Change in Season, Same Hot Flashes/Night Sweats November 9, 2014

I love fall. The brisk air, the foliage, the anticipation of Holidays.

With the change in weather is the change in wardrobe. Out come coats and sweaters, or do they?

I detected a whine in the voice of my husband the other morning when he said, “Can we turn on some heat please?” Heat? Really is it time to turn the heat on? I noticed he was wearing fleece. When did he stop wearing shorts?

Certainly when the heat is turned on and the rains have started, I need to get out my winter wardrobe. I used to have 2 sets of clothing, one for summer and one for winter. Since menopause, I notice I have one set of clothing with some sandals or a few sweaters.

One set of clothes for all seasons? I could be living in Hawaii! I don’t! Damn you menopause!!

With the change of the seasons and the heat is turned on and it is cool outside then warms up or it rains and then stops, it is hard for anyone to regulate their body temperature. For the menopausal, the hot flashes and night sweats are just having a hey day and night!

Is it hot in here? I know it isn’t just me! Do you have one all weather wardrobe?

A Brave New Woman October 4, 2011

I am not a big fat baby when it comes to new adventures, but lately in comparison to my friends I am certainly in the running. Here is a list of what some of my friends are up to:

• Took a leave of absence and traveled alone for 2 months to South America with-out being fluent in Spanish!
• Quit her job and started a 3 year graduate school program at over 50 years old!
• Took a sabbatical to Europe, bought a car and drove through France and Italy by herself!
• Sold her home and moved to Mexico with-out being fluent in Spanish!
• Started her own business in a new service industry she developed!
• Joined a Dragon Boat Team and traveled to participate in races around the world after breast cancer treatments!

Yikes, right! Did I mention that these friends of mine are every day normal women?  No trust fund babies, Housewives of wherever, extreme thrill or sports junkies in the bunch. Women who through emails or over coffee mentioned to me casually in the same manner as they would say, “I am going to the mall instead of downtown to shop for some black pumps”, except they are doing these huge brave things!

Now we all have done some brave things or events from time to time, but these women are demonstrating a commitment to a new challenge that goes beyond doing a  zip line, walking over a bed of fire, taking up conversational Cantonese, starting a new job, ending a bad marriage or horseback riding! These women are demonstrating a new experience that only 1 out of not very many are willing to take.

 I think what makes my friends remarkable is their desire and willingness to go or do their  adventures by themselves.  How often have we heard someone say “If I had someone to do this  with or if I had the time I would do it”? These women were not held back waiting for that  someone or the perfect time. They left spouses, partners, children, pets, homes, careers and many exclamations of “Are you Crazy” to pursue their goal. Some said it was a lifetime goal, others a whim to seize the opportunity.

So here are my questions: Is there a brave new woman in all of us?

Have you become a brave new woman in the last few years?

Are you like me, almost a big fat baby?

 

Tie One On for the Giving Season November 9, 2010

National Tie One on Day, an apron of course, is November 24, 2010. EllynAnne Geisel of Apron Memories, http://www.apronmemories.com/, started this giving day tradition the day before Thanksgiving five years ago. She encourages embracing a “giving opportunity that has nothing to do with shopping or even getting into a car, but everything to do with our recognition of gratefulness and our ability to give to someone in need of spiritual or physical sustenance.”

EllynAnne goes on to say “Women clad in aprons have traditionally prepared the Thanksgiving meal and it is with in our historical linkage to share our bounty”

This year Haralee.Com is a sponsor for Tie One On Day. http://www.apronmemories.com/tie-one-on-day/

EllynAnne has become the patron saint of the Apron.

She writes about aprons, exhibits aprons, and sews and sells aprons on her web site. Her aprons have become famous with the Desperate Housewives character Bree wearing one, to the recent article in the upcoming AARP magazine.

When I came across the Apron Memories site I was infatuated. My very first sewing project was an apron, and I have loved them and sewing ever since. Just this year for my birthday two friends separately gave me aprons! After I read about EllynAnne’s ‘Tie One On Day’ I knew I had to get the word out. Join me and other apron wearing women spreading thanks the day before Thanksgiving.

My AHA Moment September 1, 2010

Mutual of Omaha has a series of commercials called “Aha Moments”.  You may have seen these 30-60 second spots on TV shows sponsored by the company. They are usually heartwarming and inspirational.

The campaign was so successful that they continued it with new AHA moment stories from people across the country. You can imagine my surprise and pleasure when I was asked to record my AHA story moment!

The recording was done in an Airstream hauled around the country by 4 people over 3 months. It was a very fun experience.

Please take a look and I welcome your comments. The most views get a better chance for their AHA moment to be aired on national TV. What a hoot!

http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/17112

Made in America, Made in the USA July 20, 2010

 

When you see the label “Made In the USA” do you think the product is made in a USA prison? Do you think it is made by a company in the USA that is not a prison?

Our company, Haralee.Com, makes a very strong effort to be made in the USA. We believe it is one of our values to sustain the USA economy. Most of our competitors have gone offshore. Their labor costs are less yet they charge the same as us so their profits are greater. I don’t begrudge anyone their business success. I also don’t think there is anything wrong with using prisoners for labor. In most cases it is an earned privilege for the inmates to work at a prison company and restitution can be made from the income so it is a win-win situation.

We chose for our company the commitment to ‘Made In America’ meaning jobs and employment to our neighbors, friends and small companies that are trying to succeed today. We use in country pattern makers, designers, web masters, and hosting companies. We buy all our fabric, labels, notions, and shipping bags from companies based in the USA.

Consumers have a great choice of where they make their purchases. We just want people to buy their wicking garments from us and support the USA economy. One less suffering woman with hot flashes and night sweats means one more dollar staying in the USA.

The Demise of a Morning Tradition April 13, 2009

I love reading the morning paper with my coffee and breakfast. Lately I find myself looking for more in my paper. More paper that is. When I pick up the paper in my driveway it feels lighter and lighter. Even the Sunday paper is light weight. I want more paper to sustain my 2 cup of coffee breakfast. I pine for the days when it would take me 3-4 hours of a Sunday morning to read and go through the paper.

 

Many people have stopped taking the paper. They may not even pick up a Sunday paper. We all know the reasons; 24 hour TV News, Internet news, Paper on line for free, the expense, etc.

 

I feel out of touch in the morning if with my coffee, and that is a deal breaker, I don’t have a paper to read. I like the food day sections, the front page news, the metro news, the comics and horoscope. I especially like the headlines and the pictures. Sure sometimes the news is not new by the time I read it in the morning, but what about the local commentaries, and opinions?

 

The obituaries and the bridal sections can give you a real flavor of the community. My paper now charges for wedding announcements and pictures in the obituaries, so those sections are thinning out too. The store supplement pages and free standing inserts are my favorites. I would not even know about some products if I didn’t see a coupon for it in my paper. I might be just having a menopausal rant, but I don’t want to see the morning paper ritual die!
 

 

A Taste of Sustainable Summer in a Bottle March 16, 2009

Some time after breast cancer and subsequent menopause, I found I could not drink alcoholic beverages any longer. A few sips of a wine, beer or a mixed drink and I went into a full body sweat, and a mind crushing headache. Unattractive and debilitating, I sought a tasty beverage to drink when normally a wine or beer or mixed drink would do. This search led me to HOTLIPS Soda. I want a drink that can thrill me like wine, delight my senses like a mixed drink concoction, and refresh me like a cold beer. HOTLIPS Soda is all that and more because they are admirably sustainable. Me, you and every one else can feel good on several levels from buying their soda. www.hotlipssoda.com

 

Jeana Edelman, Aesthetic Engineer and co-owner of HOTLIPS Pizzerias for 20 years was “disgusted with selling Coke or Pepsi and the whole family of gross corn syrup beverages”, at their restaurants. Her partner Dave decided on the idea to make soda from the bounty of local berries and other fruits. They bought some 1960 era bottling machinery and started the process of capturing the essence and flavor of fresh berries in a bottle. Finally 4 years after their first attempt, the bottling and berries worlds aligned and Hot Lips Real Fruit Soda was born. No corn syrup, artificial flavors or ingredients you can’t pronounce. It is like drinking fruit. The color, the smell, the love that goes into this product is a testament to the HOTLIPS Company.

 

The soda, since it is actual fruit, has pulp. This means it has fiber. How many other sodas have fiber? The availability like wines is based on the local crop of the berries. Hot Lips Soda, with Jeana and Dave, are entrepreneurs who know their way around sustainable business practices and we all benefit from their efforts.

 

 

 

Menopause Barbie March 9, 2009

The Barbie Doll turns 50.

2009 is turning into an interesting year, full of milestones. One of these milestones is The Barbie Doll will be 50 years old. Ken, Barbie’s long term boyfriend is only 48. Who knew that Barbie liked younger guys?

Actually Barbie and Ken were named after the children of Mattel founder Ruth Handler.

When Ruth and her husband introduced Barbie at the International Toy Show in 1959, toy stores were not excited. Consumers loved Barbie and as they say, the rest is history.

 

Ruth was 42 when she introduced this controversial doll, a doll with breasts. Another first for Mattel, with Ruth at the helm, was to buy 52 weeks, 1 year of advertising on the TV show, the Mickey Mouse Club. One year of advertising toys directly to the demographic who could make their wishes known had not been done before. TV itself was in its infancy, but Ruth and her husband Elliot saw the potential.

 

Ruth Handler who died in 2002 at age 85 was an admirable business woman. She combined business, Motherhood and being a wife in a time when women were not encouraged to work outside of their homes. What genius to name her doll toys after her children. What PR savvy to partner with her husband but confident enough to be the spokesperson for their toy company. At age 51 Ruth introduced Hot Wheels. This toy’s success rivaled Barbie’s for boys. Menopause in the work place didn’t stop Ruth Handler from success, nor does it appear to stop her creation, the Barbie Doll.

 

This doll could be called ‘Hot Flash Barbie’ or ‘Menopause Barbie at age 50. Looking at her founder, I think Barbie has a great future ahead of her. Mattel, which the Handler family sold in the 70’s, had a bad fourth quarter for 2008. Can the Golden Anniversary Barbie bear the financial pressure for the entire company? She is being sold for $3.00, the same price as 50 years ago. If you look at Barbie from the late 80’s forward, she now smiles. She is feeling confident, she looks great!

 

The Business of Girl Scout Cookies in 2009 February 10, 2009

Have you been approached by your neighbor Girl Scout yet? Have you seen the Girl Scouts out side your grocery store? Do the words ‘Thin Mints’ bring a desire to buy for you? It is Girl Scout Cookie Season, 2009. I have my money ready.

 

Prepare yourself for the impact of a down economy in your GS cookie purchase. You may want to buy more. The cookies will remain $4.00 per box, but the quantity of some of the varieties will be less than previous years. On other varieties, the cookies will be smaller in size. www.girlscouts.org

 

 

What does this mean? It means the girls scouts are learning at a young age how to sell, market, develop selling strategies, and position their product in a down economy. They are learning the affects the economy has on everyone and every business. The Girl Scouts are learning how to survive in a recession. If I see in the future a resume of a young woman who lists an accomplishment of 1,000 boxes of GS cookies sold in 2009, I know this is an experienced sales person, with marketing expertise!

Crying At Work October 15, 2008

 

The question is when is it acceptable to cry in the work place?

 

A friend of mine has told me she is just about menopausal and she is having emotional surges like her teenagers. She is crying more frequently, and being very short tempered. While her teenagers are quick to get over their outbursts, she still reels from her own for hours. The crying is the most troublesome and hardest to hide. How many times, does my friend tell me, can she say it’s just allergies? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying

I have been at meetings when the subject of death is addressed when one in our group has lost a husband, wife or child to disease or suicide. A collective tearing up in these circumstances is totally acceptable. I have noticed however, that many of the men remained stoic. Crying makes people feel uncomfortable, especially in my experience, men people.

 

I have seen co-workers make harsh comments to one another in meetings. Sometimes the recipient of the unkind words is stunned into silence, like a slap. Sometimes another co-worker comes to the defense and it turns into a verbal brawl. I have seen pounding on tables, throwing back chairs, standing up and shouting, throwing papers, ripping charts off walls, and getting red in the face, but I have never seen a man reduced to tears. I am not saying this is good or bad, it is just an interesting observation from my 30 years in the drenches of corporate America.

 

I used to work with a woman who cried frequently at meetings. It was a tough company, we were in sales, and you were expected to exceed your sales goals to keep your job. Men were the bosses and morale was not a consideration. Over the ten years I knew this woman, she cried at meetings when she was criticized, or when she was praised. She also cried at the Christmas party, and when she had too much to drink. In short she was a crier. In the ten years we worked together she maintained her job but she was not advanced, viewed as not able to handle pressure, and not being able to negotiate with difficult people. I heard others throw around the word ‘Drama Queen’ when referring to her. I know many did not want to work with her because she was disruptive with her crying. Crying elicits a need to comfort for many people. It is difficult to concentrate on work if you are busy comforting the crying person.  It is also difficult to ignore a crying person and stay on task. Looking back, I think she may have been PMS, post pregnancy, or peri-menopausal. Her hormones may have been running amok, or it was just part of her personality. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying_(song)

 

I think we have all had moments when we tear up in frustration or hurt feelings.

Not one condition or reason can be attributed to why a woman cries at work more than a man. I think a host of reasons trigger crying, menopause or hormone changes may just be some of the mix.

 

The conclusion I have reached is that it doesn’t do any one any good including the crier to cry at work. Go to the rest room, or walk outside your building, go to your car or someplace alone. Excuse yourself. Crying appears to be in the same genre as bawdy jokes. They can make some people feel uncomfortable, and give an air of an unprofessional demeanor. Don’t let your career be jeopardized by a few tears. No crying at Work!

What is your opinion?