Monday Musings- What Happens At 60?

Happy Monday, ladies. Todayā€™s musings are a bit more random than usual. I did a bunch of deep diving down the Google rabbit hole this weekend and came up with some interesting things.

Eye exercises

I woke up on Wednesday to find that none of my many pairs of eyeglasses seemed clear for my right eye. They’ve just strengthened my prescription, but even my older lenses weren’t cutting it. I was probably just tired or having a bad dry eye moment, but it sent me down the Google rabbit hole, and I discovered eye exercises. Well, why not? You have to exercise everything else, so it made sense.

It turns out that eye exercises are pretty popular. Just as many websites dismiss the idea of eye exercises as promote them. I spent about an hour practicing some of the tests and discovered the best eye exercise that everyone agrees on is the 20-20-20 rule.

20-20-20 Rule

The 20-20-20 rule isn’t easy for me to remember, so I’m putting a post-it note on my laptop. After 20 minutes of reading or focusing on a task, look up and focus on something that’s 20 feet away. It helps prevent eye fatigue and keeps them from drying out.

TILLEY SUNGLASSES IN PETAL TORTOISE

I also went shopping for glasses this weekend and fell for these Parker Warby sunglasses. I have an eye appointment tomorrow to double-check my RX before I order any new glasses!

Podcasts

Do you listen to podcasts? I love many but seldom find the time to listen, so I have to pick and choose. It turns out there are over 2 million podcast channels out there. I got curious about how many are directed at women over 50, and it turns out there are a lot! Since a growing majority of my audience is over 60, I decided to type that into Google and got a big surprise.

When I put podcasts for women over 60 into the search, the titles changed dramatically. Now, most of them include the word senior, elderly, or older women! Apparently, the switch to senior happens at 60, ladies; who knew?!Ā  Just that morning, medicare sent me an email about choosing a nursing home. Ouch. I’ll be 66 next week, and I don’t expect to make it to 112, so I’m guessing midlife has left the station for me.
My math skills have failed me again, thatā€™s 132 šŸ™‚

Black & White Capsule Travel Wardrobe

rolling rack of clothes for river boat cruise on A Well Styled Life

Last Monday, I shared this photo of my black and white capsule wardrobe that I took on our Riverboat Cruise back in 2019. This has generated more personal email questions than I’ve had in years! It was a perfect wardrove to travel with, and I still wear most of these pieces.

To be perfectly honest, some of my style mojo got tossed in an effort to wear the colors “I’m supposed to look best in.” I will leave that small bomb right there, to examine in more detail later.

Outfit of the week

This week, our OOTW is by request. A reader wrote to tell me her 3 style words were classic, contemporary, and strong. I love that her third word is a feeling because she knows when she feels it!

She explained that she loves a touch of leopard in her outfits and likes to wear strong colors. Black certainly makes a strong statement, so I created this week’s OOTW with her in mind. Of course, what matters is that it resonates with her because a personal-style recipe needs to feel authentic.

CAT EYE SUNGLASSES /Ā  EARRINGSĀ  /Ā  OPEN FRONT SWEATER COATĀ  / Ā COBALT SWEATERĀ  /Ā  SLIM PANTSĀ  /Ā  RIBBED BANGLEĀ  /Ā  TOTE BAGĀ  /Ā  MULE LOAFER

Sculptural heels are a popular look for fall, so these loafer mules fit the bill. Jenny Bird Jewelry always strikes a modern, contemporary cord. The cat-eye is a classic shape, and the outfit colors are strong. Leopard print is timeless for many women, and this reader loves it, so she will wear it no matter what the trend forecasters say.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident!

 

 

62 Comments

  1. That travel wardrobe picture that was used in the Monday musing post had me thinking 2 thoughts (because I didnā€™t remember about the cruise).
    1. You either took a picture of what you placed in your now ā€œlostā€ luggage (which was a smart idea) or 2. It is the new wardrobe you bought since your luggage got lost. By the way, have you received your luggage back?

    1. It was the wardrobe I packed and shared on the blog before my trip. I agree, it would be smart to photograph in case they lost your luggage

  2. Katelyn K says:

    Thank you Jennifer for the 20-20-20 eye exercises. I need to write this down and make sure I follow. As your follower stated, a bit of leopard is so much fun as are solid strong colors – so classic. Recently purchased a Banana Republic silk palazzo pant with a touch of leopard mixed into a lovely blue tropical theme print. Will garner quite a lot of wear on upcoming cruises. I finally pulled the trigger on these pants when the price went down from $400 to $100 (with discount coupon – lucky still available in my size)! I also have some leopard themed sneakers and a lovely handbag with the same print – never out of style. The balance of the OOTW I love; happily wearing prior to being retired and moving to Florida. Still love the colors!

    On a side note and from your Sunday email regarding grey choices in paint colors – oh how I can relate!!!! Am going through the same dilemma presently. Moving away from dark urban greige theme to bright and light coastal colors with just a hint of blue/grey. I must have 30+ colors painted on the wall and still cannot choose which one to pick!

    1. LOL, I can picture your wall as though it were in my house:) Good luck!

  3. Howdy,
    I have been following you for a couple of years now and just want to say we could be sisters. Although we donā€™t look alike, I too let my hair grow gray from being a blond, I too, have thyroid disease with fine hair, and I will turn 66 this week. Happy birthday next week. I wonder if you are a fellow Leoā€¦

    1. Hi Kris! I am indeed a Leo! Thank you for the birthday wishes. I can’t believe how fast this happened šŸ™‚

  4. Thank you for exposing me to the Parker Warby sunglasses. I have just recovered from cataract and glaucoma surgery, and still need glasses. However, my prescription has changed. These sunglasses would be a perfect fit for my budget.

    1. They’re very affordable and so cute

      1. Catherine says:

        Just wanted to say your Monday Musings are by far my favorite part of your blog. Not a fan of your fashion choices (I just have different taste) but your ā€œmusingsā€ upon aging as a woman in America are very valuable. Thanks and keep it up!

      2. That’s good to know šŸ™‚

      3. Hi Jennifer love this post and the sunglasses are adorable. Do you have a trick for keeping the sunglasses from sliding down?

      4. Only to get them adjusted to fit well. Some of mine slide too. The lighter they are the less they slide šŸ™‚

  5. I love your Monday musings. On the topic of “three words”,well I’m still working on mine. But there was a nice article in the NYT this weekend on Eileen Fisher (the woman). It was a good read and quiet enlightening on her clothing design philosophy and her journey. The title of the article was “Like her Clothes” Modest,Comfy and Enduring” . That kind of says it all and great food for thought. Her 3 words.

    1. It does! I’ll find the article. I have great respect for her.

  6. Great advice, I wish I knew about the 20/20 eye care. Until my 70s I had perfect eye sight which I took for granted. Then due to high cholesterol my retina was damaged. Healthy eye care is very important. Your column is my morning go to, really enjoy the readers comments. Thank you..

  7. Your Monday Musings are great! I love that you cover random things. Isn’t that how life is anyway? We’ve bombarded with so much random, information. It’s fun to see what you focus in on, and most times, I find it very useful.
    The OOTD is great! It seems to fit the words stated. Those would not be my style words, but I would wear that outfit! Beautiful!
    As far as the black and white capsule wardrobe, I couldn’t ever do it. My wardrobe is full of color!
    I definitely like black and white, but I’d have to add a few tops or shoes with a pop of color; like red, hot pink or turquoise!

  8. Medically, a person is considered elderly at 60. Ouch.

    1. Oh my! I am a nurse but have not practiced in many years. Guess I chose to forget that ā€œmilestoneā€. But I truly believe itā€™s all our choice! My grandmother was my best friend most of my life and that changed my outlook on the ā€œ elderlyā€. We had such fun! So I will copy many of her characteristics. Last comment- it feels like our society is not improving on ageism! Is that just me? Just turned 63. ( feel 40). šŸ˜Š

  9. I have been making plans to travel somewhere fun for the eighth anniversary of my 65th birthday in the fall. I just haven’t decided where yet.

    1. I love how you think Kay!

  10. Hi Jennifer – hereā€™s a cute and fun variation of the 20-20 exercise called a Pomodoro timer. See it here: http://www.tomatotimers.com/ The gist is that you do one ā€œpomodoroā€ of work for 25min, then take a 5 min break. Repeat x 4, then take a longer break. While originally written to maximize work productivity, I use it in retirement to remind me to move regularly while Iā€™m engrossed in a craft project like sewing, knitting or needlepoint where I could sit for hours. Or to take a water break while Iā€™m out gardening. You could use it as a reminder to stop your screen work to look up and look around for a few minutes.
    PS – love your blog and blog community

    1. Thanks for sharing this!

  11. Haha! A pharmacy chain where I live starts its senior membership at 55. This means discounts on regular merchandise once a week. It’s great, until they start sending emails for incontinence supplies, etc.

    I’ve done travel capsules in black, white and charcoal grey for simplicity. Also, black and grey look better longer on a trip. Did I mention that I’m a “spring”? Travel capsule wardrobes can be difficult to pull off. Colorful scarves helped.

    1. Scarves are life savers when I travel

  12. I agree that a “classic, contemporary and strong” image (and attitude) is the way to go. Emphasis on strong. So many physical changes come along as we age. I had my 65th B’day last month and was bombarded with mail (started in April) and still getting offers for Medicare insurance plans and others like you mentioned. Yikes! How did that happen? I don’t feel officially “old”.
    The tortoise frames go with everything and I get many compliments on mine. Adding browns to fall outfits is a very nice look. The blue top is unexpected and perfect.
    Hoping for the best outcome with your eye problem.

  13. My husband and I are going to Ireland in October and I would love a post about packing a capsule wardrobe for ~10 days that includes color. Or choosing another neutral, like navy or even blue jeans. This is my first comment, I enjoy your blog.

    1. I think denim is a great neutral! I’m glad you’ve joined us. I’ll see what I can do for capsules.

  14. Love the cruise wardrobe! Iā€™d wear any and all of those pieces!
    On the other hand, the blue top as part of the OOTD combo makes me shudder.

  15. I found when I was doing a lot of hand quilting and embroidery while watching TV that my eyes got stronger and my overall vision improved. Constantly looking down at my work and then up at the TV, which meant having to change my focus every time, was an exercise in and of itself. So I agree with you, eye exercises do work!

  16. I’m glad to know you have an appointment to check your eye Rx soon. We mid-life, er..elderly, senior, older women (I turn 70 in November – how did that happen so fast?) need to have regular ophthalmologist check ups. My latest shows that it’s time to have my cataracts removed. Our bio lenses sometimes do cloud over as we “ripen.” Could this possibly be the cause of your glasses not working for you?

    Nice outfit! I’d wear that, except for the black sunglasses (I prefer brown near my face), and the mules. I’ve never found a pair of mules to be comfortable. I always seem to trip, or have them slip off at awkward moments.

    I’m looking through all your travel guides, trying to pack for a 12 day trip to visit family. I learned to pack my big straw hat in my carry on via your instructions!

  17. I really like that you mixed black and brown. Black is in my colors, brown not; but with the cobalt blue near my face, I could definitely wearr this. The tote ties black and brown together so well. Great outfit! I am giggling at the idea of all of us following your black and white travel advice — and Cindy Hattersley advocates this too — such that the female cruise passengers all match! haha. (There’s a wonderful scene in My Fair Lady where women racegoers are all in black and white.)

    1. Theodora Repose says:

      I read about an older designer who only wears, black, white and denim. Interesting..

  18. As you did Jennifer on your River Cruise, I too
    packed black and white with some off-white or beige. I added a few colorful accessories to change up my outfits.
    I pack less and have lots of choices. And my bag did not weigh 50 lbs.

    1. Brilliant! Heavy bags are a royal pain!

  19. Love this post — and all Monday musings. But, not to make you feel older or anything, but 66×2 is 132 not 112. I find my math skills are not as good as they were pre-pandemic – not so LOL.

    1. Lol!!! Well, my math skills are apparently shot too.

  20. Vey interesting and useful post Jennifer!

  21. First off, love this week’s outfit though would have to replace the mules perhaps with a similar oxford style. As to the eye exercises; it will be two months shy of four days that I had Lasik cataract eye surgery done on both of mine (at the same time) but will certainly give the exercise a try as a preventative measure of eye strain and dryness. Also like your choice in sunglasses and IMHO you can’t go wrong with a tortoise shell frame as I now can wear a pair of large octagonal ones that are about twenty+ years old which are back in style and oddly were the only pair I hoarded …. lol! So hold onto to yours (šŸ˜‰). Last but not least re age; tell me about it as last visit to my GP I did make the comment to her ‘that unlike my former Doctor (who retired), unfortunately she was getting me when I am falling apart as feel since I turned 70 a switch has been thrown due to failing body parts’ . Looking forward to see what your final decision to take on your cruise will be. -Brenda-

    1. Lol, I hear you. It feels like a new thing each month! Happy Monday, Brenda

  22. I really like your black and white wardrobe. I am supposedly going on a European/Israel holiday next March and am thinking of taking a very similar colour palette. It is so easy to mix and match, but will probably add. Plaid jacket for some interest. Good luck with your eyes. I had a sixth cranial microvascular ā€˜eventā€™ last November which has left me with double vision when looking right. Now have to wear a prism in my glasses.

    1. Your trip sounds exciting, Susan. I just adore Ireland. My husband has a prism in his lenses too. Wow, things sure get complicated as we age.

      1. I was supposed to go toIreland for a wedding last May, but didnā€™t due to Covid and the hassle of getting back into Australia. But, in March we are heading off to Israel, the last time I was there was in 1978, so am excited to see how the country has changed during that time.

  23. I just ordered new glasses in a gorgeous tortoise shade! I also started taking a vitamin for eye care. Just reading some of the benefits of this vitamin, I wish I would have started taking it years ago. After cataract surgery on both eyes, I was amazed at how bright and white my world became. Even different clothing pieces were a shade brighter or clearer in color than I realized.
    I appreciate the random topics on your Monday posts. Itā€™s just crazy how my little life has exploded with new ideas and concerns as I navigate these past years. Together, we can keep moving forward!
    Thank you for a great blog!

    1. Weā€™re expanding together. You ladies are encouraging me to not postpone my cataract surgery. Thank you

  24. I keep forgeting about the 20-20-20 rule so maybe should put post it notes all around where I read as well. One of my eyes goes very blurry if I over do it and I have been to the dr about it more than once to be tested. Good luck to you with your test.
    I was sorry to hear that you might have lost some of your mojo with the colour analysis. I have found that mine has increased and love to expand my choices with the whole palette. I am also starting a new book called the face of the business which includes all kinds of info on body styling for the best presentation for videos but is for real life as well. It was recomended by Christine Scaman from the Sci/art method. Sorry to ramble, but I do love that experience.
    It is a bit sad to realize that at 67 I am considered so old, when I don’t feel it on the inside. Guess we will just have to make up our own catagories.

    1. I read that book also. It was fun. I think thatā€™s part of my conundrum. I am happier with a limited color palette and have added things that, yes, flatter me, but arenā€™t part of my style recipe. I pre less to more.

  25. Paulette Levy says:

    Good morning Jennifer. Iā€™m off to an Audiologist appointment for hearing and vertigo issues- talk about senior, elder in my life? Lol. Ergggg.
    I did listen to many podcasts during the height of Covid and staying home a lot of the time. Sadly, I cannot remember a single one, however or even how I identified which I would listen to. Probably somebodyā€™s recommendations. Have a good week!

    1. Best of luck Paulette! This part of our life trip has its challenges, thatā€™s for sure.

  26. Esther Rabenstein says:

    Enjoyed todayā€™s musingsā€¦.. variety.
    Always look forward to morning readings.

  27. I completely agree with Sharon – I so enjoy your Monday musings. I love that your topics are so diverse and it reminds me of when I catch up with my good friends – our conversations are all over the place.
    Have a great day Jennifer.

    1. Thanks Yvonne. Happy Monday

  28. I have had several issues with my eyes. Glaucoma is something that can sneak up on you if you are not careful. I also have an eye that has weak muscles that causes double vision. Oh, and cataracts. Cataracts are gone. Glasses correct the double vision. Eye issues are gradual. So, everyone should get their eyes checked at least yearly.

    about five years ago, Jill had some items that I really liked. Some skirts and pants. The slim leg pants are right up my alley. I forgot about the ones from jJill. They are very comfortable and look good.

    I really like your content on the posts because it is aimed at a population that is often ignored. We may be older but we want to look good too.

  29. I adore your Monday musings. Not only are they helpful but they let us get to know you better. Your personality, interests and angst show through and makes you more like a irl friend. Delightful.

    1. Lol, wouldnā€™t it be fun to really all meet up?

  30. Good morning, Jennifer. Caring for eyes is so important after 60. I drove around at night thinking something was wrong with my carā€™s headlights to find that I really need cataract surgery. What a bright world after my surgery! I had to wear sunglasses in my house for several days to get my eyes adjusted to the light. Love your offerings. today. Please add a few more offerings on a travel wardrobe.. like the black & white. Now that we can travel more, we could use some fresh ideas.šŸ˜Œ

    1. I apparently need cataract surgery too. Was it an easy procedure? Iā€™m really feeling chicken about it.

      1. I just had both eyes done in June and was nervous to say the least! In fact, I postponed it once and was tempted to again. Glad I went ahead. No pain at all. My eye surgeon came highly recommended and he did a super job. I could literally see the difference as I was wheeled out of the OR. Eye drops were a nuisance but worth it – no complications. Highly recommend the surgery.

        Thanks for the 20-20-20 rule. Iā€™ve noticed periodic dryness, particularly when Iā€™ve been reading a book. Iā€™ll pace myself from now on.

      2. Thanks, Chris. Good to know!

      3. Forgot to say I had both eyes done two weeks apart, not at same time. It was a little awkward in the interim, but my corrected eye became dominant.

      4. Very easy. It was an outpatient procedure.. one eye and 2 weeks later the other one per insurance rules. You start out several weeks out putting drops in the eye to prepare it for surgery. Donā€™t put it off if your doctor tells you your ready.

      5. OK, thanks, Melinda. I need the push…

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