Thoughts About Aging

As you get older, do your thoughts change about aging? Do you see visible signs that lets you know you are getting older? I used to have neutral thoughts about aging. Maybe it was because my parents and all their relatives seemed to look the same from year to year. Then when I turned 40, a wave of panic set in. I started to draw a mind map of my thoughts about aging, while on a plane somewhere over the Caribbean Sea.

The signs of aging were evident before that milestone. In my 30’s, on March 29, 2003 to be exact, my eye spotted a grey hair peeking out from my curly afro. I froze. Next came a battle between me and it. I finally succeeded with the help of my tweezers.  The hair now rests on a page in one of my journals with the caption “My 1st grey hair!”

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My 52nd birthday

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Today is my birthday! Always excited to see the #Twitter greeting.

I’d had initial plans to check into a guest house in Western Grenada Sunday and stay till today, but they quoted more than I thought I should pay. Then a second option came up and I decided not to do that. Yesterday I drove up that side and came back to my flat, all in quick time. Twenty-one x 12 miles enables that.

What should I do on my birthday then? I decided to make no plans, except for the 1 pm physiotherapy appointment. One of the best ways for me to spend a day is not to have a schedule. I value freedom.

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Gym episode 02/03: We’re going non-stop

The second half of the challenge will be more vigorous….if my body allows. I am going to give it a serious talking to! Doh let mi dung! We haffi go non-stop.

Wednesday morning started later than planned because Tuesday night had pain fuh so! And it wasn’t pain from Monday’s cardio class at work with Bambi. My upper body throbbed. Couldn’t find a comfortable position.

Last week when I had steelcut oats before the session, I felt very lethargic so this morning I decided to have 1 tin of sardines… yes….straight outta di tin with nutten on it :o. Had half a carambola and coffee with it.

The Trainer was waiting for me when I got there. Did my 10 minutes warm up on the elliptical, increasing the level every 30 seconds or 1 minute. It felt easier today.

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Pre-birthday views and celebrations

Normally I would have started the celebrations from 1st October and in fact, when I turned a significant age a few years ago, I celebrated for the whole year. This year, work has kept me busy, so it started late, on Friday, with lunch at the hotel I used to work at. Yesterday was the beach and today I was back for lunch at the hotel again. Here are some scenes. No captions necessary…though I did add some 🙂

Grenada is one seriously beautiful island….like Jamaica.

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Grand Anse Beach

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Panoramic shot

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Healthy eating

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View from the lunch area

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Lagoon by dusk

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Teeny tiny cake

Make a wish!

Make a wish!

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Beautiful sky

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Birthday cake’s in the bag

Last weekend, I was feeling industrious so picked up a box of cake mix in the supermarket. I don’t normally buy these things. Having worked in hotels all my life, sweet treats were available whenever. And at the last place I worked, I would have been guaranteed to get a cake…..chocolate. Here’s last year’s version.

Chocolate Cake with a nutty coating. Yum!

Chocolate Cake with a nutty coating. Yum!

Ok, so my camera wasn’t very good.

I should have said cakeS, because there was a second one baked by a friend.

Another delicious cake, this time with coffee.

Another delicious cake, this time with coffee.

Since I no longer have the hotel option, I thought I’d bake my own cake. But why so early Yamfoot? Well, this weekend I might not have felt like baking.

Duncan Hines really is moist!

Duncan Hines really is moist!

There was a lil crack in the cake. Guess I didn’t grease the pan enough. I decided to make a layered cake, but did not buy frosting because that would have been just too much sugar. So I whipped up some yogurt with frozen blueberries. Here’s the remnants of that mixture.

My low sugar version of frosting

My low sugar version of frosting

When I was whipping up the frosting, I realized that as it was yogurt based, it couldn’t stay outside. So I cut up the cake in smaller pieces, wrapped each in foil and they are resting comfortably in the freezer. That was also a measure to prevent me from eating all at once!

In a few days, I will be whipping out one of the packages and saying “happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeee”. Look on the sidebar to see when’s the birthday. Usually I don’t work on my birthday but no choice this year. I will probably be at a business lunch, so not too bad.