for the skimmers…

Short Version

I did not handle getting older well at all.
I thought my life was over by the time I turned 50.
I learned how to have hope and start living again and I want to help others do the same.
My life is now based on these three principles:

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Living with body, mind & spirit wellness.
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Living with purpose & intention.
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Living with creativity & wonder.

I have an insatiable curiosity and I never want to stop growing and learning.
I’ll share what I learn and experience with you on The Salted Moon.
Welcome!

Here’s What Helped Me

I had to revamp my thinking and give my old, sad beliefs the heave-ho. If you need a good place to start while reclaiming your radiant life, I created a 30-page ebook just for you. Grab your copy for free and stop believing the lies about aging.

Yes, please! Send me the Five Truths About Your Second Half

Whenever I imagine my young life, I picture myself in motion. I was always involved in something that included movement. Oh, and when the fitness craze hit and leg warmers and high-cut leotards were the rage, I jumped in cranking out my grapevines to disco music. I remember my first lesson for a fitness-class instructor included choosing the best records to crank out four eight counts of knee touches. Yes, records!

I danced growing up and in college I was a member of two dance companies. By my 30s I was the fitness director at a gym and aerobics instructor. But that wasn’t all, I also rode my horse competitively, ran 3-5 miles most days, worked out on the weights at the gym, played roller and then ice hockey, rode mountain bikes in the mountains (imagine that), and a weekend away that didn’t include some sort of hiking or biking was rare. At one point my body percentage hovered around 11%. I was strong, muscled, had amazing stamina, and felt like I could physically do anything I desired. And mostly could.

I scoffed at the idea that I would be anything but fit and strong. I would never let that happen to me. This is how I would live until the day I died. I wasn’t a quitter!

But turns out, it wasn’t true. Big time!

A Number Sent Me Into a Hopelessness

Life threw curve balls. Hockey injuries made it difficult to care for my daughters, so I let that activity go. Riding my horse became a couple times a week jaunt when I said no more to the intense competitions. One morning I woke up (I swear that’s how these things happen) and realized I hadn’t run in months, I definitely didn’t go to the gym. I had gained 30 pounds in 6 months. I made an appointment with my doctor knowing surely something was wrong, he told me it was just age.

Yeah. Not good. And this was in my early 40s. I gave up, lost almost all of my muscle tone and stamina and any good health, and in that condition, I welcomed my 50s.

By then, the effort to gain back any fitness felt overwhelming and impossible. Besides, I could barely use my hands the joints hurt so bad and they tingled. I even had trigger thumb. My plantar fasciitis was so bad at times I winced when I walked. My knees hurt, my hips hurt, my lungs burned if I walked too fast to the mailbox. I even had a heart scare.

Which turned out to be nothing, but when a routine gynecologist appointment ends with, “Go home, lay down, don’t get up for anything until the cardiologist calls and tells you what to do. If you feel faint or in pain at any point, call 911,” things start to look grim.

So, what did I do about all this?

I gave up even more. If you don’t think that’s possible, you haven’t been to the deep, dark place I was in. But I know many of you know what I’m talking about because you’ve been there too.

I figured there was nothing more I could do. Just waiting for the pain and immobility to get worse. Next time I won’t be so lucky, and it will be a chronic condition I’d have to live with for the rest of my life.

I wasn’t on one prescription drug, but turning 50 I assumed meant I would be given a few any time now as my health worsened.

I sat around (or more accurately spent way too much time in bed), depressed, angry, longing for my younger self, and deteriorating. Waiting for disease, decay, decline, dementia, and death.

It was on the horizon. It was only a matter of time.

If this sounds like an exaggeration to you, I wish I could say you’re right. The problem is, and I know there are some of you nodding your heads right now, I truly felt this to my core. I sunk deep into the depths on this. I believed what I was telling myself–wholeheartedly.

Somehow, I stumbled on the book Healthy at 100 by John Robbins. It literally changed my life. In the most profound way possible.

Suddenly, I had hope.

Maybe I could take this aging thing, and manipulate my response to it. Maybe I had more control over how I lived out the rest of my life than I realized.

So many lies telling me it was over. I was now able to embrace the idea that I was just hitting midstride. I had a heck of a lot of living yet to do.

Getting My Life Back

I had always been creative and spiritual but had lost those important parts of myself. As I now ached to have my physical health strengthened, my mind and spirit became an even more important aspect of my growth.

Hitting your mid-life mark should be celebrated. It doesn’t mean any of those things I assumed. Sure, we have to tweak things, because what we’ve done for years might not work anymore. That’s challenging and frustrating. But there is so much to live for, to accomplish, to create, to enjoy, to embrace.

So much left I wanted to do and experience. I had been depressed that I had expended my one, precious life, but now I was excited by the notion that I was only half way there.

I was on a quest to find out how to have that wild, creative, soulful, radiant life full of intention, love, and purpose.

I knew I had to find a way to focus and stay clear on my intention to have the life I’ve always wanted. For me that meant constantly feeding my curiosity and imagination, adding texture and richness to my life, nurturing my body, mind, and soul well-being, and being creative every single day.

I want to leave behind something tangible that only I can create, and I want to leave the world having put a smile on someone’s face, making even a small difference.

I have a busy life. I live in the real world. I have grown married daughters, with husbands and grandchildren, I have a mother, siblings, extended family, I have a husband and pets I adore, I have a house to take care of, bills to pay, worries about the future. Just like you. I’m going to be available for my loved ones, I’m going to a beautiful, rich life right where I am. But I still want my wildest dreams to come true.

Through experience, education, and constant personal growth, I have discovered amazing ways to find focus and clarity, cultivate every ounce of creativity, find joy in each day, to set goals, and be productive in reaching them, increasing self-discipline, and dreaming the big dreams.

I want to live out my dreams, and I want you to live out yours. I’ll share everything I’ve learned. We can do this!

you do this too

Here’s what I know about myself:

I love to move, dance, run, use my body and feel strong and powerful
I love to create – if I go too long without a creative project, I get itchy & grumpy
I love words – I’m a word junky! I need to read and write like I need to breathe
I am spiritual – I am guided by a Creator and I trust in the order of the universe
I love texture, color, layers, tarnished things, things that move and dance, and catch the light
I have to be by the ocean – regularly – ideally every single day
I believe in the goodness of people and in each person’s beautiful, unique self
I am in awe of the beauty of our planet and the universe – I want to touch tree bark, watch the birds, breathe in the air after it rains, listen to the wind rustle the bushes and dance on my face
I believe in the magic and wonder of life

in case you want to know

The Nitty Gritty

200 Hour RYT
ACE Certified Health Coach
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
IIN Integrative Nutrition Coach
Single-subject English credential teacher
Multiple-subject credential teacher
Author of two books on pets
Fantasy author with a curious imagination
A fellow traveler on this incredible journey