Lately, I’ve been trying really hard to keep the drama in our household to a minimum. I know I can have a very histrionic, dramatic side, as do both my daughters. This is very hard on my husband, who is generally pretty laid back (although, don’t let him fool you, he can be  a pretty big drama queen at moments, too). Let’s just say I’m trying to be an adult, and get past my flair for the dramatic.

I’ve been doing pretty good, and my new mantra is “It is, what it is”. I’ve decided not to get stressed out about things that I cannot change. Overall, this works quite well. I experience much less stress and therefore, am more laid back.

I have also tried be less sarcastic and vivid when expressing myself. This has also been going well. I am not nearly as sarcastic as I used to be and I try to keep my opinions and emotions in check. Well, I really pulled a bad one yesterday.

We took my husband’s granny out for lunch and to run some errands. I let her sit in the front seat because it is easier for her to get in and out (she’s almost 93). We were getting out at a greenhouse, and I put my hand outside the SUV to hoist myself out of the back seat, when my husband slammed the driver’s door.

It took about two seconds for me to realize that the immense pain that I felt was coming from the two fingers that hubby had just slammed in the door. It was so painful, all I could see was a blinding white light. I knew there were a lot of people around and even in that pain, I was trying very hard to maintain my composure. I tried to pull my fingers out, but quickly realized that that was only going to cause more pain.

Now I still haven’t made a single sound – not a moan, groan, peep – nothing. I see my hubby walking toward the back of the truck to get granny’s walker, and I tried to tell him that my fingers were stuck in the door. What I tried to say was “Could you please open the door so I can get my hand out”? What came roaring out of my mouth was “MY FINGERSSSSSSSSSS”!

I was mortified at myself! Everyone turned and looked at me. I was trying to remain dignified and have some sense of decorum, and my brain overrode any thought of politeness and manners. I writhed silently in pain for about a minute and a half and tried really hard not to have a big hissy fit. At least I didn’t swear. I’m very proud that not one single curse word spilled from my lips.

So, I am getting better at keeping the drama out of my life. It’s a good thing I can put it into my writing.

Does anyone out there suffer from insomnia?  I know that everyone goes through phases in their lives where they cannot sleep, but I mean a real wicked case of insomnia for an extended period of time where sleep is elusive?

I’ve discovered that many people have difficulties sleeping and I’m not sure if this is a modern ailment or not.  My thinking is that hundreds of years ago, when people had to physically work from sun up to sun down just to run their household, getting a good night’s sleep wasn’t such a problem.   I may be way off base, but it makes sense.

In this modern era of stress and depression and anxiety, people have more time to ruminate over issues.  Many people do not exercise enough (me included, but I’m trying) and their bodies aren’t as physically spent at the end of the day.  Weight issues cause snoring, apnea and other problems that harm healthy sleeping patterns.

So here’s the deal.  I cannot sleep and have had major sleeping issues off and on my entire adult life.  I’ve been to a sleep clinic where I’ve been recorded while I was sleeping (or lack there of), I’ve had medical tests out the wazoo, changed my diet and exercise habits, lost weight, and prescribed medication.

I still cannot sleep through the night.  I am one of those people that generally has relatively few problems falling asleep, but I cannot stay asleep.  I was prescribed a “Z-drug”, which is like a benzodiazepine except thought to be less addictive.  It now turns out that they are probably as addictive as the old-school benzodiazepines.  Thanks, doctor.

These sleeping pills are supposed to be taken “as needed”.  I started talking them every night.  When I expressed concern over addiction, the doctor said not to be concerned about that right now (that’s a joke, me not be concerned).  I was still waking up in the middle of the night and having problem falling back asleep.  The doctor then told me to take two sleeping pills a night, which apparently is enough to put a lumberjack in a coma, but I still wake up in the night.

We all know the saying, “there is no rest for the wicked”, but really, were the things I’ve done that bad?  Oh well, what can you do?  Just wait for nine o’clock so I can take my sleeping pills.

I spent my twenties trying to figure who I was and what I should be doing.  You know, forming an identity.  I spent my thirties creating stability and settling into my roles.  Now in my forties, I feel the need to change many aspects of my life and revamp parts of my identity. 

I guess this is the so-called mid-life crisis.  I’m not doing the stereotypical things like buying sports cars or having affairs.  In fact, as I look at my peers, most of them appear to be doing a lot of the same things I am doing - looking for something that will make the next decade different, in a positive, productive way. 

I think society should stop using the phrase “mid-life crisis” and find a more positive term to describe the need to make changes in our lives.  “Mid-life crisis” conjures up images of leathery blondes in tight clothes desperately looking for a young lover, or a man with a bad comb-over buying a yacht to compensate for his lost virility.

I was trying to come up with a new, positive phrase for this period of life, but the word “change” kept popping into my head.  As this is associated with a woman transitioning into her menopausal years, I decided that it is not the terminology I was looking for.  I also thought “mid-life” sounds so old.  Although people in their forties are in the middle period of their lives, they are still very vibrant and full of life, not at all the image that “mid-life” is associated with.

I checked a thesaurus to see what they had listed for synonyms of mid-life and the last entry was “the wrong side of forty”.  Ugh.  That is horrible.  Who I am at 41 is a different person than who I was at 31.  Why is that wrong?

Does anyone have any ideas for a new name for this period of life?  Let’s start a revolution and make people think about this differently.  Send suggestions to me, I’m on board!

It’s a good thing I’m married because I’m beginning to think that I am verging on cougar territory.  Aging has never been an issue for me before, but it sure has hit me hard the last few months. 

If you read some of my previous posts, you know that I’ve cut pretty much all the crap out of my diet.  What I didn’t mention was that I’ve really stepped my work out routine as well, trying to target different areas of the body, instead of just using my elliptical day after day.

I also cut my hair into a cute new style, but this was purely because my hair is super thick and I was tired of having a sweaty head all the time.  I hear you saying, “Sure, sure, Orianne, justify it all you want”.

Like I said, it’s a good thing I’m married.  If I wasn’t I might invest in gel nails and botox and start hanging around the local cougar den (The Pal, for the Winnipeg readers).  I’d spackle on the make up, put on a push up bra and go show all the young dudes my latin dance moves.  Ha ha ha ha ha, this makes me laugh hysterically just thinking about it.

I’m not making fun of gel nails and botox, they are just not ME.  Who knows, maybe in another five or ten years, a bit of collagen may be needed in my lips, because they sure aren’t the full lips I had when I was twenty!  I just tend to be a little lower maintenance, but I see this starting to fade away.

Time sure has a way of taking the bloom off the rose, and we live in a very superficial society.  The cosmetics, fashion and plastic surgery industries make ridiculous sums of money each year.  It’s pretty hard not to get sucked in.

If I ever start looking like a cougar and am checking out the young emo boys, slap me upside the head, please.

Things can get pretty hectic in a family.  Parents work full time jobs, kids are involved in extracurricular activities, there are chores to do, and on and on.  My family got caught in a rut a few years ago, and now I am trying to change our habits and patterns.

Both my husband and I were working forty hours a week, and we were both taking evening classes.  There was never time for anything, and a lot of meals were rushed.  We fell into a habit of depending on fast food and not such great choices during the week, and trying to eat better on the weekends when there was a little more time.

Because this became an easy way to manage time, we stayed in this habit even after we were no longer so pressed for time.  Lately though, we have cut out all fast food, most sugar and we are trying to eat healthier.  In five weeks, I have lost thirteen pounds and I feel much better about myself.

I’ve been trying new meal ideas that are nutritious, low in fat and easy to prepare.  I thought that I would share some of those with my readers.  I have tried a few things that haven’t turned out so well, but here is one of my successes:

Mandarin Beef Salad

This is quick and easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious!  You’ll think it is a dish from an upscale Asian fusion restaurant.  It is a great meal choice during the hot summer months.

Ingredients for Marinade - 3 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 rice vinegar, 1 pkg stir fry beef

The evening before, combine garlic, hoisin sauce, peanut oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a bowl.  Add beef.  Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Ingredients for Salad – 1 bag of mixed greens, 1 small can of mandarin oranges, segmented, 1 pkg of chow mein noodles

Grill or broil stir fry beef.  This should only take 5-8 minutes.  Pour reserve marinade into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Place bed of greens on a plate, add about 3 ounces beef, some orange segments (drained) and some chow mein noodles.  Drizzle with the reserve marinade and serve!

I hope you try it and like it!