39ers Aging with ATTitude Platitudes November 2023

 That Lady Makes Time for 39er Fun & Gratitude!  

Happy UN-Birthday November 39ers! So, is it just me, or are these 39er articles getting longer and longer, and later in the month?! Sorry—it seems the older I get, the more I yap, but time goes faster that I can write … especially when it takes a week to recalibrate my brain after the time change. Here are a few timely, idle observations …

Thinking about Time. I’ve said for decades that Timing is everything. Unlike us, Time is ageless. Yet, Time itself is elusive and ethereal. We regulate our lives by Time—Time of day, Time of month, Time of year, and whether or not you’re having the Time of your life.

Time is of the essence, we say. That’s an understatement. We are powerless against Time. We cannot harness it, see it, or make it bend to our will. We can’t make it slow down, speed up, or stop. And when we say Time is on our side, is it really? The only thing we can do is fiddle with our clocks according to its intangible structure … and here we are, at yet another semi-annual Time-change. Which is a misnomer. We changed, Time did not.

֎ Celebrating NOVEMBER 39ers ~ And More!   

With that profundity to ponder, 39ers, let’s occupy a little time in November, giving thanks for the time we have spent, and hope to spend enjoying …

National Memoir Writing Month     
No, there isn’t an official link on my calendar source, however, there are a couple of sites dedicated to memoir writers. Thing is, like many options to learn how to “write and publish your book,” the personal element tends to disappear in the structure. The supposedly mandatory essentials to “organize” your memoir writing become more perfunctory than personal. 
       Yes, when through, it may be a lovely, slick, historic accounting of your life, but many people who write a memoir, aren’t interested in writing their life story to publish … simply to leave a historical and personal interpretation for their family. 
       Writing a book—any genre—is always going to be work, wrapped in creativity. Writing your memoir should be that, as well as fun, emotional, wistful, and satisfying. Start today, 39ers. 

Historic Bridge Awareness Month  

Who doesn’t love a beautiful bridge? Of course, functionality is the most attractive feature, but some bridges achieve both for an enduring effect. A selection of bridges that survived the ravages of time have the added distinction of “historical” and deserve our respect, along with the people behind HistoricBridges.org. Explore their site and enjoy! 
       Few, of course, can measure up to the famed California Golden Gate Bridge (built 1937), “The bridge is one of the largest and most-well known examples of Art Deco architecture.” There are many old bridges across the country—take a look-see! (Image: HistoricBridges.org) 

Saturday ~ November 11^th: Make your Veteran's Day special and never-ever forget to honor our American Vets.

Monday ~ November 13^th: Have you ever wondered how the “sandwich” got its name? Well, since this is Sandwich Day, it’s the perfect time to make one and do a little reading while you munch.  
       It all began with the Earl of Sandwich—yes, seriously. WIKI has the lowdown on the food dude, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich—a title in the peerage of England. The rather flimsy tale of it, is Lord Sandwich was an avid gambler and when he ate meat between two pieces of bread so he wouldn’t have to leave his card table, others began ordering the “Sandwich meal,” too and voilà!  

       When it hit the shores of America, however, the convenient meal became a political pawn. In late 19^th century New York State, bar owners sought to evade the law of 1896, restricting the sales of whisky or ale. It must be served with food. “Generally speaking,” reports Atlas Obscura, “the sandwich was not edible. It was ‘an old, desiccated ruin of dust-laden bread and mummified ham or cheese,’ wrote the playwright Eugene O’Neill.” No worries. Most often, it was removed seconds after served and paired with another patron’s order, with the sandwich frequently kept in circulation for more than a week! Yummy. Anyone still hungry? (Image: drawing by Charles Dana Gibson, 1911, public domain.)  

Monday ~ November 13^th: Let the New Beginnings begin with New Moon Musings! Celebrate November’s lunar cycle with a fresh perspective toward what it is you want in your life. The New Moon’s influence can boost your thoughts and plans, elements of which may be recognizable around the Full Moon. It may take more than one moon cycle to bring your plans to full fruition, but each New Moon brings another opportunity to push forward. 

Monday ~ November 20^th: Keep your brains active, 39ers, solve puzzles on National Game & Puzzle Day! It’s actually a big deal all week, but if you are a puzzler, you likely know that. Though not an official sponsor, the week link (pun intended—gotta have fun!) gives you a mini-puzzle history. Love the part about riddles being inspired by Greek mythology. Whatever types of puzzles you love, from jigsaw, to crosswords, to riddles, and more, the dopamine they produce will help save your brain while you’re having fun! 

Thursday ~ November 23^rd: Of course, it’s Thanksgiving Day! Beyond the specter of Pilgrims, the day was celebrated long before them, as a fitting end to harvesting and time to give thanks and appreciate the fruit of your labors, with family and friends. Smell the pumpkin and enjoy!  

Monday ~ November 27^th: Although the Full Beaver Moon is officially full in the wee hours of the 27^th, as often happens, the night before offers a spectacular full show, as well. So enjoy! Are you like the busy little beaver, scurrying around, rustling up food for the winter? Back during our fur trading days they were fair game for trappers, with attractive, furry, winter-season pelts. Nowadays, they get to keep their coats and sleep through the winter. Fun fact: “Beavers have lips that close behind their incisors, which allows them to gnaw under water.” (2022 Almanac) The Cree and Assiniboine peoples also call it the Frost Moon—for good, chilly reason!

Tuesday ~ November 28^th: Mars, commonly known as the Red Planet, has been a source of fascination for millennia. So let’s celebrate Red Planet Day! Interest truly gained momentum for the planet named for the Roman god of war, after Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, first viewed the intriguing planet through a telescope in 1610. This tribute day memorializes the launch date of Mariner 4, the first spacecraft to perform a Mars fly-by in 1964. For centuries, imaginations have run wild about Mars, with Martian space travelers a popular SciFi story theme—like the Looney Tunes’ Marvin the Martian! Whether astronomer, science fiction buff, or of Zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio ruled by Mars, this is a good time to learn and peer through a telescope at the colorful planet.

֎ Monthly Song of Note ♪  
I thought I was that lady … in my mid-twenties, swinging free in the Seventies (and into the Eighties) … thinking I had the world by the tail, like most twenty-somethings do in every generation. Let’s just say “young and stupid” is not just a phrase. Yep, I was much like “That Lady” by the Isley Brothers, sitting at #20 on the November 3, 1973, WCFL/Chicago music chart, and our November Song of Note.
       In a ‘70s Rock style in 1973, you may recall it being a little more R&B from a decade earlier when the Isley Brothers first made it a hit as “Who’s That Lady?” Either way, it’s a good question  ♪ … Sexy lady, who's that lady? | I would love to take her home | But her heart is made of stone … ♪ more tuneful tidbits to manifest your memories of November 1973 (or entertain you with what it was like), and keep the Rock Rockin’ from 50 Years Ago this Month!  

 ֎ For 39ers who Follow the Stars  
Ready or not, we’re firmly ensconced in “The Holidays” … you know when we hit Scorpio (10/23-11/21) and Sagittarius (11/22-12/21) Zodiac signs, the fun begins!  
       Wait … what?! You don’t think Scorpios are fun? Au contraire my unenlightened friends. The beginning of November may lean toward the cerebral side, but by mid-month, whimsy and romance can spur your party side into action. Don’t get stuck in the details; for once, Scorpio, just do it. By this month’s somber Full Moon on the 27^th, you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle anything. 
       Sagittarians on the other hand, concoct, plan, promote, and love being the center of Holiday parties. And they’re great at it! You should be especially energetic this month, making the latter two weeks more fun than you’ve had in ages. Take your friends with you as we march with the little drummer boy towards December’s parties. You might want to rest a tad around the Full Moon, then get your second wind, and off you go!  
       Wondering what to buy your Scorps and Sags for their birthday? Holiday reds—deep maroon for Scorpio and brightly vibrant for Sagittarius; and golds—think intense topaz and silky soft, respectively, are a great fit for both. Alternative colors include the Scorpions’ midnight black and the Archers’ favorite blue hue. It’s the Holidays—options abound! ”Who first comes to this world below | With drear November’s fog and snow | Should prize the topaz’s amber hue | Emblem of friends and lovers true.” (Tiffany and Company, 1870.)  

֎ Aging with ATT-i-tude Platitude  
True Thankfulness comes with age. How often did you say, “Thank you,” when you were young? Say it now, and mean it.  ~ L. Rochelle 

Happy UN-Birthday 39ers ~ NOVEMBER 2023 ~ Thank You!
       This one’s for you, kids – JV, Jackie, and Yours Truly!  

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And dear readers, I just want you to know that I try my best to create an informative, aesthetically creative article for you each month. However, Blogger is not a professional hosting site—but they’re free through Google. So we’re stuck with their crummy platform that doesn’t work well to manipulate images with writing, if you aren’t a techie who knows HTML. Trust me, I’ve tried for years to write articles without gaps between paragraphs and even between sentences. Sigh. Maybe I’ll win the lottery and be able to afford a professional hosting site someday. Cheers!

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

*Important Message: Any data, links, or opinions in this site are for your information only and does not constitute legal or medical expertise of any kind. My proficiency is writing and sensible reporting. Period. Please use all data, links, or my skewed opinions at your own risk.

Are you a 39er this month? Welcome to the 39 and Holding Club! Feel free to share your UN-birthday comments below (click on Comments or if it says No Comments, click that to be the first) and tell us how you really feel about your age and aging. Keep the stories coming!

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