Sarah Palin?

I’ve learned my lesson. Not everyone loves my politics. And the usefulness of this online journal, The Third Third, can be diminished if my politics get in the way. Your politics, however, might be quite interesting. Let’s start with a discussion of Sarah Palin. Watcha’ think?
 

I need a great party idea to celebrate my mom's 90th Birthday

She's healthy. But she's 90. We have to celebrate the milestone. But I'm looking for a good way to do it without overwhelming her. Our family alone numbers 25; with friends, there could be 50 of us -- though everyone lives all over the country, and I don't know if everyone could come. Any suggestions?
 

What would entice you to blog?

You're computer literate. OK, you're good at email. And checking the weather. But blogs? You don't trust them. You're not sure how they work. You're not that kind of girl. But. . . IF you could find what you're really looking for on the Internet, you'd go there. SOOOO -- What are you looking for?
 

What makes an ad work for you?

I bought a new pair of khakis for my husband yesterday, using a worn credit slip neither the salesman nor I could read, though I could remember when I got it because it came from the last pair of new khakis I tried to buy a male in my family, in that case, my son. I apologized to the salesman as he hunted through his computer’s records to find what turned out to be $12 credit (my son had exchanged the pants for shorts), and then checked to make sure I could also return the latest purchase if my husband didn’t like them. He said Sure, happens all the time. Do men ever shop for themselves, I asked. Rarely, he said. We do most of our business with women. So, it turns out, does everyone else. Surveys indicate that women consumers buy or influence the buying of more than 75 percent of all goods. And, according to a story in the New York Times, advertising agencies are still trying to hone their pitch to us. I’ve been shopping for over 50 years and they don’t get it yet? What’s to get? That’s what I’d like to know. What ads work for you? How would you tell the advertising gurus to target you? When, how, and for what products specifically does advertising make a difference?
 

What do you really want for Mothers' Day?

If anyone were to believe the ads in the newspapers, we want trinkets and charms, perfumes and bath soaps, gift cards, nightgowns (would you really let a child pick out negligee for you?), and brunch. And then there are, of course, the mothers who demand real jewels. But what do you really want in the way of tangible evidence that you are loved and appreciated? What would you consider a Great Gift on this Hallmark Holiday?
 

Have you tried anything new -- really never-done-this-before new -- lately?

I've recently heard a number of women my age (definitely the third third) say, "I've never done anything like this before." They've said it about participating in a political campaign, training for a half-marathon, going on a mission trip, and joining a group to help clean up a run-down neighborhood. Part of this new activity can be attributed to having free time they haven't had for years because of children and careers. Part also seems to come from not only a willingness, but a desire to "try something new." What "something new" have you tried? And what's your motivation?
 

If you were given an extra 20 years of life -- to live right now -- what would you do with it?

According to Dr. Helen Harkness, founder and president of Career Design Associates (www.career-design.com), we've got 20 extra years of life -- to live right now before we get old. So if we're 60, we should be thinking 40. If 50, thinking 30. We can go back to school, start a new career, begin a new venture, develop new relationships. So what are we going to do? What will you do with a second mid-life?
 

Do you have a new "calling" in the third third?

One of my favorite writers, Frederick Buechner, says a true vocation, or calling, is that place where the world's greatest need and a person's greatest joy meet. In retrospect, parenting was that calling for me, in that it called forth several better selves I didn't even know I had to meet the relentlessly human needs of our four children. And it gave me unimaginably deep joy as witness and midwife to their development into people who, to this day, fascinate and delight me as much as I love them. Some days, as I wait to hear my next call, I wonder if anything else can compare.
 

Qualities in a Mentor

If women were to mentor other women through this transition into "the third third," what would be most helpful? (e.g., Information, candid conversations, job opportunities, community resources, reducing ageism and sexism, emotional support, sharing of successes and failures. . ..)
 

Goals and Dreams

What kinds of goals and dreams feel most worthwhile? Are these different from other times in your life, and if so, how, or why?
 

Sources of Empowerment

What factors served as sources of your empowerment, your ability to make the decisions you made to shape this next chapter of your life?
 

A new phase in our lives?

Was there anything that you think "triggered" your realization that a new phase of your life was in the offing? (e.g., A relationship? Death or divorce? Children off to or out of college? Personal restlessness? Job issues? Economics?)