Facts of Five.... and Menopause!

If you are a new follower let me give details of Facts of Five. It was a model I used when I taught students with special needs in a self contained classroom. I presented a category such as ‘Five Cartoons’ or ‘Five flavors of Kool-aid’ and the students had to consider an idea that fit the group. It was fun and thought generating yet in the meantime, I was able to get to know what was important to my students.


Okay class, so let’s begin our lesson~ our category today is ‘The Joys of Menopause’ yes, that’s right; joys! So allow me to begin…

1.) I have an opportunity to experience the four seasons in one day! Sometimes, it’s even all in one moment! I put on a sweater, get a hot flash and rip my sweater off and strip down to a t-shirt. I get the chills and put the sweater back on until the next flash strikes. Yep, put on the flip-flops, nope, it’s time for the boots! Jacket on, Jacket off, put it on then take it off…wash, rinse, repeat! You get the picture.

2.) Speaking of hot flashes…I get my daily exercise without really trying. Built in aerobic activity and weight lifting occurs when I’m pulling up my sleeves, pulling up my pant legs, pulling down my socks, taking on the sweater, taking off the sweater, pulling down the pant legs, pulling up my socks, bending to put on the slippers and kicking to take off the slippers, rush to get paper to fan myself, fan myself, open the door to feel the cold air, then close the door to leave it outside, turn up the thermostat, turn down the thermostat…who needs a treadmill?

3.) Night Sweats and sleeplessness…ahhh, now there is justification for a daily shower and changing into a clean pair of jammies frequently! Need I say more? Good reason to stock up on the cozy baggy garments. Besides, who would fault me for waking in the middle of the night to peel the soaked fabric from my wrinkled body? I’ll take advantage and surf the ‘net or catch up on my blogging, but then again, I could always feed my addiction of Face Book!

4.) Seriously, mood swings and irritability~ don’t blame me, blame the hormones for the rage and the sweetness, the irate behavior and about that coffee mug I threw at you? That really wasn’t me, just ‘Meno’ talking; she’s not very nice sometimes.  Ahhh, you look gorgeous today, but stay out of my way!

5.) Last, I have a manufactured excuse for forgetting with the sporadic strike-at-any-time memory loss. Hah, who can blame me if I put the milk in the cabinet and the dirty bowl in the refrigerator, or word recall? What was that word again? Now, what did I come into this room for? I know I was supposed to do something but what was it? I was gonna tell you something but I forgot…what was I telling you? Oh yeah, the joys of menopause!