graphic Sunday Stills
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Reflections of #Peace at 60

festive birthday table
Festive birthday table

Well, I did it, I turned 60 last Wednesday. And yes, I feel peaceful about this slightly scary event! I admire and have many friends and relatives who are 60 and older, and most don’t look like the traditional perception of “60.” Whether it is their smooth but slightly weathered skin, graying hair, still-active lifestyle or young-at-heart attitude, 60 as a chronological age is not our grandmothers’ 60.

My grandmother died at age 64 of uterine cancer. She was young-looking as well; at least as young one can look in those fabulous 1960s-style clothes women that age wore back in the 1970s.

This week’s Sunday Stills theme is PEACE.

Whatever we believe about age, I am happy to be any age. After all, what is the alternative? We spent a lovely Thanksgiving week in Spokane, Washington with my husband’s family. They threw us another birthday celebration. You can see the amazing festive table in the above image.

celebrating a birthday

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know I am active and strive to live a leisure lifestyle. Yes, I still work part-time as adjunct faculty, but after 35 years of working at my day job, teaching university students what I’ve learned is NOT work. In fact, just walking around campus brings me peace. There is something about walking amongst the students and feeling their energy that brings me peace that feeds my own energy if that is possible. I guess it is the peace about being satisfied with my life as an educator.

peaceful campus
Peaceful campus during the end of finals week

I restarted my blog in September 2014, a few months before I retired. That alone makes my jaw drop to think I have been “retired” for five years. Talk about feeling peace! It is lovely to not spend my days dealing with stress.

Through blogging, I have met countless men and women who are writers, self-published authors, photographers, fitness experts, and artists. All inspiring folks whom I respect and admire. Photographers challenge me to grow and stretch my skills with the lens; writers and authors churn out amazing books, which pushes me to take stock of my own writing skills. I follow many bloggers who share their experiences in leisure, fitness, health, and travel, and I am continually inspired by their expertise and stories.

As I peacefully reflect on my good fortune to know you all, I wholeheartedly look forward to embracing a new decade in my sixth decade.

sunset on Klamath Lake
Sunset on Upper Klamath Falls Lake, OR
graphic Sunday Stills

Tell me, what brings you peace? Share your ideas in an original image, poem, music, short story and more!

Special shout out to Hugh Roberts for his post on how to center image captions! You can see it works!

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92 comments

  3. I hope you enjoyed all the Thanksgiving and Birthday celebrations, Terri. I always say that you feel as old as you act. Getting out and about, some light exercise for both the body and the brain, and socialising (whether it is online or in-person) is a sure way to keep us feeling vitalised and helps us to enjoy life to the full.
    Of course, as this week’s theme suggests, we also need plenty of peace, rest and time to ourselves or with loved ones to enjoy life.

    Thanks for the mention about getting the captions under your images to centre. I’m glad my tutorial worked.

    I’ll be linking to your Sunday Stills posts in an upcoming post but, in the meantime, here’s an image of what peace means to me.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

    Liked by 3 people

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  4. Happy Birthday Terri – welcome to the sixties club. I would never have imagined that being over sixty would be so much fun. Being blessed with mainly good health and a husband who has never grown up helps! My Mum, The Queen and our local heroine , a wonderful volunteer who has an MBE and special royal letters, are all 93 years old now, so if they can keep going we are mere youngsters!

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  5. Happy birthday Terri, we wish you a wonderful new decade filled with creativity, good health, fun and adventure! 🤗💖 xxx

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  9. Welcome to this side! Turning 60 didn’t seem to bother me as much as turning 50 did. I do think 60 is the new 40. I think our generation is more active and health conscious than the previous or perhaps that’s hopeful thinking on my part. Happy birthday and I look forward to seeing you soon!

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  12. Happy Birthday! A lovely peaceful post.
    My mother died at 59, same age I am now, so I get what your saying. Yesterday a woman I have been working with a couple of months and I were talking. She asked my age, and reluctantly I told the truth. “Wow” she said, “you don’t look that old”. Ever since I have been contemplating…is 60 old?
    Hmmm…might be an upcoming blog post..or maybe six months from now when it is my turn to join your club.
    See you soon. 😉

    Liked by 2 people

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  15. Happy Birthday Terri! We are the same age. I turned 60 last September. And it’s been a wonderful time for me. I hope it will be great for you too. Congrats for your site. It’s great. This is the first time that I have reached it and I have make a contribution to the challenge.

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  16. Well done on turning 60, Terri! And, congratulations! You are an amazing woman and don’t look a day older than 45. Plus, your energy and activity levels match women in their forties as well. It looks like you had an amazing time celebrating with Hans and then with your in-law family. I can see all that bringing you peace. What brings me peace is also what brings me happiness: spending time in nature on a beautiful day…

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  17. Happy birthday, Terri! 🎈🍰

    For me, the most important thing is to age gracefully, comfortable with who you are and without using any Botox or other drug to try to cheat time. I think you’re aging beautifully!

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    • Thank you, Aixa! I love looking a little younger for my age if not for the shock value when I tell folks my age. My students jaws hit the floor when I told them after they guessed 40s. I said I’d take it! The US is so fixated on youth and turning back the clock. I’m blessed to be with a man who grew up in Latin and European cultures where age equals wisdom and outward appearance takes a back seat.

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  20. Very nice post! Beautiful lake photo! I was born in the NW and lived up there for many years. I, too, will experience 60 soon (I have 3 years). 50 was hard, but I have the perspective to be healthy and stay active. And very importantly, be grateful for all God’s blessings. I love to travel and take a lot of photos. I want to keep learning things as long as I can, so for now I’m diving into blogging and photography! With my husband retired, he does so much for me, so I still work, and have time to do what is fun 🙂 I hope your next decade of life it the best yet! 🙂

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  24. I was delighted to see you and Hans celebrating with family in Spokane and excited about the future that may await you there. 60 is definitely the new’ whatever age you want to be’ and is not your grandmother’s 60. Lucky us!

    What a masterpiece of a photo from your peaceful campus during the end of finals week. The colors are perfection and the scene beautifully framed. And that sunset on Upper Klamath Falls Lake, OR. Wow, just wow.

    I think I have been following you since nearly the start of your blog. Definitely since November 2014. So glad to have met you here.

    Thanks for the tip from Hugh. Just implemented.

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    • We Boomers have successfully redefined the face of aging haven’t we, Lisa? I mean, who gives up their work and decides to circumnavigate the world on a sailboat…you! You are right and one of a handful of bloggers I know from the beginning. We had a wonderful time with the large family up north and feel that will be our new home in less than two years. I’m so ready. Thank you for your kind words about my images, Lisa, coming from you that is high praise! Glad you could use Hugh’s tips–he has really helped with a lot of the Gutenberg issues.

      Liked by 1 person

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  25. Happy belated birthday, beautiful YOU!! Thank you for bringing beauty to the world through your photography and for sharing the beauty you see with the rest of us. Your campus photo is stunning. Love the hush of quiet, the muted look of the fall colors. And that sunset. I swear you find beauty everywhere!
    Wishing you continued health, peace and beauty this birthday year.

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  28. Hi Terri, this post really resonated with me as I am about to enter my last year in my 50s in a few short days! Happy birthday to you and all the best for your 6th decade I’ll be joining you next year! Such lovely photos you’ve included too. I just love your sunset shot!

    You actually inspired me to do a post (I wasn’t planning to for some reason) in response and I have linked to your post, as you and others like you, have really helped me to navigate this next phase of my life. Here’s my link https://debs-world.com/2019/12/09/finding-peace-for-sunday-stills/

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    • We never know where inspiration may strike, Debbie, I’m glad you took time to share something! The sunset was shot out of our truck as we drove by Klamath Lake. We were relieved to out of the icy roads. Thank you and enjoy your last months of 59. For me it was a fabulous decade!

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  30. Sixty is definitely not what it used to be.Happy Birthday Terri and thanks for the link to Hugh’s post.Just tried it and it worked for me. Funny how single photos naturally center the caption but galleries left shift.Love all your photos, especially the sunset.

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  38. Happy Birthday to you Terri! MY grandmother died at 62, my age presently, and I so agree that the 60’s of then(it was 1975) and now are quite different. Wishing you many more years of active life and good things!

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  42. Happy birthday, Terri! May you have joy and peace in this new decade of life. 🙂

    I love reading about the peace you feel being satisfied with life as an educator. I’m getting my Master’s in Elementary Education right now, and it’s so easy to worry that working in education will bog me down. It brings me hope to see a seasoned educator looking back on her career with peace…I hope I can say the same when I’m 60.

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  43. I also loved teaching for many years: art at elementary and high schools, and religious courses at my temple’s school, and agree with you that no matter the hours of preparation necessary, it isn’t work to teach. It was a pleasure and an honor to work with children; I still miss it.
    And it isn’t age at all as years are arbitrary measurements, but how one lives. You do indeed live a rich life. So Terri, here’s wishing you a very happy birthday and a wondrous year. I know you’ll make the most of it.

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      • I’m glad you are writing. I’m getting to the finish line on my fitness book, in fact I’m sharing my cover reveal this Friday. I would love your input when you can visit. I hear you about the blog being a distraction and I’ve contemplated many versions of leaving. But I will use my blog to help promote the book next year. There are some nice facebook groups for writing and you may find fellow bloggers there for keeping your connections. The Literary Diva’s Library is a great one.

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