65 and Beyond, (Finger’s Crossed)

On February 13th., 2026 I Turned 65

Gordon and I ‘Out and About’ on My Birthday

65 Feels Pretty Good

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When I Turned 60 I Started this Website Page:

Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?), We’ll See, Right?

(If you would like to read, just click on the link above.)

I didn’t know what 60 would be like? Which is why I started the above website page.

I assumed that I would be blogging about any changes in my body or lifestyle. Perhaps the ‘ups and downs’ of ageing? My intention was that we would explore it together.

I am a very open person. Sometimes to my detriment. But, that is who I am, and I am not going to fight against that.

Now that I am 65, I have been in my 60’s for 5 years now. I have been getting to know the ageing me and I am fine with it.

Yes, I have put on some weight in the middle. That is where my pounds accumulate anyway. They always have.

However, there is just something empowering that comes with ageing that I didn’t know in my 50’s, or 40’s, or 30’s, etc.

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Turning 65

As I like to say, Uglier on the outside, Happier on the inside.

I would not go back if I were given the chance. I feel as if I have reached milestones that are important. As in evolving into the person I am destined to be. I have earned the right to be 65! Ageing is a privilege.

If I could give my younger self a heads up, I would not!

I needed to go through all that I did to get to here. I would not have made it if I did warn my younger self. I have learned that the damage that was done to me by certain people in my life never had anything to do with me. It was their damage they were inflicting on me. I used to regret being nice or kind to certain people. I have however learned that I should never be upset about doing the right thing. They are the ones that should be upset that they took advantage of my kindness, and loyalty.

I don’t know how much time I have left? Oh, as far as I know I am fine where my health is concerned. I am just referring to life in general.

None of us really know the answers to that? I always figured that I would die young. No idea why? I just always thought so. But, before I am gone, I still have many things left that I want to do. I’ll go when I’m ready. I’m stubborn that way. 🙂 But for now, my granddaughter needs me. My daughter and son-in-law need me, my husband needs me, and I need me too! 🙂

So, Here Is 65 and Beyond, Finger’s Crossed!

Julie

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BLOG ENTRIES START HERE

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Shopping At The Asian Supermarket

Shopping And Creating Recipes Does Make Me Happy

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September 7, 2026

How Much Is Too Much?

And, The Death Of A Legend

Dolly Parton in Hawai’i

(I can remember that she had a home there when we lived there in the mid 80’s to late 90’s. When we would drive around the island we would pass by her house. Actually, the gate to her house. Everyone knew it was hers.)

When I write, ‘How Much Is Too Much’ I am referring to plastic surgery. I’ve been wanting to write about this for months now. I’m finally getting around to it.

With Dolly’s death it does kind of muddle the waters now with what all I wanted to say. She embodied everything fake on the outside, yet possessed the most genuine of souls on the inside. I read where someone even described her as Jesus and as strange as that may sound, I can see it. She didn’t just become a good person as she aged, she always was a good person.

I adored her! So did most everyone.

I read somewhere online where someone said that ‘Dolly was the string that held us all together.’ I believe that. That is how I saw her. Her loss is all of ours, not just her family and friends. We lost the nicest and kindest and most generous person in the world. I’m grieving that.

After Dolly passed I was reading so many ‘Dolly Stories’ online. Everyone seemed to have one. Including me! I went to Dolly’s high school in Sevierville, TN. in the mid to late 70’s for 9th., 10th. and 11th. grade. My step-father was one of the only surgeon’s there at the time. Which is why we moved to Sevierville. I was in the marching band. One year Dolly came to our high school, her Alma Mater, and gave a concert donating the proceeds. Our band had just made an album that year and presented it to her as a gift. She wouldn’t accept it until everyone had signed it. I can remember how star struck the audience was seeing her on stage. I don’t think I’d ever seen my friend Judy so enamored by anyone before. Dolly was funny, charming, and she would sometimes forget the words to some of her songs and would substitute them with other words like, la dee dah, la la dee dah. It was charming. She made fun of something large on her body that she said people wondered was fake, and of course we’re all thinking about her boobs, but she then said, I’m talking about my nails, what are you talking about? Our band played Hello Dolly to introduce her at the concert. I can rememer seeing her big tour bus parked in our school’s parking lot.

Dolly In Front Of Her Tour Bus

I enjoyed reading all the Dolly Stories pouring in online. Of course they have since died down, but I think we are all still sad by her death. As I said, she wasn’t just a country music legend, she was the kindest and most generous person in the world. Now who do we have?

I originally wanted to explore how our society as a whole is embracing so much of this, I don’t even really know what to call it? Plastic surgery? Enhancements? Implants? Injections?

I would like to say that I believe that people should do what they want to do. It is your body after all. But coming from a medical background, not mine, my step-father’s and my mother’s, you never go under the knife unless it is absolutely necessary. Once they put you to sleep you do run the risk that you may never wake up? Although perhaps technology has caught up that they don’t even need to put you to sleep anymore? I don’t know enough about it.

I also can’t tell you how many times I have read where a mother of 3 died while on a trip to Mexico for some sort of liposuction. Why? Was that worth it? The children now don’t have a mother?

Kanye West’s mother died while getting liposuction. Again, is that so important? Joan Rivers also died while undergoing plastic surgery. And then there is Michael Jackson and all the work he had done. He didn’t even have a nose left.

I don’t want to shame anyone. I think that sometimes we do things because of past trauma’s.

Sometimes when I watch T.V. I will see a very attractive woman and you can tell that her hair is fake, and she has fake boobs, injections in her lips, fake nails, and all I see is a fake person. Some people take it even further with their fake butts. I just think that someday aliens will come to our planet, (although I think they are already here) and dig us up and ask, ‘what was wrong with these people?’

I have a confession to make about my daughter Veronica. When she was 5 she did have plastic surgery on her ears. They were deformed when she was born. She was a breach baby and I had a C-Section at her delivery. To me she was the most beautiful baby in the world, but when I presented my perfect child to my grandmother I will never forget what she said when she saw her. “Let’s tape those ears down.” And it was at that point that I finally saw them. The debate to have Veronica at age 5 get plastic surgery on her ears was important for us. I didn’t want her to start school being called Dumbo, I myself had had a hard time growing up in so many different school’s with so many cruel children that I didn’t want her to go through what I had gone through, so my grandmother paid for the surgery. By age 5 your ears are at about 90% growth. They mature before your head does. So, having confessed that do I have any right to criticize someone else for having elective plastic surgery? I think not!

I will say this though, I do believe that there is a point where someone will take it too far. It is at that point where I believe money should be spent to fix what’s wrong inside, and not keep spending money on the outsides. It may make them happy for a short while, but the insecurities come back and then here comes more plastic surgery, believing that will make them happy but it never ultimately does.

One day, a few year’s back, I was watching T.V. when a commercial came on advertising The Real Housewives of somewhere in California? The commercial had about 4 blonde women and one brunette. All 4 blondes had the exact same long hair extensions, the exact same mini-dress (in different colors) and the exact same high heeled shoes (in different colors). The brunette was the only one that didn’t seem to have all the fake attachments to herself. But then again, I have no clue what work may have been done underneath her clothing. I looked at all of them and they just looked like clones of each other. When did that happen? That same look is still out there and popular. I’m not criticizing the look, I’m criticizing the fact that all these women feel that they have to look like that in order to be happy or excepted. When did our society become so shallow? I do blame reality T.V. But that is a conversation for another day.

I look at my granddaughter Isabelle and she has the prettiest face. I hope that she will always know how pretty she is and not feel pressure to change her nose, or get lip injections, or some boob job, or butt implants just to please a shallow society with the shortest attention span in our history. When Sarah Jessica Parker was in her early years of acting the ‘establishment’ wanted her to get a nose job. She said no, because she liked that she looked like her family, and didn’t want to change it. That confidence comes from being born into a supportive and loving family. I also love how she is accepting ageing, and ageing very well. But then again, she is in a strong and healthy long marriage with children.

There is a famous family out there that you all know of with lots of girls in it, that are big influencers that change their faces quite often. Their mother is especially pro-plastic surgery. The thing is, they have lots of children between them and I can only imagine the lessons being taught to these children? ‘Our faces aren’t good enough so we constantly get work done. Therefore your faces aren’t good enough either so you will be needing to fix those as well in the future, or until your 10.’

I do believe there is this self-anointed group of people out there that make up things that they believe we all need to do, and then it filters down into our society through magazines, books, hair stylists, make-up artists, and influencers. Once they get the celebrities to go along with them and their ideas, they know the public is not far behind. A huge money making industry that people will throw their money at just to look like the latest big celebrity that they love and admire. It’s quite sad actually. So many original people wiping their identities in order to look like the latest clones out there. Did Dolly do that? No! She was herself from day 1!

Dolly Parton grew up poor in the mountains of Tennessee. I know those mountains in Tennessee very well because we did live there, but we also spent a lot of time in those mountains. Mountain cabins, fire places, hiking, picnics, creeks, streams, waterfalls, throwing rocks, camping, etc.

When I look at Dolly, I see her poor childhood. I see the ‘over the top’ clothing, hair, and make-up. I see her making up for the fact that she was poor. I see her presenting this larger than life Dolly to the world to make up for the fact that she wasn’t born ‘over the top.’

There is a relative that I have on my biological father’s side that also grew up poor. She studied hard and graduated from high school as Salutatorian. She went onto college and furthered her education, earinng her degrees and accumulating a lot of college debt in the process. She is a teacher. The thing she should be the proudest of is that she is self-made. But I believe that her poor childhood haunts her which is why she will drive an expensive car, wear expensive clothing and shoes, and carry an expensive handbag, wanting only the finer things in life. Not that there is really anything wrong with that.

Well, I too wear my Lilly Pulitzer designer clothing, and carry designer handbags, but I’m also known to shop at Goodwill and the Dollar Tree. Stores I don’t believe my relative would ever do.

Whether it be good or bad, our childhood’s shape us into the adults that we become. There is nothing wrong with that. I just hate that with a lot of us, we are held back from becoming the people we should be because of those past trauma’s. I know that for me I walk hand in hand with my trauatized childhood version of myself everyday. But, I like to think that I am rewriting HER trauma and turning that into a happier functioning adult, ME. 🙂

Dolly Parton turned the hardships of her upbringing into becoming the larger than life person she became. Not to mention the most generous. I know that I will miss her for the rest of my life.

Julie

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July 12, 2026

Constantly Chasing Sleep

Favorite Pajamas

I can remember reading decades ago how Betty White only got about 3 hours of sleep a night. I couldn’t believe that she could function on that minimal amount of sleep. Then I read around the same time frame that Martha Stewart would be up at 3:00 a.m. with a flashlight out in her garden pulling up weeds. I was so shocked that these two successful women could even function on such a minimal amount of sleep? Well, now that I am 65, I am getting not as much sleep as I need, and not being able to function without a good night’s sleep. I cannot relate. I need my sleep!

My lifestyle is that I keep my Granddaughter anywhere from 2 to 4 days a week. Either Veronica or Brian will bring her over in the early morning hours at either 5:30 a.m. or 5:45 – 6:00 a.m. I am always up by the time they bring her over. I set my alarm clock for 4:00 a.m. in the morning. I shower and I’m dressed and ready by the time Isabelle arrives.

Even though she just turned 3, we still give her a bottle in the mornings. Even though that is a bit young for her, you have to understand that her sleep has been interrupted. She needs to get back to sleep. That warm milk helps her. Whether we deliver it in a baby bottle, or a water bottle.
That also benefits me! I need to get back to sleep in the mornings myself. It is difficult for me to function without a good night’s sleep. I love a good extra hour or two in those early morning hours. That way I get to sleep in to around 8:00 or 8:30, or 9:00 a.m. in the mornings. Being her care giver, I need the extra hours of sleep in order to function for the day. After all, her parents don’t pick her up until around 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. on some days, and as early as 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., on other days. Some of those days are long!

I wanted to say that I think that we justify the early morning bottle with the understanding that there are women out there that continue to breast feed into the child’s 5th. birthday.

That is not our intention. We are just delivering the warm milk to Isabelle in a vessel that will not leak into the crib/bed, and will help her to go back to sleep, so that I can also get some more much needed sleep myself. That’s where my heating pad comes in. I do so love that warmth and it makes me drowsy, helping me to go back to sleep.

NOTE! It is easier to go to sleep once you have taken a nice warm shower, day or night. Which is usually why I tend to go back to sleep more easily after I have had my 4:00 a.m. shower on those mornings I have Isabelle. Nice shower, and a heating pad work for me!

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I Also Think That I Suffer From Anxiety

On those days that I have to leave the house, I tend to have a hard time sleeping the night before. That is something new to me. It’s really just been since I’ve been in my 60’s that I’ve had that problem. There is just this anxiousness and dread that I have where I am up in the middle of the night and I can’t shut my brain off in order to relax and go to sleep.

I think some of the problem it is that America is a dangerous country to live in. I don’t feel safe when I leave the house. Too many guns, and too many hot-heads that own the guns. Also, just not enough respect towards our fellow human beings. I think a lot of people would just rather shoot you than deal with you. Same with driving. Even though I do the speed limit, I am never going fast enough for some people. I think they would rather run me off the road than have to drive behind me. Which is why I tend to make appointments or run errands on those hours where there isn’t a lot of traffic. I also only shop in business’s where I feel safe in their parking lots. Now that I am 65 and ageing, I am becoming more of a target to those that take advantage of that. Always be aware of your surroundings. Quit looking at your phones and pay attention. It just might save your life.

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Afternoon Naps And Back Pain

Sometimes I do take an afternoon nap. Or, I might just lay down on the couch among my comfy blankety covers and pillows, turn the T.V. volume down low, close my eyes, and just rest and relax. If sleep follows, wonderful! If not, then that’s o.k. too because I am resting my body and getting off my back. Walking on these cement floors here in Florida can ruin your lower back. When we were living in Hawaii I developed back pains from every surface in Hawaii being cement. The reasoning behind all the cement is hurricane’s. Then when we moved to Maryland, where everything was this nice wooden surface, my back pain went away. Then we move back to Florida where everything has a cement flooring, and here come the back pains again.

I do wear indoor shoes, mainly smooshy, mooshy Flip Flops. (Or Slippers as they say in Hawaii.) The mooshy kind have a nice comfy give that allows your foot to be more comfortable. The downside is that sometimes they are easy to trip in while wearing. Something I will need to be aware of as I age.

The point I was trying to make here is that by just resting and getting off my back I feel this rejuvenation that allows me to get through the rest of the day on those sleepy tired days I sometimes have. By laying down, place a pillow underneath your pelvis just to elevate it up a bit. For me the pain goes away immediately just by doing that. Try it! See for yourself.

Also, take an Advil if your back starts to hurt, OR even before it starts to hurt! When I am about to take on a big job I just go ahead and take one. It will prevent the swelling in my lower back which brings on pain. It’s that inflammation you have to worry about.

I also don’t take any of those energy drinks. Coffee is the strongest thing that I use to pep up.

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About 2 Years Ago I Moved Into The Gust Bathroom

(For Bathing And Skincare)

It’s been a few years but there was a time, a very long time, when my next door neighbor started stalking and harassing me.

I do document it here:

Click Here For: My Log Blog Documenting Stalking And Harassment From My Neighbor

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Gordon was working overseas and for some reason my hot-headed neighbor next door to us starting throwing things at our house at 4:00 a.m. to upset me. It was always when I was in the bathroom or in our bedroom. Regardless, I no longer felt safe on that side of our house, so I started bathing in the guest bathroom. At first I just dragged a few things into the guest bathroom, not bothering to really fix it up and make it nice. But, I have since made it nice and I’m glad that I made that switch. I feel a lot safer. I also feel like I have my very own bathroom just for me to enjoy. Yes, it’s smaller. Yes, it’s not as nice. But, I like it!

I still do my hair and make-up in our master bathroom, but I am never naked in there. I haven’t felt comfortable changing clothes or using that bathroom any more. That’s what abuse does to you.

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Just Some Skincare

I Did Not Buy Anything New Here

(I organized with things that I already had. Seeing as how my Cindy Crawford Skincare is all purple, I found an old ‘free with purchase’ purple cosmetic bag to house some things in.)

I Bought Nothing New Here, This Is Plenty Of Room For Me

Sometimes I think it’s important for us to just carve out our own little niche somewhere. A place that is just ours. With me being the only one who uses this bathroom, I keep it quite nice and clean because I don’t share it with anyone. Well, except Isabelle. 🙂

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Somethings that I may write about, I have also written about on other website pages. Not everyone reads every page that I have on this website so sometimes I do repeat myself. This is one of those times. I am writing here similar things that I wrote on my Skincare Website Page.