tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87512305791065671202011-11-27T16:59:26.405-08:00Blog about life from 40 and beyond about: Being newly married for the first time, having step children, dealing with life in a new place, professional changes, and living authentically from the heart through it all.Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125LiveMental--lifeWithBipolarDisorderAmongOtherThingshttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-55153112000496439672011-07-29T14:08:00.000-07:002011-07-29T14:08:01.059-07:002011-07-29T14:08:01.059-07:00

Well the painting is done!  It looks better than I had anticipated.  I am in the process of putting things back together and have to get window treatments, but I'm actually okay with the color and I think Chris is too.  It goes well with our flooring and bedding, so I'm going with it for now.  It's just so nice to have it finished!  I am looking into shelving.  Our house is small with not a

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/bucket-of-paint-and-brush.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-34182472575712145812011-07-28T09:16:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:16:35.997-07:002011-07-28T09:16:35.997-07:00

This is Dexter.  As I have shared before he is a little westie doggie, and for once, in this picture, he is clean! THIS little bundle of joy is Patch...See any similarities?  My folks got a little westie, so it is "show and tell time"... This is little Patch all tuckered out... And THIS is my little Dexter dog all tuckered out.  Hmmm.  Maybe it's a westie thing...? This is Oliver

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/tale-of-three-terriers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-44449593212629998122011-07-26T10:33:00.000-07:002011-07-26T10:33:07.157-07:002011-07-26T10:33:07.157-07:00

Well I was aiming to post every day on this blog...But vacation put an end to that.  I had the best of intentions for time set aside to blog while I was away, but in my heart of hearts I knew better.  There just isn't enough time when one is away, especially when visiting family.  We drove from Rapid City on Thursday night and spent the night in Casper so Chris could take his boys out for

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/homecoming.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-62966119561334023062011-07-22T07:13:00.000-07:002011-07-22T07:13:24.862-07:002011-07-22T07:13:24.862-07:00

Well I'm officially 40...Now what?  They say 40 is the new 30...Someone was in some serious denial when he or she came up with that one.  But, I'm okay with 40 being 40.  I'm okay with letting the past go, having taken all from it I can, I'm willing to throw out the husk and move one.  Chris and I have been making our way to Riverton for the weekend, and yesterday as we were talking as we

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/40.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-46321117500476086372011-07-20T10:42:00.000-07:002011-07-20T10:42:59.213-07:002011-07-20T10:42:59.213-07:00

It will always be home...But contrary to the saying, it is not where my heart is.  My heart is with Chris in this new life we are building together.  I cannot say that where we live now is home to me...It is still too new, and I am busy trying to add bits of myself so that every time I come back to it I recognize it. Tomorrow I officially turn 40.  I have been living on the edge of it for a

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/homeward-bound.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-77225158019963207912011-07-18T22:25:00.000-07:002011-07-18T22:25:43.969-07:002011-07-18T22:25:43.969-07:00

Today I began plans to paint my bedroom.  Well, I slapped a bit of paint on the wall to see if it would have the effect I had hoped for.  It didn't.  So now what?  My husband is choosing denial over the pinkish color now staining a part of our bedroom wall...and I am inclined that direction as well. I could come up with a deeper meaning here...What I often think will happen, or what I think

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com2http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/violet-paint.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-10284536920078006642011-07-17T09:27:00.000-07:002011-07-17T09:27:00.288-07:002011-07-17T09:27:00.288-07:00

Well here I am in my new glasses.  Amazing how much clearer everything is.  We went to see the new Harry Potter movie last night, and for the first time I did not leave the theater with a headache.  Who knew?! As I was driving back from picking up my new glasses the other day, I was thinking about how easy it is to accept something and continue on with life.  I mean, my vision has been an

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com1http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/clarity.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-8602665823831453512011-07-15T13:00:00.000-07:002011-07-15T13:01:15.635-07:002011-07-15T13:01:15.635-07:00

This is my favorite pool player.  Doesn't he look like he means business?  And he does!  He is rather good at the game.  I, on the the other hand, am not so much.  The imbalance is okay.  I go as a middle aged cheerleader with a Diet Pepsi in one hand and my fascination for people watching in the other. I would like to get better at the game.  I think it is good that we have things in common

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/this-is-my-favorite-pool-player.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-65770896947385432642011-07-14T15:07:00.000-07:002011-07-14T15:07:53.587-07:002011-07-14T15:07:53.587-07:00

I read an article in Ladies Home Journal today.  The article interviewed three women--Dana Delaney, Julie Bowen, and Emily Deschanel.  Dana Delaney who is 55 (if you can believe it...I remember when she was on China Beach) said something I sort of grabbed onto.  When asked to define what real beauty is for her she responded with, "The older I get, the more I find beauty is stillness".  I

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/beauty-and-stillness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-72283978692204141612011-07-13T17:41:00.000-07:002011-07-13T17:41:39.770-07:002011-07-13T17:41:39.770-07:00

Did you know that everyone has an angel or two in their lives?  Well here is one of mine.  I didn't ask for permission to use this picture, but she is my sister so I circumvent such things.  Angel is extraordinary, a one of a kind beautiful being.  She has been on my mind much lately, and I have been neglectful in communication, so I'm blogging about her. Part of aging is knowing that you

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-angel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-76939391739666075652011-07-12T07:39:00.000-07:002011-07-12T07:39:57.243-07:002011-07-12T07:39:57.243-07:00

Inspired by my overhaul of the house, my husband decided the trim and garage doors outside the house should be repainted as well.  This was supposed to be a simple project with a bit of sanding and then repainting.  Uh, right. There is a nice little pole that attaches the awning to a section of brick right outside our front door.  He decided to start there...Several hours later he had finally

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/painting-in-dark.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-38469480473587982542011-07-11T10:18:00.000-07:002011-07-11T10:18:06.590-07:002011-07-11T10:18:06.590-07:00

What do you get when you put two individuals of Irish decent (one of which is also German...and that would be me), a hot topic, and the love of verbal conflagration (a large destructive fire, which is perfect for this scenario)?  Answer:  Chris and Lael. I don't actually enjoy arguing.  I find it a waste of time and rather frustrating.  My husband, on the other hand, loves to argue for the

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/fighting-fair.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-1289153943280017172011-07-10T16:12:00.000-07:002011-07-10T16:12:51.365-07:002011-07-10T16:12:51.365-07:00

I have had perfect eyesight my whole life.  It is amazing the things you take for granted...Well, the things I take for granted.  I have discovered that with 40 (and a doctoral program) comes a decrease in the ability to see up close...or far away.  And then there is the depth perception issue...I don't have any.  And the night blindness...well, that just goes hand in hand with the rest.  Now

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com1http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/perfect-eyesight.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-80577047960860659082011-07-09T17:50:00.000-07:002011-07-09T17:53:06.129-07:002011-07-09T17:53:06.129-07:00

I'm painting.  As you can see my canines are quarantined, and they look none too happy do they?  My husband has been relegated to the bedroom except for heavy lifting and an occasional rescue that involves more paint, a rag, or longer arms and more height. Originally I wanted to paint the bathroom, but once I got started I just couldn't stop.  I have now painted the bathroom, hallway, utility

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-painting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-37119230684727417872011-07-08T09:03:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:04:24.208-07:002011-07-08T09:04:24.208-07:00

This is my Dixie.  When I married Chris, I inherited this lively little boxer...And I love her.  She is fun and strong and so good.  Dixie has inherited me as well, and I love that she loves me back.  She likes to be near me, and she is so good with our next little bundle of joy... This is my Dexter.  Dexter is a Westie, and my favorite breed of dog.  Because I had uprooted from

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/introducing-dixie-and-dexter.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-59672946532673050452011-07-07T15:39:00.000-07:002011-07-07T15:39:11.210-07:002011-07-07T15:39:11.210-07:00

I have been pondering the word religion.  Religion is mostly associated with God, but I'm not a big fan of the association.  I grew up going to church.  Indeed, it felt to me that any time the church doors were open we were there.  That is not a bad thing, but I grew up thinking that people who did not go to church were heathens, and I believe there is a correlation between the two, because,

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/got-grace.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-37241855995938358122011-07-06T08:57:00.000-07:002011-07-06T08:59:01.297-07:002011-07-06T08:59:01.297-07:00

One of the things I have noticed about turning 40 is that people take stock.  Then they make "to do" lists.  While I appreciate the concept, I confess I have never been a big resolution person.  Some people are good at such things, even center blogs around their lists.  But while I am a list person (going to Walmart without a list means becoming lost for hours in commercial hell, only to emerge

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com1http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/list-thing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8751230579106567120.post-67949559849020384992011-07-05T11:34:00.000-07:002011-07-05T11:54:23.152-07:002011-07-05T11:54:23.152-07:00

If you have read my profile you have perceived this blog has changed from what it was.  I have a background in psychology and one in mental illness, though one is much more invasive than the other.  I write for a magazine called Everyday Health, and my focus there deals with mental health.  I work with families who have a loved one dealing with bipolar disorder, but I also teach basic mental

Laelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15815658296727176567noreply@blogger.com0http://livemental.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-20.html