"Fabulous after Fifty™" is the Syndicated On-Line Weekly Column by Shirley W. Mitchell, a National Author/Writer/Syndicated Columnist/Speaker and Celebrity Radio Talk Show Host, also known as "The Golden Egg of Aging™" -  View some of the most inspirational and motivational articles on aging, baby boomers, seniors, senior lifestyles, health, diet, exercise, business, women's and men's issues, specific topic articles, poems, writings, recipes, area news, and special people. Shirley W. Mitchell's "Passion" for encouraging Aging people is both Contagious and Intense! We have the Ability to Change Aging History with our "Pulse" & "Faith". To Teach. To Educate. To Transform. If you enjoy the Articles posted here, you will certainly enjoy my Column Articles within  "Senior Lifestyle Magazine". "Fabulous after Fifty™" is fashioned after her "Lace Over Steel™" and "Fabulous after Fifty™" Weekly Newspaper Columns that appeared in the Sand Mountain Reporter of Albertville, Alabama. We want to thank the newspaper and all our readers for their support over the past 25+ years Ms. Mitchell's Column was printed. We inspire to bring more Style and Enthusiasm to it in the future.

Jan. 2, 2003

Jan. 2, 2003 - Author Shares Humorous Parts Of The Aging Process © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Beginning 2003 we focus on time. Let me share with you an e-mail entitled "Time" by an anonymous author. "Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" And then the great day of your life - you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. You become 21. Yesss! But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED, we had to throw him out. There's no fun now; you're just a sour dumpling. What's wrong? What changed? You BECOME 21; you TURN 30; then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone. But wait, you MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50, and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s, and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch, you TURN 4:30, you REACH bedtime! Some of us oldsters won't even buy green bananas-it's an investment, you know, and maybe a bad one! And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s you start going backwards- "I was JUST 92". Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half !" May you all make it (healthily) to 100 and a half. And if this doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what will." HAPPY NEW YEAR

Jan. 9, 2003

Jan. 9, 2003 - New Year Means A Time Of Renewal © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Life is a series of renewals. Each morning opens the door on a fresh, just-born day. I take the gift of each sunrise as a new beginning, a time for God to renew me. Each New Year is also a time for reflection,offering the chance to start fresh with a clean slate, to revamp, to choose new areas of growth and exploration. This is why Gail Sheehy calls mid-life a "second adulthood." Middle age, and after, is another time of renewal of life, a season that may lead us to different activities, higher goals, and deeper relationships. And this is just the beginning. Turning the New Year, and the second half of life, into a quest can be a special journey of new beginnings. 2003 may prove to be your voyage of discovery! The following eleven positive attitudes for 2003 have the possibility of keeping your life from losing its luster. 1. I will stay young at heart. I will keep growing and going. 2. On my journey beyond youth, I will stay young at heart by living the moment, laughing and embracing a positive attitude. 3. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ will empower me to experience the beauty of being an ageless person. 4. Knowing God through a daily intimate quiet time propels my life into universal and eternal living. It gives me wings to fly through my maturing life, and reason to live well. 5. I will choose to live fully after 50, dreaming new dreams and investing my energies in others. 6. Investing in relationships for eternity gives life depth, breadth, and a reason for living weU. 7. Excellent nutrition energizes me to live agelessly. 8. With proper exercise, I can re-kindle and re-spark my fire for life. 9. I will open the jaws of menopause with help from my doctor, great habits and great attitude. 10. To be 5Oish, female, and fabulous, I will make the most of my best. 11. I will dance with anticipation every day of my life as I move toward eternity and my final home.

Jan. 16, 2003

Jan. 16, 2003 - Liberty Makes Tomorrow Hopeful © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ The New Year is a perfect time to focus on being thankful for freedom. "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the people." I Chronicles 16:8 KJV Liberty is the central theme of America. The Bible tells us, "...Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty." (II Corinthians 3 :17 KJV) Liberty is the living thread that sews together our great nation and our New Year, 2003. This living thread of freedom, remembers histories heroic deeds; fills today with faith; and colors tomorrow with hope. America is a land where dreams come true. Dreams are the motivating force that will keep you exhilarated and moving forward on life's exciting path. Dream power will shoot you to the stars. Your big, realistic dream gives you the positive, assertive drive to work hard to accomplish your goals. The power in your dreams add zeal to your life. Wise old Solomon wrote "...a dream comes true through working long and hard." paraphrase of Ecc. 5:3B. So the great land of dreams is poised to celebrate life during the year 2003. Facing hard times the indomitable spirit of Americans will meet each challenge, shoulder to shoulder, to continue to make this country great. TIME Magazine January 13, 2003 printed a special issue of the best photos of 2002. One of these photo's displayed the headlines The Human Spirit. The United Airlines flight attendants, holding "hands' at the crash sight of flight 93, filled the page. The message under The Human Spirit read: "It was a year of remembrance for friends lost and nations wounded. Flight attendants thought of their colleagues murdered on Sept. 11, 2001; on that dark day's anniversary. People held up flags, just because it seemed the right thing to do. But 2002 was also marked by the triumph of determination over adversity...A Pennsylvania miner emerged from the dank earth, rescued in a near miracle after being trapped by the underground flood. In a personification of guts and glory, a football player thundered in the snow of January. And lost in his dreams, a boy rose above the silent confines of autism."

Jan. 23, 2003

Jan. 23, 2003 - Life's Voyage Can Be A Symphony © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ I experienced the heavenly music performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra recently. My thoughts floated with the music as I prayed God would show me the path to make the remainder of my life on this earth a symphony. Webster defines symphony, (1)"A harmonious or agreeable mingling of sounds. (2) Any harmony or agreeable blending." When one practices seven simple successful aging secrets and is connected to the source of the universe, God, the music never ends. Life becomes a symphony! The day becomes a song. (1) Set your mind at your perfect age and never get any older. (2) Make your journey beyond youth, the prime time of your life. (3) Positive aging will empower you to be ageless. (4) Knowing God will propel you into universal and eternal living. (5) Personal Excellence will elevate you into superior living. (6) What's important is not the years in your life, but the life in your years. (7) "Don't waste a day. You don't get the opportunity to go back and repeat life." quote from Our New Alabama First Lady, Patsy Riley. As we grow older and retire, we put a new emphasis on leisure and rest. The term leisure comes from the word LICERE, meaning to be permitted. You will only experience leisure as you give yourself permission. As the symphony orchestra played their beautiful music there were rests in the music. Although there is no music in the rest, John Rusken tells us "there's the making of music in it." As we age we are in a good position to put leisure and rest into our lives to make them a symphony. "Music is well said to be the speech of angels." Thomas Carlyle.

Jan. 30, 2003

Jan. 30, 2003 - Look At Life With A Spirit Of Reflection © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ In church on New Year's Day 1996, the year the baby boom generation approached the threshold of 50,I looked at the cover of the church bulletin. A vivid picture of ice and snow caught my attention. Sticking up out of the snow, a new bright-colored flower grew straight and tall, stretching toward the sun. The snow could not hinder it. The picture shouted to my spirit: New life! New beginning! The big, bold, colorful words at the top of the picture shot into my soul straight as an arrow: "Behold, I make all things new." (Revelations 21:5) In January's spirit of reflection, I enjoyed my own private inventory of my past. My mind also exploded with ideas, dreams, possibilities, and hopes for the future. During my quiet time that New Year's Day, I meditated on the passage from Revelation 21:5. "Then He that sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'" In this verse God was speaking to the apostle John, the writer of the book of Revelation. However, being a writer, this Scripture spoke volumes to me for my future. As I make plans and pray through them, I rejoice in this perennial hopefulness. Hopefulness which pushes past frigid barriers and shoots for the sun. When Christ says, "I make all things new," He not only means you and me, He means everything: aging, our understanding of our value in His sight and our purpose in life. As you reflect on your life and make plans for the future may you be filled with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm: "God within."

Feb. 6, 2003

Feb. 13, 2003

Feb. 20, 2003

Feb. 20, 2003 - God Is Bigger Than The Giants Of Life © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ During this time of the threat of war, and a huge winter storm, we may face giant problems. Paradoxically, being FABULOUS AFTER 50, our future is filled with hope and the dread of the giant problems aging often brings. Problems of health, financial difficulties, loneliness and loss. Searching God's Word for courage, we gather strength from Caleb and Joshua. Moses sent twelve of the leaders of the tribes of Israel to spy out the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. The men found great walled cities, strong flowing with milk and honey. They brought back to Moses one cluster of grapes that took two men to transport on a pole between their shoulders. Ten of the men saw giants, comparing themselves to grasshoppers. Caleb and Joshua recognized the problems, but focused on the possibilities. All twelve men saw the same thing - a land of milk and honey, filled with giants and walled cities. Ten men said "We can't!" Two men said, "We can!" The ten thought about we. Caleb and Joshua added the Lord to the equation. The Bible tells us 'And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are able to overcome it." (Numbers 13:30 KJV). Caleb and Joshua portrayed a different spirit. Life with God turns problems into positives. The ten men who said, "We can't" died of a plague. Caleb and Joshua doubled their lifetime, and were sent to conquer the land. Courageous Caleb, who conquered old age with vigor and faithfulness to God, said, "I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me (45 years old) as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now give me this mountain..." God is greater than the giants of war, aging, poor health, feeling alone, insecurities about finances and relationships, changes brought about by death or divorce of a longtime spouse, the need to be needed and lack of passion. Though these giants may make you feel like grasshoppers, remember God will give you the courage to possess your Promised Land of aging, a land of abundance, flowing with milk and honey. Enjoying a vantage point of life from a platform of fifty years and older with wisdom, experience, self-knowledge, mature faith in God, the last of life has possibilities of becoming the best!

Feb. 27, 2003

Feb. 27, 2003 - Innovators Have Made Impact After Reaching The 50 Mark © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "The preoccupation with looks starts to diminish after high school, drops after college and plummets within a decade after that, when qualities such as passion, life experience and professional success begin to become intensely interesting." Marilyn Vos Savant Among the many "quantum-leaping," over 50 people, the whole world will celebrate with scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, Friday, Feb. 28. These two men discovered the structure of DNA, the genetic basis of evolution and inheritance, in an obscure lab at the University of Cambridge, England, Feb. 28, 1953. This knowledge will change the way we live. AARP magazine, March and April 2003 issues, spotlights 50 of the most innovative Americans over Fifty. Our 39th President, Jimmy Carter, who won the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, 2002, gave the credit to Jesus. He said, "The foundation of greatness is service to others." Since his retirement, Carter has become a "citizen of the world." Innovators who have passed the 50 mark, portray intense dedication, the willingness to take a risk, the "can do" attitude' and the desire to pass knowledge to future generations. Success has given the innovative baby boom generation a renewed feeling of sharpness. Writer and poet, Toni Morrison, now 72, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel Beloved. Morrison has touched many lives with her writing. She shares her feelings about writing with her belief that even though writing is a solitary act, when the reader reads your work, it is a dance of two minds. CNN's founder Ted Turner, has broadcast news to the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. His innovative spirit, charitable contributions, and outgoing personality, certainly adds quality to many lives. Film director, producer, writer. Steven Spielberg, 56, has entertained us, provoked our thinking and stroked our creative side. He said, " I don't have enough time in a lifetime to tell all the stories I want to tell." The areas innovators of the world give each of us inspiration for the new millennium.

Mar. 6, 2003

Mar. 6, 2003 - 'Refire' Don't Retire © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ To look good, feel good, and live well is the goal of those of us living in our second half of life. I spoke with an editor from Focus on the Family this week. He told me that the focus of their new magazine, Life Wise, encouraged aging! America to refire not retire. He said, "there is no such thing as retirement in the Bible." We may retire from vacation, but never from life. It's important to remember the past' but live in the present, and hope and prepare for the future. W. Wiersbe said' "God' wants us to be players, not spectators, even though we may not be first string anymore. Nobody automatically stays young at heart and mind. Living old is a choice we make: it is not an inevitable sentence from Mother Nature and Father Time. No matter how old you are, count for something even if it's only that you listen to the younger crowd, pray for them, and encourage them to live for God." Recently, I read some prose on keys to staying young in heart and not growing cynical and pessimistic. "Youth is not time of life - it is a state of mind: it is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over love of ease." Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years, people grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust' fear and despair - these are the long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your self-confidence' as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair. So long as your heart receives messages of beauty cheer, courage grandeur and power from the earth, from man and from the Infinite, so long you are young." (copied) When the wires are all down and all the central place of your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then you are grown old indeed. Jesus invites us to drink from the fountain of youth when He said, '"If any man is thirsty' let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)

Mar. 13, 2003

Mar. 20, 2003

Mar. 20, 2003 - Chisel Beauty Out Of Flaws © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ The purpose of this column is to encourage, enlighten, and enflame the passion of aging people. Dr. Harold Ivan Smith tells an encouraging story in his book "A Decembered Grief," about a great King who owned an exquisite diamond with a horrible flaw. He offered a great reward for anyone who could fix the diamond. Many people tried but no one could fix the big scratch on the diamond. Finally a young artist told the king, he could fix the diamond. His request was a quiet place to work. Finally after several weeks the young artist presented the finished diamond to the King. The King expressed great praise and enthusiasm about his diamond. The young artist had carved a beautiful rose in the diamond using the deep scratch on the diamond as a stem. The flaw was still in the diamond; however the beautiful carved rose using the scratch as a stem made the flaw invisible. Living to be a half century, you have experienced grief, disappointment broken dreams, and hard times. You probably have a scratch on your life. God teaches us to chisel something beautiful out of difficult times as his arms of love lock around us. He helps us make the sears of life invisible with added wisdom, deeper love, and hope for the future. To enlarge your passion for making your own aging life grand, I will share with you some of the books I am currently reading that may encourage you. • "George and Laura: Portrait of an American Marriage," by Christopher Andersen. This book gives the reader a close-up of the first couple. It is well written with many pictures. My purpose is to know our President and His Lady better, so I will pray for them everyday during this time of crisis • "Destined For the Throne," by Paul E. Billheimer, is a small book with giant ideas about living in victory during hard times.

Mar. 27, 2003

Mar. 27, 2003 - The Best Advice I'd Ever Received...© by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle, "An idle mind is he devil's workshop," the devil's name is Depression. 4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you can afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive while you are alive; don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail. 7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign country, but not to guilt country."  9. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity; and always remember... "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."

Apr. 3, 2003

Apr. 3, 2003 - Hope Is A Muscle Which Needs A Workout © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Knowing God leads us into places of hope! Let no discouragement or weariness cause you to turn loose from the rope of hope which is in Christ Jesus. "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." Lamentations 3:24 KJV Hope, however, is a muscle, as Tyne Daly said, and muscles grow by working them out. Thankfully, the muscle of hope grows simply by loving God more and more. So, crawl up into His lap and allow Him to wrap His warm arms of love around you. Like lovers, spend quality time together, expanding that love.        TOP TEN FAVORITE HAPPINESS STRATEGIES 10. Remember Solomon's words: There is nothing better to do than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime (Ecclesiastes. 3:12). 9. Another axiom to live by: "As she thinks in her heart, so she is: (Proverbs. 23:7, NKJV, paraphrased). 8. Positive thoughts make positive lives. 7. Have a plan. Know what makes you happy. Do it. 6. When your mood swings down, start moving. 5. Dwell on positive things. "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Phil. 4:8 NASB). 4. Practice thanksgiving and praise. 3. Journaling has medical benefits and makes room for happiness by getting the unhappiness on the outside. "A tranquil heart is life to the body" (Proverbs. 14:30 NASB). 2. Dance. King David did. Dance in your heart, in your kitchen, in your attitude, in your garden. . . 1. Smile. It changes the way you see the world, and the way the world sees you.

Apr. 10, 2003

Apr. 10, 2003 - Laura Bush © 'Prayer, Courage, Hope And Love' by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Being a former elementary school teacher, I relate to our fabulous First Lady, Laura Bush. Her dignity, charm, and approachability, endears her to America. She exemplifies all that is decent and good about womanhood. Faith, family and country dominate her life. Where was our First Lady on 9/11, when our world changed? Laura's morning schedule included an appearance before Senator Edward Kennedy's Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Her hopes were high for securing more Federal funds for early childhood education (her pet project). Through her national initiative, READY TO READ, READY TO LEARN, she encourages all of America to get involved in reading readiness. Our First Lady received the news of the second airplane hitting the second twin tower of the World Trade Center from Senator Kennedy. He ushered her into his office. Sitting in the corner of Senator Kennedy's office, she watched in silent horror as the story unfolded on national television. She remembered the tragic, dark time when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was her senior year in high school. How ironic that she should be with Senator Edward Kennedy trying to make sense of this newest tragedy. Being a praying woman, her first impulse must have been to pray. Praying for her husband, our President George W. Bush, for wisdom, safety and supernatural power. Like the rest of America, her prayers surely included the victims and families of the atrocity and for our beloved land of the free. Mrs. Bush, standing tall since the tragedy of Sept. 11, encourages an atmosphere of healing, nurturing family togetherness, while holding fast to love for church, community, nation and world. Speaking out on the plight of women and children oppressed by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, she became the first First Lady to broadcast a full presidential radio program telling the world of their abuse. During the war with Iraq, we view Laura and George Bush as great leaders, encouraging Americans to be overcomers. Paul E. Billheimer in his book, Destines for the Throne, said, "The prayer closet is the arena which produces the overcomers." We plug into our source of power, the God of the universe when we pray. God's love letter to us The Holy Bible, commands his people to "Pray without ceasing." How comforting to know our First Lady, Laura Bush, is a praying person, because. . . "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power, and wonderful results." Americans are hopeful that good will win over evil. Frances J. Roberts in her book, Come Away My Beloved, encourages readers to shout the victory. "My people shall be like an Army. They shall move at my command and they shall see the victory. I will not send them into an empty valley. I send them against an on-rushing foe, bent on destruction and armed to the teeth with deadly weapons. They shall overcome them for I shall be their strength, and I shall make the strength of one to be as the strength of ten. I go before and carry the banner. Shout the victory.. Thy God shall respond. He shall even put to flight the armies of the enemy by the sound of His response. Peace shall come and shall be as a quiet morning and as the stillness of dew." During this time of war with Iraq, our First Lady sets an example of prayer, courage, hope and love.

Apr. 17, 2003

Apr. 24, 2003

Apr. 24, 2003 - As The Mother Hen Protects Her Brood, So Does Jesus Christ © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Did Jesus raise chickens? He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not!" Matthew 23:37. I grew up on a cotton farm and my mom raised a few chickens, so we would have eggs for breakfast and fried chicken for supper. The vision of a hen gathering her brood of babies under her wings and covering them with her feathers when a dog came near or they were in harm's way is as clear in my mind today as if it was flashed on a super-sized movie screen. I understand Jesus wanted to protect us as the mother hen protects her chickens. When I read Psalms 91, it helps me have peace in time of war. This Psalm of King David sings the happy state of the Godly: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (We must be near someone to be in their shadow.) "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. "He will cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shall thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid. . ." I am glad Jesus used the metaphor of the mother hen. During this time of war and terrorist threats, we look to Him for peace.

May 1, 2003

May 1, 2003 - First Ladies Set An Example For The Country © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ First Lady Laura Bush has lived the role of comforter-in-chief since the tragedy of 911. With confidence and quiet strength with grace, she has given the American people courage. Mrs. Bush follows five other First Ladies in filling this role at wartime during the 20th century. Watching President Bush's honorable wife stand strong and supportive, as he stood with two POW's of the Iraq Conflict, answering questions from the press, I could feel in my spirit how the two of them compliment each other. Laura is serenely calm. George W. is loud with great zeal. She is a poised princess. He, a shaker and mover. However, they have the bedrock similarities of growing up with loving families in Midland, Texas. The Holy Bible, God's love letter to married couples gives instructions for such harmony. "However, let each one of you (without exception) love his wife as his very own self: and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband; that she notices him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly." (Ephesians 5:33, Amplified Bible) I get flashbacks of Laura Bush's mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, dressed in military camouflage, flak jacket and G.I. khakis, flashing that beautiful smile to the troops, during Desert Storm, as her picture, filled the television screens of the nation. She and President George Herbert Walker Bush, traveled to Saudi Arabia, Thanksgiving 1990 to encourage mobilizing troops after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. She once said the reason she was a popular first lady, "everyone feels as if I am their grandmother." Before the Persian Gulf War began, Barbara broke her ankle while sledding at Camp David; however, she did not allow this accident to slow her down. She was extremely vocal about tolerance as her speaking engagements increased. Her flamboyant sense of humor defused the tension of the war. Unlike the Bush First Ladies, Edith Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson, during World War I, grew a vegetable "war garden," and knitted socks from the wool sheared from the sheep roaming the White House lawn. She advocated austerity during World War I. Paradoxical to her wifely homemaking, Edith became the President's chief political confidante. She accompanied her husband to Europe in 1918 to sign the treaty mat ended the war. She became the first female president for several months in 1919, as stewardship of President Woodrow Wilson's office after he suffered a stroke. Of course, during the Great Depression, and World War II, we remember Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a social activist, as advocate of the New Deal programs. A lifelong supporter of civil rights, she pushed for desegregation in the military. After Pearl Harbor, she made the famous statement,"I have a rock...and that rock is my faith in the American people." After the President's death, Eleanor remained in public service as a United Nations delegate. Unlike Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman proved to have a less prominent role as a wartime First Lady. President Harry S. Truman, who was separated from Bess with the rapid events of the close of World War II, did not include her in much of the decisions. However, after the war they resumed their close relationship. The relationship of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird was tested during the controversial Vietnam War. Because his actions engendered such debate and chaos, Lady Bird became extremely protective of her husband. Frustrated by the war, she turned her attention to environmental issues. We are reaping her efforts today as we travel the beautiful interstate, many decorated with wild-flowers and red clover. Advocating clean highways and National Parks, she made a difference.

May 8, 2003

May 8, 2003 - Life Is Truly Inexhaustible © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Life is truly inexhaustible, even beguiling. Each of us looks at life through windows of our own choosing. Fifty-something is the buzz word marching into the millennium. Many people over fifty are fit and fabulous. The practice of personal excellence for superior living is their motto. Fitness in a nutshell gives top priority to good health habits, high self-esteem and empowerment. With creative change you and I will replace inactivity with the motion of our cruise ship; boredom, with awe for the magnificent sea of life; loneliness, with enthusiastic involvement with the now growing age wave. Aging is constant change like shifting shadows. The shades of change can be exciting, magic, and fruitful as we focus on the positive side of change. Age may become a building dance of intrigue and new horizons. Many of you will begin new careers after 50. Remember to be successful, the first thing to do is to fall in love with your work. Changes may bring you challenges and opportunity. It's up to you to make these challenges and opportunities work to your advantage. "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalms 139:9-10 In the State of the Union Address, Jan. 28, President George W. Bush, talked about change. "Many challenges, abroad and at home, have arrived in a single season. In two years, America has gone from a sense of invulnerability to an awareness of peril.. .from bitter division in small matters to calm unity in great causes. And we move forward with confidence, because this call of history has come to the right country. "Americans are a resolute people, who have risen, to every test of our time. Adversity has revealed the character of our country, to the world and to ourselves. "America is a strong nation, and honorable in the use of our strength. We exercise power without conquest, and sacrifice for the liberty of strangers. "Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not American's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity. "We Americans have faith in ourselves — but not in ourselves alone. We do not claim to know all the ways of providence, yet we can trust in them, placing our confidence in the loving God behind all of life, and all of history. "May He guide us now, and may God continue to bless the United States of America." '

May 15, 2003

May 15, 2003 - You Will Never Lose Your Value © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this."  He proceeded to crumple up the bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all just learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease the value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value." (Copied) To know you will never lose your value is wisdom. King Solomon said, "For wisdom is getter than rubies, and all me things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." Life changes are like shifting shadows. As we mature, many changes make our lives different. Mid-life changes may be negative, however, if we have an attitude to prevail and remember that we have not lost our value, life can be "Fabulous After Fifty."

May 22, 2003

May 22, 2003 - There Is A Hero Inside Everyone © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Like many of you, I watched Art Linkletter receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on television. My favorite show he hosted, "Kids Say the Darndest Things, " is still playing reruns. He looked great in his tux, and his smile lit up his face. He joked, "I'm going to be the host of a new show, 'The Old and the Restless,' sponsored by Viagra." Linkletter asked a 100-year-old woman, "What is the best thing about being 100?" to which she replied, "I don't have much peer pressure!" There is a hero inside Art Linkletter. He has given millions of people laughter, and we all know "laughter is the best medicine." Like Linkletter, all who have lived past 50 are heroes. Last month, I met a hero in the lobby of a Washington D. C. hotel. This lady got my attention because of her elegance, beauty and radiance. I introduced myself and said to her, "you are FABULOUS AFTER 50, so I would like to autograph one of my books for you." She smiled and said, "I am 80 years old and have flown to Washington D. C. to receive a MetLife Foundation National Award that honors senior volunteers." Lillian Embick, from Fort Wayne, Ind., founded and has run for 31 years, Audiences Unlimited. Working 18 hours a day, her company arranges for performances of bands, singers, dancers, orchestras and other artists at nursing homes and other retirement facilities. MetLife Foundation made a $2,000 donation Audiences Unlimited in Embick's name. Many heros have never been honored in such a grand way, but there is a hero living inside each one.

May 29, 2003

Jun. 6, 2003

Jun. 12, 2003

Jun. 12, 2003 - Fabulous After 50 Columnist Recalls Dad © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ The slow drip of the IV nourished and medicated my father as he lay, seemingly lifeless, on the sterile white hospital bed. Like a crown of glory, his white hair blended into the white pillow. Staring at the frail form on the bed, I couldn't believe that in his prime my dad weighed 200 pounds. I watched from a chair in the corner of the dimly lit room and remembered his younger, stronger body. My dad always had excellent posture. He walked with an aura of confidence until a stroke slowed his pace. The dim bleak mood of the hospital room changed with a mental flashback of Dad's sweeping me off the ground in his hard, strong arms as I whirled around him when I was 10. Prancing around a wagon pulled by a tractor, filled with a prized possession, my piano, I ran happily, giggling. My dad, driving the tractor that pulled the wagon, failed to see the root of an old oak tree sticking up a few inches above the ground. The wagon hit the root with one wheel, dislodging the massive old upright piano. It bounced out onto the hard ground and rolled over and over, breaking into a thousand splinters. The magnitude of my loss sank deep into my soul. I ran, screamed, and cried. My dad caught me, picked me up in his strong arms, and hugged me to him as I beat upon his broad shoulders with my small clenched fists. "You broke my piano!" I screamed into his ear. He held my trembling body firmly to his bosom until I stopped sobbing. His big, green eyes looked deeply into my bewildered, dark brown ones. His face was sad, but he said, "Before I die, I will buy you a new piano." A decade went by and another. I moved into a new home with my husband and three children. One day the doorbell rang. A piano salesman introduced himself. "Your dad has paid for any piano you would like," he said, handing me a catalog filled with all kinds of pianos. Through my tears I selected my favorite. That piano occupies a special place in my living room and a special place in my heart. This special place in my heart is filled with sadness, because my dad now has a new home in heaven. The sadness is for me, because I miss him.

Jun. 19, 2003

Jun. 26, 2003

Jun. 26, 2003 - The First Day Of The Year © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ The first day of summer, June 21, broke at 5:09 a.m.; the sun rose at 5:38 a.m. and set at 8 p.m., giving us 14 daylight hours to enjoy. I enjoyed the unique privilege of choosing the way I would spend my time on this longest day of the year. Time cannot be bought or saved, it must be spent. Each of us have 24 hours a day to spend. Perking my morning coffee, I made a choice to walk the nature track at Health Connections of Marshall Medical Center South. Walking the track the cool breeze blew my hair away from my face, I listened to the melody of the birds, enjoyed the warm sun on my skin and stood in awe of the beauty of nature. I praised God for life on this longest day of the year. After a fabulous bubble bath, while getting dressed for the day, I made the decision to drive to Nashville, Tenn. to pick up a painting I recently acquired. Let me tell you the story of finding this painting. A few weeks ago a friend took me to The Mad Platter Restaurant in Germantown, Tenn. Walking into the quaint restaurant, my eyes were drawn to a large painting suspended in the center of the back brick wall. The art work displayed mainly blue silk cascading down the picture. The only items on the painting were three white eggs and a rope dropping off the bottom of the picture. My interpretation: (1) The richness of the background caused me to think of Royalty-as in The Royal Family of God, (2) the three white eggs represented new life. Also, I thought of the Trinity-God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit (3) The rope brought to my mind that life is unending. I dined facing the painting as it drew me into it's magic. An attractive young waitress with an easy smile served us. I asked the name of the painting. "Unending," she said. I asked if she knew the artist. "My name is Whitney Cameron Rayles and I am the artist." "Is Unending for sale?" I quizzed her. "Yes," she responded with a smile. Whitney told me that whatever she painted she hoped the viewer would have their own interpretation. In her artist statement explains that the eggs represent "birth and life, potential and fragility." "The rope is meant to be 'powerful, sinister and divisive." To return to the end of the story, I drove to Nashville, Tenn. on the longest day of the year to pick up my new painting.  Since it was  the first day of summer, I spent my lunch hour in my favorite barbecue place. The beautiful  hills and dales along Interstate 65 made me think God loves the color green. I observed hundreds of different shades. Picking  up my  treasure from Whitney at The Mad Platter Restaurant filled my soul with sunshine. With tears in her eyes she hugged me and explained, "I'm glad my painting will have a good home." Ending the longest day of the year at the Famous Capitol Grill in Nashville and enjoying the extraordinary piano music of Brian Whitcomb made the first day of summer fun. How did you spend your first day of summer? If you make every day a pearl, at the end of the summer, you will have a string of pearls! As the days grow shorter this summer, my prayer for those of us over 50, is to fill each day with meaningful life. Have a great summer. Life is UNENDING.

Jul. 3, 2003

Jul. 3, 2003 - Have A Happy Fourth Of July Holiday © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Happy Fourth of July! I think it would have been fun to have witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. John Adams, one of the signers said of the signing, "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for ever more." Just as Independence Day was first observed in Philadelphia, the U.S. today considers Independence Day a time to rejoice. I'm glad you are celebrating the birthday of our great nation in your own special way.  This week of the Fourth 2003, we have lost our favorite film icon, Katharine Hepburn, who died of old age at 96. She has blessed us for 60 years in movies and on stage. She held the record for best-actress Oscars. So, along with the fourth, we celebrate her life. On Tuesday of the Fourth 2003, the lights dimmed on Broadway at 8 p.m. in honor of this great star. Her movies and plays are all part of our lives. We feel as if we have lost an American family member. Katharine Hepburn's niece shared on a Larry King Live program that Hepburn said their family motto was, "Listen to the song of life." As you celebrate your fourth of July, "Listen to the song of life."

Jul. 10, 2003

July 17, 2003

July 17, 2003 - Passing The Torch © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ George Bernard Shaw said, "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no brief candle for me. It is a splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." Carol decided that in order to hand off the torch to future generations she needed to resign from high profile, "do everything" volunteer work, and train people to take her place. She then began to invest deeply in one life at a time. This fabulous 50-plus woman abandoned the excuse, "But I need more training," realizing God had placed her for years in one-on-one relationships. Carol also set up a program in her church, called the "Venus Project," named after a young woman whose rife was snuffed out too soon. The Venus Project paired up women from different generations, allowing the older woman to guide the younger one along. Business and professional people figured this out long ago. Take an expert who's been in the field working successfully for years and put him in the classroom at the graduate level teaching from life experiences. For Mary, her life experiences also took her back to school; every week she volunteers in the high school cafeteria. "I miss my grandchildren," she said. "This way, I can give back to the youth, build into their lives, pay attention, and just love them." Whether we pass the torch through one-on-one investing or through larger group work, "It's all about the other person," said Claudia, who works for a major social service agency in the large gifts department. "When I talk with someone about a contribution, it's not about how much money I can convince him or her to donate. It's learning about others interests and passions, and helping figure out a perfect fit. I love it." Enormous joy and satisfaction are possible for the 50-plus woman who chooses to invest in others. Regardless of past pain and the potential for future problems, giving our love and energy to others expands the boundaries of our lives. When we choose to love, in spite of risk, we win in the aging game.

Jul. 24, 2003

Jul. 24, 2003 - Thirty Ways To Feel Happier This Summer © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ 1. Count your blessings. After Oprah Winfrey read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach, she found the prettiest little blank book she could find and began writing down five blessings each day. She said, "being grateful for the moment increases your own abundance." 2. Laugh. Laughter is a stress buster. It lifts the spirits and the face by giving a person a cheerful heart. People who laugh, last. 3. Smile. Radio announcers make themselves sound cheerful by smiling when they talk. Researchers have found that when we turn our mouths up, our spirits go up. 4. Be exuberant. I watched Roberto Benigni gush with enthusiasm as he walked over the shoulders of people seated in front of him to get to the stage for the acceptance of his Oscar for his movie, Life is Beautiful. Experts prove people who freely express happy emotions are the happiest people. 5. Have the mental attitude. Life is beautiful. A positive outlook on life, gives life a rose-colored glow. 6. See the movie, Patch Adams, with Robin Williams. Williams says,"Laughter is the Best medicine." 7. Give yourself an endorphin rush. Do whatever you like to make yourself gleeful. 8. Challenge yourself. Meeting a challenge with success gives you an adrenaline boost. 9. Discover the Fountain of Youth. Believe your aging is a building dance of intrigue and new horizons. 10. Play with your grandchildren. If you don't have grandchildren, borrow one. 11. Exercise. Respark and rekindle fire for life. 12. Eat 55 meg. of the mineral selenium, a mood lifter found in Brazil nuts, chicken, seafood and whole grains. Eat smart all day. 13. Realize you're never too old. The famous painter, Grandma Moses, started painting when she was eighty years old. She painted 25 percent of her famous paintings after becoming a centenarian. 14. "The happiest period of life, most frequently is in middle age. When the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are at morning and evening are so large, almost entirely disappear at mid-day." - Thomas Arnold 15. Aging is a towering experience. Mid-life can be the years that crackle with excitement and adventure. 16. Each new day is a new life. Fill it with zip, zeal, enthusiasm. Jesus wore zeal as a cloak. (Isaiah 59:17 KJV) 17. Be joyful. "Your success and happiness lie in you. External conditions are the accidents of life, its outer wrappings, the great, enduring realities are love and service. Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow. Resolve to keep happy and our joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulty." - Helen Keller 18. Grasp your own special moment. If you do not, the future will roll over you, determined and driven by external forces. 19. Have an upbeat personality. Fortune Magazine, July 5, 1999 featured an article, "Live a Lot Longer" by David Stipp. He said, "There is one striking pattern among centenarians; they tend to have upbeat personalities." 20. Keep your chin up. The gloom is gone in gerontology. People are living longer, better quality lives. The talent and money is flowing into aging research. 21. Joke. Patricia Barry writes in the April 1999 AARP Bulletin, "It's no joke; humor heals. Laughter may be jest what patients need." 22. Keep in touch with your sense of humor. It is a gold mine. It is good for your immune system. 23. Clown-around. It will lighten your day. 24. Work in your garden. Being close to Mother Nature helps stop Father Time. 25. Read your favorite book. I am presently reading Age Power, how the twenty-first century will be ruled by the new old by Dr. Ken Dychtwald. 26. Slow dance with someone you love. Dancing is magical.  27. Fill your life with music. 28. Form beautiful, lasting friendships. 29. Enjoy little things-a child's smile, a butterfly, a sunset. 30. Have faith. Jesus said, "I am come that mey might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10 KJV)

Jul. 31, 2003

Jul. 31, 2003 - Ride the Age Wave © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Positioning myself in the fabulous town of Fairhope for a Fabulous After Fifty book signing this week, I observed a plaque while walking to the bookstore, Page and Pallet. I Chuckled as I read, "When did my wild oats turn into shredded wheat?" Spending some time at the historical Grand Hotel in Point Clear, I heard the story of Bucky Miller, who had served in many capacities while working in this old southern atmosphere for 42 years before he retired. To highlight his outstanding service, The hotel displayed his 12 rules for Superior Service along with his picture: 1. Love people. 2. Smile. 3. Fill the "bucket" of others. Talk to them in such a way as to increase their self-esteem. 4. Exhibit a spirit of caring. 5. Display a "can-do" attitude. 6. Beware!  The "Chicken Little syndrome" is contagious. 7. Strive for quality in all you do. 8. Help people more; hassle people less. 9. Never be afraid to try to make things better. 10. Train your ear, tame your tongue. 11. Tell the truth. It's a lot easier to remember. 12. Practice the Golden Rule.

Aug. 7, 2003

Aug. 7, 2003 - America Focuses On The Virtues Of Aging © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "Most people hide their age like money in a Swiss bank account" - a popular attitude; however, there is a sea of change in the way we view aging. America is beginning to focus on the' virtues of aging. The value of gray matter and experience is causing corporate America to hire over-50 people, full or part time, to help accomplish corporate goals. Many older employees are more dependable, enthusiastic, qualified and focused man younger people. Mature America is becoming more physically fit. No matter how much tread you have on your tires, your body is a marvelous machine. It is never too late to begin a fitness program. It is never too late to improve your health. The beginning of August is a wonderful month to begin to build your maturing life. The early Roman calendar had August, the sixth month, with 30 days. It was called Sextilis, which means six. The Romans renamed it August in honor of Emperor Augustus, and the Roman Senate lengthened August to 31 days, taking a day from February. The special flowers of August are gladiolus and poppy. "The brilliant poppy flaunts her head "Amidst the ripening grain, "And adds her voice to swell the song "That August is here gain" - Winslow

Aug. 14, 2003

Aug. 14, 2003 - High Energy Creates Excitement For Life © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Energy is the power surge that keeps us young and active. Four basic steps will help keep our energy level high. 1. Good health is the trump card of aging and high energy. 2. Exercise is the golden egg of aging and high energy. KEEP MOVING! 3. Enthusiasm, zeal and gusto for life puts energy into high gear! 4. Feeling in control of your life pumps energy into your day! If you feel about like a bowl of overcooked oatmeal, then maybe we should examine energy zappers-boredom, poor health, too little exercise, not enough sleep, stress, nothing to look forward to, and poor diet. Energy and strength intertwine to give us a positive, day-to-day approach to healthful living. A lifestyle that produces optimal physical and mental well-being will allow us to live wiser, better, longer. Pearl Dychtwald, mother to Dr. Ken Kyehtwald, president of the marketing company, The Age Wave, wrote me a letter after she read my book, Fabulous After 50. She said, "Fabulous After 50 is the perfect book for' me as I will be celebrating my 77th birthday next month. I am happy in my senior years to be sharing, whatever skills I learned in my younger years. I volunteer and teach tap dancing to a great many women in my complex. They love it and I love it. I take them out to entertain at nursing homes and it becomes a very happy occasion for the elders who live there. Keep that energy raging! Keep moving!

Aug. 21, 2003

Aug. 21, 2003 - Life After 50 A New Venture © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ With anticipation I positioned my body in the back seat of the taxi for the forty-five minute ride to O'Hare to catch Delta flight 729 to Atlanta and then to Huntsville, my final destination. It had been a stimulating week attending the American Booksellers Association Exposition and taking in the many activities of the Write-to-Publish conference at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. However, I longed for the comfort of my own home. Although I had connected with a publisher and the prospect for getting another manuscript published, I needed to escape into my comfort zone to sort out in my mind and soul, the rich flow of information and experiences that filled me like a bubble bath overflowing with bubbles. Sharing the back seat of the taxi with a young sportscaster making a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah for the NBA finals, proved to be a pleasant surprise. We enjoyed rich conversation as our African American, wrestler, driver swigged his water. When we picked up our third passenger, a middle-aged woman gifted in communication, at a nearby hotel, I knew this trip to O'Hare would be an adventure. The rich flow of ideas and true communication filled the morning with comraderie and laughter - four total strangers in a car enjoying each others company. The traffic jam caused by a horrendous accident delayed us. Sitting in a dead-still car, watching the precious minutes tick away on my watch, the four of us felt a common bond of connecting. Each had a strong desire to connect with our flights. For a short time, we were soul mates. (See LIFE, Page 13A)

Aug. 28, 2003

Aug. 28, 2003 - Lift Someone's Spirit Today, So They Sing © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult undertaking which, more than anything else, will determine its successful outcome. " - William James Victor Frankl's, Man's Search for Meaning, is a written account of his positive attitude during his imprisonment as a Jew during the Holocaust. His family had been taken. He was stripped of all personal belongings. Even his wedding ring was pulled from his finger. He was stripped of all dignity. Naked with a shaved head, he marched into the Gestapo courtroom. Falsely accused and found guilty, he was thrown into prison. He had no hope. He could see no way out. At that moment, Victor Frankl took control of the only thing he could control, HIS ATTITUDE. He chose to be positive, to persevere, forgive and exist in a world he created in his mind. Frankl prevailed and was liberated. I met a stranger last week while having a cup of coffee. He said "good morning." I responded, "How are you?" He poured himself a cup of coffee and smiled, "I'm living my day in paradise." His body language and attitude told me he was experiencing happiness. Buying one of my books, Fabulous After Fifty, for his soon-to-be fifty-year-old wife, he lifted my spirit for the whole day. I kept hearing his voice say, "I'm living my day in paradise." So, the whole day, I tried to follow his example. We control our attitude. Maybe your good attitude could lift someone's spirit, causing them to sing with the new American Idol, Rueben Studdard, I'm Flying Without Wings.

Sept. 4, 2003

Sept. 4, 2003 - Humor Makes Life Spicy © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Spontaneous humor, invading our living, gives life a spicy flavor. I hope you enjoy the following e-mail I received and enjoy it in the spirit of mirth it is intended.     You know you are getting old when... 1. You try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you are not wearing any. 2. You are at the breakfast table and hear snap, crackle, pop and know you are not eating cereal. 3. Your back goes out, but you stay home. 4. When you wake up looking like your drivers license picture. 5. It takes two tries to get off the couch. 6. When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio. 7. When happy hour is a long nap. 8. Your idea of weight-lifting is standing up. 9. Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr. 10. You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going. 11. It takes twice as long to look half as good. 12. You give up all your bad habits and still don't feel good. Wise old King Solomon said, "He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15

Sept. 11, 2003

Sept. 18, 2003

Sept. 18, 2003 - Old Age Splendor Is Blessing © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "...for He has endowed you with splendor." Isaiah 60:95 Being a member of the Royal Family of God gives old age its splendor. Webster tells me that splendor means magnificent, exceeding brilliance or brightness, greatness, grandeur. Jesus walked among the people in splendor. The Bible said, ". . .he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17) Zeal is excitement with power. Older people who have zeal and passion for life indeed have an atmosphere of splendor about them. Our President, George W. Bush, is certainly an example of being Fabulous After 50. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet he portrays self-confidence, positive attitude and the ability to lead. He is a great man with a great passion. "Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things." - Denis Diderot, French philosopher. As we grow older, reaching for the stars, making higher goals, with passion, may be the reason Dr. Phil's book, Self Matters, hit the New York Times best-sellers list. We are made in the image of God. The most important commandment He gave His children is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew: 22:37-39) Self does matter. It is important to love ones' self to enable one to reach out and love others. I appeared on a television' show, SHISKABOB (Surely He Is Sovereign King A Blessing of Breath) on comcast in Bear, DE last week. It gave me a new vision of how God endows older people with His splendor.

Sept. 25, 2003

Sept. 25, 2003 - Dazzling Fall © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Hurrah! It's the fall season again. Isn't it fun to live on Sand Mountain? God takes his paint brush and paints the leaves vibrant scarlet, deep purple, sunshine yellow and glowing orange. The chill in the air gives an extra sense of freshness to the fall season. Just as the Autumn of the year splashes bright colors everywhere, so does the Autumn of life. Step out from the drab dryness of late summer to the color, panache and wonder of this extraordinary life season. Think of being on the stage of life. During the Autumn years 'it's important to appreciate the unique characteristics that come with age. The marriage of experience and maturity adds a new dimension to life. Look at your life not in the harsh light of ageism, but in the bright light of possibilities. I grew up with Carolyn Miller, the former National President of the Southern Baptist Women's Missionary Union for many, years. Carolyn and I were best friends during those teenage years, attending church at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. After church I would eat Sunday lunch with her loving family. We would sprawl on the floor in front of the roaring fireplace playing Monopoly. In the evening we returned to church for the Baptist Young People's Union (BYPU). Four decades later, we met for lunch again. Past years vanished like snow under the intense heat of sunshine, as Carolyn and I caught up on the intervening time. She shared her travels and her work, helping people around the nation. During lunch I asked, "What do you think is the secret of being "Fabulous after 50?" . She answered, "Love God, love yourself, love people. I like people who are so inwardly fabulous that I don't see their outside appearance." Leaving the restaurant, I realized Carolyn embraced life with exuberance. Undoubtedly she will relish it, live it to the fullest,taking no thought of age by numbers. Life is a stage, not an age. Putting God in the center of the stage to direct life at middle-age is a win-win casting decision. Just like the brilliant autumn leaves, age brings out the bright colors of our lives, "from the hidden person of the heart." (I Peter 3:4 NASB).

Oct. 2, 2003

Oct. 2, 2003 - Be A Burning Bush © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous After Fifty™ I spent my first week of Fall, at a conference, Focus on Aging, at Dr. Dobson's Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs. The beautiful fall leaves were at their peak. Dr. Dobson and Judge Roy Moore encouraged us to stand up for our Christian heritage in Washington. The silent majority must speak up and make a difference in again making God the foundation for a free America. Dr. Ward Tanneberg, author of "Seasons of the Spirit," a keynote speaker at the conference, challenged those over 50 to be mentors. A mentor according to Webster is "a wise and trusted teacher, guide and friend." With age often comes profound wisdom. It is important to share those pearls of wisdom. Life is something to be shared and given away. While searching his life, Dr. Tanneberg realized that Moses, of the Bible, had become his mentor. At 80 years old, Moses was just getting started into the most exciting time of his life. It's better to be 80 years young than to be 40 years old! Moses was called into leadership when the voice of God spoke through a burning bush. He discovered fresh meaning and purpose to life. Moses was an old man who got a vision (Deuteronomy 34: 7). After 50 years of life, you have become a treasure. You may be a matriarch or patriarch to live, learn and love with four generations in your family. Who is your burning bush? Who is your mentor? It is now time to pass the torch and become a mentor for a younger person.

Oct. 9, 2003

Oct. 9, 2003 - Centurions Are Fast Becoming More Common © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ The fastest growing segment of our society is the centenarians. Dr. Walter M. Bortz has written "Dare to be 100," that gives 99 steps to 100. The book is based on Dr. Bortz' "Dare" philosophy: Diet, Attitude, Renewal and Exercise. Regarding diet, Dr. Bortz focuses on activity, likening inactive people to zoo animals. "When you're a zoo animal, you must be carefully fed, but wild animals can eat anything. Exercise boosts your metabolism. The most important step is to stay physically active," said Dr. Bortz. Another key step is to eat a varied diet. Attitude is a crucial and sometimes overlooked category. Believe in 100. If you want to do something, such as stop smoking, you must believe you can. You need to set the goal first and have a plan. Remain optimistic. For Renewal, "recharge, keep working and stay in the mainstream," said Dr. Bortz. Remain resilient because "it's not how many times you fall, because age brings losses, but how many times you stand up that is important." As far as Exercise, the benefits of aerobic exercises are clearly demonstrated. However, Dr. Bortz cautioned us to be strong, stay loose and stay balanced. "The most important organ in an older person is not the heart or lungs but the legs." Legs are what give a person an active, independent lifestyle. Dr. Bortz stressed physical and mental activity as the key to longevity. He used his vast clinical experience and immense knowledge to support his theories and research on aging. He also is know to spin a limerick from time to time. "You gotta have guts to grow old. To claim life, you've got to be bold. But you've got to be smart, As well as have heart, If you want your whole tale to be told." Dr. Bortz has endorsed Shirley Mitchell's new book, Fabulous After 50. His blurb on the cover reads, "As I finished reading Fabulous After 50, I had the unmistakable feeling that I  was 10 years younger than when I started. Its energy is contagious. Be careful, you might catch it."

Oct. 16, 2003

Oct. 16, 2003 - Dreams Do Not Turn Gray © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Since our freedom has been threatened, we have a new appreciation of Christopher Columbus. Captain on the high sea, Columbus declared he would spread Christianity for Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand of Spain. His great adventure, motivated by God, gold and spices, discovered a new land of opportunity. As an elementary school-aged child you learned, "In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." You also colored his ships, the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria. A scholar said, "Columbus' voyage was one of the greatest events in history. In this country, more cities, towns, rivers, colleges, parks and streets are named for him than any other person except George Washington." Like Columbus, God has planted within each of us divine individual, artistic talent, creativeness, inventive motivation, wisdom, understanding, knowledge and workmanship. To abort an idea God plants in your mind could be one of the greatest tragedies of your life. What if Columbus had aborted his dream of spreading Christianity, finding gold and new spices? You and I could have missed the opportunity to live in a free country. Banding together to keep our country free in this time of terrorist threats, celebrating Columbus Day last Monday, we have a new appreciation of Columbus. Attending the 2003 President Bush's Gala in Washington, D.C. last week, I witnessed first-hand the beautiful American dream of FREEDOM. Be a modern Christopher Columbus. Dream BIG! Follow your dream. Discover the New Land of opportunity in your life. Dreams do not turn gray!

Oct. 23, 2003

Oct. 23, 2003 - A Bit Of Halloween History © 'American Holiday Offers Fun for Grown-Ups' by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Being grown up and mature, we are in our prime to enjoy Halloween any way we choose. Giving treats to grandchildren, neighbors and friends will probably have top priority. Of course, creativity with costumes, decorating, entertaining and pulling pranks will add variety to life. Just what is Halloween? How did it originate? Centuries ago, before Christianity became a part of Ireland, the Celts celebrated New Year's Eve the last night in October. Historians think Halloween started in the United States toward the end of the 19th century when the Irish immigrants arrived. The Celts celebrated a festival called Sambain, meaning "end of summer." The Celts believed on this night the powers of evil came out to celebrate their power over good. People would put out sweets and other good things to eat to placate the evil spirits. Many would disguise themselves and roam the countryside. The Catholic Church, back in 18th century A.D., declared the first day in November, All Saints Day. The night before it was All Hallow's Eve. The belief was all the evil spirits came out the night before All Saints Day. However, the traditions arose for the present Halloween holiday, it has become a big time to play in America. Shopping in retail stores, we realize how commercialized this holiday has become. Children become excited about dressing up in costume and trick or treating for candy and gifts. Americans enjoy a holiday and a chance to celebrate. Halloween is a great time for the Fabulous after 50 to pretend, play, enjoy children and eat candy. Happy Halloween!

Oct. 30, 2003

Oct. 30, 2003 - Seniors Can Enjoy Trick Or Treat Fun © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ ".. .The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart." - Mencius In the United States, children wear costumes on Halloween and go trick-or-treating. They carve jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins with a face cut in the side. Putting a candle or light inside making a cheerful decoration. Children love Halloween. I remember as a child, I rode the big yellow school bus home from school, changed my school clothes into field clothes and walked to the field to pick cotton. We would pick cotton until dark. Now it was time to walk up and down the dark road using a flashlight to see our neighbor's homes and call out 'Trick or Treat!" Our field clothes, old blue jeans, big floppy shirt and hat, were perfect Halloween costumes. We looked like scarecrows which were images of a homemade man put into our garden to scare the crows away. We painted our faces, grabbed a paper bag we had purchased from the peddler with the rolling store and skipped happily up and down the road laughing and singing. We yelled at every neighbor's door, "Trick or treat!" Our trick-or-treat bags were usually filled with apples, nuts, candy, cookies and chewing gum. Each year we would have a church-wide party, eating home-cooked food, bobbing for apples in a tub of water and playing games. Today, I look forward to my grandchildren trick-or-treating their grandmother. Their enthusiasm fills the house as they run to the big decorative smiling pumpkin that holds all my trick-or-treat candy. They may be dressed as Dr. Seuss, a princess or a ballerina. During the time of their visit, I enjoy a fresh brewed cup of coffee and warm conversation with my children.

Nov. 6, 2003

Nov. 13, 2003

Nov. 13, 2003 - Sixty Is The New Thirty © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ If you received your November/December AARP Magazine, you saw actress, super model, business woman, Lauren Hutton's picture on the cover. She vows sixty is the new thirty. You know those of us over 50 are called the "New Old." The 76 million baby boomers who are turning 50 everyday and their philosophy is "to do it all" are changing me way we age. With new technology, medical breakthrough and more knowledge of how to keep our body, mind and soul moving forward, over-50 people are living longer and better. Lauren Hutton lives life on the edge, swimming with sharks, scuba diving and wrestling alligators in Florida. Hutton declares, "The great thing about dangerous situations is that you are so alive. You're learning. You're totally aware and you're fantastically young. You're five again. Everything is brand new." I admire adventuresome Hutton; however, I believe some of us may find other ways to feel young and alive. You remember last year I wrote an article about my friend, Carol Self, who bought her long-time dream, a little white convertible. Carol said, "As we get older, we have to begin to take time to enjoy the pure joy of things and do some of the silly things we thought we might like to do when we were younger, but never had the opportunity." You may not have a desire to scuba dive with the sharks, or buy a little white convertible, but I am sure you have a passion that will spark your feeling of youth. "One must put all the happiness one can into each moment." - Edith Wharton

Nov. 20, 2003

Nov. 20, 2003 - God Made You For A Reason © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you." Isaiah 46:3-4 NCV This poem by Russell Kelter sums it up: "You are who you are for a reason. You're part of an intricate plan. You're a precious and perfect unique design, Called God's special woman or man. You look like you look for a reason. Our God made no mistake. He knit you together within the womb, You're just what he wanted to make. The parents you had were the ones he chose, And no matter how you may feel, They were custom designed with God's plan in mind, And they bear the Master's seal. No, that trauma you faced was not easy, And God wept that it hurt you so; But it was allowed to shape your heart So that into his likeness you'd grow. You are who you are for a reason, You've been formed by the Master's rod. You are who you are, beloved, Because there is a God!" (Poem used by written permission from Russell Kelter)

Nov. 27, 2003

Dec. 4, 2003

Dec. 4, 2003 - Centennial Celebration Of Flight © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "And I have filed him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship." Exodus 31:3 KJV God was talking to Moses about Bezaleel and Aholiab who were qualified to work on the tabernacle. As the 100-year anniversary of the airplane approaches, I think of how Wilbur and Orville Wright were "filled with the spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and knowledge and all manner of workmanship." There were hundreds of failed attempts at flight before the Wright Brothers got the first plane 852 feet off the ground about shoulder level and flew 57 seconds at a windy beach in Kitty Hawk, N.C. on Dec. 17,1903. Orville and Wilbur Wright, Ohio bicycle mechanics, also flew kites, made sketches and wind tunnels. They worked on the power to lift the airplane off the ground and stabilize it. All Americans applaud the Wright Brothers, as we approach the celebration of their invention of the airplane. Although Hurricane Isabel visited Kitty Hawk September 2003, the region's centennial celebration of the first powered flight at Kill Devil Hills is still on schedule Dec. 12-17. The invention of the airplane made all our lives better. Inventions, discoveries and creativeness are inspired by God. The Wright Brothers inspire all of us, no matter our age, to dream big, launch out and know nothing is impossible with God.

Dec. 11, 2003

Dec. 11, 2003 - Columnist Shares Celebrating The Birthday Of The "King Of Kings" © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ We are in the process of preparing for the celebration of the birthday of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. We feel the excitement in the air. Everyone is scurrying around making preparations for the holidays. Jesus is the reason for the season. Because He is love, we feel love all around us at Christmas. The secret of being Fabulous after 50 comes with being "born again" into the royal family of God, as a believer and as a child of the King. We jump deeper into life with great anticipation, even if we are living the last half of our lives by nurturing an intimate relationship with God's son, Jesus Christ. This is truly ageless living. One must have the Spirit of God living inside, know God, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide, teach and comfort. Knowing God is crucial to living successful lives. I learned my favorite song, "A Child of the King," as a child at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. This song takes on a new meaning to me at Christmas. "My Father is rich in houses and lands, He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands! Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full. He has riches untold. I'm a child of the King, a child of the King, with Jesus my Saviour, I'm a child of the King." As you prepare and celebrate Christmas, enjoy your feeling of royalty!

Dec. 18, 2003

Dec. 18, 2003 - The Excitement Of Christmas Builds © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ Do you feel the excitement in the air? The stores are filled with shoppers trying to find that perfect gift of love. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ celebrated by exchanging gifts. John 3:16 tells us, "God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." We get excited about giving gifts. The Bible says in Acts 10:35, "It is more blessed to given than to receive." The excitement builds as we decorate our homes, plan our family feast, socialize at Christmas parties and see the excitement on children's faces as they wait for Santa Claus to visit. I love the Christmas cards. We have lived a half of a century. During that time we have met many people. As Christmas approaches, I anticipate the surprises in my mailbox. Many times I receive Christmas cards from people out of my past that I only get a greeting from once a year. Christmas is a time for connecting with old friends and family. The Christmas cards from across the miles are just another way we feel love come down at this special season. Christmas is filled with lights, starting with the Star of Bethlehem. Take time to look at the lights as the anticipation builds for the celabration of Christ's Birthday.        A Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson... "Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. "Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. "May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake, Amen."

Dec. 25, 2003

Dec. 25, 2003 - The Effect Of One Solitary Life © by Shirley W. Mitchell, Golden Years - Fabulous after Fifty™ "He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never had a family or owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a book, or held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. "While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had-His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave. Over two thousand years have passed, and today He is the central figure for much of the human race. "All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this "One Solitary Life." -- copied. Merry Christmas!!

Shirley W. Mitchell is the Owner and Founder of Fabulous after Fifty™ - a Motivational, Inspirational and Educational Company located in Northern Alabama providing products and services related to Organizing and Conducting Educational Conferences, Classes, Symposiums, Seminars, Workshops, Speeches and Training Courses in the fields of Aging, Seniors, Senior Lifestyles, Health, Wellness, Nutrition, Generational Women and Men's Issues, Faith, Passion and Purpose, and Distribution of Materials including Multimedia Audio, Video, CD, DVD, Books, Newsletters, Journals, Magazines, Articles, Periodicals, Electronic Books, and other Written and Audio Publications. Ms. Mitchell and Fabulous after Fifty™ are managed and represented by Lighthouse Coastal Productions 466 Sardis Cutoff Road Sardis City, AL 35956. ***Copyright © and Trademark ™ Notice: 1967-2011 All Works, Venues and Content by Shirley W. Mitchell™ including "The Golden Egg of Aging™", "The Fabulous Author™", "Fabulous after 50®", "Fabulous after Fifty™", "Sensational after 60®", "Sensational after Sixty™", "Aging Outside the Box®", "Passionate Sparks™", "Spiritual Sparks for Busy Women™", "Lace Over Steel™", "Ageless Living™", "Endless Energy™", "Better Half of Life™", "Citrus Park™", "Crosstown Info™", "The Amazing System™" and "Aging with Glamour™"are © Copyright and ® Trademark protected*** No part of this Web-Site or Column may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Agent. If you would like to purchase copies of the articles, please send an E-Mail to us with your request. If you should encounter any problems with this Web-Site please E-Mail the Webmaster.