June 30, 2010

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are over 50!

It is 1 AM, Do Your Children Know You Ae On Line? June 30, 2010

If you have adult children in their 20’s or 30’s do they think you are a techno novice? Do they think you seldom shop if ever on line? Do they think that you use FaceBook just because they set it up for you? Are you perpetuating the myth that women and men over 50 are not truly comfortable on line?

I know better. I know that the fastest growing demographic group on FaceBook is the woman over 50. I know that men and women over 50 are the fastest growing group signing up for Skype. I know that customers for my on line business are shopping all hours and often. So why the disconnect?

Many of us remember DOS. We remember when a computer took up an entire room. We remember when computer science class in college was similar to a foreign language class.

Many of us shop on line for all kinds of services, products and research. I can’t remember the last time I pulled out a phonebook. When trying a new restaurant, I check the reviews. I pay bills on line, reserve movies, and read newspapers. Most of my friends do the same, but if you ask their kids they would not know that their Moms and Dads are this computer proficient. Even those kids, who know their parents are using their computers often, still think they have superior computer skills. Sure they have been using computers their entire lives, but we aren’t brain dead! Just because we asked them to set up our new computer, or install a program or show us a short cut does not mean we could not do it ourselves. It just may take us an hour and 15 minutes for them.

My, my. Should we just leave the kids happy in their ignorance or inform them about the truth? I lean for the truth because their attitude can spill over to the work place to their over 50 co-workers. It is one thing for your own kid to scoff at a computer question but scoffing has no place in the work place

10 Cool Tips for Staying Cool This Summer June 22, 2010

If you are inwardly, silently cringing at another day of warm sunny weather because you are having hot flashes day and night, you are not alone. Here is my tip list to keep your cool and still look great.

1. 1. Sandals

Keep your feet exposed to the open air to keep cool. Can’t wear sandals for work because of some health issue?  Try wearing open toe or peek-a-boo toe shoes and absolutely no hose or socks.

2. Sleeveless Tops, Blouses or Dresses

You may think your arms are not what they once were but really, no one would be looking at your arms if sweat is pouring down your face if you wear sleeves.*

3. Wicking Clothing

Seek out tops and short and pants for casual wear that wick away the moisture so you can stay dry. *

4. Portable Fans

Do not overlook the chance to quickly cool down with a small quiet fan strategically placed on your desk, in your bathroom or on your nightstand.

5. Underwear

Wicking bras and panties are in investment in coolness.

6. Iced Beverages

They can cool you down and you can use the ice cubes down your bra, or your pants.

7. Hats

Hats are very fashionable.  Wear a big brim hat while outside. It will shade your face and shoulders while you end up looking very cool.

8. Scarves

This year scarves have been a great fashion accessory. Put them away for the summer.

9. Hair

If you have shoulder length hair, put it up into some fun styles. If you have short hair, shorten up the back or go for an asymmetrical look for the summer.

10.  Sleepwear

Invest in wicking sleepwear for a cooler tomorrow. If you are sleep deprived because it is just too hot to sleep, summer can drag on for what will seem like forever.*

• Items available at http://www.haralee.Com

June 22, 2010

New Blog for Staying Cool This Summer

Breast Cancer Vaccine News June 16, 2010

A vaccine that prevents Breast Cancer? Not cure but prevents? Cervical cancer vaccine works by stimulating the body to produce protective antibodies. These antibodies ‘remember’ the virus and will attack it whenever the body encounters it again. Breast cancer has not been determined to be a virus so what is the hype?

Researchers at the wonderful Cleveland Clinic have raised hope for a breast cancer vaccine. Mice that have a gene for breast cancer have been administered a vaccine and it worked! The vaccine destroys only the protein most common in breast cancer so it can not develop. These mice experiments are moving on to the FDA for approval for human clinical trials.

Research can take years. What is successful for mice may not succeed for humans, but still there is hope

A Garden Whine June 8, 2010

It has been unseasonably cool and wet here. So cool that my heat turns on and it is set at 65degrees. It is so wet that your feet squish and splash up onto your legs while walking on the grass. Then there is the garden and the slug problems. Strawberries are ripening and rotting at the same time. Vegetable starter plants are being eaten by the slugs. I can imagine them on the backs of slugs as they slither on down the garden path.

I am on a vegetable garden rant. All winter we plan and work the yard getting it ready for the garden. We buy starter plants, seeds, compost and soil in anticipation of planting. We wait for the soil to warm up and plant. Excitement ensues in anticipation of the harvest.

What happened this year is the weather turned ugly and nasty. Warning to all readers, this will be gross. My lettuce which is growing well, but it takes up to 30 minutes to clean. Each Romaine leaf has to be individually washed and de-slugged. This same washing procedure has to be used with the spinach which is kind of tough. Yes thick and tough spinach!  After all the lettuce is washed I put it in a plastic bag. Yesterday when I took out some lettuce, there were slugs. They had been eating on the leaves so there were holes. Live slugs and holes on my cleaned and refrigerator lettuce leaves were just too much for me. I think the slugs hatched in my refrigerator.

I am trying to wait for the sun before I re- plant the missing vegetables. I am hoping it is soon. I had dreams of eggplants, melons, cucumbers, and of course sweet tomatoes. Strawberries may be a lost cause, and melons a memory but I am forever the optimist.