( @ ) ( @ ) Over 40, Ladies Only! (,) (,)

O.K. Gals! Who is here with me!? I'm 43, I think. I'll have to find some more fingers & toes to calculate for sure! Let's have a fun swap together. I love being fortythree! I marvel at myself, for sure! We are the matriarchs of the family. We are in our ripening prime! I celebrate us! Please join in with me!

Myr -- I haven't seen 40 for quite a while. My suggestion is a letter telling our partner something we did to celebrate one of the Big-O birthdays, be it 40 or 50 or more, and perhaps add in some gift-y that makes us feel happy to be who we are. Could be a diary, a great bath additive, wondrous chocolate, something we use to celebrate being who we are. I'll keep my eye on the comments here.

I'm in! I turned 40 in October and have been embracing it with a vengeance.

So... What shall we do? Something that celebrates our beautiful bodies and wily minds?

How about - - 1 item for the body - 1 item for the mind - 1 item for the spirit

Kind of open, I know, but since we're wise women over 40 I bet we could do something wonderful.

I love junemoon's idea.

and I love the (.) (.)

im in im 44 and love life and being fourty I like all of the ideas so far but I didn't really celebrate turning fourty so not sure how good of a letter I could write. I do like StoryLaura's idea sounds neat. but whatevery everyone comes up with is fine with me

I like the idea of leaving it wide open but perhaps with some guidelines to help everyone be on the same page. The idea that others have suggested of "something to celebrate being 40+" sounds great to me. I am not a fan of going out and buying things for swap, I much prefer handmade anything (I can buy stuff for myself, after all!), and it doesn't matter to me if you think you're no good at making something. And since a letter would count in my book as a handmade thing, why not say anything handmade or a letter that celebrates our ages?

I might like to make ATCs or a paper shrine or paper doll or a little booklet of poems/quotes etc. I'd be delighted to get something like that or a letter in return.

Whaddya think, ladies?

What a great swap! I love my birthday every year, but I particularly celebrated 40.....50.....60! Now I'm 62 and can't wait for 70. I would enjoy writing a letter to describe the special things I did for each special year. And I would love to share some of the items I make. However, I would enjoy whatever we all decide.

I am a horrible writer. Can we decide before the sign-up date? 'Cause although I am mouthy as ever, I will have to bow out if it is writing a letter....! I am up for anything else - a humorous swap, a meaningful swap, a "naughty" swap - whatever...

I ADORE this swap! I got all misty while I was reading it. It's far more open-ended than I'd usually sign up for ... but with some additional discussion, I'll get more comfortable. (As a relative newbie, I worry about disappointing my partner.)

I am fine with letter writing but I haven't had a big birthday celebration to relate. I could certainly write about what turning 40 meant to me. (It was just this last May.) I would love to read the wisdom of some folks that have some experience with this over-40 thing :)

The idea of mind, body & soul appeals very much to me. I'll bookmark and keep checking in. This is a GREAT idea!

renaemarie

I think we all have great ideas! I think we have enough creative genius within ourselves to fly on our own with this! No cash value in this swap, for sure!(unless of course you HAVE to!) Let's draw from our own wise woman judgement, explore our partners profile, and be inspired from there! Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm really looking forward to this!!

I turned 40 in September, a mom of two girls and almost divorced. 39 was awful, 40 has to be better! I love this idea, thank you for putting it out for all of us to participate. I love this!

Jeanie

I went to a show the other day and saw a whole group of ladies wearing red hats. I spoke with them and learned of the red hat society, and they told me that ladies in their 40's wear pink hats as "junior" members. I could not wait to get the hat! I'm all into being 40 - life is much more comfortable with my life experience. I'm in!

Oh, I'm so excited! What a great swap. Thank you myrrhmaid!

I am 52 and an official member of the Blue Thong Society...yes THAT thong. We refuse to grow old and frumpy. It is a more spirited version of the Red Hats. We chapters across the country and do charitable work. Having said that...I'm in. Sounds like a blast .. whatever we end up doing.

I am 52 and an official member of the Blue Thong Society...yes THAT thong. We refuse to grow old and frumpy. It is a more spirited version of the Red Hats. We have chapters across the country and do charitable work. Our local charity that we have chosen is the agency that helps women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Having said that...I'm in. Sounds like a blast .. whatever we end up doing.

Women of a Certain Age Unite

Sounds like fun, even if I've barely made the cut, I'm only o o , lol. I love being 40, seems like the older I get, the more I like being me!

VJP! That is hilarious! I never heard of that group! ROTFLMAO!

I'm a little curious about you 'Blue Thongers', we recognize the Red Hat ladies because we can see their hats.....???

Saw this swap on someone else's list. I'm in 'cuz I am (mostly) happy to get older. I like my "real" self better even though some of the falling bits bug me some days. :) I wasn't very smart about protecting my spirit when I was younger so it just gets better as I get stronger. And I guess we accept the things we cannot change more too. Cheers to +40

Many great ideas --if anyone wants to send me a red hat [even a red babuska] that's okay. I don't intent to EVER get frumpy --eccentric maybe-- but I'd rather not do the blue thong thing, there's a bit too much bulge thereabouts on the bod. I'd still be most curious about people's experiences or inner feelings about getting older. Whatever, it's a great swap idea. Go girls.

Many great ideas --if anyone wants to send me a red hat [even a red babuska] that's okay. I don't intent to EVER get frumpy --eccentric maybe-- but I'd rather not do the blue thong thing, there's a bit too much bulge thereabouts on the bod. I'd still be most curious about people's experiences or inner feelings about getting older. Whatever, it's a great swap idea. Go girls.

Sending a red hat is a cute idea! But please don't send me a blue thong! I'd be afraid to get sawed in 2 if I had to run!

I like the idea of a free for all. I want to know what 40+ is like for you. Write me a story, make me some art, send me picutres, buy me a few trinkets. I think that we should all just express our age with the medium that tells our story the best. Count me in - this swap sounds fun!

I just turned 40 in November. I am so excited about this swap. I don't usually celebrate very much on my birthdays but I have noticed a change in me since I turned 40. Looking forward to the swap.

So many women just turning 40 in this swap! I think that's great! Around the time I turned 40 I was told by a social worker that that is the decade when we reconcile who we really are with the "who" we show to the rest of the world. In other words, we become more our true selves. I sure feel that in the last ten years (I'm 51) that has been true for me. Take art, for example. I enjoyed art in high school and was pretty good at it, but then abandoned it for more "practical" things in my 20s and 30s. But now I'm doing a lot more arty-crafty things and just loving it.

Thanks for sharing your wisdoms, Sharon. It helps when we give voice to these important and meaningful phases in our lives that culture & society either downplay, project negativity upon or ignore altogether. We are powerful women, even more so because of our wisdom and voice!

Hey, ladies, I know sometimes on Swap-bot people complain about their mail/post service, but surely most of us appreciate our mailman and the role they play in our hobbies.

I came across this post by someone who similarly does some kind of swapping by mail and it's a very funny, g-rated yet racy, letter to her mailman. I can think of a few of the mailmen in my neighborhood I might address such a letter to! LOL

Anyway, here's the link, enjoy! http://creampuffsinvenice.typepad.com/creampuffsinvenice/2006/05/canadianblogge.html

oops, darn, the link won't work because there are underscores in it and those convert the text to italics. If you copy and paste it and insert underscores around the italicized words, it should work. Or here I'll try again using html code:

try this

(ok, never mind, that didn't work either)

Sorry but I must bow out as we still don't know exactly what we are doing here and I leave the country on the 29th for 5 weeks so just won't be able to fit this in. Maybe another time?

It's a great idea, this over 40 swap. I say let it be a free-for-all, just read your partners profile and use our 40+ years of life experience to put some great things in their parcel. Hip, hip horray for 40+ (I'm 45).

The theme is a 'free for all'. I think we all are creative and imaginative enough to come up with something for our partners to delight them and express our opinions on aging. Be sure and check out your partners profile so you can taylor the swap to their liking. If an open swap is too vast, then swap using the principles of The platinium rule-'give what someone wants-not want you want them to have'.

For me life began at 40! Got married and had 2 children , moved to Finland from UK!!Now 47 and life is great! Love this swap, looking forward to making a great package for my partner :)

I'm over 40 and this sounds like a really fun swap!!Lot's of great ideas!!I like the items for body,mind and soul! Bath or skin cream,a good book,and some candy!!! YAH!!!Hugz

I'm 53, and this is a great idea.

I like myself and have more fun the older I get. Younger people take things WAY too seriously.

I like the body, mind, and soul idea too, but will go with whatever is decided.

I'm not in any hurry to grow older faster, but I wish my birthday was sooner! I'll be 40 in October. Maybe we can do another? This group sounds very fun and interesting. Have fun all!

sorry about the delay! We got hit hard by the storm here!

I will be going to the post office in the morning. Jean, your package is on the way.

FeltFinland... my package will be going out on Tuesday 1/22 as Monday is a postal holiday here... I really hope you like it.

FeltFinland...sorry this wasn't sent out until yesterday 1/24 as I wound up in the hospital for a few days. Much better now and had hubby mail the package off while I was laid up.

Hi there! A package is en route to my partner via USPS Priority Mail. Enjoy!

My package is going out today to sleepingrover2010. ENJOY!

A package is going out to Daffyd today! Thanks!

This was so much fun we should start a group.