Women's Survival Guide

Launch party, Book Club, In-Person Events!

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 03 May 2026 17:56:55 GMT

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video book launch for Fallout by !

Eleanor and Alisa Kennedy Jone

In-person is magic!

I hosted , and friends ( Substackers, , , attended) at my home in Boston to celebrate her new book, Fallout.

Eleanor did a reading, as you can watch on the video above and these fun Notes clips and Instagram!!, and we were hooked by the story of a fifteen year old girl running away from home to join a women’s peace camp in the early eighties United Kingdom. Fallout, is based on a major moment in the UK, the Greenham Common protest. The all-women (30,000-70,000 of them) peace camp at a nuclear base from 1981-2000 in the UK is practically unknown here in the US. But, not for long.

FIRST BOOK WE WILL READ: FALLOUT

By

Buy Fallout!

Fallout is the book to start our club with, ladies. These are crazy times, and so were the 1980s. We were around the same age as the protagonist, Bridget, is in the book, fifteen, in the early 80s. We can relate to the characters in Fallout now as grown women looking back and as mothers of girls, or as women in protest. The Greenham Commons history is itself a major character in the book and something we women should know about and share with our kids and friends.

About FALLOUT:

“A radical daughter. A closeted father. A prim mother turned protester. One runaway girl sets a family on fire—and lights the way to liberation.

In the bleak winter of 1982, fifteen-year-old Bridget has had enough. Enough of Thatcher’s Britain, enough of being invisible, and enough of her family’s secrets. Armed with little more than a sharp tongue and a fierce sense of justice, she runs away from her suburban life to join the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp—one of the most iconic protest movements in British history.

But Bridget’s disappearance doesn’t just blow open her own life. It sends shockwaves through her fractured family: her distant, conservative mother, who’s about to fall headlong into a love affair she never saw coming, and her father—a man with secrets of his own, who’s spent a lifetime hiding in plain sight.

Set at the unlikely intersection of nuclear disarmament and personal awakening, FALLOUT is a fearless, darkly funny exploration of identity, family, and midlife reinvention. With an irreverent bite that evokes Fleabag, the emotional complexity of Bad Sisters, and the political urgency of Milkman.” Simon and Schuster

I adore Eleanor’s writing and was hooked when I read her memoir, A Memoir in 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries. She is a lot cooler than you or I and has survived to tell her own story.

When shall we meet? Below is a poll to see about timing. You need to order the book here and read it. We don’t want to wait too long! The actual meeting we can do a Zoom and in person, like the book launch. I’m hoping Eleanor can join in, too!

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

What do you feel about protests? Have you gone to any lately? Are they worth the effort? Why?

Leave a comment

PS: Graduation is coming! Gift Ideas?

PPS: Bebe’s new song!!

PPPs: New Premium “Notes from My Bed” post coming next week!

Available for iOS and Android

Join me Tomorrow evening 5:45PM

Kim Druker Stockwell — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:46:53 GMT

Hey everyone! Let’s Welcome Eleanor!

Join me tomorrow evening, Wednesday April 29th, via webcast at 5:45PM and to welcome to Boston and hear her read from her new novel, Fallout!!

Click below and join via webcam to my living room at 5:45!!

Join Eleanor, Alisa and Kim

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

Maven 5Q Beth Lisogorsky

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:43:46 GMT

I’m a writer and business consultant with a deep love for romance and relationship-driven storytelling across books, film, television, and music. I’ve completed an upmarket romance novel, slated for publication in February 2027 with Empress Editions, and I write You Need to Watch This!, a TV and film recommendation Substack I launched in February 2021.

By day, I draw on years of cross-industry experience in consumer marketing and program management; by night, I analyze and write about the media that shapes how we think about love, connection, and culture. My latest venture is leading a monthly Virtual Romance Book Club for the Ashland Library—an experience I love because each month features a different subgenre, giving readers the freedom to choose their own book while connecting through shared themes. It’s a joyful way to recommend romance and build community across the genre.

What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

The most surprising part of this stage of life is how little time there seems to be. I never feel as though I have enough of it to do everything I want. My drive hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s more focused now. That impulse has been a throughline in my life. In my twenties, my ambition was high, though often accompanied by a quiet melancholy. What surprises me most is that the need to create is still so strong, even as I hold so many other roles: mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend.

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

One new thing I’m trying to embrace in midlife is slowing down—taking intentional pauses to really listen to myself, and then act. I’ve always moved at a fast pace (I’m a double air sign, Rising and Sun), and as an adult, I’ve overcorrected for the indecisiveness I was labeled with as a child by becoming extremely action-oriented and communicative. There is a lot of mental fatigue and emotional load inherent in all of that. Sometimes, forgetting things is the only way I actually slow down. It forces me to stop and listen more closely. Lately, I love solo drives and going to the theater alone; I get to be with my thoughts, and they’re not nearly as scary as they once were.

Meet me in the comments:

I agree with Beth, the need to create is so strong in this period of time despite all of our life roles (mother, daughter, friend, sister).

How about you?

Leave a comment

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

I’d tell myself to save everything I write on hard copies. Every column, every blog post, especially the ones I wrote for online publications in the early aughts. One day, those sites won’t exist, and neither will that Sex and the City–inspired dating column I poured myself into. I’d also say this: start keeping a journal early. Write things down, even when they feel ordinary. One day, you may want to write a memoir, and you’ll wish you had a record of who you were when you didn’t yet know the ending.

What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

I’d bring back the Sony Sports Walkman. Technically, they still exist, but nothing has ever replicated that feeling. I spent countless hours listening to cassettes and making mixtapes—Steve Winwood, Prince, Whitney Houston, Cher, Peter Cetera, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure. Music felt tactile then, intentional.

True story: I only started to feel comfortable going out in public alone as a kid once I had one. It gave me something to anchor to—my focus on the music instead of the noise, the crowds, the world around me. In that way, it wasn’t just a music player; it was a small kind of freedom.

If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

The theme would be Be the teacher. Slowing down has helped me recognize that one of my greatest strengths is helping others. It’s something that feels deeply inherited—my maternal grandmother, whom I never met, was a nurse, and my grandfather was a doctor. Service is in my DNA.

Embracing this role means being comfortable stepping back, guiding rather than leading from the front, and finding purpose in supporting others as they grow. It’s a quieter kind of impact, but one that feels truer than ever. Considering I’ve never gravitated to the spotlight it’s something that feels authentic too.

Links for Beth:

Beth’s Romance:

March Book Club Sign Up (Omegaverse Theme) https://ashlandmass.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/hybrid-romance-book-club-omegaverse-2/

April Sign Up: (Secret Identity Theme)

https://ashlandmass.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/hybrid-romance-book-club-secret-identity/

INTERESTED IN DOING THE MAVEN5Q?

Drop me a line by clicking the button below and let’s get started!

The Maven5Q is an interesting midlife exercise….everyone has a different point of view they bring to the questions and that is what I find fascinating. You will, too!

Meet me in the comments:

I agree with Beth in that there doesn’t seem to be enough time to get done all that I hope to accomplish. How about you?

Leave a comment

HRT revisit

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:02:00 GMT

I am under the weather. Glad it’s the weekend and raining and cold…Boston Spring! I can sit here and watch movies and go through my Amex bill (!!#@@%$!!) and eat Lipton Noodle Soup.

Meanwhile I was looking for a post to repost, see below, and thought this was worth a revisit and an update!

The Patch and HRT

Like this repost says, I was looking at “The Patch” and did eventually try it for a little over a month, but just like The Pill, it didn’t work for me. I asked around and I am not the only one who has had side effects from The Patch. I felt it made me “ragey”, as the Pill did, and bloated, like the Pill did. Who needs that?? So, I went off of it.

Leave a comment

The reason I wanted to go on The Patch was to future proof myself. As in: future proof my hips with estrogen so they don’t hurt, my skin, my hair, my bones, my brain, my bits. These are all areas that suffer without our lovely estrogen. But, all that means nothing if you feel nuts. That isn’t to say there aren’t other answers!

As it turns out, I do not suffer dramatically from current meno-symptoms (quiet in the peanut gallery). And for the symptoms I have I can manage with my doctor. For all of the above symptoms there are all sort of topical creams and the like that can help.

Tests you should be getting over 50 to see how you are doing. Are there others you think we should have? I found this list on the Internet and I like the way Midi explains each test. If you have a better list, please share with me in the comments!

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS:

What symptoms have you fixed in your menopause journey? Anything you think we ladies should know about? Links? Meds?

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

The Need To Be Needed

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:54:23 GMT

Recently, I did an episode with Homeworthy and it was something. It made me look at my home differently, but the part I wasn’t prepared for was my reflection on where I am now. I am living in a home that had three more people living here until this year and that has changed the way I live in this home.

What is this feeling I have? Is it relief? Grief? Confusion? How about “Need”?

What are the three stages of empty nest syndrome?

In the first stage, parents tend to experience sadness, loss, loneliness, or even depression. In the second stage, parents move on to feeling relief and a sense of freedom as they develop a new rhythm of life. Facebook link

The need to be needed.

This is a huge part of midlife. Like it or not, we were all in positions to support others whether it was our kids, our parents, our work. Now all of that is shifting or ending. It is a big deal! Don’t think that this sort of change isn’t a seismic shift in how you experience your daily life. The trick is how to manage this time and change because it is a great opportunity.

It is ok to say “I miss their needs and to be needed”. Everybody wants to be needed and you need to figure out a new way to be needed. That’s a lot of needing already.

I’d love to hear from you and how you are coping with finding new ways to be needed.

Leave a comment

A mistake many of us make, is to get overly involved in lots of needy organizations. Anything that is a volunteer position needs your time and whatever money you can give. Be careful how quickly you fill your time with needy organizations. Give yourself some air to see what else you might need for yourself before you sign up. However, do get involved in a needy organization…just not three or four, if you catch my drift. Think before your jump.

GARDENING

Here is a great way to feel needed: gardening. The NYTimes posted the article I share below this week and I was taken with the visual (above) so much I went and ripped out a bunch of old gnarly bushes in my own back garden to make way for something more magical. Isn’t the video inspiring?

And, by the way you don’t have to go hog wild with physical gardening to garden (although gardening is really good for you). You can plant your tree pit, your window boxes, take up Bonsai, or how I city garden, tend containers. You can hire a gardening and work together on a project. I’m not a gardening freak, but I do see how one might fall down the rabbit hole of tending and forming a garden. A garden needs you to be its best. You are the care giver and you see the benefits of your care and attention by its healthy bushiness and flowers.

Perennials, the plants and flowers that die off each Fall and like a phoenix are reborn each Spring, are wonderful for one’s sense of creation (and pocketbook). I have some plants in my deck containers that have come back up for over twenty years! Right now they are out there with their sweet spikes of growth peaking up waiting for the coast to be clear to burst forth from the dirt. It’s sunny today, I expect some real action from them.

I have a pre-covid jasmine tree that against all odds I haven’t killed (I have no idea how old the plant is, but I’m pretty sure it’s was around during covid). We put it out in the Spring about when we notice it has become home to a battalion of tiny ants and we bring it in before the freeze. It is in full bloom right this minute. I don’t really deserve its explosion of love. I water it, sure. But, we go away and the poor thing barely survives. I think I feed her (when I talk about the jasmine bush at home I refer to it as “she”) once a year, but didn’t until I realized it must need something to replenish the soil as the constant watering washes the nutrients away. I repotted her once into a larger container but she really could use a much bigger pot. I have moss covering the top to try to keep her soil moist. It’s unattractive right now.

Above, there she is in full bloom, filling the kitchen with her sweet jasmine perfume. I love her. And, that’s how I see gardening. Need filled, at least in part.

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

how you are coping with finding new ways to be needed? Any pitfalls? Are you newly into gardening? Do tell!

Leave a comment

How to Start a Garden

By Hannah Kofman

April 9, 2026

Everything you need to know to cultivate the green space of your dreams.

https://www.nytimes.com/article/start-garden-tips-advice.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aVA.l7zh.4a5JD1RC-2AL&smid=url-share

Subscribe now

Easter without kids

Kim Druker Stockwell — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:21:22 GMT

Subscribe now

Some holidays are weird without your kids around, if you have them. Kids, that is. Not Holidays. We all have those. Especially when you’re used to having them around. Kids. Is Pel going to set up an egg hunt for me? He would if I asked him to, but even as an only child, I wouldn’t want to do an egg hunt by myself.

Today was a miserably cold and rainy Spring day here in Boston. Miserable. It sort of seems like “what’s the point of it all?” on days like this. It’s Easter, it’s raining and cold, no kids at home. Wait, there is a kid at home. She just flew in from Spring Break (does it ever end?). She enjoyed her Dad’s Easter spread and we all had fun this morning! Then we went for a walk.

You know where I am going with this….a fun family moment goes south for reasons that wouldn’t exist if we parents were not her parents. Meaning, no one can ruin a fun family moment faster than a parent and in particular a mom and a daughter. After she told me that no, she didn’t want to go look at dresses anymore and we were three minutes from the store (was it something I said? Most likely), I walked on alone thinking $^#@$%$&^%$$!!!!!. Then I went see if I could find my own new dress for graduation.

The store was closed.

It’s Easter and I guess I haven’t gone shopping on Easter because everything is closed! Good for them. Anyway. In the end I wandered home and that was that. We had hugs and I made meatballs.

I had a kid-free Passover at my Dad and Step Mom’s this week but that was fun because I had a bunch of adults to talk to and great food. Passover can handle no kids as long as I have my husband, parents and their friends. But, I still feel it’s no fun to not have any kids around for certain Holidays. Pretty obvious I suppose.

I’ll definitely be writing more about this topic.

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS…

Are you sad not having your kid(s) home for the current holidays? It’s very new to me, so do tell.

Leave a comment

Opening Day!

Meanwhile, only two days ago I had a wonderful outing with my own Dad for Opening Day! Go Sox! They won! Thanks Dad for keeping up this long tradition. It had been cold and cloudy so we were dressed for rainy 40 degree weather, but turned into a very bright, warm day! As you can see the weather is unpredictable.

Last week’s post:

I really loved doing this post…perfect for midlife warriors looking for new cool things to do. Take a peak. if you like it, please click the heart…Girl needs the love.

Happy Easter and Passover!

Subscribe now

Notes from my bed

Kim Druker Stockwell — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:46:41 GMT

“Allo ‘Allo ‘Allo! It’s time for Notes From My Bed!

Notes From My Bed is a new series for my Premium Squad! Each week or two, maybe three, for sure when I remember, I will do this pithy, elevating, hilarious piece just for you!

This one drags a bit but I write about it below…

Subscribe now

🀄Mahjong Nation

Kim Druker Stockwell — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:54:47 GMT

I won and here is a photo to prove it.

🀄I got hog-tied into learning Mahjong by a good friend of mine.

I met her over twenty yers ago playing in a tennis clinic. But she moved and we lost touch. Recently, she moved into my neighborhood and we were looking for ways to spend time together. So when she said, '“hey, I’m going to come over and we are going to learn Mahjong” or something of the sort, I was under the impression she didn’t know how to play either and we were going to fumble around and “learn.” I thought, I’ll call my mom and she can come over teach us. She’s played for over twenty years (I have noted the similarity to my current age) and is seriously good. I forgot to call her.

A year ago, I had watched my mom and friends play and thought “I do not get this at all. I don’t see how I will get it, and I don’t like it.”

Leave a comment

A year ago, I had watched my mom and friends play and thought “I do not get this at all. I don’t see how I will get it, and I don’t like it.” Watching Mahjong played by people who are good at it, with no initial understanding of it myself, was completely unhelpful. In fact it was damaging because I thought I was too dense to ever learn (as I currently feel about Bridge). I am telling you this because I found out I was wrong.

I was wrong about all of it. I am not too dense to learn the game and neither are you. It is easy to learn, I did not say it’s easy to be good. It is really fun.

In walks my friend, let’s call her Chili, with a big bag.

It weighs a lot! It turns out my friend was coming to teach me. Like an intervention. It turns out, she does this with people regularly. She’ll come teach you, if you let her. We set up in my living room. The photo above was the second time we played.

First impressions: So Cute! She had this adorable paddle/tennis/cocktail themed set with matching mat and stands. The chips are about a finger thick, opaque lucite or some sort of plastic that is warm in my hand. The back of the chips are all the same gorgeous green and the other side has the info: suits, jokers, flowers, winds. Traditional chips are very different looking but it’s like an accent in a language, you can still understand the different variations.

The square mat is supposed to lessen the sound of the chips and protect them from chipping during the “washing” (tumbling them together to mix them up before the start of a game). The mats are works of art in many cases. Take a peek at my list of places to buy sets below. Apparently, buying sets is addictive, I have friends with twelve and more sets. The leisure companies know a good fad when they see one so they are turning out seasonal sets, holiday sets, sports, colors, flowers, on and on…you name it, they make a mahjong set of it!

How I try to sell this new hobby to others:

🀄When you play Mahjong, you can only think about mahjong. You cannot think about your kids, global politics, or anything else but that card and those chips. It’s not like Bridge, you can talk here and there. But, you do need to focus. So for however long you play, you have distracted (protected) yourself from the outside world and your anxieties. #NoANXIETY

🀄At my age, 57, I have more time than I did when I had a full house. This is the drum beat of the middle-aged-empty-nester or the newly retired. How to spend this time? One very important ingredient is not to isolate yourself. Find things to do that involve others. Here is where Mahjong shines. I love that I spend time with friends doing something that is good for me and my brain and good for them, too! #FillYourTimeWell

🀄I am sure some people can drink alcohol and play Mahjong, I wouldn’t want to try. My groups only play during the day, so there is no boozing. I can only speak from my own experience, but Mahjong can be a great excuse not to booze. Or, if you want an excuse to booze, go right ahead. #HealthyActivity

🀄Have you played Rummikub and loved it? I loved it but no one would play with me in my family. It’s a lot harder to get the game going. Mahjong is quick and you can play with only two people but using two “Bobs” (you’ll learn about Bob) or one if you have three players. #FunGamesWithCoolChips

🀄We take turns hosting. Get a few text chains going: “Can anyone mahj this afternoon?” It’s that easy. #JustDoIt

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

🀄Dirty Little Secrets? Yes, there are a few…

Mahjong can be quite addictive! Playing online can be a massive time sucker and because it feels like you’re doing something good for your brain and not anxious about some other thing in your life, how can it be bad? Too much of a good thing is….better?
I have noticed that the women who have played longer and are into it are starting to go to retreats. There are even tennis-mahjong retreats! $$$
Expensive. These mahjong sets can be around $990 and that is for the tiles, mat, stands and bag. The fancy chips themselves can run about $500 but you can get them for a lot less and on Ebay.
Kids play! The dirty little secret here is that they are so damn good. A number of my friends have sons and daughters who play. Usually these kids are in college but I had my ass fully kicked by a thirteen year old girl this past week. Super annoying and impressive. Her young spongy brain was so much faster than even my mom’s. She won three times in a row and then had to leave for her tennis lesson. Then my mom won five times in a row. The other woman and I smiled and just enjoyed the ride.

🀄Where to play online!

You want to play online when you are beginning. I didn’t. I should have. For starters, It makes you learn the card. For instance, real players know the card by heart. I don’t. But, I now am pretty sure which grouping I want to aim for. Playing online also lets you try new areas of the card. Be careful, though. An hour goes by pretty quickly when you play online! Give both of the links below a try…don’t do them at the same time so you can get a good amount of free play first. I tried both and they are different.

I LOVE MAHJ

REAL MAH JONGG

🀄Pretty Mahjong Sets and Nifty Accessories

OH MY MAHJONG $$$$

BESPOKE MAHJONG $$$

PEACE LOVE MAHJONG $$

YELLOW MOUNTAIN $

🀄MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS:

Do you play Mahjong? Where do you play? What do you think?

Maven5Q: Elizabeth Marquis Mayorca

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:15:39 GMT

Elizabeth Marquis Mayorca is a poet, essayist and playwright who has been teaching violin and viola for twenty years. She has two teenage daughters and a 49 year old cat (in human years) named Clotilda.

What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

The most surprising part of this stage of life is that I care less about what other people think. I wish I cared even less. I wish I cared less 20 years ago. I allowed myself to be talked into situations I should have walked away from.

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

One new thing I’m trying to embrace in midlife is honoring my desires. I haven’t done that fully yet. I honestly don’t even know what that looks like, but I know it’s a possibility and I’m ready to discover it. Speaking my truth is getting easier and easier though, and I love how speaking my truth feels.

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

20 years ago, I let myself be influenced by what other people told me to do or not to do. I listened to criticisms and silenced myself, made myself smaller. I thought my voice didn’t matter for a time. I wish I hadn’t listened to others’ influences. I had an inner compass; I still do. I trust myself. I wish I had trusted myself more back then.

I plan on trusting myself more in the next 20 years.

What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

I wish the bookmobile would come to our neighborhood. I wish my family would turn off the TV and play games together or just sit and talk to one another.

If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

In the past, I put my body last, and now I’m putting my body first. I’m caring for my nutrition, I’m going regularly to the doctor for checkups, I’m researching how to make it through perimenopause and menopause, and I’m saying NO more and more often. But I could say NO more. It is still so uncomfortable to say NO. I need to work on that.

MEET US IN THE COMMENTS!!

What would you bring back from your youth? I do love Elizabeth’s remembering the BookMobile…What a concept:)

Leave a comment

ICYMI

I’ve really enjoyed chatting with the new subscribers who found us on the Homeworthy site (se below). The most common comment I am hearing when I ask them what they would like to hear more about is:

“How to find my purpose in this next phase of life.”

There is no one answer but many, to how we seek, try, succeed, fail and try again with this next big phase of life. I guess that is what WSG is all about. The motivation to try new things. Hearing from people who have tried new things and how it went!

PS

Be sure to check out Substack Notes! It’s a more casual way for writers and readers to communicate, but no less important than our posts!

Check out my HOMEWORTHY episode!!!

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:12:36 GMT

This week I planned to share my new Homeworthy episode with you and here it is! It turns out though, Homeworthy has a lot of wonderful subscribers who saw the piece and joined Women’s Survival Guide! So, now this post is also a heartfelt welcome to my new readers! Thank you for joining!

Start HERE to see WSG’s super fun, incredibly detailed ABOUT page!!

I’m not kidding, it’s a really long page, but worth a look!

Subscribe now

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

🎥 What do we think about video magazines?

Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure because I like to rip the pages out of a paper magazine and start files. And, I like the detailed source lists traditional magazines have in the back. But, having read the comments on YouTube, and responded to 175 of them (so far), I can see people really enjoy the intimacy of a private tour and getting to know the owners. I think I get it!

I’m thrilled I got the opportunity to do the tour for Homeworthy and it’s completely due to a friend of mine’s daughter, Chloe Atkinson, a producer at Homeworthy! Thank you Tess and Chloe!

FYI:

The Maven Questionnaire (Maven5Q):

This is new to WSG! I ask five questions of a reader, a friend, a stranger. The same five questions and here they are:

What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

Want to be a published author? Take a swing at those questions and send them to me… womenssurvivalguide@gmail.com

Maven 5Q: Kathy McGowan

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:19:18 GMT

Kathy McGowan set off on her first journey in 1970 when she went to work in the kitchen of the British Ambassador’s residence in Copenhagen. She currently lives in a little village in Bulgaria where she builds with mud and grows trees, flowers and asparagus. In the 50+ years in between, she’s worked in 8 countries; passed through many others; lived in a ridiculous number of houses and gathered a plethora of stories and memories. She loves food, glittery shoes, long lunches and Newcastle United.

Subscribe now

What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

That my body is not keeping it’s part of the bargain - it seems like an endless stream of little things that require my attention in managing them

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

Being a writer

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

Don’t wait until you’re 70 to stop giving a fuck

What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

Trust is the first word that comes to mind and living without fear

If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

I don’t know but it would have to be full of glitter.

Leave a comment

LET’S TAKE IT TO THE COMMENTS, BABY!

First of all….this is a pretty great quote from Kathy:

”If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

I don’t know but it would have to be full of glitter. “

Not to be outdone by “Don’t wait until you’re 70 to stop giving a fuck.”

What would your answer be?

Leave a comment

Want to do the Maven Q5? Here they are! Please send them to me and I can do a post like this for you!

1 What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

2 What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

3 If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

4 What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

5 If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

ICYMI!

Shining a light on others

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 23:22:46 GMT

Hey, Guiders!

I have an urge to shout out some other women’s work today! We learn about ourselves when we pay attention to what other people are up to and it feels good when we share what turns us on.

So, here we go!

Photo by Don Daskalo on Unsplash

Subscribe now

Posts for your reading pleasure!

Anyone into Bridgerton? Enjoy and company’s chat-down about Bridgerton! And, there is a dip into Ryan Murphy’s Love Story on Hulu…Can’t say I need to be thinking about JFK jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. It’s been a long time that we have managed to avoid it, but they were very attractive, so.

You Need to Watch This!

Gen X Ladies on Bridgerton S4: It's 🔥 and ❤️

No, I’m not the new Lady Whistledown but I may as well be. Here to convey some news: The three Gen-X ladies are back at it—Sheila, Ingrid, and moi—joined by the lovely Claire Holden, a self-described “ardent Austen admirer” whose Substack, It’s All About the Words…

2 months ago · 17 likes · 20 comments · Beth Lisogorsky, Sheila Moeschen, Ingrid Haring-Mendes, and Claire Holden

Love a horoscope? and tells us her take, In like a lion, out like a lamb. Get ready for some March motivation!

The Midst

Your March horoscope is here!

Dear women…

2 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · The Midst and Amy Cuevas Schroeder

Tips from an organic farmer on pesticides and how she is writing a non-fiction book about farming, the American culture surrounding food, its politics and the deceit of the advertisers, food companies, and our government. Jeannie’s work always is a great read!

Constantly Curating

Braiding

Dear Friends…

2 months ago · 15 likes · 3 comments · Jeanne Blasberg

Subscribe now

Just when you thought it was safe not to worry about make up, writes about “The beauty industry doesn’t sell beauty; it sells cosmetics. Cosmetics are semiotic tools; they can communicate wealth, health, gender, power, political allegiance, attractiveness, etc. The FleshMatrix is an attempt at mapping what the hell “beauty” meant this month, via a fun little perceptual map plotted across four quadrants”

FLESH WORLD by Jessica DeFino

The FleshMatrix: Manosphere Models, Erewhon Botox, & Hot Girls <3 Chinese Medicine

The beauty industry doesn’t sell beauty; it sells cosmetics. Cosmetics are semiotic tools; they can communicate wealth, health, gender, power, political allegiance, attractiveness, etc. The FleshMatrix is an attempt at mapping what the hell “beauty” meant this month, via a fun little perceptual map plotted across four quadrants…

2 months ago · 55 likes · Jessica DeFino

Need to find a few new reads from a reliable source? Meet and her blog !

Audacious Creative Lives

The Best Books I've Read Lately

This week I wanted to share the books I’ve been loving lately, and hear from you what you are reading. But first . . …

2 months ago · 55 likes · 17 comments · Anne Boyd

Here they are again! JFK Jr and CBK….they did have great style. But, not sure about the other examples:) always has something interesting to say!

Cartoons Hate Her

90s Style Icons to Emulate who are NOT Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

Everyone, from various Substackers to Vogue is talking about how to get the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (hereby known as CBK) look, popularized by the new series, Love Story, which follows the relationship of Carolyn Bassett Kennedy and JFK Jr. Demand for CBK-adjacent clothes is so high that old Calvin Klein dresses are…

2 months ago · 136 likes · 59 comments · Cartoons Hate Her

Thinking of writing a book? Meet and her post “Midlife Can Be a Superpower that Fuels Your Writing Dreams (If You Can Overcome These 3 Challenges)”

Write Your Next Chapter

Midlife Can Be a Superpower that Fuels Your Writing Dreams (If You Can Overcome These 3 Challenges)

It seems the experiences of midlife women are really having a moment in the larger cultural dialogue, doesn’t it? I’m sure, in part, I’ve just been noticing it more since I am firmly in midlife. And most of my friends and colleagues are in midlife. And all of my coaching clients are in midlife…

2 months ago · 20 likes · 8 comments · Heather Garbo, Book Coach

And, because I love everything writes and I know you will too, here is her latest which includes an except from ’s new book, Just Like A Movie!

THE EMPRESS

If Your Nervous System Had a Vision Board 😂

✨ A vibrant space for midlife women and men, The Empress now reaches over two million readers through our networks of networks. ✨ From bestselling author Alisa Kennedy Jones. ✨ If you enjoy content about midlife, humor, and agency, I’d love to welcome you as part of our community. ✨ For only $50/year ($4.17 a month!) or $5/month, you’ll gain access to a…

2 months ago · 14 likes · 15 comments

I hope you enjoyed checking out some new blogs and points of view!

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

Tell us your new favorite Blog to read and listen to!

Leave a comment

💃What your mother wore

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:17:37 GMT

What do you wear that was your mom’s/grand mom’s/step mom’s/aunts?

When and why?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

What do you wear that belonged to an important she in your life? She doesn’t have to be deceased. I wear things of my shes every day. I also wear things of theirs at specific times to honor them, and bring them along with me, like my grandmother’s pearls, a purse of my mom’s, a jacket of my step mom’s. I’m wearing my mom’s wedding band from my Dad right now. It’s simple, thin and sweet, kind of like they were at 23.

And, given my recent dirndl experience (see last post), it occurred to me I might not the only one who does this. Am I a hoarder of old things? A sad nostalgic? Someone who likes to dress uniquely? Maybe a little of all of those descriptions.

what is something you wear that was your mom’s (grandmother’s, etc)?

Leave a comment

Gramma’s dirndl

A few weeks ago, I was sitting on a plane to Phoenix in a 1980s quilted jacket that looks like a bed cover that was my mom’s. My daughter has taken to wearing it. I needed a coat to go from cold to warm and as I ferreted around in the girls’ closet, there it was.

It’s back in style, actually. I never really liked it but when mom was cleaning out her closets last year, before the Big Move from house to condo, she gifted a few bags of her old clothing to me and the girls. The bags were full of 1980s and 90s with a smattering of 70s and 00s. Bright cobalt blue, yellow, and pink items including a never worn ball gown with matching purse and wrap in a gorgeous stiff silk. Filene’s Basement tags were still on a few of the fancy dresses (anyone remember their area called The Vault?). We have a large closet between the girls’ rooms that has become a costume wardrobe to beat all, spanning generations and styles.

The downside of accepting the bags of clothing is storing them and keeping the volume of stuff from driving you crazy. But, the upside is all the fun you can have mixing and matching generations and styles all while honoring your shes.

Let’s take it to the comments!!

What do you like to wear that was your mom’s?

Is there something of her’s you covet?

What is that item? Let’s have some fun here!

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

Go, !!! I CANNOT wait to read your book…

gotham girl

My Life as a Bad Bunny Trust Fall? 😂

Thanks for reading gotham girl! This is a free post, so please share it on social media; just be sure to include a link. Sincerest thanks to every single paid subscriber. You are keeping the lights on around here, and I can’t thank you enough for it…

3 months ago · 28 likes · 22 comments · Alisa Kennedy Jones

❤️What do you love?❤️

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:08:24 GMT

First, a QUESTION…

Is it time for an in person WSG event?

I think it is…April 1st? Boston! Where shall we do it? Stay tuned!

Leave a comment

Happy day after Valentine’s Day!

I know, some of you really don’t like that Hallmark holiday. But, as a lover of red and always up for a reason to celebrate, I love Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is the crank to get my old winter-party jalopy sputtering to life. Tomorrow night I am hosting a fondue party. Not just the cheese and chocolate versions. Those are easy. No, I am talking about the broth version where you cook raw meat in a prepared leak and bullion broth and dip it in a variety of tasty sauces like a sour cream, curry and chutney or horseradish and mayo.

My fondue set is divine. I bought it in Littleton, NH at Just L. It has a big, teak lazy susan with lots of dishes for sauces, pickles and meats and a central pot of broth and eight long forks. After all the dipping is done you dump a cup or sherry into the broth and dish out a cup to everyone. It’s called the “The Crowning Glory”. I love that!

Subscribe now

Me in my Jewish Canadian-American grandmother’s dirndl in her Austrian themed ski house (?!).

I am going to wear my Jewish Grandmother’s dirndl (not sure what to make of that phrase) from lord knows when. It fits! Gramma loved a party, anyone who knew her knows that. And the little embroidered blouse and apron have lots of stains on them to prove she partied in this outfit. It makes me laugh. I am just grateful that the dirndl-dress part is over the boob area and not under, like the St. Pauli Girl. So grateful. Pel’s not.

I love a fondue party. Not so sure about the dirndl.

THINGS WE LOVE

It’s been a rough year for a lot of us. The Patriots lost in spectacular fashion and stirrup pants are back in style. But, the Olympics are on and that is a wonderful way to loose a morning and then an evening and avoid the news.

The drama of watching an Olympic favorite bomb out is about all the let down I can handle for a few days. So, while there is an endless number of issues we can point to and say that we hate them, loath them, feel violent towards them…In the spirit of a Hallmark holiday, let’s think about a few things we love. Not your typical “I love my family” love, but things others don’t know you even think about…like…

I love to laugh. Humor and comedy are a daily must. I credit my parents for being funny and for showing me Mel Brooks movies and Monty Python from as soon as I could go see them. I credit Instagram for tons of wonderful new comedians I’ve been introduced to. Ancient Saturday Night Live is a source of good old fashioned silliness. Bugs Bunny is a wonderfully (old) sarcastic lunatic to learn from. In fact, he may be one of my biggest influences! Don’t forget Bridget Jones… Who makes you laugh?

Leave a comment

Lately, this lady has really cracked me up…check out her work:

I love to dance. I have no where to go to do it so my studio is the place I tend to dance. Or my bedroom. Or bathroom. Or kitchen. I’ll put on Donna Summer or Hall and Oates (I know…weird) or Cake or Hozier or Bebe Stockwell ❤️ and just let loose...who knew?

I love the feel of being in the deep cold but not being cold and skiing or running. I need to be dressed for it, but it’s an exhilarating experience and I love it.

I love and need hot daily baths. My husband says my epitaph will read “Do you think they have baths there?”

I love the taste of tangy food.

I love sparkles. More bling on this thing…

I love a cold glass of Champagne.

I love things in print like magazines and news papers in paper form. A must.

I love laughing with my now adult daughters. They are funny and have a great sense of humor like their mom….winky…

I love my little dog as she snores and kicks my husband at night.

I love my daughter’s cat on my lap as she snores and purrs and leaves a circle of fur where she likes to sleep.

I love my neighborhood.

FRIENDS CHIME IN ❤️

Leave a comment

I sent out a texts and asked friends what they love and here are some of their answers.

I love creating experiences with the family - travel especially. I think it’s a great equalizer to be somewhere new and makes the family tighter. Some of my best family memories growing up are from trips. We like to do the same with our kids.
I love being in the warm sunshine - and this is geeky but I love wearing a good sunscreen because I hate the feeling of sunburns 🥵 😂
I love smelling sunscreen on clothes when you pull them out from winter storage
I passionately love magazines. Long live print!
I love the beach 4-7pm
I love the Boston Public garden super early in the AM when it’s empty!
I love Reading in bed on the weekend in the morning
Any period movie, I ❤️
I love traveling. Particularly with my children as they get older and appreciate culture.
I love the unconditional love of our dogs 🐶 ❤️
Omg- there is SO much I love… after I got sober it was like being a Martian discovering a new planet and ever since I see so much more beauty in the world… that sounds cheesy but it was like coming back to life after a near death experience….
I love my neighborhood and you guys- it’s like feeling so safe bc u know your friends are around… and walking out your door every morning and feeling like the main character in a movie….
I love being outside on a full moon and seeing my moon shadow on the grass…
I love sunshine on my shoulders and an open sunroof.
I love landing that most sought after, elusive trader joe item you never see again 😝
I love my dogs and the sound when they snore, laughing with you all, our quirky neighborhood— poodles, hula hooper (inside stories)
I love living in old homes filled with history (and expenses ugh), fires, candles, food made with love, watching our kids grow up together and then coming back home bc they love it here, our friend group- 💗
I love as I age I am nicer ❤️
I love getting together with friends, dinner parties, personal letters, baths, party dresses, yarn stores and a great joke.

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

I love that I am a part of this gaggle of women. What do you love?

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

FYI….please come!

PS..do you have an event or work that you would like me to plug? Lemme know! Happy to help…

Maven 5Q: Elaine M. Wolff

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:04:43 GMT

Elaine M. Wolff

I’m a former editor of the San Antonio Current and Out In SA magazine. I co-hosted the Radical Mothers’ Voice on KO.OP Austin in the late Nineties. I’ve worked as a bartender, a house-flipper, and a home lender, and if you need something special for your holiday outfits this year, I have a stunning collection of midcentury American costume jewelry.

For a thrilling decade, I was a scriptwriter, emcee, and dancing coffee cup for Fiesta Cornyation, which raises funds for AIDS-related charities and theater scholarships. In 2018, I impulse-purchased an old mining claim in the Rocky Mountains, with two uninhabitable cabins, the cutest outhouse in Colorado, and a creek running through it.

I’m mom to four wonderful adult children. Currently I split my time between Buena Vista CO and Scottsdale AZ with my husband Michael and the Cairn Terrierists Louis and Oliver. My first novel, Up to Her Neck, a midlife-adventure murder mystery, will be published by Empress Editions in August 2026.

Subscribe now

What is the most surprising thing about being in this stage of life?

How healthy and young I feel with a few small adjustments (a little less wine and tequila, a little more exercise, good sleep)

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

Going to live music events again - everything from opera to rock to country. It’s so inspiring to watch artists putting it out there in front of an audience. I always leave filled up and grateful to be alive.

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

Buy more vintage and don’t purge too many clothes. Like most humans, I tend to assume that what’s around now will always be here (despite all evidence to the contrary). When I think of the estate sales and thrift stores I passed up … this can be extrapolated to experiences and passions in general, of course.

What’s something that your generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

True solitude. Social media and the constant presence of others through technology can rob us of the chance to dig into our personal well of identity and creativity.

If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

“Jump in,” which for me means to take part in as many experiences that speak to me as I can, to spend time with friends and family, to support others in their life’s work. My mother died in 2022, shortly after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She said often that she had no regrets, but she also told me how much she would miss swimming. What is that little everyday thing that you love, that brings you joy? Do it now.

More about Elaine!

gotham girl

On Trying To Be Funny During a Polycrisis 😂

3 months ago · 42 likes · 21 comments · Alisa Kennedy Jones

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!

I’d like to discuss what Elaine said below. It is sadly true that we rarely are without a phone or device that connects us somewhere. And, It’s hard to be unconnected. People expect us to be connected.

Do you bring your phone into the bathroom? What if someone calls? Do you answer? What about flushing? Don’t pretend you don’t know what I'm talking about….

“What’s something that your generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

True solitude. Social media and the constant presence of others through technology can rob us of the chance to dig into our personal well of identity and creativity. “

Leave a comment

🏈And…GO PATS!

📣A recipe you'll love from Cindy Sullivan!

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:52:42 GMT

MAVEN OF THE WEEK! CINDY SULLIVAN

Last week I posted our interview and introduction, link below! AND Cindy has an online class, Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG, for $85 a month….give it a look!

Subscribe now

Cindy’s Amazing Instagram!

Maven Questions from Cindy!

What are you excited about right now?

Professionally, I’m excited that the longevity conversation has finally gone mainstream, not just lifespan (how long we live), but healthspan(how we feel or how we move, train, and live truly impacts the quality of our last decade) and that message is finally being heard.

Personally, I’m incredibly excited about my daughter’s college graduation and what’s to come this year!

What books are on your bedside table?

Strong: The Definitive Guide to Active Aging by Jacqueline Hooton and The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan by Jocelyn Wittstein.

I almost said I hardly read for pleasure but actively this is pleasurable to me! Always love learning when it comes to helping us to staying strong, mobile, and independent as we age and the research is coming out fast!

What do you do to relax?

Spending time by the water at the Cape on Scraggy Neck or in the winter, inside by the fire place near the water. I love getting away from the city, getting into bed early in my PJs, and fully decompressing, especially during the colder months.

Leave a comment

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

A Favorite recipe of Cindy’s

Cindy’s Protein Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats

• ½ cup nut butter (peanut or almond or whatever you like)

• 1 scoop protein powder(optional)

• 1–2 tbsp chia seeds

• ¼ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

• ¼ cup dried cranberries

• 2–3 tbsp honey (to taste)

• Optional: splash of vanilla, pinch of salt, cinnamon, ground flaxseed, collagen peptides, or unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined.

If the mixture feels too dry, add a splash (of water, almond milk, etc)

Roll into balls and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

📣MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!📣

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR CINDY?

I do…I have noticed a lot of women my age who get too thin. I cannot tell if it’s over exercise, ozempic, or what. But, they look dangerously thin. Here is what Cindy had to say…

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

MAVEN OF THE WEEK! CINDY SULLIVAN!

Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

I met Cindy Sullivan many years ago when our daughters were at Beacon Hill Nursery School. I remember Cindy as tall, thin, blond, lovely…and kind. I knew she had a sweet daughter, worked full time, and was very involved with a key playground in our neighborhood. She is someone I wanted to know better. Life got going and next thing I know it’s nearly twenty years later and our daughters are seniors in college.

Like so many of the women I talk to who start something new in midlife, Covid had a hand in the pivot for Cindy. It’s not surprising to think people switched it up during the year we all were shut ins. We had to do something other than watch reruns of friends. For instance, I started this blog in earnest in December, 2020. I had been working on it, but it was really the uninterrupted time that covid allowed to sit and focus that I took advantage of as many others did.

Trying to have a baby

Years before Covid, Cindy had been working in PR and marketing in the financial world when she hit a wall. At the time she was in her late thirties, working full time and trying to have a second baby. It wasn’t going smoothly.

For any of us that have experienced infertility, it becomes all consuming. Full of huge disappointment and dashed hopes but the possibility of success keeps you in it. It’s like an abusive relationship you cannot leave. You want what they promise you but you know you might not get it and there is no way to know if you will. Your world is consumed by the thought of getting pregnant. Your marriage has that one focus. Your friendships are affected by their pregnancy successes and failures. It is isolating because it is private. You and your spouse can only discuss it so many times. You cringe at the idea of family events when they ask when number one or two is coming. You notice pregnant women.

Needless to say, Cindy burnt out…thoroughly. She quit her job and for the next five years she worked with her husband in his new company. She made peace with her fertility. I don’t talk about fertility issues in this blog for the one reason that everyone I talk to is far past worrying about having a baby of their own. But, maybe I should talk more about it because the process leaves scars. In talking to Cindy I was struck by how sincerely over it she was. She found the blessings in what she had and didn’t have: A beautiful baby girl, a wonderful husband, the ability to stay in their home in a community that is wonderful but expensive and taking up a long ago dream: teaching fitness.

New focus: fitness!

Like so many stories at Women’s Survival Guide, there was a passion that wasn’t supportable for whatever reason. In Cindy’s case the reason was expectations.

She was the first to go to college in her family, she is a type A personality and had goals to achieve. But, when the “success” side of her life burnt out, the old passion flickered to life. She knew she needed a change and she knew she had loved fitness from a young age. After attending a Gloria Stevens class with her mom at age twelve she wrote in her diary ““I want to be an aerobics instructor when I grow up.” How cute is that? She set about her new focus in the way she did with her corporate career, with gusto and a lot of degrees and certificates.

Today, Cindy is a Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Senior Fitness Specialist among others. Cindy has a niche focus, midlife and seniors, a health and wellness area that is overlooked and underserved. She still does classes for everyone, but her focus is a category called “Active Aging.” From doing her group classes she was asked to come to people’s homes and do personal training, which she still does. By word of mouth her business grew fast. We talked about how expensive personal trainers are but she has kept her fees low so that her clients can afford them. Seniors tend not to want or are able to afford expensive fitness, but Cindy adapts her fee model for them.

Covid pivot:

Cindy knew her senior clients were not going to be able to do in person classes or in home instruction when lock down happened. By April of 2020 she was up and running on Zoom. She began a program that she still does called “Ever STRONG” for $85.00 a month that includes coaching calls and online classes.

With Covid, her life and work took on a new dimension with the internet. She started posting fun, upbeat instructive clips on instagram and her world exploded. One of her posts got four million views on Facebook! She now has 63,000 followers on Instagram! I follow her and LOVE her easy to do exercises…I particularly like this post:

What’s next for Cindy?

Bone density and joint health! Cindy is working on a new category of fitness aimed at improving our bone density and preventing osteoporosis. For men, too! How do we improve bone density through fitness you ask? It starts with jumping! And nutrition. She is developing twenty minute videos to keep people engaged who don’t want to commit to a longer session. Like me.

Meet Your Trainer – Cindy Sullivan

Cindy Sullivan is a certified personal trainer and group fitness specialist with additional credentials in strength, functional aging, fall prevention, and posture/mobility training. She’s trained hundreds of midlife and older clients across the U.S. and was voted Best of Boston for her work.

Her motto:

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

CHECK THESE OUT!!

Beautiful, Daring, Stupid

The Writer and The Writing

It took me a long time to feel unencumbered when asked the question: “what do you do?” Because even when I could answer, confidently, “I’m a writer,” the inevitable follow-up question would arrive…

3 months ago · 19 likes · 18 comments · Meg Oolders

Burgin Writes Here

Things I Learned This Week

Welcome to another weekend! We are thawing out (slightly) down here in Texas, but don’t worry. By next Friday we’ll be back to spring weather. That’s how we roll. Here’s what been going on this week in my brain space…

3 months ago · 10 likes · Burgin Streetman

💪How to be strong with Cindy Sullivan

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 16:40:14 GMT

Subscribe now

MAVEN OF THE WEEK! CINDY SULLIVAN!

Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

Trying to have a baby

New focus: fitness!

Like so many stories at Women’s Survival Guide, there was a passion that wasn’t supportable for whatever reason. In Cindy’s case the reason was expectations.

Covid pivot:

What’s next for Cindy?

Meet Your Trainer – Cindy Sullivan

Her motto:

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

💪Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG

💪COMING IN A FEW DAYS…Cindy’s Maven Questionnaire and a recipe she loves!

💪Meet me in the comments!

What I love about Cindys work is that it is doable for those of us with a short attention span. Just follow her lead and your bod with thank you!! What are you doing to stay fit?

Do you have questions for Cindy? I have a few that I will post this week…

Leave a comment

ICYMI

Beautiful, Daring, Stupid

I had a little too much fun with AI today

I truly cannot WAIT to introduce these amazing young adults to the world. They’re going to steal so many of your hope-thirsty hearts it’s not even funny…

4 months ago · 13 likes · 10 comments · Meg Oolders

Distracted ❤️

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:15:19 GMT

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

Subscribe now

Thank you to those who have taken my survey! If you would like to chime in, here is the link!

Survey :)

I’ve been in the mood

to write some funny stuff but have had trouble getting myself to sit down and focus. See, life keeps getting in the way and distracting me.

You know the saying “Organized house, organized mind”? I think that’s a pretty pedestrian saying as far as sayings go. I mean, duh. No mystery there. But, it’s a thing, I looked it up. So. What happens when the house is full of month old Holiday piles?

Organizational Piles….

Granted, these piles aren’t just all over the place, willy-nilly! These piles are “organizational.” We can call the process a DeChristmas DeCrapping, because that is what it is. Piles, piles everywhere and not a place to hide them. The closets are full already! Do you have piles of Holiday gift bags that you have side eyed for use next year? How about those fancy boxes that seem to have been built with enough reinforcement to allow an elephant to stand on them? How does one throw those out?! So convenient. Just pop a gift inside and they already look wrapped with a bow!

Sometimes I get tough and chuck a few of those strong, pretty boxes in the Big Green Trash Bag. Then I pull a few out, cursing my weakness for the reusability of them. I am weak when it comes to reusability. I think I missed my calling and should have been born during the depression or WWll when washing tinfoil wasn’t considered super weird. What? We have dish washers to do it now!

My home has areas that are fully Holiday-fumigated. Not a sparkle to be seen. But then, the dining room still has its gorgeous HomeGoods Holiday outfit on (three layers!) complete with red candles and a few unused party poppers (who, I’d like to know, doesn’t pull a popper when given the opportunity?!). I think I have mentioned that I did iron twenty Holiday napkins for next year and a pretty big group of you said that you like ironing, too. So, who’s the weirdo now?

Currently, the worst of my “organizational” piles are sitting in several corners of the living room. Oh, Uncle Bob apparently didn’t like his gift, I see. He left it. Perhaps several (dozen) stocking stuffers were abandoned and they are in the pile too. That pile will go into the “Might Be Good For Next Year” bag. They tend to stick around for a decade or so because I forget they exist and by the time I find them they are kind of gross. Then, off to the Big Green Trash Bag they go where they should have gone to begin with. I’d love to throw everything away, but I just can’t let myself. It’s too wasteful.

What do you do with your Post Holiday Piles? I am curious.

Leave a comment

I’ve got the piles down to just two now. And, I have stripped the table. The place looks like a denuded….I don’t know…something denuded that isn’t suggestive. The potential for creative thought started simmering. Then, life stuck its foot out…..

Broken tooth….

Photo by Bogdan condr on Unsplash

The weekend before last I was innocently eating something yummy when I heard a crack and something landed on my tongue. Whatever it was got swallowed. That was part of a tooth it turns out. Things started to throb. It was a Saturday and I was up in the country. I made an appointment to have it “looked at." Looked at. Ya. right. I had had some unpleasant dental experiences in the not too distant past. The words “can’t seem to numb it” were part of that equation. I am a dental chicken.

I love my current dentist. She is pretty new to me, but has been my husband’s dentist forever. It takes about forty minutes to get to her, but at least she’s fun to talk to and I trust her. That doesn’t mean I don’t sit in the chair reclining like a piece of plywood. If I took pilates my teacher would be so proud of how long I could hold a reverse plank. I am trying to seem relaxed. I keep my hands all loose and sort of lightly clasped. I mean, what am I supposed to do with my hands? I figure they are an anxiety level “tell.” So, best to keep them relaxed and I can tense my stomach and buns to prepare for any possible pain. I don’t want her to think I don’t trust her. It’s not personal.

So, the old filling’s gone, the pieces of tooth confirm what we figured: fully cracked and must be pulled. Pulled. There is something so old-timey about a tooth being pulled. That can’t be AI’d or outsourced. I picture an intaglio print of a person in a chair with a bonnet and black lace up boots flailing and someone with pliers and their foot braced against the shoulder of the patient, pulling with all their might. But, that wasn’t to be today. A temporary filling was filled and I am sent home to await the call of the oral surgeon.

Needless to say, I had really tired myself out with all that stress-planking and pretending to be cool. Plus at this point the tooth was tender. Isn’t this a fun piece I have written?

A day later, also a ways away, came the drilling, pulling, scraping, stitching. It took an hour and a half and though the only part that hurt was a shot, I cursed myself for not getting some Xanax from someone. Cursed. My. Self. People. There is no need to experience scary things fully when you can not do that to yourself and your nervous system with a little nibble of quick acting Xanax. By a huge stroke of luck I had been with my father the night before and he suggested he get a car to take me home after the procedure the next day. It never even occurred to me. So, I guess it’s true what they say: We never stop being parents. Thank you, Dad(dy).❤️

After the tooth pulling, gaping gross hole in my upper jaw, being productive was not on my personal menu for the week. A few days later my energy came back and my brain started to work there was hope again for creative flow. But, I had to drive back to get my stitches out and I was petrified that they’d have to hurt me and I should have brought Xanax and gotten someone to drive me and and and…calm down you nut job. It didn’t hurt at all.

I was so happy! I am free to roam for a few months until they have to put a post in etc etc…let’s not go there. The creative juices start to flow. I consider painting again. I shovel more piles into order. Pel is away, I can do nothing or everything! I eat pepperoni and pretzels for dinner. I stay up until 2 for no reason.

In the morning, I pack the car and decide to head north to New Hampshire. I’ll go skiing and write. See friends! I turn the car on to warm it up. I trick the kitty into her crate. I throw my bags into the car and the dog. We’re off! My little fur family and me. Think I’ll get a coffee. That’s funny. The tire pressure indicator says two of my tires are at “zero.” Ha. Silly car. That’s so dumb. I just drove down the street and it was fine. It’s a mistake. I hop out of the car to go grab my coffee cocky as ever. Daring to be relaxed.

Eh, so let’s see what’s going on over here, hmm? What’s up little car? Ha. Your tires are just fi…. Wait. What?! They’re flat? Two tires are flat. I’m not at home and I have two critters in the car staring at me. And it’s really cold out, like 2 degrees.

I call the car place and report my situation and that I’m not home. They say if I can make it, I should bring it in. Ok. Will do. Click.

Hey! Two flat tires here. I know you’re supposed to be able to drive for a bit on these new type tires but gee, these really do look flat. You’ll be fine. Just drive slowly. Ok. Click.

Me again! Two flat tires. I’m just sort of a bit concerned about how low these tires are, you know? I mean. Should I just get towed? Nah. You’re fine. I mean if you’re up for it. Well, sure, I can handle it. (questioning my bravery?). Ok. Well, keep it under 30mph and see you soon. Um, ok. Click

Hi! Just, yes, two flat tires. Yup I started driving but it occurred to me, it might really damage the car if the tires are too low, right? Oh, yah. Definitely. If you’re on the rims definitely don’t drive it. Do you mind if I send you some photos? Of the tires? Sure, no problem. I’ll stay on the line and send you my cel number. (take and forward pics to his text). Yup, those are flat, but I think you can make it. Um. Ok. Click

So I drive the back way with blinkers on royally pissing off my fellow Boston drivers for being slow and cautious. I don’t blame them. That’s why I went the back way. I get there with great relief. They have the tires which is sort of a miracle. I take it as a good omen. An hour and a half later I am back on the road!

So, you can see, I’ve been distracted.

MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS:

How about you? Are you New Year-New You-productive?? Distracted? What do you swear you’re gong to start this year?

Leave a comment

Menopause: Important things to think about from the NYTimes part of their visual story:

MAVEN OF THE WEEK COMING SOON…

CINDY SULLIVAN FITNESS

Here is a clip….

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOU!

PS: Please tell me what books you’re into now for both reading and audio! I have a new link on the top of my web site to post what you send me!

🌟Maven 5Q: CK Steefel🌟

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 09:13:22 GMT

C.K. (aka Carissa) STEEFEL

C.K. wrote, produced and performed an award winning one-woman comedy, which received the Backstage Bistro Award (New York) and a Top Ten Best New Plays in the Village View (Los Angeles). She optioned her first screenplay, which placed second in the Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award organized by Amblin Entertainment and UCLA. She was later commissioned to write a romantic comedy, based on an original concept she created. C.K.’s comedy, “PTA Wars” was a semifinalist in two comedy festivals and was optioned. Her spiritual/family script, “Emails From Heaven,” was a quarter-finalist in the Table Read My Screenplay-Park City and the International Faith and Family Screenwriting Competition and currently a quarter finalist in the Page Turner Screenwriting Competition.

CK has been published in Defenestration Magazine and Chicken Soup for the Soul and maybe more if she carved out the time to submit. She is currently developing comedic videos on IG, TikTok and figuring out aspect ratio on Youtube. She writes personal, mostly humorous, essays, and interviews Funny AF Women on her Substack, Good Humor. She is currently working on a gift/humor book and an historical fiction novel.

Extreme Seinfeld fans know her as Gucci in the episode, “The Keys,” and, Sylvia in “The Cigar Store Indian.”

C.K. received her B.F.A. from New York University and is a joyfully married empty nester. She’s still waiting for her kids to text her back.

What is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?

Physically, the stiffness, the weird aches that are a mystery and you have no idea how they happened. That bruise? I don’t remember banging my elbow. I go to the PT for my neck but at my next appointment ask about the muscle that I think is above my kidney because I may have pulled it. How? I woke up. And because I now have a perpetual marine layer in my brain, I lose words, car keys, my glasses—oh but they were on my face the entire time.

Mentally, I surprised myself in the last year. I was never tech savvy but with hubby’s help I am learning Adobe Premiere pro. I can perform comedy and edit my own video skits. I get to be a comedian again. As hubby says, “It’s like you’re doing your one woman show again.” (In which I wrote, produced and starred in the late 80’s early 90’s to critical acclaim. Go me!)

What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?

I don’t think I’m “mid” anymore. Probably more like ¾ of the way.

I’ve had friends who have passed already. When it’s a peer you can’t help but wonder about your own last performance. I’m trying to embrace the unknown, my death date whenever that will be. It’s realistically closer now that I’m in my final act. But does my life hold another hour on stage or five minutes? I’m hoping for an invigorating hour filled with family, grandkids (please Mr. G-d?), more dogs, maybe chickens before my curtain call.

If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?

I would have told my 42-year-old self to be more frugal. There are financial surprises as we age: inflation, corporate layoffs, medical insurance suddenly saying, “Hey, we’re done with you,” the dishwasher dies... I never thought I’d be eager to get to 65 so I could go on Medicare and get senior discounts. Ace Hardware offers 10% off on Thursdays. I can finally buy that Battery Daddy storage container.

What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?

TV without cable. It was so nice to just plug in the TV and not have to pay for 500 choices. Yes, we only had 13 channels but if nothing was of interest you were forced to read or go take a walk, catch up with a friend, or, hey, write a letter to a cousin and drop it in a post box.

If in the next 20 yrs your life had a theme, what would it be and why?

Learn baby learn. There’s so much more to absorb, discover, read, understand… This includes making new connections, nurturing community, learning from and helping others and hopefully educating my fellow humans as well. Did you know that irregardless is a word? Lo and behold a double negative equals a positive. I am not unhappy about this.

WANT TO BE A MAVEN 5Q? DM me here…

Premium Squad Survey: Happy New Year!

Kim Druker Stockwell — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 01:17:29 GMT

Happy New Year, my incredibly supportive Premium readers!

I want to reach out and thank you for your continued support in Women’s Survival Guide! I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask you what you might like out of the WSG experience using a survey! Click below to answer four multiple choice questions…it’s fun!

Take The Premium Survey!