:002024-03-10T10:20:12.466-05:00Great story!
I will forever love the separate mal...Great story! <br />I will forever love the separate males and females roles! I’m just old fashioned like that. The romance of it. There is something to say about knowing who you are and not having to try to be something else. To work within. I’m sure I’m missing something here. Of course our world is so much more complicated than this. <br />Thank you for the lovely story and for sharing your family. ❤️Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-30940728216226448822024-03-07T09:45:13.640-06:002024-03-07T09:45:13.640-06:00Thank you for the fun, thought-provoking piece! As...Thank you for the fun, thought-provoking piece! As a culture, we certainly promote stereotypical gender roles. However, in my 40 years in a male-dominated field, I found that it’s often a personality thing and how much we want to comply with society’s rules. Assertive women and quiet, sensitive men often mask those traits in public to “belong”. The younger generations seem to be making great progress on smashing those stereotypes.BethSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-21312195806962354272024-03-06T19:41:05.610-06:002024-03-06T19:41:05.610-06:00Thank you, Joanne. Nice to hear your voice.Thank you, Joanne. Nice to hear your voice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-53767760457118628582024-03-06T18:57:40.153-06:002024-03-06T18:57:40.153-06:00It would be so lovely to meld gender roles, but it...It would be so lovely to meld gender roles, but it won't happen in our life time nor in all our children's. That is, a lot of men may be more gender fluid in the roles they assume and fill, many more will not change at all. I hope women are more selective; it will hasten gender equality. However, it would be best for mothers to return the key to their child's home on the latter marrying.<br />Tongue in cheek comment. Tongue in cheek comment.<br />Welcome back.Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601010208310707750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-3779192616251358662022-09-09T09:03:04.608-05:002022-09-09T09:03:04.608-05:00I know exactly where you are in you energy level. ...I know exactly where you are in you energy level. If you had them for a week every month, you would have exercised those grandma skills with total energy. Like you I LOVE them visiting, but do need a battery recharge when they are gone.Taborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11053208644196545549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-50907997169228821532022-08-15T12:46:48.464-05:002022-08-15T12:46:48.464-05:00"Glutton for Gathering." That's a te..."Glutton for Gathering." That's a terrific phrase. How lovely that you had precious time with your family. I imagine it did feel overwhelming, so many hours together, and there is a big challenge "dosing" visits when the distance apart is large. We live in different states than the rest of our families, so the visits require overnight stays, and while they are nice, they are also very taxing. Your pictures give a sense of how much fun you all had together. Melissahttps://www.melwestemeier.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-26326848253223721812022-08-10T22:35:49.723-05:002022-08-10T22:35:49.723-05:00Rest I did. Thank you, Joanne. Rest I did. Thank you, Joanne. Midlife roadtrippernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-90799833502774137152022-08-10T22:34:43.642-05:002022-08-10T22:34:43.642-05:00Thank you. Thank you. Julianne M Andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-76521324941539935792022-08-10T22:34:09.043-05:002022-08-10T22:34:09.043-05:00Thank you, JoAnn. Seems to be a pretty universal p...Thank you, JoAnn. Seems to be a pretty universal problem. Ha!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-48983712427385523902022-08-10T22:23:27.533-05:002022-08-10T22:23:27.533-05:00Thank you.Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-39501658699266964052022-08-10T22:15:48.407-05:002022-08-10T22:15:48.407-05:00Thank you. Sometimes words just arrive, without my...Thank you. Sometimes words just arrive, without my knowing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-17763262595919009492022-08-09T14:53:45.086-05:002022-08-09T14:53:45.086-05:00lovely writing, beautiful family!lovely writing, beautiful family!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-83804088795416703152022-08-09T09:09:16.304-05:002022-08-09T09:09:16.304-05:00I love everything about this post... just beautifu...I love everything about this post... just beautiful!JoAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13691864361197071517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-25882827144399208272022-08-09T08:59:01.082-05:002022-08-09T08:59:01.082-05:00I agree wholeheartedly! We are blessed. Wonderfu...I agree wholeheartedly! We are blessed. Wonderful story and writing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-19846179175110862512022-08-08T20:51:42.788-05:002022-08-08T20:51:42.788-05:00Beautiful! What a full life.Beautiful! What a full life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-77162974885811837952022-08-08T20:12:56.297-05:002022-08-08T20:12:56.297-05:00Thank you; we needed that. Needed them all swept t...Thank you; we needed that. Needed them all swept together. How I loved the picture in front of the flags, each holding the latest baby. Now, relax.Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601010208310707750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-59265973537966558322022-08-08T18:38:03.859-05:002022-08-08T18:38:03.859-05:00Lovely words…lovely family…Lovely words…lovely family…Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-15894084617889233232022-08-08T15:01:24.561-05:002022-08-08T15:01:24.561-05:00I particularly liked "glutton for gathering&q...I particularly liked "glutton for gathering". Excellent choice of words, my dear friend.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-2074198731027218412022-08-06T04:56:14.941-05:002022-08-06T04:56:14.941-05:00So great to read you again! I'm a little late ...So great to read you again! I'm a little late arriving, but glad to be here. I laughed out loud (for real) at stuff you said, starting with introverts and pool tables, passing by shitty poems and Picasso's girlfriend. I do appreciate your self-deprecation, even though I suspect it's sometimes misplaced. <br />As for Living Through Covid, I can't say that my life changed much in concrete ways, but the fallout arising from differences of opinion has changed relationships. Children who were once reasonably close have had a hard time finding their way back to each other, and that's a lingering sadness. I thought initially I might be able to mediate that but have accepted that they need to figure it out on their own. It's hard to see your kids hurt each other. <br />Seeing the missteps made by health authorities and governments, I am far less inclined to accept without reservation what I hear from officialdom. I could even say I am angered by some of the incompetence and hypocrisy that's been on display for the last two years. And despite my personal stance on vaccines, I detest the divide, the othering of those who are afraid or even ludicrously misinformed. <br />Covid has deepened my pessimism about the future, made me more conscious of my own mortality and forced an adjustment to a life that's superficially not very different but which must be approached differently. I have lost no one and recovered twice, easily. Grateful for my good fortune. <br />I get seriously annoyed at those who think the danger has passed but catch myself slipping into the same kind of attitude. I'm gobsmacked by how the French have gone back to 'la bise' but understand that something so deeply engrained in their culture is difficult to deny. But at least Covid has given me a good reason to not engage in it myself—I never liked it but to refuse was thought to be rude. And finally, Covid has taught me that you can't count on anything happening the way you think it might!<br /><br />Where's that wasp and why isn't she doing her job???<br /> Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10892637441668897411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-90639739020837105902022-07-12T08:37:21.597-05:002022-07-12T08:37:21.597-05:00I admire how you've spent your time. It's ...I admire how you've spent your time. It's so cool that you didn't put weird pressure on yourself to achieve things, but rather treated yourself gently and gave your mind and spirit space to stretch and create. I wish I'd done more of that. And congratulations on the grandchildren. They've obviously added to your joy!Melissahttps://www.melwestemeier.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2463633428173967234.post-41252731681290064722022-07-08T13:06:36.520-05:002022-07-08T13:06:36.520-05:00So wonderful to see you post! Your days are very m...So wonderful to see you post! Your days are very much like mine. Not much changed during the first year of Covid other than not seeing friends and family. We would have loved to have taken our RV out to do some exploring, but wanted/needed to stay close to my mom (who turned 89 this year). She's not as much of an introvert as I am, and she would have been terribly lonely. We're making up for it now, despite the fuel costs. Enjoy those grandbabies! Look forward to reading more from you in the coming months.Les in Oregonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15053880852764886416noreply@blogger.com