Thoughts on the Season
By Janet Morrissey

This is the season of kindness.  Everywhere you go people seem to smile more, be more polite and offer assistance.  It’s that time of year when the world falls in love, so the song goes.  I also know if we look for kindness, we will find it or it will find us.

This is a special time to be kind to ourselves, to indulge ourselves in times of pure joy and contentment, to do what we like to do and forget what doesn’t feel right for us.  Let this be a gift to you.

At our Denver Gathering, we celebrated the seasons and learned ways to enhance the changing of the times.  On December 21st winter solstice will come once again.  May you have an opportunity to spend time in nature, watching the sunrise and sunset, listening to the quiet, seeing if there is a message for you in this turning of the wheel.   With all the hustle and bustle, give yourself the gift of solitude.  Perhaps, you could invite a friend to share the meaning of the season.  There are so many memories we have collected in our lifetimes, treat yourself to remembering those happy times and the joy that was brought to you.

The Mother Board wishes you the most joyous season filled with beautiful memories and magical moments.

Poetry Corner in Crone Times!   NEW!

We will be starting a new Poetry Corner in Crone Times beginning with the February issue. After the poetry readings at Crones Counsel, many women asked for copies of the poems read but we were unable to provide them at the time. Now we plan to include as many as possible in Crone Times.

Please send your poem to Kianna. We will publish them in the order received (one per person unless they are very short). We will publish only as many as we have room for in each issue. If your poem is not in the coming issue, it will be in the next.

Deadline for February issue of Crone Times is January 15th. Please send poetry to:  Kianna4064@gmail.com.

New Year’s Resolutions From The Elders
By Kaye Chatterton

The Legacy Project gathers data from over 1200 seniors in America each year. The elders are asked to share their lessons from living to the next generation.

First, the elders agreed that “resolutions” are not really that helpful and that only a tiny fraction get acted upon.  Instead they suggest the following list is a better one than most resolutions and may serve you better.

Resolution:  “Ask yourself if you are glad to get up in the morning? If you are, great! If not, there is work to be done most likely on your attitude. Gratefulness is a good antidote as well as deep appreciation for other people.

Resolution: “Let your partner have his or her say.”  From marriages lasting 50, 60+ years the elders find that deliberately showing your partner that you are listening is a major way to defuse conflict.

Resolution:  About child rearing…”abandon perfection”. The elders say we lighten up about our children or grand-children and assume that failure is inevitable sometimes.

Resolution About Aging:  “Accept it.” To the barrage of advertising promising to defeat anti-aging … “Forget about it.” Instead the elders encourage you to accept the aging process…”grow into it”. Adapt activities to your changing abilities and circumstances.

Resolution About Regrets: “Go easy on yourself.”  The goal of living a regret-free life is unrealistic. You can’t change what has happened in the past, you have to accept yourself warts and all.

Resolution from me to you:  Be in the company of other amazing women!
Make it a “resolution to join Crones Counsel in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 4-8, 2017.  We will celebrate 25 years of gathering together.  This 25th jubilee is not to be missed. Listen to your Crone within. Aging well is a goal worth wanting.

Results of Crones Counsel 24 in Denver

Here are the results of the survey of attendees from Crones Counsel 24 in Denver. https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-TCGJZGRX/  Hope you find it interesting reading.

Host the 2018 Crones Counsel

We are looking for a Crone’s group to host the 2018 Crones Counsel. Prior experience helpful, but not necessary. A strong local Crones Circle is extremely helpful but planning can take place long distance. A detailed Planning Guide is available for your use. Contact Janet Morrissey at President@cronescounsel.org if you have the tiniest bit of interest.

Donate to the Crones Counsel Archives

If you would like to contribute your Crones Counsel historical materials, please send them to the Archives Committee Chair, Janet Osborne at the address below. Materials sent won’t be returned.

Janet Osborne
480 N 1000 E
Hyde Park, Utah  84318