Women Over 40 Discovered New Passions and Hobbies

 

She'd taken on the role to prove herself—to her family, to David and even to herself. She'd spent a week assisting with tours, being trained—delicately, she thought now. Staff members treated family members with kid gloves.

It had jarred her to realize just how little she knew about the winery, about the vineyards, about the process and about the public areas and retail venue. It would take more than a week and some subtle education to learn how to handle any of those areas on her own. But by God, she could handle a group at a wine tasting.

And was determined to prove it.

She was going to learn how to handle a great many things, including her own life.

The Villa

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Kristin Hardwick, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

We're not sure about old dogs and new tricks, but for humans of a certain age, the science is clear: Being an absolute beginner is an absolutely great way to stay sharp and strong. Learn from eight women who mastered new skills in their 40s and beyond, and warm up for your next act.

MARTHA STEWART

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Struggling to crochet—her newest hobby—Sylvia sat on the porch with a pitcher of fresh lemonade and butter cookies while Fiona listened to the client repeat the gist of their phone consult.

The Search

Cries Every Girl Knows Way Too Well

A man who had three sisters knew all about women's tears. 

There were the slow, rather lovely ones that could slide down a female

cheek like small, liquid diamonds and reduce a man to begging. 

There were hot, angry ones that spurted out of a woman's eyes like

clear fire and induced a wise man to run for cover.

And there were those that were hidden so deep in the heart that 

when they broke loose and stormed free they were a deluge of pain

beyond any man's comfort.

So he let her be, let her curl into herself on the bottom step while those 

heart-born tears raged. He knew that the hurt that spawned

such a flood closed her off. All he could do was give her privacy, and wait.

Homeport

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By Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy - Crying tulip, CC BY-SA 2.0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40588066

The female gender, as a whole, is infamous for being overemotional, and for shedding tears when and where tears, quite frankly, need not be shed.

In fact, it seems as if nearly any single thing can trigger us, sending us into a downward emotional spiral (feminism, amiright?). Of course, not all ladies are like this; some women are stone cold walls of non-emotion, and some have their sh*t together. I envy both.

Elite Daily

"She’d come for the adventure, for the thrill. For the freedom."

“Yes, exactly. I bided my time. When I was eighteen, I left. 

There was insurance money that came to me then, and a small trust 

fund from the sale of our house in Saint Louis. I planned to go to college.

 I had no idea what I wanted to do or be, so I decided to take a year off first and 

do something my parents had always talked of doing. To tour Europe.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone.” She sipped her wine now, leaning back on the counter. 

Had she ever told anyone even this much before? 

Since the night everything changed for her? No, no one. What would have been the point?

“I was thrilled to be alone, to have no schedule, no one telling me what to do. 

It was both an adventure and a pilgrimage for me. 

I backpacked through Italy.”

Wolf Moon

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By StockSnap - 

https://pixabay.com/en/people-woman-travel-adventure-trek-2591874/ 

archive copy at the

 Wayback Machine (archived on 19 January 2019), CC0,

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72553316

This Unexpected Travel Trend Is Especially Popular Among Women Right Now

Solo trips are one of 2019’s biggest travel trends, 

and women are definitely leading the charge.

Real Simple

‘I am still alive, I am still curious. I am not a piece of rotting flesh’ ~Agnès Varda

Turning, she studied the woman who sat in a royal-blue tufted chair.

The hair was pure white, but as full and thick as Laurel’s. It surrounded a face layered

and lined with wrinkles and unashamedly rouged. Olivia Armand wasn’t ashamed of

anything. Eyes as sharp and green as the emeralds in her ears studied Laurel in turn.

“Grandma.” With a sigh, Laurel bent to kiss her. “Will you never grow old?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Her voice was raspy with age and stunningly

sensual.

Partners

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By Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara - cropped version of 18.03.10 Agnès Varda.

 © Cortesía de FICG 25 / Oscar Delgado, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9855552

The 90-year-old giant of the Nouvelle Vague on her latest film, Faces Places, life with Jacques Demy, and that ‘dirty rat’ Jean-Luc Godard

Agnès Varda is a dizzying blur of dots – polka-dot trousers, polka-dot shirt, polka-dot socks, polka-dot scarf. “I’ve always loved polka dots. Ah, oui. It is a joyful shape, the polka dot. It is alive.” You could say the same of Varda. She is more joyously alive than anybody I have ever met.

GUARDIAN

Women are aging alone more than ever

“I’m happy,” she told him. “I tend to be a happy person, and I learned 
how to be happy on my own. It was good for me, to have that time, 
to find out a little bit more about myself. What I could do, 
what I could do without.”

Chasing Fire

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By Alexandre Godreau alexandre_godreau - 

https://unsplash.com/photos/lbhVDNb5JRU, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61829641

Figuring how to make it work

There are challenges — and rewards — to going solo.

mother nature network

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She waited until she thought that Lulu had had time enough to get home from the bookstore but not enough to settle in too comfortably. 
After she’d waded through the lawn art, adjusted her eyes to the 
virulent colors that Lulu habitually selected to paint her house, 
and knocked on the back door, Ripley was pleased to see her timing was good. 
Lulu had changed out of her work clothes into a sweatshirt that read, 
“Coffee, Chocolate, Men . . . Some things are just better rich.” 
She had an unopened bottle of wine in her hand and was wearing ratty red slippers 
and the faintly irritated look of a woman who’d been interrupted.

Heaven and Earth

The Joy of All-Female Gatherings

"I've got the wrong equipment to be Nell's girlfriend, Rip. 

Just… just see if you can spend some time with her. 

Go out on the boat, or go shopping or…" He gestured vaguely. 

"Paint each other's toenails."

"Excuse me?"

"Give me a break. I don't know what you 

people do in your mysterious caves when men aren't around."

"We have pillow fights in our underwear."

He brightened because she wanted him to. 

"Really? I was afraid that was a myth. So, be a friend, okay?" 

Dance Upon the Air

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By Michael Vincent Photography for Bride's Night Out, Inc. -

 Contact us/Photo submission, CC BY 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4483329

In the newsletter Dolly Mail, London-based writer Violet Hudson made the case for lady-only gatherings. “There are covens all over this city,” she says. “The libations we make are spilled red wine. The spells we cast are conversation. And the potions we brew are pasta or roast chicken. The Wiccan religion that we all practice is simple: girls-only hang outs.”

A Cup of Jo

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“She said she had some things to do, and you’re 

supposed to keep me company. So what does the

Quartet do after pizza when the guys are away?” 

She sat across from him, took a sip of wine. “Oh,

we have slow-motion pillow fights in our underwear.”

“Another fantasy come true. Want a cookie?”

Happy Ever After

Truth Behind the “Perfect” Shot

“We’re going to do even better. Let’s try a few in that same pose.”

Warming up now, Mac noted as she chatted Rosa up along with Emma. She tossed in quick directions. Tilt your head to the right, shift your shoulders. Halfway through she handed Rosa one of Emma’s long-stems, tried shots with the flower as a prop.

Vision in White

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By Cary Tse - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the 

Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71783389

Brazilian photographer Gilmar Silva put his career on a whole new level when he pulled back the curtain and let the public in on how professional photographers get the shots they're after. His series LUGARxFOTO is an ongoing look at how Silva makes magic right on site, using assistants and simple props to help him deliver the highest quality portrait to his clients.

MY MODERN MET

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“What did she think?”

“She cried. In a good way. Must be a hormone thing. Tears just started rolling down her cheeks and scared the shit out of me. Then she said the best thing.” Mac paused, letting the memory glow inside her. “She said she was never going to think of herself as big and clumsy because she was magnificent.”

“Oh.”

“I know. I got teary myself. She wanted to order right then and there. I had to put her off until I tweak a little.”

Vision in White

let's all encourage each other

"A woman doesn't want to be told she looks nice," 

Jude muttered as she sat down beside Maude's grave. 

"She wants to be told she's beautiful, sexy. That she looks outrageous. It doesn't matter if it's not true." 

She sighed and laid the flowers against the headstone. 

"Because for the moment, when the words are said and the words are heard, it's perfect truth." 

Jewels of the Sun

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By Anonymous Dissident - Own work, Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8827755

18 Unexpected Compliments Every Woman Wants to Hear

MSN

___________________

"Would you take them as they're offered from the man who knows he holds your heart, or would you rather the words?" 

Dazzled, she lifted her head. The fire and spark still sheened her vision, but she saw how dark, how fiercely intent was his gaze as he studied her. She said the first thing that came into her head, because it seemed the only thing. 

"What are the words?" 

And he sighed, long and deep, his proud shoulders slumping, his eyes going soft and sad. 

"So it's true, then, they matter so much."

Jewels of the Sun

"Put the ring on Alex, before it strikes twelve."

"That is heritage." And she could accept it. "We’re so different," she said, half to herself. 
"You speak of heritage and you mean centuries of responsibility and tradition. 
When I think of it, I think of my father’s business and the headache someone’s going to be saddled with one day. Or I think of my mother’s Faberge bowl. 
Heritage for me, and I suppose for most Americans, is tangible. 
You can hold it in your hand. 
For you it’s more nebulous, but a hundred times more binding." 
For several moments he said nothing. 
She couldn’t know how deeply her words, her empathy had affected him.


Command Performance

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By Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (eBay front back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

American Women Who Became Princesses

Meghan Markle is the latest in a long line of American girls
who've captivated a foreign royal.

ELLE




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Looking down, she saw the ring glow against her finger. A promise. A lifetime.
"I love you, and nothing's ever been more true." 
"Share my home." He caught her ring hand in his and pressed his lips to the palm. 
"Yes."
"And my family." She twined her fingers with his. "Yes." 
"And my duty."
"From this moment." She wrapped her arms around him.



The Playboy Prince

Successful Women Who Were Late Bloomers

"I'm tired. Sick and tired of being made to feel as if I have nothing to offer. No skills, no talents, no brains."

"Then you weren't listening."

"Oh, I heard you." She yanked off her gloves, tossed them down as well. "I'm to be charming and elegant. Like some well-tailored doll that can be plunked down at the right time and the right place, and tucked away in the closet the rest of the time. Well, no thanks. I've been tucked away quite long enough."

She started to push by him, yanked her arm when he closed his hand over it. Then stared in shock as he simply took her other arm and held her in place. No one handled her. It simply wasn't done.

"Just hold on."

"Take your hands off me."

"In a minute. First, charm is a talent. Elegance is a skill. And it takes brains to know the right thing to say at the right time, and to make people feel welcome. You're good at those things, so why not use them? Second, if you think handling tourists and accounts at tastings and tours is fluff work, you'll find out different if you work up the guts to try it."

"I don't need you to tell me—"

"Apparently you do."

The Villa

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By Peter Flaherty - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2230750

Wildly Successful Women Who Were Late Bloomers

Is there a set age you should expect success to happen in your life? At what age should you stop trying and realize the dream is over? Just like there isn’t a one-fits-all doctrine for the right age to start a business, there is no set timeline for when success will strike either. For most of us, our 20s are a blur of job-hopping and career mistakes, and while it certainly doesn’t feel like it at the time, these are crucial career building blocks.

MY DOMAINE


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"I haven't come in before during your tours. Didn't want you to think I was checking up on you." 

He lifted her pearls, let them run through his fingers. "You, Ms. Giambelli, are a natural."

"You know what? You're right," she agreed, delighted with herself. "Just as you were right to push me into this. It gives me something tangible to do."

"I didn't push you. The fact that no one does is one of your secrets. You figured out a long time ago how to live your life the way that made sense to you at the time. Times changed. I opened a door, but you're the one who walked through it."

"That's very interesting." Amused at both of them, she cocked her head. "I'm not sure my family would agree with you. I'm not sure I do."


The Villa

Flight Attendant Style

He loitered at the gate, eyeing a pair of flight attendants who

were waiting for a change of crew. 

Now that, he mused, was a profession that drew pretty women. 

It almost made a man feel there'd be some advantage in 

being stuck in a flying tin can for a few hours.

The Fall of Shane MacKade

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By Iberia Airlines - 1962 Uniforme Iberia por Pedro Rodríguez, 

CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35248609

From Pillbox Hats to Go-Go Boots: Flight Attendant Style Through the Years

Just as fashions change throughout our daily lives, so did the style of stewardess uniforms. From the structured military style dress suits of yesteryear to the more casual—and boxier—outfits of the 90's and beyond. It's safe to say cabin couture has come a long way.

MSN

Memorable Swimsuits

A friend had persuaded her to accept the loan of a swimsuit, and Laine studied the two tiny pieces. She slipped on what had been described as a modified bikini. The silvery blue was flattering, highlighting her subtle curves, but no amount of adjustment could result in a more substantial coverage. There was definitely too much of her and too little suit.

“Silly,” Laine muttered and adjusted the halter strings a last time.

“Women wear these things all the time, and I’ve hardly the shape for drawing attention.”

Skinny. With a grimace, she recalled Miri’s judgment. 
Laine gave the top a last, hopeless tug. 
I don’t think all the fish in the Pacific are going to change this inadequacy.

Island of flowers

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The Most Memorable Swimsuits Ever

INSTYLE

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 "What?" Distracted, he pulled himself back. 

She was wearing two thin strips as an excuse for a bathing suit. 

The water, and perhaps a trick of the light, made them glimmer against her skin. A great deal of skin.

Loving Jack

10 Things Every Woman Needs At Home

... he studied the room. Soft, deep cushions, bright, bold colors. 

He decided the choices meant she had a deep-rooted sensual side. 

He liked to think that. The room was spacious, and she'd furnished it sparingly. 

The sofa was big and plush enough for sleeping, but there was only 

a wide upholstered chair and two tables to keep it company. 

Yet she'd covered the walls with art. Prints, posters, pen-and-ink sketches. 

They were of places rather than people, and many of the scenes he recognized. 

The narrow streets of Rome, the wild cliffs of western Ireland, the classy little cafes of Paris. 

Sea Swept

 

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Follow Teresa's board Being Nora Bound on Pinterest.

 

The new, designer-approved, essentials for single women. 

Florals and ice cream not included (those are upto you) 

 

 ELLE DECOR

 

 ____________________

 

 

Her bedroom, he'd noted, was different from the rest of the apartment. Here she hadn't gone for the practical, for the streamlined. 

The bed itself was a wide pool covered in soft rose sheets and a slick satin duvet in rich bronze. 

The headboard was a romantic arch of wrought iron, curvy and frivolous and plumped now with a dozen fat, colorful pillows. The dresser he pegged as an antique, a heavy old piece of mahogany refinished to a rosy gleam. 

It was covered with pretty little bottles and bowls and a silver-backed brush. The mirror over it was a long oval. There was a mahogany lady's vanity with a skirted stool and glinting brass handles. 

For some reason he'd always found that particular type of furniture incredibly sexy. 

A copper urn was filled with tall, fussy flowers, the walls were crowded with art, and the windows framed in the same rich bronze as the spread. 

This, he thought idly, was Anna's room. The rest of the apartment was still Miz Spinelli's. 

The practical and the sensual. Both suited her.

Sea Swept

Lingerie in Literature

Mmm…" She examined the piece herself. Silk, seed pearls at the bodice. "Probably about one-fifty."
"One hundred and fifty? Dollars?" He shook his head in disgust. "One good tug and it's a rag."

Instantly she bristled. "Our merchandise is top-quality. It will certainly hold up to normal wear."

"Honey, a little number like this isn't designed for normal." He cocked a brow. "Looks about your  size."
"You keep dreaming, Piasecki." She tossed her coat over the love seat. "The point of good lingerie is style, texture. The sheen of silk, the foam of lace. Ours is designed to make a woman feel attractive and good about herself-pampered."
"I thought the idea was to make a man beg."
"That couldn't hurt," she tossed back.

Night Smoke

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Underwear is a visually powerful tool, but how does it fare in the written word?

STYLIST

__________________

He saw with delight that she wore those sexy thigh-hugging stockings again, this time in sheer
smoky-black. He imagined she'd considered that the black bra and panties were proper coordinates.
He thanked God for her practical mind.
"Sybill, I love what goes on under your clothes."
 

Inner Harbor