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E-magazine Subscription plus a gift from us delivered direct to your home and get access Magazines. Don’t miss another issue, click here to get your copy Edmonton, Victoria and Calgary have groups designed for baby boomer women focusing on friendship and personal development. Click on the city closest to you to see what we are up to.
Our members say... I just want to thank you for the lovely silk scarf that you sent me for Christmas. To everyone out there who is considering COSMO CLUB (Diamond Membership), it’s worth every penny & more. Sherri I am enjoying the Fab 50 experience because of the ladies I am meeting and the activities I’ve been part of. Also getting into some of the coaching now which looks like a makeover in itself. Jayne 2 • Be Fabulous! e_Magazine I www.fabulousat50.com I June • 2016
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Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 3
Creative Director • Dianna Bowes Editor, Creative Director Dianna Bowes FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION ads@fabulousat50.com www.fabulousat50.com
our story
Thank you to our Contributors: Dianna Bowes, Laurel Vespi, Pam Robertson, Loretta Friedrich, Rosalyn Fung, Barbara Lee, Sue Paulson, ..and to all who made this issue possible Photography: Ealanta Photography www.IStock.com www.Dreamstine.com
Mission: To INSPIRE, EDUCATE and EMPOWER the baby boomer woman! Be Fabulous! was designed specifically to be an event magazine to be presented to our guests at the Annual Fabulous@50 Experience and Martini Party. But something magical happened! Dianna Bowes took a look around and realized there was nothing in our community that was discussing the needs of the seasoned woman. Be Fabulous!, much like the Fabulous@50 tradeshows, seminars, the meetup group and the Fabulous@50 on-line membership, filled a gap. Since 2010, Be Fabulous! has spotlighted inspirational women on it’s cover and covered topics that mid-age women want to read about.
On the Cover: Trish Carter Be Fabulous! is published by Creative On The Move.
Be The articles represent the views and opinions of the individual authors and not necessarily the publisher. No material should be reprinted in whole or in part without the expressed written permission of the publisher/authors. The contents of Be Fabulous! should not be used as advice of any kind. Please consult the appropriate professionals for any advice. Be Fabulous! does not constitute endorsements of, or assumption for, liability for any claims made in the advertisements and or advertising information.
The vision of creative director, Dianna Bowes, was to publish a magazine that would be written by baby boomer women for baby boomer women. Fabulous@50 and Be Fabulous! is more than a magazine, more than a tradeshow, more than a membership, it is a community! Find out more by going to our website. www.fabulousat50.com
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be social with us! www.fabulousat50.com facebook.com/befabulousmagazine facebook.com/befabulousat50 twitter@Fabat50 pinterest/DiannaBowes
It’s never too late to refresh your mind, body and spirit and you don’t have Audreys Books Top to do it alone. Seller in April
Many Baby Boomer women have spent decades suppressing their own wants and desires, and losing themselves in the expectations and demands of culture, parents, partners, and children, working hard to please and care for almost everyone but themselves. They’ve been misunderstood by marketers, politicians, millenials, most men, and last but not least, themselves. The time has come for these strong, beautiful, and fabulous women to discover, reveal, and honor their true selves. The time has come for them to re-experience life as they’ve known it, and to celebrate life as it can be. If you are a Boomer woman in personal crisis--needing to reinvent your life, facing divorce, life-threatening
illness, financial disaster, or the crushing loneliness after the kids have grown and gone, if you are asking yourself, “Now what?” and fearing that it might be too late for you and your dreams, this book is for you. In these pages, you’ll find a wealth of reassurance, inspiration, companionship, and practical guidance to refresh your mind, body, and spirit. From Dianna Bowes, visionary foundress of Fabulous@50, The Fabulous @50 Re-Experience is a living, breathing, sweet and sassy guide to remind you that you’re not alone, and it’s not to late for you to thrive.
Upcoming book launches in Edmonton, Red Deer, Victoria, B.C. and Wabamum - Visit our website for dates and locations. Click here Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 5
My Journey to Finding Holistic Body Love... part 2 I did not always have an amazing relationship with me. In fact, I used to be my own worse enemy and beat myself up all the time because I wasn’t fit-looking enough, because I didn’t have six-pack abs, because my hips weren’t small enough, my arms were not defined enough, and because for goodness sake, that little piece of flesh on my upper back behind my armpit was too fleshy and soft! I used to restrict myself from eating certain kinds of foods because it’s what I thought would exacerbate my “problem areas”. So I stayed away from sugar, opting instead for the chemically enhanced sweeteners (but hey, at least they are calorie free!) and for the “fat-free” food products. And this made me feel good and feel (falsely) safe because I was eating perfectly. I would bring my own food to social gatherings because I was anxious about eating anything outside of my diet. I would take hours to try on clothes because nothing fit right or gave me the look I wanted, I would get so stressed out packing for vacation (okay I admit I still do but for different reasons now!) because
I couldn’t decide what to wear since I couldn’t predict how my body would look each day I was away from home. And when I was alone, I binged. I ate, and ate and ate all the foods I deprived myself of – peanut butter, cookies, bread and anything high in sugar and carbs. I would feel guilt and shame for binging, so I would “erase” these feelings by over-exercising. It became a silent vicious cycle. This kind of relationship with myself went on for YEARS. And you know what? Even when I did achieve my then “ideal body” by competing in a bodybuilding competition, this didn’t bring me the happiness I was seeking. Nothing inside changed mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Only on the outside did my capsule change. Then I made a choice. I took the courage to go on a self-healing journey: through therapy; through my own professional training in a mindfulness-based therapy called Hakomi (in which I’m Certified now) and through exploring Eastern practices such as yoga, acupuncture, and naturopathy. I developed new practices to
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“It’s about serving me, so that I can serve the world from a deeper, loving, and authentic place. When I show love to me, the world benefits.” be kinder to myself, to slow down, to be more present, to learn how to shift out of limiting core beliefs and patterns, and to live in a new way. I decided to think, feel, and behave in my relationship with my new best friend- me. It’s about serving me, so that I can serve the world from a deeper, loving, and authentic place. When I show love to me, the world benefits. I can give back ten fold because I’m happy right here in my mind, heart and body. I have stopped abandoning myself and I have returned home to a peaceful and happy body. Food and Body
The struggles I was experiencing in my relationship with myself were expressed in the areas of food and body. However, these struggles may come out in other areas such as being in relationships that are unhealthy and even abusive. It can be a love relationship, a business partnership, family ties, or even friendships. These struggles with self could be related to feel-
ing deprived, chronically stressed, tired or anxious, feeling low self-worth, or having judgmental thoughts about others. Oftentimes, these struggles are unconsciously deep-rooted. YOU can change the story of your life by first being open to exploring your relationship with you. You can start by reading a self-help book that appeals to you, or you can talk to a therapist who can help guide you. Invite curiosity, courage, and hope to be with you. a Rosalyn Fung is a Registered Psychologist & Founder of Holistic Body Love. She is a wellness speaker, consultant, mentor, writer & blogger. Roz specializes in Holistic Nutritional Psychology in which she empowers people in their relationship with food, body image, weight, as well as digestion, fatigue, immunity and mood. Her approach is a combination of eating psychology, positive psychology, mindfulness, neuroscience, family systems and nutritional therapy. Rosalyn offers online Webinars and her Holistic Body Love Food & Body Image Transformation Online Program https:// rosalynfungholisticpsychology.wordpress.com
Fill out our simple 6 question survey and enter to win an opportunity to win a $250.00 Cosmo Club Membership. Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 7
Maturity and Sex Have you ever felt there was something happening in your life over which you had no control? Clinical psychologist Gershen Kaufman has described shame as an impotence-making experience because it feels as if there is no way to relieve the matter, no way to restore the balance of things. Shame is a binding experience, the
painful feeling of being exposed, being made vulnerable, uncovered and left unprotected. Shame implies that we were at some time vulnerable to the scorn, disrespect and even hate of another, and no repair followed. Shame leads to self-shaming. People who experience shame often reject themselves before others can reject them.
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Shame brings distance between people and even between parts of one’s self. It’s hard for me to think of anything more binding in our culture today than the painful reality of sexual abuse and the shame that too often results. Childhood Sexual Abuse
I was in second grade when I became a statistic. I became that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience sexual abuse at some time in their life. Most people who experience childhood sexual abuse or who experience sexual assault or rape experience difficulties related to the abuse. They often live in fear of a recurrence which may lead to fear of sexual intercourse and/or intimacy with any partner. They often experience anger. They also often experience guilt, believing they are somehow responsible for what happened to them. Often a person keeps their experience a secret, ashamed and afraid to share this part of their life with others. People who are bound in shame suffer in silence that they cannot break. So we must speak up for them. We need to say out loud and regularly: • You did nothing to deserve this. • There was nothing in this act that any God willed. • You can feel whole, joyful and clean again. Survivors needs us to talk about sexuality in realistic terms that invite them to find grace. If a survivor is able to break their silence,
then they need us to listen. More than easy answers, they need us to listen carefully and not assume that we can easily understand their pain or their grief. We all suffer from a system that exploits and degrades members of the human family. We are in a difficult position: We believe sex is good, but not always, not under any circumstance. We all need to acknowledge the reality and horror of sexualized violence in our society today. Healthier and Safer Society
I don’t share my own story because I want to bring that attention to myself, but because I want to do my part in creating a culture where we are safe talking about our experiences of shame and abuse so that we can get on with living healthy sexual lives. Each of us has a responsibility for creating a healthier and safer society. You can help by monitoring your actions and your own language so that you do not unwittingly contribute to a culture that binds people in shame. If you are a survivor, talk to someone you trust about your experience. Finally, you can make a difference by taking the time to listen to someone who has a story they need to tell. a Barbara Lee is the author of Sacred Sex: Replacing the Marriage Ethic with a Sexual Ethic and Tension in the Tank: Embracing Interfaith Mysticism Without Leaving the Church. An ordained interfaith minister, Barbara has crafted the tools that lead to higher self-esteem, healthier relationships and a deeper respect for the many facets of sexuality. You can read more about Barbara at www. dontdoesntwork.com
“Shame leads to self-shaming. People who experience shame often reject themselves before others can reject them.“ Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 9
Build your own pallet garden in
6 easy steps What you will need: shipping pallet, staple gun, landscape fabric, hammer or screwgun, screws, potting soil, and plants.
You can also run a soaker hose through the pallet with end sticking out so you can attach a hose for easy watering.
Pallets can be found most everywhere, so take your time and find a good one. Sometimes you can get lucky and find one made from cedar. Avoid pressure treated wood (due to the leaching from harmful chemicals).
1. Clean your pallet, reinforce all the boards on front and back with extra screws or nails. Add a board at bottom for added strength and so your soil doesn’t run out.
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2. Flip over to back of pallet and lay your landscape fabric (doubled) to cover the back, side and bottom and cut to size. Pull tight and secure with nails or staples. (You can add a piece of plywood over top of landscape fabric if you like) 3. Flip your pallet over, fill with good quality potting soil or container mix. Do not use ordinary garden soil, as it is designed for planting beds and will make the planter too heavy and won’t drain as well. 4. Stand up and continue filling with soil, then start to add plants. Flowers, herbs, vegetables are all good choices. 5. Once all the plants are in place, add additional soil if needed. Don’t water yet due to the added weight. 6. Over the next few days, monitor the garden and add soil and water as needed as the plants get established and soil settles. Watering on a regular basis is important, because the garden is above ground and will dry out quickly. a Dianna Bowes is the founder and Slats are secured with extra screws or nails, and Creative Director of Fabulous@50 and landscape fabric has been doubled and attached editor of Be Fabulous! EMagazine. to back, sides and ready to be stapled to bottom of pallet. Next step is soil and flowers.
Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 11
Grad Special
Become a Cosmo Club before the end of June and receive a FREE Fab@50 Gratitude Journal click here today
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What are you grateful for? Practice a life of gratitude with this purse-sized gratitude journal designed by Fabulous@50 founder Dianna Bowes and photos by Fabulous@50 Members. A thoughtful gift for a special friend, your mother, graduation or even for a bridal party. Order your copy today. 22.50 Order your copy today journals@fabulousat50.com You can also find us at the Crystal Ranch in Stettler • The Painted Door in Beaumont • Downtown Tixonthesquare Local Artists Shop in Edmonton
COSMO CLUB $ 00
250.
click here for more info www.fabulousat50.com/Membership Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 13
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Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 15
Herbs: Meal Mates When I was at a farmer’s market recently I visited an herb specialist. I was delighted to see that they were selling over 80 varieties of herbs! Indeed, there are a lot of cool types to discover which means interesting and different tastes to discover in many dishes. Seriously, what’s not to love about herbs? They are affordable, nutritious and very tasty. You can find them in their dried form but my most favorite way to enjoy is when they are fresh. Nutritionally speaking herbs offer benefits like: cognitive support, fighting inflammation, boosting the immune system, digestive aid, and fiber along with a whole host of vitamins and minerals. Ahh.... so don’t forget to inhale the aroma. You may just find yourself in a lighter mood after doing so!
What’s also great is that you don’t have to have a green thumb or be an expert gardener to grow a few in a pot or two on your patio or deck. They really don’t take a bunch of work and do better when you harvest regularly so take a snip of this and that. It’ll take your meal to whole other level. I’m on a quest to find more unique herbs and feature them in the various recipes I create. For now, here are some of my favorites both new and old. What do you recognize? 1. Basil – For most, this is one of the most popular and easily recognizable herbs. Use in dips, smoothies, Italian recipes, etc. I also enjoy steeped in water with lime and berries.
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2. Thyme - Thyme has been used for centuries as is popular in the preparation of soups and sauces, and in chicken, fish and meat recipes. Thyme tea is also a wonderful health drink. 3. Savory – Shakespeare loved it, Thanksgiving dressing likely contains it, and it is said that a sprig rubbed on wasp or bee stings gives instant relief. Include it in nontraditional recipes: you may be surprised how eggs, drinks, and desserts (yep) will have your taste buds dance. 4. Tarragon – Some say the taste of tarragon is a cross between mint and licorice. While it is particularly suitable for chicken, fish and egg dishes, I created a delicious new recipe – below – using it in a lovely fruit sauce. It also contains very high antioxidant properties. 5. Fennel - The sweet, light anise flavor of fennel freshens breath and relieves stomach distress. Fennel tops taste delicious whether served raw or cooked in soup, or salads made with apples or pears. Use both the bottom and top (fronds) in meals since they each contain a lot of nutrients. 6. Sorrel – This lemony, tart herb tastes best in spring; it becomes increasingly bitter as the season progresses. Use young leaves in salads and larger leaves for soups, stews and sauces. Note: don’t use too much if you have arthritis or kidney stones due its oxalic acid content. 7. Parsley – It seems like parsley can work in any recipe. Two popular varieties (curly, and flat) can be somewhat interchangeable however, experienced herb lovers say do not! Experiment with varieties and know that you’re consuming a really healthy and adaptable herb; I appreciate its ability to blend with ingredients yet still retain its distinct green taste.
apple, mojito to citrus. You can also use traditional varieties like peppermint and spearmint. So soothing, cooling, cleantasting, and versatile in all kinds of recipes. You really have to experiment in order to appreciate the flexibility of herbs. I suggest you begin (or revisit if the case may be) with more familiar and traditional herbs to really get your creativity flowing. If there is one way to bring out the flavor, and take dishes to different gastronomies, it’s by including herbs: be open and curious, get educated, discover new varieties, and have fun playing! Tarragon Rhubarb Cherry Berry Sauce Yield: 1 cup Ingredients • 1/2 cup each fresh or frozen organic cherries, strawberries, and rhubarb • 1/2 freshly squeezed organic lemon • 1 tbsp. raw honey • ½ to 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped, divided Directions Place fruit and honey in saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir continuously. The idea is to reduce the liquid and infuse flavors. Add half of the tarragon and cook for another 5 minutes. Take off heat and stir in rest of tarragon or sprinkle on top of sauce on individual servings. Great mixed in with breakfast oatmeal or muesli. It is equally great as a company dessert topping on yogurt or your favorite high quality ice cream. a
Loretta Friedrich, C.H.N., is a health advocate, local supporter, community leader, speaker, writer, author, program creator / director of Your Food Story, and award-winning business owner of Sprout Natural Nutritional Consulting. She enjoys walking, getting veg8. Mint – This is one popular herb! There etable stains on her hands, and smelling dirt! are many types of mint from chocolate to Visit SproutNaturalNutrition.com for info Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 17
Hold the Lettuce! Grab the Cheese! When it comes to gardens and flowers, I often end up talking about salad and how my least favourite ingredient in salad is usually the lettuce. It’s not that I can’t stand lettuce, it’s just that I struggle to see its purpose in a way that makes it more than a carrier. A carrier for dressing that is. As a carrier, lettuce really rocks but on its own it only reminds me of school lunches where the lettuce got a bit warm and wilted by lunch, and it tasted suspiciously of the bologna that was trapped beside it. I know that we are lucky nowadays, because we can buy those little freezer packs to help keep our lunches cool, and lots of workplaces have a fridge where you can store your lunch if you get in there slightly before that person who tries to fill it with their entire week’s worth of food. My solution to wilted lettuce at lunchtime? Skip the salad, and make a sandwich. A well executed sandwich has holding
power above and beyond any salad, even if you do like a bunch of lettuce in your sandwich. With all the cool breads and wraps and sauces for sandwiches, there’s no need for that sad old bologna and iceberg lettuce either. In a nod to my Dad – since it’s Father’s Day this month and I love the guy to bits – he had the right idea for transporting a sandwich to work. He used to make his lunch the night before, and always wrapped his bread in one little packet, lettuce in another, and treated the meat and cheese with as much dignity. He simply built the sandwich at work, and I strongly recommend you do the same to avoid having soggy bread, or pickles soaking into your lettuce. My favourite sandwiches usually include something with cheese, and this one is a version of grilled cheese that you can make in a frying pan or one of those fancy panini presses.
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Since I typically work from home, I can create this for a regular lunch, but you can also save it for a weekend treat.
Slice the pear in 1/8 inch slices
If you visit a deli for your cheese, they offer you tastes of cheese and meats so that you can try something new. While you are there, be sure to ask the clerk for recommendations for cheeses that are good for melting, grating, frying, or whatever you are after. Go ahead and try all the cheeses you can to give your tastebuds a treat, and to find your favourite companion for the pears that will soon be at the farmer’s markets.
Slice Brie in 1/8 inch slices, enough to cover 2/3 of the bread so it doesn’t all leak out as it melts
Grilled Brie & Pear Sandwich
Watch closely so that your sandwich is golden brown, and then flip it carefully to brown the second side, or save yourself some trouble and use a sandwich press.
Butter Crusty loaf of bread Nice ripe pear About a dozen thyme leaves per sandwich Cracked pepper Brie cheese (or something else that melts nicely) Red or green pepper jelly for dunking Quick and Easy Directions Cut your bread into half inch slices Clean seeds and stem from your favourite pear (leave skin on)
Generously butter the bread to the edge (essential for grilling)
Heat your frying pan to medium heat, and lay the first slice of bread butter side down. Immediately lay the Brie on top, then sprinkle thyme and cracked pepper, add your pear in a single layer, and then add the second slice of bread (butter side out).
Serve alongside a red or green pepper jelly as a treat, along with any pear that didn’t fit into the sandwich. Voilà! No lettuce required, although you can serve this sandwich alongside pears, walnuts, and greens tossed with your favourite vinaigrette. a Pam Robertson is a food lover behind The Ladybirds’ Kitchen blog (www.ladybirdskitchen.com), where her goal is to help people get excited about cooking and food! She’s also a best-selling author, speaker, part-time badass, and a coach with Fabulous@50. You can reach her at 1-780-232-0083 and pam@LadybirdFiles.com.
Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 19
{LIFE IS JUST A PHASE}
Getting Yanked out by the Roots My mother was a fabulous gardener. She spent many hours puttering in her garden, nurturing her plants, arranging cut flowers and trying to convince my father that certain green sprouts were indeed not weeds. When she passed away a number of years ago and the house I grew up in was sold, I felt a real sadness at leaving her garden behind. One of her favourite plants was a very large heritage peony bush. Each spring it delighted us with the most amazingly fragrant blossoms. A few years ago when visiting friends in Toronto, I decided on a whim that I would return to my childhood home and somehow take a cutting from
that peony bush. Fortunately for me, the woman who had bought the house was still living there, remembered me, and quite graciously agreed. Going for it in spite of the odds
Not being particularly prepared I only had a spade and a plastic grocery bag. And not wanting to impose for too long, I simply dug out a section of the bush and stuffed it into the bag. After wrapping the somewhat bedraggled roots in wet paper towels, the peony became my carry-on luggage, making the trip back to Edmonton in the overhead bin. In hind sight it’s amazing that the plant survived the trip at all.
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“My mother always said bloom where you’re planted. In or out of your comfort zone, that’s pretty good advice”‘ Once back in my own garden, with a hopeful spirit, I planted the peony and waited. If you don’t know much about peonies let me just say that they are rather finicky plants. They don’t like to be moved once planted, so most certainly they don’t like to be ripped out of the ground and travel on an airplane. I waited. The following spring the peony had miraculously survived. I continued to wait – for three more years. Each spring the peony would return with lovely green leaves but alas no flowers. That was until this year. Wow! The brilliant display was certainly worth the wait as the bush was literally covered in flowers. Getting yanked out by your roots can be a good thing
Sometimes life circumstances conspire to shove you out of your comfort zone. I’m sure the peony was quite happy growing in the same comfortable spot it had been for years. Until I came along. Then it was transplanted in a rather rude fashion into a totally different climate. How often do we resist yanking ourselves out of our comfort zones? Perhaps that is exactly what you might need in order to
really blossom. The peony demonstrated that perfectly. • A dramatic change can create the most wonderful results. Sometimes baby steps are great. But sometimes taking a giant leap is really what is called for. You can’t cross a chasm in two steps. • It takes patience when you are out of your comfort zone. When you make a big change, everything feels foreign. It might take some time before you regain your balance and settle into a new kind of normal. • What seems impossible sometimes just needs a little faith and some nurturing care. You’ve got to believe what you want to make happen is truly possible. And along the way, some tender loving care makes the transition that much easier. My mother always said bloom where you’re planted. In or out of your comfort zone, that’s pretty good advice. a Laurel Vespi is a certified life coach, author and motivational speaker who helps women live more mindfully no matter what phase of life they are in. Learn more and get resources and inspiration for mindful living at stonecirclecoaching.com
Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 21
{Fabulous@50 Featured Member}
Trish Carter:
Growing more fabulous with each adventure What are you looking forward to doing/creating in this next half of your life? There is a big part of me that has always been adventurous and it’s fantastic that at this time in my life the adventures are now attainable. Coming from the old school of thought a woman was to get married, have children and serve the man there was not a lot of room for too much adventure. I am now married to a wonderful man who is not old school. I love that we mountain trail hike, destination scuba dive, kayak and enjoying more of what life has to offer. I am now creating another company which will empower us to travel the world with many, many friends and creating a legacy income and time freedom for my family. How has hardship, tragedy, or trauma shaped who you are – what gifts have come of it? I was fortunate in my early 20’s, that I had
an ectopic pregnancy and just about died. When you hear that your life passes before you, it’s true. As I was convalescing, which took months, I had lots of time to reflect. As a child I lived in a very dysfunctional home, married at 15 to an alcoholic wife beater, the only thing good in my life was my little boy, Shane. Why do I say this was fortunate, because I realized that I needed to gather strength enough to leave this horrific situation and to find the life that was full of good adventures. The knowledge and personal growth started for me at a young age; some people have to wait and wait to have a traumatic situation to reflect, unfortunately that is what it takes for most. Experiencing this at a young age has given me the strength and wherewithal to be able to help other women in their situations. I can truly empathize and help some women to understand that they do not need to stay in the unbearable situation and help them to grow themselves within and be strong, empowered women.
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What is your vision of great leadership? Great leadership comes from the heart, being able to understand people have lives and to work with their strengths and weaknesses. Also at the same time to make sure the task gets done to 100% of a person’s abilities by giving them the tools needed, empowering and trusting that person. Giving recognition for a job well done and celebrating life’s achievements is effective for a person’s wellbeing which transfers into their working day. What would you like to share with younger women about “being beautiful”? Being beautiful is to be able to look in the mirror and seeing the REAL you without that unwanted chatter from others. I know life can be cruel and we are subject to much negativity. Know that when someone says something that is targeted to hurt you, that the one who said I,t is the one with the problem and low selfesteem. Some people have to put others down in order for them to feel bigger so you need to let that go, it really is that other person’s problem. Knowing and acting on this Fact will allow you to look in the mirror and really see your beautiful self, inside and out. What is it in nature that feeds your soul? When I was very young there was a small patch of dirt between our step and the neighbors so I grew flowers. At the age of 18 I became a floral designer. Forty years later I am a proud owner of a flourishing retail flower and gift store. I can still oh and awe at the beauty natures has created. So with that said, Flowers are my passion in life and you can bet they DO feed my soul.
Trish’s Favorites Favorite Color: Blue Flats or Stilettos: Stilettos. Martini/Wine: Wine Sweet Treat: Caramel Kisses Vacation Destination: Spain Book: The Untethered Souls Movie: The Gladiator Charitable Cause: Teenagers What makes you laugh? Children and cartoons make me laugh. I love when babies start to hear their own voices, they get louder and louder. Then they start to smile and coo, and when they discover their feet and find it necessary to put them in their mouth its funny to see. To see the expression on a babies little face the first time they roll over or take their first step makes me laugh that funny/fascinated laugh. Some of the things children say, they are not jaded in life so they are honest, that can be very funny. It makes me laugh when they laugh at themselves. Children love to dress up and role play, the things they come up with, wow the imaginations. I wish we all could be a bit like children forever and laugh and laugh together, it’s so very good for our wellbeing. Then when those babies get to the age where I can watch cartoons or take them to the kid movies, then we can laugh together. a
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Seeds of a Different Kind As I filled my pots with bedding plants and pulled a few dandelions lurking in my grass, I got to thinking about the miracle of seeds – some that start out so, so small, yet grow into something quite magnificent. Just a tiny bit of attention – water and sun - and they take root. Oddly enough, the strongest roots belong to the weeds – quack grass, dandelions, and thistles. Thousands of dollars have been spent on inventing just the right tool to rid your yard of pesky plants, yet back they come every year. So it is with the seeds of thought. Tiny seeds of love, happiness, joy, and peace all
mixed in with seeds of doubt, fear, anger, and despair. When I was 11, Mom told my older brother and me that they were taking us to Disneyland in California, come July. Those little seeds of happiness and excitement had me bouncing – a lot – much to my mother’s dismay. So she said, “Now don’t get too excited. Something might happen and we won’t be able to go.” In that second, seeds of doubt and fear were sown. Apparently there was something wrong with growing a humongous plant of happiness. But a potpourri of anger, despair, and doubt were perfectly
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natural and considered quite normal. Just like weeds, those negative thoughts take firm root and seem to grow twice as quickly as all the positive thoughts.
did I discover that I could be happy, but I deserved to be happy.
Just listen to the news that’s broadcast every 10 minutes. We’re bombarded with negativity that feeds all the weeds in our minds, which grab hold tenaciously. “Ain’t it awful” conversation is common around the coffee room – the economy, terrorism, the government – everything that’s wrong. It’s no surprise then that our joyful, happy plants start to wilt.
It’s been 40 years since that awakening. There have been many challenges and much adversity throughout, but I’m happy to say that the weeds of negativity have not taken over the garden of my mind. I rarely watch the news, I listen mostly to music on the radio, and I don’t read the newspaper. If someone puts a negative spin on a conversation, I do what I can to offer an alternative approach. Most of all, I express gratitude for who I am, what I have, and all the positive thoughts that fill my head. As with every good gardener, my goal is to crowd out the weeds with an abundance of thriving flowers! a
Optimistic Self
In my twenties, I gave myself a miraculous gift – a personal growth seminar called Mind Dynamics. During that weekend, countless positive seedlings of ideas were planted to help me grow. I got tools to weed out all that didn’t serve me and worked hard to replant better stuff in the fertile soil of my mind. Best of all, I was reintroduced to my optimistic self, a self that had been hidden for many years. Not only
Express Gratitude
As an inspirational speaker and award-winning author, Sue Paulson inspires others to love their magnificence. Her third book, “Magnificent Misery – From Adversity to Ecstasy” is now available at Audrey’s and Ascendant Books in Edmonton or through Amazon. To book Sue, visit: www.suepaulson.com
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New! Introducing VIVACA® An innovative full spectrum botanical liquid supplement to alleviate the symptoms of Menopause Including night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings and fatigue VIVACA® a non-hormonal liquid supplement clinically tested in collaboration with Canadian Naturopathic doctors, microbiologists, organic chemists, herbalists, product formulators and evaluated by menopausal women for effectiveness. VIVACA® comes in 3 delicious natural flavours; Lime, Lavender and Mint. Simply add a single daily dosage of liquid concentrate to 16 ounces of water. Kept in liquid form it improves the body’s absorption rate. It’s so easy! VIVACA® powerful formulation contains four key ‘whole’ botanical extract concentrates: Red Clover, Rhodiola Rosea, Black Cohosh and St. Johns wort VIVACA® meets and, in some cases exceeds, the regulatory safety standards of the FDA & Health Canada, NHPD (Granted an NPN product license) VIVACA® 100% Canadian grown and produced, (safe from heavy metals & pesticides). We know our growers they take the care to select the best plants because they are committed to growing it right for their family as well as yours. You deserve no less! A quality plant = a quality product. VIVACA® available in 6 day and 90 day supplies. Be part of the conversation and learn more Yours truly, Anita Dyrbye Founder
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VIVACA® is the first to offer a comprehensive 90-Day self-help kit for menopause symptoms. Designed with important tools so that you can easily discover more about your body, triggers and how life-style can affect symptoms. The kit* includes: 90 day supply of VIVACA product, a Menopause journal, an electronic hot flush counter, a Menopause book and a re-usable water bottle for your VIVACA. *may be used as a tool to work more effectively along side your healthcare practitioner.
Start today! www.vivaca.net
Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 27
What’s UP! Beaumont Blues & Roots Fest June 17-19 Click here for more info Edmonton Jazz Fest June 24 - July 3 Click here for more info Freewill Shakespeare Festival Edmonton June 21- July 12 Click here for more info
FAN FEEDBACK Question?
What great books are you reading this summer.
Calgary Jazz YYC Summer Festival June 12-20 Click here for more info
Brent: Awesomely Simple by John Spence
Sled Island - Calgary June 22-26 - Downtown Click here for more info
Tema: PeopleShock: The Path to Profits When Customers Rule
Calgary Stampede July 8-17 Click here for more info Spruce Meadows North America Calgary - July 6-10 Click here for more info Aboriginal Cultural Festival Victoria June 17-19 Click here for more info Shakespear by the Sea Victoria - June 30 Click here for more info TD Victoria International Jazz Fest Victoria - July 1-3 Click here for more info
Val: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Amanda: Wild Women who Run with the Wolves. Paulette: Divergent Series Juanita: Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult, The Decision by Penny Vincenzi Laurel: The Nest, Spanish Fly, The Illegal, The Widow. Deanna: The Nest Alison: The Divide Ingrid: The Champion Mindset, Chaos to Control Beth: Sacajewea by Anna Lee Waldo, Power of One by Bryce Courtney Andrea: The Pearl that Broke it’s Shell Brynda: The Principles and Power of Vision by Myles Munro Dianna: Mrs Poe Jane: The Obsession - Nora Roberts
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Edmonton, AB UPCOMING EVENTS Scared Fitless Date: Tuesday, June 21. 6:30 Watch www.fabulousat50.com for more information Hawrelak Park• Edmonton - PIcnic Shelter #1 Does the thought of exercise, send shivers up your spine, then this is the class for you. Friendly and fun. The Fabulous@50 Experience and Martini Party Date: November 5th - 10-5 Watch www.fabulousat50.com for more information River Cree Entertainment Venue Be a Queen for the Day, at the best women’s tradeshow in Edmonton. In support of the Lois Hole Women’s Hospital, The Edmonton Dream Centre and Suit Yourself. Tickets will go on sale late summer. Some vendor spots are available.
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Dianna Bowes Edmonton Director & Founder Email Dianna Body Love and Laughter Speakers Rosalyn Fung and Paula Strean present Body Love Go to our website and Laughter to the Fabulous@50 members on May 30th at Integrity Seminars. For more info on Fabulous@50 events go to Read my blogs www.fabulousat50.com and become an online member. Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 29
Calgary, AB UPCOMING EVENTS JoJo’s Embracing Fabulous • Radio Show New Episodes available the second and fourth Monday JoJo’s View is all about embracing fabulous in life through celebration, gratitude and generosity! Joanne and her special guests will inspire, educate and empower you with concepts, strategies and engaging conversations, designed to help you find clarity, transform your life, and Embrace Fabulous. Click here to listen. The Fabulous@50 Experience and Martini Party October 16, 10-5 Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre Enjoy a Fabulous day of Shopping, Sharing and Celebration. There will be oodles of intriguing booths, inspirational speakers and wonderful entertainment. Vendor spots are available. For more information, click here Monthly meetup meeting held every second Thursday, join us and have fun! Click here for info
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Joanne Neweduk Calgary Director Email Joanne Go to our website Fabulous@50 ladies Heather Driedger, Sheri Beatty and Suzanne Estabrooks enjoy the Spring Fabulous@50 luncheon. Click here for more information 30 • Be Fabulous! e_Magazine I www.fabulousat50.com I June • 2016
Read my blogs
Victoria, B.C. UPCOMING EVENTS Passport to Life Book Launch Event • Sat., June 11, 2016 “Annie Pool is a Best Selling Author and Fabulous@50 Director whose passion for travel has enabled her to achieve the impossible - overcome incurable cancer in less than 6 months. In 2013 when she was diagnosed with the disease, the crisis would test her physically, emotionally and financially. Annie Pool Victoria Director Email Annie Go to our website Read my blogs
Although she hardly ventured further than a 3 block radius from her home during recovery, she used the power of her imagination to visualize herself traveling to a wonderful far off destination. Within less than 6 months, she was completely cancer FREE. Her upcoming book, “Passport to Life” shares her inspiring story and powerful tools that will enable others like herself transform the battle with cancer into an exciting, healing adventure.” To find out more about Annie’s book please go to www. anniepool.com
www.fabulousat50.com
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Summer reading...digital or paper? One of the things I really love to do in the summer is read. And over the last few years I have realized I am not reading as much as I used to. What I mean by that, is I usually read several books at one time. I would have one in the bedroom, one in the kitchen, one in the living room. I would even have a stack of books ready to read. I enjoy fiction, non-fiction and everything in between. But I have noticed that I have been forcing myself to read on my iPad and not really enjoying it quite the same as reading an actual paper book and because of this I am not reading as much. So a week ago at one of my favorite book stores (Mandolin Books), I asked the girls that worked there how they feel about reading on devices, and they said the same thing. They love the feel of a paper book, moving the book mark as they read, folding the corner and the smell of the paper book. A smile came over their faces as they described their love of reading. I have been like this since I was a little girl, where I spent many hours every day at the library a block from my house.
I bought several books at the bookstore that day and now am making time in the afternoon or before bed to read again. I love stretching out on the sofa, with a blanket, a cup of Earl Grey tea on the side table and one of my reading buddies (Finn or Lucy - my cats) purring to the tune of whatever I am reading. I treat this as a gift to myself. I deserve this and so do you. I was at a business networking meeting this week, and was blessed to sit at the table of Sandra Yancey, (Founder of eWomen International) We were talking about our love of books, and she has a policy in her office, that everyone is to take 15 minutes everyday to read. This could be a time to learn something new or to just relax. Smart, very smart. I have thought it over and what is the difference between reading on a device or in a book? It is still reading. For someone like me who spends more than enough time working on a computer, somewhere in my subconscious I felt that reading on a device was like work.
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Was it the light off the screen, I am not really sure, but it is not the same for me. And the other part is, as great as it is to take your device on vacation loaded with books, your have to be aware, if you put it down on a deck chair and go off for a swim, I can guarantee you, it will not be there when you return. Aloha… IPad. Where a $15.99 book probably will be. And you can take a book in the bath or drop it in the pool for that matter and it is not a big deal. Book Share Most resorts and hotels have a shared book exchange shelf. People do not want to carry a book home that they have already read, so you get the benefit. So I leave the book I brought, take one off the shelf and the love is returned. So if you are not reading as much as you used to this may be the reason. Reading is a gift, an escape, a wonderful way to learn something new about the world, history, and maybe even yourself. Happy Summer Reading. a Check out the Facebook Fans suggested summer reading on page 28 Dianna Bowes is the creative director of Fabulous@50 and editor of Be Fabulous!
Kelly Parson, Independent Representative www.rockingtheboot.ca rockingtheboot@gmail.com www.facebook.com/RockingTheBoot Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 33
Create Your Legacy Be a Fabulous@50 Community Director! We’re expanding and are looking for enthusiastic, energetic and well-connected women 40 plus to run Fabulous@50 events in their communities. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run your own business and create your legacy! We know how to do it and want to share it with you! Fabulous provides educational and social connections for the women 40 plus. The ideal candidate is someone who wants to create a business for themselves in a fun and social environment and be part of a global vision. We provide training, a vibrant website, guidance and an opportunity to fulfill your dreams and purpose while creating an income and making a difference. Fabulous@50 was created to Inspire, Educate and Empower the baby boomer woman.
Dianna Bowes Edmonton, AB
Fabulous@50 Vision: To build a vibrant, global community that inspires, educates and empowers Baby Boomer women through compassionate relationships with each other, and with the support of businesses who provide what these women need, want, and love. To continue to expand the Fabulous@50 community with the heart-based leadership of mature women who wish to support and motivate other such women through friendship, connection, and personal development. To awaken, encourage, and celebrate the power and contributions of mature women worldwide.
Joanne Neweduk Calgary, AB
Core Values: • Compassion • Empowerment • Community • Fun • Gratitude
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Annie Pool Victoria, B.C.
Time to GET CONNECTED?? Get connected with Fabulous@50’s On-Line Community Receive a gift of the Be Fabulous! E_Magazine, plus a gift delivered to your home. Join our online Social Groups and stay in the loop of all things Fabulous! No strings, just love...
Click here to go to www.fabulousat50.com/Membership/JoinNow! Celebrating baby boomer women • Interactive eMagazine • 35
FAB Books!
Passport to Life Annie Pool “When Annie’s husband of 20 years announces he’s going on a Studies Abroad trip to Florence, she reluctantly agrees to join him (this was her dream, after all!) What follows is a fish out of water story about travel, misplaced values, and lost dreams. Annie eventually leaves her deeply troubled marriage and follows her heart on an adventurous path to Italy, Ireland and beyond. But does she have what it takes to make her dreams come true? Or will she finally cave in to despair when she hears the four words that strike fear in the hearts of many - “You have incurable cancer”? You’ll be on the edge of your seat with this inspiring read about how Annie used the power of travel to achieve the impossible and make her dreams come true in the face of every imaginable obstacle.”
“Annie, one of the bravest woman I’ve had the pleasure of watching. Una Heaton, The Frank McCourt Museum Limerick, Ireland
Please go to http://www.anniepool.com/ to register for the sample chapters of her book and for further information for pre ordering your copy of, “Passport to Life - How I Overcame Incurable Cancer.”
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