Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    Well I didn't have a party but my husband gave me flowers
    and took me out to dinner, and all the kids gave me cards.
    
    A friend of mine will be 40 the end of April and I intend
    to do 'happy things' - brightly colored balloons, and streamers
    maybe, but definitely nothing negative. Forty is just another
    great beginning!
    
    Bonnie

    Congratulations on reaching this milestone!  Here's a present you
    can give yourself -- a membership in the Gray Panthers. Their motto
    is "Youth and Old Age in Action", and their aim is for people of
    all ages to fight ageism (attitudes, laws, etc.). Their agenda includes
    issues of interest to all age groups, including abortion, defense
    spending, and so on. There's a local chapter in Boston, and there
    may be one in the 'burbs. A rather exciting organization trying
    to promote social change.
    
    In any case, enjoy your day...
    
    Liz

    Don't you dare wear black.  40 is great, wear bright cheerie colors.
    Look at 40 as the old age of youth, 50 is the youth of old age.
    I am planning my 50th and am having a great time.  My children are
    not in a position to throw me a party so I'm doing it my self. My
    guest list is up over a hundred people. I plan to have a wild and
    crazy time.  
    Why people fret and moan over aging I will never know. We have
    absolutely no control over it.  Put your energies into something
    you can do something about, like world peace, loving thy neighbor,
    poverty, and things like that. 
    

    Definetly, definetly don't wear black.....just celebrate.
                                                         
    I turned 40 a few years back and I wouldn't go back to being
    younger for anything. I feel great and have been told I look
    great. So what's to cry about !!! As long as you think positive
    and take care of yourself (physical/mental), each year you
    grow wiser and better.
    
    Have a happy, cheery party and look to the future with promise
    and expectations.
    
    Remember "You're not getting older, you're getting better".
    
    kathie

My mother had a big surprise party for my father for his 50th a couple of
years ago.  She invited a lot of faces from the past, and he had a great time.
It was even a surprise!  I guess you can't have a surprise party for yourself,
though, so ask a friend to do it for you. :-)

We just had a 70th for my grandfather a couple of years ago, speaking of
surprises.  His daughter sent him a "belly-gram".  Now, that was a surprise!!
(disclaimer:  she was the only one involved in this idea)

Jill

Go ahead!!  Wear black....



	But make it slinky and low-cut, and daring!!!!

    Self indulgence is the rule.  I've heard of a woman who spent her
    40th birthday, in bed, eating godiva chocolates, drinking champagne, reading
    a passionate junk novel, whilst wrapped in a luxurious fur coat
    she purchased for herself for the occassion.                 
    
    For myself, I spent my entire birthday month buying myself birthday
    presents.  Everytime I saw something I liked, I bought it for myself.
    Among the presents were a set of cross country skis, (I wanted to
    do more of it), some really outrageous clothes, I had some custom
    calligraphy done on an inspirational subject to hang in my room, a
    water bed, (I needed a bed anyway, and that is what I wanted) a
    down comforter, can't remember the rest, but I really gave myself
    permission to indulge myself and I was glad that I did. Whenever
    I use or see these items, I remember the permission I gave myself
    to be self indulgent.
    
    Celebrate your birthday just a little more outrageously than you
    dare!!!  And, have the best of everything, after all you only go
    this way once! 
                                                                      

    	Beware!
    
    	When my cousin turned 50, her husband rented a huge sign on
    	wheels that declared "MARSHA IS 50." He put it in the front
    	yard. I think she locked him out of the house.
    
    	I'll turn 40 on August 11th. I'm planning on riding a century,
    	which to bicyclists is riding a 100 miles.
    
    	Congratulations early,
    	Scott

    	The ride will take more than a few hours, and that's all the
    	time I can afford. Also, I've never ridden that far, so it
    	will be something of a personal challenge.
    
    	Now if I had the time, who knows.
    
    	Scott

Scott (and anyone else inclined to such cycling):

Doing a century will help your outlook on life no matter what your 
age.  If you want to do it, you will pull it off.

And you will be on a high after that will last for days, in some 
ways forever.

I'll vaxmail you an article i wrote for Bike Club (Charles River 
Wheelmen) newsletter right after my first century.  It may help.

Best of luck.

	~Mike

    	Well, I did it, and with 16 days to spare.
    
    	I rode the century (100 miles) Saturday. The entire ride,
    	counting stops for food, etc., took ~8 hours. I left at
    	6 AM and walked in the door at 2 PM.
    
    	A great experience which I hope to repeat many more times.
    	But, this was the first one.
    
    	My wife commented Saturday night: "I'm glad you went out and
    	rode 100 miles. Some men would have gone out and had an affair."
    
    	Scott

...well I also joined the ranks of the "40" gang in June.  I hear
    people telling me that I look terrific, but I am also going
    through the 'empty nest syndrome'.  It stinks.
    P

    
    	I'll let ya know after the 30th of thi month.........
    

    I hit the big 3-5 soon, and I'm psyched!
    
    A friend tells me that I now qualify as a "middle-aged tabby cat".

    re: several
    
    I celebrated the big 4-0 last spring (yeah, and I still love to
    hear "But you don't *look* it! -- will I ever adjust???) with
    a gala 5 day "weekend" in New York City, living it up.  Made sure
    I wore all of my fancy clothes, and because I didn't buy any new
    expensive clothes I didn't feel guilty (ah, guilt! :-{ ).  
    
    As for the empty nest syndrome, I have filled the empty space at
    home with a new hobby of raising cats.  Warm fuzzies!  Not for
    everyone, perhaps, but it suits me fine!
    
    I actually had more trouble dealing with 30.  Can't figure that
    out.  But then, it turned out I had a fever and the flu that
    day as well as a birthday...
    
    	Penelope

    I turned 40 last August, and have been having, and enjoying, a
    wonderful mid-life crisis for the past year! ..some of the
    manifestations of which are a pink punktail and a motorcycle..
    
    Turning 41 this year was boring.
    
    I'm now looking forward to 50 - maybe a Harley-Davidson, who knows!
    
    The older you get, the more outrageous you can be! Eighty's gonna
    be a blast!
    
    Dawn
    

    
>    The older you get, the more outrageous you can be! Eighty's gonna
>    be a blast!
    
    Dawn when you hit 80 you are going to be a blast (as if you aren't
    NOW!!)
    
    Wish one of my grandmothers was like you will be...
    
    Lee

    WEll, it *does* help to have role-models in the family. My aunt's
    Xmas present (from me) when she was 83, was a hot-air balloon ride!
    
    She's ailing now (87) , but she swore after the ballon ride she'd've
    taken up hang-gliding if she were younger. (75!?)
    
    Tell yuh what - On my 80th birthday, we can go for a motorcycle
    ride!
    
    Dawn
    

    Oh goody!
    
    Lee

    I'm trying to catch up on months of Womannotes I never read; so
    please excuse my after-the-fact responses.  Now, on turning 40...
    
    Two of my husbands aunts live in Illinois and work on some military
    base there.  When Patty turned 40 last year, her sister hung a HUGE
    sign that you couldn't miss as you drove onto the base:
    
    			LAWDY, LAWDY
    			PATTY SMITH IS 40!!
    
    The only thing Joanne didn't think of is that _she'll_ be 40
    this year.
    
    -Tracy (who is still trying to deal with the big 3-0 that arrived
    yesterday)