What Did You Accomplish in Your First Fifty Years?

The Esposito Brothers

photo by Kat Caverly, August 2010

What do you get the mother who wants nothing more than her boys to be happy and healthy for her 50th birthday? Honestly she started to cry when she saw the pictures. She has three amazing sons. The oldest is just 21 and the youngest 16. The middle son at 19. All are outstanding. They are each happy; all healthy. She asked for a portrait of that which is most precious to her—her babies.

She is loved and truly respect by everyone that knows her. She is the best at taking care of her family, and loving her boys. She has two Shelties, both male. I say she is drowning in testosterone but they all have a hard time keeping up with her. She is dynamic and charismatic, a healer with a heart bigger than the great outdoors she adores.

We ask ourselves what we have accomplished when we turn 50. It is a wonderous age, but can be a difficult time of introspection. And if you can look at your children and see how magnificent they are and how much they really do love you, this can be a very gratifying. These boys are magnificent works of maternal art.

Happy Birthday dear friend.

The studio portrait was shot with a Nikon D700, 70mm lens, and
Speedotron strobes, ISO 200, digital make-up artist: Kat Caverly

Celebrating LIFE

I prepared for weeks. Completing my 55th trip around the Sun was a big event and it was the preparation that made it so very special.

I was born at 1am in Chicago on August 7th but since I am usually in Dreamland by 9pm I had to prepare myself to be able to stay up until after 2am Eastern time. So I announced a countdown party and invited all of the special tweethearts who made a real difference in my life during this past year. It was an amazing event and as usual I was touched by the lovev and friendship that surrounds me on Twitter.

We danced, we sang, we celebrated life. I made my point that birthdays are the best holidays of all and that this joy can be shared with everyone.

My dear tweetbud @BetsC and her friend surprised me with this special birthday greeting:

And dear sweet @DrRemy created this musical delight for my celebration
For Kat’s 55th Time Around the Sun

And that was just for the first day of the Festival of Fives; Birthday Eve. I made a birthday pizza from scratch, and had fresh peaches and homemade whipped cream. I have to admit I could get use to this celebrating LIFE!

Today is my birth DAY and it is my mother’s birth DAY too (thanks mom), and Tom made me a handmade birthday card and shot the birthday song video. I was delighted to see the hoola hoop and of course I had to play with it not only in the video but in my birthday workout!

As I truly learn how to celebrate every day for five days I am considering extending this celebration indefinitely. Celebrate Life every day!

Special thanks to:
@Maryellen1961, @DanielBarta, @Scout66com – Janet the @Moonalice concert was a very special part of the party, @girlzoo, @BluePomGirl, @radish68, @RandallBeggs, @MrsWhich, @grnladybug, @olgoat52, @ShebaJo… and many many more sweet tweeties who stopped by to #CelebrateLife with me.

This has been the bestest birthday of my whole life.

What a Difference a Few Decades Make

In the Studio, Kat Caverly 1978

photo © Kat Caverly

It’s hard for me to remember being this skinny. But I do remember being weak and that wasn’t going to get any better on it’s own.

I came late to physical fitness. I went to Catholic school. No joke. At 30 years old I realized I wasn’t going to be young forever and I already had serious physical issues from a lack of conditioning. So into the gym I went.

In 1985 I was 100 pounds and 40% body fat. That was 40 pounds of fat. I know this because I started a regime of body building; seriously. I was so skinny back then that I didn’t worry about body fat. The fact was that body fat gave me any shape at all! Some of my muscles had never been used. It was sad but I couldn’t even carry a 20 pound turkey all by myself; at least not with grace.

In the Studio, Kat Caverly 2010

Kat 2010

Here at days before my 55th birthday. I weigh in at 127 pounds and 19% body fat. That’s 24 pounds of fat. Which means since 1978 I put on and have been able to keep 40+ pounds of muscle, which is really useful.

After age 24 or so the body does not grow automatically. So you begin losing muscle. If you never exercised by age 70 you would have lost over 50% of your muscle mass. All those aches and pains are not naturally aging. They are de-conditioning.

I am proud to be able say I have 60% less body fat now than when I was 23 years old. Even prouder to say I have 58% more muscle. I am proud of the work. I started when I was just 30 years old and it took me many years but now I can workout every day. In fact I feel my best when I exercise daily.

Getting my body fat below 25% was purely dietary. I will get into that in my next post. Please add your comments below and tell me your fitness story.