Can you imagine advertising a middle years makeover in the UK? I think you’d only get 60 year olds turning up! And who’s to say that that won’t be middle years in the future?

1. World Peace

2. Children to stop stabbing each other, and generally senselessly snuffing out young lives, which would hopefully be a big part of gift number 1

3. Seasons like they used to be: endlessly sunny summers, winters with snow, autumns of blue skies and crackling frost

For everything else, and if they can’t find the above when shopping, then I love a site called Problem Presents, definitely written to help solve the endless gift problem, particularly for difficult men. Go ahead, choose away, I’ll just enjoy the moment!

And whilst I quite like the sentiment, I’m seeing that it is written across the great US/UK divide. I mean, really, do you know many Brits, 40 or not, who are sitting around thinking “I must get my own registered dietitian today”?

I don’t even know if that job exists in the UK!

And today I should apparently be thinking of changing my career. Just after I’ve made my spreadsheet for my Life After 40 Plan.

Tell you what, it seems to be a lot simpler turning 40 in the UK! I was just thinking glass of champagne, a haircut, and perhaps a bottle of Chypre Rouge.

God, I’m shallow!

I was shocked to hear of the apparent suicide of the Kazakh model Ruslana Korshunova today, at only 20. I worked with her a couple of years ago, and all the words that are coming out now would apply to that shoot. She was sweet, funny, not at all diva like, and very young.

She was also the model I always felt was the most vulnerable, for no reason that I could put my finger on.

So, as I approach nearly twice her young age, I have to reflect that whilst I think it’s almost certain that I will never make the cover of Vogue, or be the face of Dior, or fly first class, I do have:

1. The joy of motherhood

2. Another 20 years of fun, laughter, hangovers, broken heart, bad choices and good ones over what she di

3. In spite of the whining yesterday about developing hayfever now, I’m in pretty darn good health

4. Another 20 years of friendship of love with great friends and my family

5. Just twice as much time

So whatever 40 is, in comparison to being so desperate that you want to finish living it at 20, 40 for me is lucky.

My thoughts go out to Ruslana’s family and friends as they reflect on her too short life

1. Hayfever

2. A wheat intolerance

3. A more pronounced intolerance of corporate dimwittedness (to put it politely)

Now, number 2 is an inconvenience but tolerable. Number 3 has been growing each year, and on each experience of it.

But number 1 has caught me by surprise. I mean, it’s not as though it’s a brilliant summer out there or anything. And then I read that caffeine tolerance drops in your forties, which might mean the weekend lattes become less enjoyable. But reading the rest of the page, I am hoping that that is just scare-mongering to make me take up the healthy coffee excellent business opportunity. Except all the products sound revolting.

Just have to find another way to avoid number 3 then!

So, as I have to sit indoors away from the grass, and guess not with a cup of coffee, I am going to entertain myself with this blog entry from Urusula’s Not So Secret History. It’s a piece from the Sunday Times last year, but still funny today. Juggling guilt would be my specialist subject on Mastermind, although I am lacking the home-improvement projects.

Although I quite liked this quote:

“40, contrary to public opinion, is not “the new 30″….turning 40 is about settling into, knowing and celebrating oneself better than ever.”

Well, I guess that doesn’t sound so bad. Although settling has never been one of my favourite words, unless it applies to settling down to a good book. It has such connotations of giving up, of second best.

Anyway, this quote came from my hunting down of others turning 40, and it’s good to know I share this milestone with AASECT. Which is not some snappy online name, but is apparently the American Assocation of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

Funny, don’t remember any of those being on the careers choices when I was at school. Could have made those sessions a whole lot more fun if they had! Anyway, my thanks to Joy at AASECT for the quote, I shall have to see if I can a) live up to it and b) not think settled is a negative word.

But as she gives the grown-up, improved version of the ladies from Sex and the City as role models, then I guess it’s not all bad news.

At least the shoes will be good.

But I’m going to find out. In 3 weeks and 4 days.

And I don’t know how I feel about it.  But the media is busy telling everyone what 40 should be like now, that it’s the new thirty, or something like that, pretty much every day.

So, I guess I want to find out if it’s true, and what the heck goes on when you get the other side.

As a woman, do you really become invisible? That could be fun in some ways!

Do you stop being able to find decent clothes?

Or do you become hugely stylish, savvy and sussed?

Well, who knows? Lets see!