Pink Fatigue in October October 11, 2011

October is breast cancer awareness month. Pink is the color associated with breast cancer. Many companies support breast cancer charities and research by changing the colors of their products to pink or put the pink ribbon trademarked by the Komen foundation on their products. So what is the big deal? The big deal is some people are sick of all the pink. Some people have ‘pink fatigue’, meaning the pink has lost impact on them. Some people think the color pink is too cute or too soft or too feminine to be representative of the breast cancer disease.

I don’t know why Komen picked pink to represent their logo, the ribbon, but they did. Their success with breast cancer awareness has snowballed all breast cancer charities and research to use pink in their marketing.

Some people are out raged that Komen.org, the largest charity in the world pays high salaries to their top employees. Some people are outraged that a company will put a cap on their matched donations of $500,000.00, $50.000.00 or $5,000.00 to breast cancer. Some people are outraged that Fast Food outlets will sell nutritiously bad food while donating a nickel per bucket to breast cancer.

Let me address some of these thoughts:

The treatments for breast cancer are; slash, burn and poison. There is nothing cute, soft or feminine about that!

Komen did not get to be the biggest charity by only using volunteers. Just because they are a nonprofit does not mean that their employees don’t get paid. Komen takes the millions of dollars they raise from around the world and fund research on drugs, treatment programs, mammograms and outreach programs. Almost all the drugs used in breast cancer treatment have been a result of Komen dollars.

A company willing to make any donation to Komen or breast cancer research is voluntary and they will get my dollars. Why not?

If you eat fast food in a bucket, and many do, why not have a nickel go to breast cancer research? You are not making the breast cancer patient or survivor eat it!

Here is the low down on breast cancer. There is no cure. There is no cause. The treatments can be barbaric and debilitating.  95% have no family history of breast cancer. The leading causes of breast cancer are being a woman and too many birthdays. 1 out 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Look around and count starting with me, a 9 year survivor, and count 8 more women in your life.

The next time you consider scoffing at the pink in October, ask yourself if your nickel or dime won’t help your sister, friend, daughter or self in the future?

The Demise of the Flannel Nightgown for the Menopausal Woman April 26, 2010

Are you a woman in your 40s, 50’s or 60’s and have a drawer stuffed with flannel nightgowns? Have you been the recipient of a Lanz flannel nightgown over the years? Have you worn a flannel nightgown in the last decade? Are you fighting with yourself about giving away the flannel nightgowns?

Let me be your flannel nightgown coach. Give those ruffled, high neck, floor length flannel nightgowns to your favorite charity. Throw them in the wash because we all know they have been in your drawer for years. Now think about the teenager who will enjoy this almost new cozy nightgown! No one will know.

Even if your kids ask about that gown they gave you last decade, it is time to enlighten them, Mom is hot. Stop the Lanz or LL Bean matching nightgown buying phase before it is too late! Picture your beloved daughter and your fist grandchild and you opening a present and there it is the matching nightgowns! Do you have a Christmas picture of yourself and your daughter in matching sleepwear? That was fine then. Let your daughter now have the picture herself but leave you out. Who wants to look back on what should be a beautiful picture and see sweat pouring down Grandma’s face!

Whether you admit it or not, you have a sleepwear wardrobe. It should consist of wicking sleepwear that keeps you cool, travels well, looks great and feels wonderful. If your drawer of sleepwear is full of old flannel nightgowns, or pajamas that you never wear, it is time to clean out and shop. Lanz nightgowns were fun memories, let’s move on. Haralee.Com can help.

Enjoy this video about the Lanz nightgown from Lee Woodruff. “Ladies who Lanz”. From her book, ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ http://http://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=niiu4MqDVNQ

Like a docked cruise ship for the eighty year old set March 30, 2009

     My Mother decided to go into an assisted living facility. She picked the one she liked and 6 weeks later she made the move. We are all thrilled. This facility is like a docked cruise ship.  It is elegant, friendly, great food, lots of activities, and excursions. The average age at this center is 83. My Mother loves it and my sister and I are so relieved to have her some place safe, with-out stairs, and with as much interaction as she desires.

 

The facility reminds me of a college dorm. The exception is that everyone is in their 80’s. Other than that, the music is loud, people hang out in the common rooms, eat together in the dinning rooms, play games in the study and attend lectures. They have sign out sheets and sign up sheets, and some one is always losing their keys.

 

The biggest problem so far in the adjustment to assisted living is that my Mother is a clothes horse. She went from 5 closets to 2. She lives in New England which means there are seasonal clothes to rotate and store. We are so very fortunate that the biggest problem in adjusting to assisted living is closet space!

 

I am very fortunate to have my Mother still with me and at 87 years old enjoying this new part of her life.