Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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

Monday ~ November 13th: 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 19th 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 13th: 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 20th: 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 23rd: 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 27th: Although the Full Beaver Moon is officially full in the wee hours of the 27th, 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 28th: 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 27th, 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!  

Join the 39 & Holding Club!
Celebrate 39 & Holding Day!  
Chat on Twitter: 
@39HoldingClub

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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 1Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2Rock & 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!

<><><><>39ers RULE<><><><>

 

Monday, October 9, 2023

39ers Aging with ATTitude Platitudes October 2023

 39ers Thinkin’ Young in the Midnight Hour! 

֎ BOO! You probably weren’t expecting me, since 39AHC is so late again this month. What can I say? I’m a busy writer and retirement is a joke. Beyond that, I’m still thinking young and super-ready to give you a fun, spooky month of 39er chit-chat! Grab your yummiest spicy libation and pull back the shroud to see what’s in the cauldron for you … if you dare …

֎ Celebrating OCTOBER 39ers ~ And More!  
I have a lot more in mind for you than Halloween and Friday the 13th! They may get most of the focus, but we’re also celebrating the quiet justice of Librans and the intense scrutiny of Scorpios. Let’s tiptoe through the dark and murky month to pull back the veil on October’s thinking young fun, like …

Bat Appreciation Month – Sadly, no official link, but seriously, how could we pass this up? Lol October and bats go together, what with Halloween an’ all. If you think bats just hang around looking creepy—well, they do—but there is much more to their reason for being. Believe it or not, Bat Week claims “Humans need bats."
       Not only are they likely near you, no matter where you live around the world (except extreme hot or cold areas), but they actually help us out. “A single bat can eat up to its body weight in insects each night. Eating all these insects helps protect our food crops and forests from insect pests, saving farmers and forest managers billions of dollars each year.” Cool. And calm down, only three species of about 1,400,
feed on animal blood—are they near you?

For something fun for October that isn’t Halloween related, get your yee-haw on—it’s Country Music Month! The official link tells you how and when it came about—hint: October 28, 2014, a tricky president had his boot-scootin’ side—but I also found a how to celebrate link for you.

If you live in San Diego or cruising over for a vacay, the Del Mar Fairgrounds is going Halloween with a daily Pumpkin Station and for the not-faint-of-heart, their infamous Scream Zone comes alive weekends-plus—both through October 31st.
            If you live for pumpkin fun, the
Pumpkin Station is “A variety of pumpkins and gourds, plus kiddie rides, giant slides, inflatable play centers, a petting zoo and more!”
            And when you get your fill of
pumpkin, get your adrenaline goin’ in The Scream Zones’ “Three bone-chilling haunts — the Haunted Hayride, Stars of the Silver Scream, and Labyrinth Manor — plus a mind-bending Midway make up this terrifying compound of doom.” Oooooo scary! 

Friday ~ October 13th: Ooooooohhh, we’re going into Halloween in style! Today is Friday the 13th & tomorrow gives us a New Moon! While it isn’t on a Full Moon (which would make it super-spooky), it’s still close enough to the New Moon’s pull on your psyche to scramble your murky mind … and, there won’t be another October Friday the 13th until 2028! See this month’s New Moon Musings below while you to prep for Halloween and tiptoe through this unnerving day. Is it about “silly” superstitions, violent history, or is it really “good luck”? You decide.

October 14th: Celebrate October’s New Beginnings with New Moon Musings! Coincidentally, to give it a little extra punch, a wide swath of the Western U.S. will see an impressive solar eclipse today, too! The New Moon boosts your creativeness to find a fresh start every month, but did Friday the 13th throw you off-kilter? No worries. Meditate on the New Moon (a little sage might soothe your scattered soul) and plan your Holidays with a keen eye and proper perspective.

October 20th-22nd: If ghosts and goblins aren’t your style, perhaps a plethora of gems and jewelry is! October is Gem Faire time at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (San Diego), or click the link for a great list of gem fairs around the country: there’s likely one near you, too. SoCal’s event boasts you’ll, “Discover high-quality jewelry, precious and semi-precious gemstones, beads, sparkling crystals, gold and silver, tools, supplies and more.” Oooooo, shiny!

October 28th: Time for some cozy Full Moon Magic! October’s Full Hunter’s Moon at month’s-end is perfect for winding up your myriad projects before heading into the busy Holiday Season. The Full Hunter’s Moon encourages you to prepare for the upcoming cold winter—though perhaps not like our ancestors, who used the month for hunting and storing their game for Winter. Although every Full Moon’s power can be absorbed for immense inner strength, this Moon may lean toward your spiritual side. Its mighty influence to conjure ghosts, goblins and werewolves should still be strong on Halloween … boo!

October 31st: For a well-rounded day of mystique, enjoy National Magic Day*—established in honor of Harry Houdini (1874-1926)! Most 39ers know who he was, if only by infamous references—but then again, “39ers” are getting younger every day. Let’s just say, every prestidigitator aspires to be like him. (Or at least mimic his fame and fortune.) And why is he honored on Halloween? After nine years as president of the *Society for American Magicians/SAM), Mr. Houdini succumbed in a rather odd way, on Halloween day, 1926, at the height of his success. His death was caused either by manslaughter or a health issue—or both. You decide. Abracadabra! Time to make Halloween magic appear …

October 31st: How many times have you heard "Monster Mash" today?! Halloween / All Hallows Eve / Samhain (Irish, SOW-in)! Click on any of the three links to peruse various histories of this enigmatic holiday, that since you were a toddler, has you begging for candy so you can gobble through the night to satisfy your sweet tooth! If you’re a true 39er, you’re still “dressing up”—or down or sideways—for Halloween. Over the years, what has been your favorite costume! Mine was as an Oreo cookie with a bite out. Yep, I made it myself and won a party contest with it. (And we had great fun making jokes about the filling! Oh, so many years ago …)

֎ Monthly Song of Note  
What do you think of when you hear“
In the Midnight Hour”? The phrase invokes everything from witchcraft and ghosts to the living dead, but the song summons  looooove. Yup, it’s a love song. Maybe it’s just me with Irish heritage and a psychic mother, but the midnight hour, especially in October, has always been a little spooky, if not downright creepy. However, it’s practically in the realm of a one-hit-wonder with Cross Country’s crooning in a ballad version.
You're the only girl I know | That really loves me so | In the midnight | In the midnight hour On its way up the vintage music charts, “In the Midnight Hour” rests at #21 for WFIL/Philadelphia fans October 1973 ... find more tuneful tidbits to manifest your memories and keep the Rock Rockin’ from 50 Years Ago this Month.   

֎ For 39ers who Follow the Stars   
Gather your wits about you, 39er Librans (09/23-10/22) and Scorpios (10/23-11/21). This is going to be an exciting month. Be ready for whatever comes!
       We begin with the end of Libra’s pass through the heavens in a fiery show, unusual for placid Libra folks. The annual solar eclipse on October 14th will create a spectacular obvugate* of verve that you can engage to redirect your life in all phases—seriously—an opportunity not to miss. (Especially for those directly in its path—most of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas.) Make sure you keep an eye on your finances. Even if you live outside the “ring of fire,” you will feel its energy. Use it!

The second half of October sees Scorpio 39ers with just as much enthusiasm, but it’s an inner-driven energy, inspired by Mars dancing into your sign, a couple of days before the solar eclipse. Emotions may run rampant at this time, causing life adjustments—be aware—but you’ll be powerless to stop it. Your portal of change may also come from the combination of a Full Moon near Halloween—let your inner spiritual side emerge. Whatever inspires you to change your life up, do it.  

Are you gift-buying for your Libra or Scorpio 39er mate, friend, or family member? Don’t make it cheap or impersonal. Both signs know when you’re trying too hard. From the heart is best; seek quality gifts with thought in selection. Librans soften with light pink or pale blue gemstones or other gifts in color. Scorpios gravitate toward black, deep maroon, or in gemstones, those of intense golden topaz.

֎ Aging with ATT-i-tude Platitude 
Holidays are a great time to tap into your inner child, 39ers. Especially Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Clap your hands and enjoy! ~ L. Rochelle 

Happy UN-Birthday 39ers ~ OCTOBER 2023 Boo!
       This one’s for you, kids – Ron, Darlene, Cheryl, Kim, Tammy, Lin and Terry!  

aka Whimsical Witch of the West
Join the 39 & Holding Club!
Celebrate 39 & Holding Day!
Chat on Twitter: 
@39HoldingClub

*I created this word in August for my Penchant for Penning blog. Perfect for this month's spiritual vibes!

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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 1Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2Rock & 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!

<><><><>39ers RULE<><><><>