Fab & Forty - Finally!

Today's is the day I turn Forty!  I have been anticipating this milestone for the past year.  Not anxiously,  but curious.  What will the forties be like?  Do I need to start taking better care of myself now that I'm older?  I'm no longer a teen, nor a young mom.  My kids are grown now and in a few years, I'll have an empty nest.  I'm forty.

Throughout the year, I've seen this upcoming event as a way to improve my life.  I've made it a goal of mine to deal with issues in my life that have slowed me down.  I have had a lot of mess to sort out and all year I've kept thinking it's time to clean house.  I'm not taking this crap into year 40.  Enough is enough!

Through this, I have come to terms with a lot in my life.  Some things are beyond my control and I can't change them no matter how hard I try.  BUT, I can change me.  So that's what I'm working on.  ME!  This has given me more peace.

But as for today, I'm going to celebrate.  I'm busy cleaning and preparing for a small get together with a few friends.  Were have Tacos (of course) and going to play the game,  "Battle of the Sexes", which should be a riot!

In the mean time, I want to leave you with an article I found from on turning forty from Tanja's Blog.

The 40 things every Black woman must have by the time she turns 40.

1.) Peace of mind (and a piece of property).

2.) A will.

3.) Willpower.

4.) A savings account in your own name (and an IRA in the name of your future security).

5.) A mammogram.

6.) A manicure (not to mention a pedicure, a facial and a massage--all on the same day).

7.) A set of matching luggage.

8.) A ticket to some exotic place to unpack it.

9.) A great hairdresser, gynecologist and stockbroker.

10.) A passionate, fiery, unforgettable love affair.

11.) A little black dress that makes you look five pounds thinner.

12.) A sense of humor, style and purpose.

13.) A selfish streak.

14.) A spiritual foundation that gets you through a very bad night without going crazy.

15.) A facial foundation that gets you through a very long day without going ashy.

16.) A good bra.

17.) A good spa.

18.) A library card (used often).

19.) A credit card (used sparingly).

20.) At least one person in your life who says: "You call, I come."

21.) Good body language (multilingual!).

22.) A broken heart and the knowledge you can survive it.

23.) A cause celebre (domestic violence, infant mortality, save the whales--your choice).

24.) A personal relationship with God.

25.) A personal trainer.

26.) Selective amnesia ("What Saturday morning meeting?").

27.) Gall.

28.) A good skin-care regimen.

29.) The ability to converse on any subject without benefit of concrete knowledge or access to facts.

30.) A shocking secret.

31.) A pair of silk pajamas.

32.) A lifetime membership in at least one organization dedicated to uplifting Black folks (e.g., National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP).

33.) The phone number of someone who is good with their hands.

34.) At least one drop-dead, don't-speak-to-me-because-you-know-you-don't-know-me gorgeous photo of yourself.

35.) A friendship that has stood the test of time.

36.) One last chance to tell the guy you were crazy about in your 20s who treated you like cigarette ashes on the floor what you were too dumb to know when he walked out with your heart in his hands: "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

37.) A soul mate.

38.) Faith, hope and a good fantasy.

39.) A dream.

40.) A plan to make it come true.