extremeancestry

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  1. Starting a Healthy Midlife Tradition

    3/28/09 2:18pm by extremeancestry
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    Midlife is full of nostalgia. Sharing memories of friendship, laughter and school. Remembering the all-night study sessions, the all-night parties and all the mornings after. Homecoming weekend and final exams. Your first date, a marriage, your first child -- year after year of life's greatest moments. Conversations at midlife are filled with "remember when" and "back-in-the-day."  Read more >

  2. On Becoming A Memory Keeper

    3/6/09 9:57pm by extremeancestry
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    It was back in the 1960's when I first became aware of memory loss.   I was visiting my cousins in Cleveland. We were watching out the window as our great-aunt Clara drove up.  Read more >

  3. The Midlife Insomniac

    1/31/09 11:47am by extremeancestry
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    One of the longstanding problems on my midlife trip has been how to get a good night's sleep.  When I was a late 40-something moving from perimenopause into the big "M", night sweats decimated my sleep pattern.  I used to wake up as drenched as if I had just run a marathon.  By the time I finished drying off, changing clothes and linens it was almost time to get up for a new day.  Read more >

  4. The Heartless Grip of Heartburn

    1/16/09 9:50am by extremeancestry
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    When Denise asked me to write about some midlife topics in the Good Health-athon, I actually wasn't feeling so healthy at the time. In fact, I was trying to figure out how to feel better in light of my persistent heartburn. My doctor had already listened to my litany of symptoms and suggested a month's regime of an over-the-counter remedy. As much as I like my doc, he didn't talk about nutrition as part of the remedy and quite frankly - neither did I.  Read more >

  5. Beyond Black Friday - Shopping for Seniors

    11/29/08 10:21am by extremeancestry
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    I didn't go out shopping on Black Friday this year but I remember the many times in the past when I did -- running around looking for the latest greatest, must-have, got-to-get-it-now gift for someone on my holiday shopping list.  But not once do I recall a Black Friday that included racing around searching frantically for a gift for one of the elders in my family.  In fact, they never said "hey I have to have this, that or the other".  They really didn't ask for anything at all except to hear from me or, better yet, a nice visit.  According to the  Read more >

  6. Let the Good Times Roll with a Virtual Potluck!

    11/24/08 9:16pm by extremeancestry
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    One of the things about midlife is that holidays are starting to feel different.  There's not that level of excitement I remember so clearly from years gone by.  By this time, loved ones and friends are coming and going and longtime traditions are changing or disappearing altogether.  Like in my life:  Read more >

  7. The One Vote Barack Obama Won't Get

    11/3/08 9:56am by extremeancestry
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     Read more >

  8. Lipstick Was My Favorite Costume and Other Halloween Memories

    10/31/08 11:31am by extremeancestry
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    I know it sounds weird but lipstick was my favorite Halloween costume.  I didn't care what I dressed up as so long as lipstick was involved.  See, I grew up during the 50's when the standard, at least what I saw on my friends' mothers and women in the movies was really, really, really RED lipstick.  And in those days, little girls didn't get to wear make-up under any circumstances, except of course -- on Halloween. Here are some of the costumes I had in my young hey-day:  Read more >

  9. Podcast: Talking to Mary Ellen Geist about Alzheimer's

    10/20/08 10:38am by extremeancestry
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    Have you ever forgotten why you came into a room, forgotten someone's name or what day of the week it is? Or have you noticed that a loved one is becoming forgetful? It could just be the normal aging process or the signs of something more serious.  Read more >

  10. Manifesting Peanut - A Midlife Adoption Tale

    10/17/08 8:29pm by extremeancestry
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    Once upon a time, there was a woman who wanted to be a mother more than anything.  But she never found the right man and had no luck with the scientific alternatives.  Finally, she decided to adopt despite the overwhelming odds of being single, a minority, having limited resources and family who tried to talk her out of taking this step at 48 years old.  We call this woman "Meno Mom" and she is my younger sister.  Read more >

Karen Batchelor

Full Name
Karen Batchelor
Member Since
March 2008
About Me: 
I am Karen Batchelor, genealogist, avid descendant and sometimes skeleton in a family closet. I've been "hot on the trail" of my ancestors for 35+ years and make sense of the future from knowing about the past.
About Me Tags: 
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