Islandmomma

Hi. My name is Linda. My blog is a mixture of stories from island life, from travel and  from the adventures of Third Age. It’s not a travel guide, it’s an old fashioned sort of blog. I began it in 2008, but it’s evolved, mostly recently as described in this blog post.

A little over 30 years ago, aged 40, I emigrated to the Canary Islands with my two, then-small sons, and my then-husband. Somewhere along that new road the name Islandmomma stuck, long before blogs were a thing. It suited that chapter of my life, and still does.

Motherhood was the greatest adventure of all, but as the centuries turned, my nest emptied, and another new chapter opened. I took some long trips. Came back, worked at boring jobs until the coffers were heavier, trundled off again. Somewhere along the way I started this blog, and it has been good to me.

I travelled some, and I took photographs, and I wrote, but then I let it slip, as a series of events enveloped my life 3 years ago. There has been a dribble of posts in between, but now I am back at the keyboard, with a thousand ideas buzzing round my brain.

In my time off I turned 70. That’s one of those birthdays that makes you reflect. My ideas are products of that time off: formed by the endless support of my sons; by the things which happened; by observing other Baby Boomers; by turning 70; by things new in my life, like meditation; by the little travelling I was able to do in recent years; by improved knowledge of health and nutrition; and more.

So, I’m here now, reinventing myself again. It’s an ongoing process, isn’t it? At least it is if you don’t want to settle for boring, and my aim is to NOT be bored! I meet too many Baby Boomers who live in the past, who use the word “can’t”  in every conversation ….. as in “I can’t boogie any more.”  Well, may be not. Sometimes the changes we can’t do things the way we used to, but that doesn’t equate to “can’t.” We just do them slower or differently, or we find a new passion. We don’t waste time in mourning for our lost youth.

I am grateful to be the age I am as we explore cyberspace. What kids probably learn in school now is a thrill for me, as I learn new skills. Adventure means different things to each of us. Adventure means overcoming our fears and doubts, and doing the difficult thing, the thing some folk deem “impossible.” If you are young and fit that might be climbing Everest or free diving or walking around the world, but for we, more mature citizens of the world, it might be camping outdoors, learning to tango or code, or simply getting to grips with our latest smart phone.

Health problems in 2015 and 2016 brought home forcibly to me how important it is to eat healthily and keep our bodies moving, and so far as I can see, the majority of Boomers do neither. Yep, maybe that’s true for people overall, but I’m “Talking ’bout My Generation” here. We should be grateful for this time with less responsibility, we should be making the most of every second, and we should be saying “Carpe Diem” and not can’t!

My passions have always been writing, photography and travel, throw in reading, walking and cooking,  keeping fit and now some thoughts on ageing, and that’s what I write about. Hope you enjoy, and do leave a comment if you agree with me!

April 2018