I pulled into the driveway, back from a business trip, at 3 in the morning and my headlights came across this in the midsummer darkness:

At first, I didn't know what it was. When I figured it out, I stood in the driveway laughing so loud that I would have awaken the neighbors, if we had any.

Every woman I've talked to lately is trying to figure out her next step.

What is it for you? The move to a smaller house? Closer to the grandchildren? A change of careers? Another degree? Finish the book? Ahem, start the book?

Whatever it is, you need to take the first step. This summer I'm working on a site relaunch, and one big step was to spend five days at the Poynter Institute, at a seminar called Bottom Line News, Creating Sustainable Journalism Startups.

by Roberta Martone Pavia

The big “5-0” has come and gone.

Pondering this milestone, I wonder why it wasn’t as upsetting as I had anticipated...

AARP has launched a new site called Lifetuner.org, (for which I'm doing some writing), and it's got some good resources for 20 and 30 somethings.

by Gillian Ball

Fiftyshift intern emeritus

Recently, during a momentary lapse of judgment, after a long, tiring day, I made a bold statement.

A statement so bold that once said, could not be forgotten. One that, if uttered in public, could potentially result in widespread panic and whispers of controversy. So bold that it hung over my head for days on end. 

I said, “You were right.”

 I was talking to my cat Fatty this morning about a story in the Times (which she, of course, had already read), that takes note of a new trend for cat, er, owners: the "catio."

Here's the lead:

WHEN it comes to their homes, there are few things New Yorkers prize as much as a little outdoor space — a terrace, perhaps, or a small deck in the backyard.

This began as  a post about Sharon Jones, who I will get to in a minute. First, a digression. You know sometimes you're looking for new music but don't know how to find it because they never tell you who's singing the songs on the radio?

Or you say, (for example), "Gee, I'd like to find some new music and I really like Aretha Franklin, but the old Aretha, not the crazy hat Aretha?"

Well check this thing out.

by Catherine Fisher

Coupons. We all get them. And most of the time, we toss them out. But in this economy, that's a big mistake. Like everything else, couponing has changed a lot in the past few years; today you can get them online, delivered via email, and even onto your cell phone. There's a lot to know.

We've been a fan of Pam Grier, aka Foxy Brown, since the 1970's, and were happy to see her launch a second act in the Quentin Tarrantino movie Jackie Brown, (based on the Elmore Leonard book Rum Punch, and we love Elmore too.) She's all the things we want to be in our fifties; tough, cool, and knows how to handle a piece.

She's got a memoir out and it looks pretty good.  Here's a cut from the Times story: