WOOF: 50 Women Over 50 - Meredith Vieira

The list is endless. Women Only Over Fifty (WOOFers) who lead vibrant, meaningful lives and just seem to get younger every day.

Since we can't cover everyone, WOOF decided to start with 50 and each week pay tribute to one of them.

Meredith Vieira was born in East Providence, Rhode Island, to first generation Portuguese-Americans. All four of Vieira’s grandparents came from the Azores, three from Faial Island, one of the nine islands in the archipelago. They all left for a better life in New England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – settling around Providence, RI. She is the youngest of four children, with three older brothers.

She first gained national recognition as a CBS reporter based in their Chicago bureau from 1982 to 1984. She later became a correspondent for nationwide news-magazine shows including West 57th (1985–89) and 60 Minutes (1989–91).

Vieira served as the moderator and co-host of The View from its debut in 1997 through the spring of 2006. Her co-hosts gave her a roast to commemorate her final appearance.

Beginning SEP 13, 2006, she left The View to become co-host on The Today Show, and a contributing anchor for Dateline NBC. In addition, she had a brief stint on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2003, appearing in various scenes, A series of guest appearances including Desperate Housewives, 30 Rock, and made a cameo appearance as a reporter in Madagascar: Escape From Africa.

Vieira married Emmy-award winning CBS News journalist Richard M. Cohen on June 14, 1986. They live with their three children in Westchester County, New York. Her husband has had multiple sclerosis since he was 25 years old. She's active in several charities, but says that the one closest to her heart is Multiple Sclerosis, because of her husband's illness.

"I do my best given the platform that I have to get the word out about this disease, to let other people know they're not alone, and that this illness is very much a family affair. Richard and I are often asked to speak about MS, and we believe we have an obligation to do so."

She also serves on the board of the New York chapter of the MS Society, and participates in the annual MS Walk.

I have a special place for Meredith (I call her by her first name because we're friends, ya know). When WOOFer Diana and I took a short trip to NYC for our birthdays a couple of years ago, we stood with our homemade sign, along with all the screaming zanies, outside The Today Show. During a commercial break, she walked over, congratulated us on our birthdays and gave us a big hug! So, back atcha, Meredith!

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WOOFer Revolution: Best Friends

February is the month of love... Last week we addressed love of chocolate. Before that, well, who cares. Chocolate surpasses all other loves...

Okay, not really. So, as February comes to a close we're looking at love between best friends. Cause really, at the end of the day, week, month, year...lifetime, we are most grateful for our family and friends. And for some of us, our best friend may either be a family member or sure seem like it.

Milkbone & d.d.dawg have been best friends for close to 50 years. They are also best friends with their spouses. But hey, there are still some things you can only share with a best girlfriend!!

In fact, what are some topics YOU might only share with your bestest girfriend?

No, you don't have to share details (unless of course you WANT to!!), but just leave a comment on which aspects of your life that just would not be the same without your best female friend. Mention her name, pass along the blog post to her...so we can all "feel the love!"

(When we were writing Women Only Over Fifty, we actually had to edit some of our most favorite best friend stories! -- Milkbone & d.d.dawg)

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Land The Job You Love - Mary Eileen Williams

We're so happy to welcome one of our all-time favorite WOOFers, Mary Eileen Williams. Welcome to the WOOFers Club Blog, Eileen!

Aside from writing your blog and hosting your radio show, Feisty Side of Fifty, you’ve just written a book for jobseekers over 50. What led you to do this?

I feel so many people have been discouraged by the news—especially older jobseekers. I’ve been a job search specialist for twenty years and wanted to help. So I decided to write a book and disclose several insider tips and techniques that make a huge difference in getting a job.

Hopefully, Land the Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50 will save people time, money, and lots of frustration.

What’s the #1 factor holding older applicants back?

We buy into the idea that, because we’re older, we’re no longer valuable or desirable in the workforce. Nothing could be further from the truth! We’ve got great experience, highly developed skills, a mature work ethic, and a substantial network of coworkers, clients, and customers. Besides that, a huge percentage of the workforce is over fifty and our ranks are rapidly growing. There’s absolutely no reason we should feel at a disadvantage because of our age.

What are some tips that will help older applicants?

• Market your skills—substantiate them with examples of you performing your work at its best.

• Use your network to your advantage. There are relatively easy ways to network your way into your targeted companies and get yourself in front of key decision makers.

• Present yourself well on paper: often a resume will be the first impression of you. There is a particular style that works best for older applicants in the book. Highlight your accomplishments in such a way they are readily apparent within a 30-second scan—that’s about how long most reviewers spend deciding whether or not they’ll read your resume.

• Know the interview process. Practice frequently asked questions and how to best respond to behavioral style questions. Create your own list of questions to ascertain the needs of the interviewer and the company. Prepare, prepare, prepare—this is showtime!

• Anticipate success: learn the best ways to market yourself and you’ll land a job you will love!

Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., NCC has twenty years’ combined experience as a job search specialist, career/life transition counselor, university instructor, and writer. She also has a popular blog and radio show called, Feisty Side of Fifty.

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Hear fabulous interviews on Feisty Side of Fifty - Blog Talk Radio!

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50 Women Over 50: Harper Lee

The list is endless. Women Only Over Fifty (WOOFers) who lead vibrant, meaningful lives and just seem to get younger every day.

What can we possible say about Harper Lee that hasn't already been said, written about, published? She wrote one - count 'em - one book. Oh, but what it book it is! To Kill A Mockingbird, Pulitzer Prize winner, 1961 and Academy Award winning film in 1963, became my favorite book the first time I read it, and it still is.

Nelle (pronounced Nail in her South Alabama hometown, Monroeville) was as much a tomboy as narrator, six-year-old Scout. This is one of the reasons I so identify with the book. Jane Hybart, a childhood friend writes that, during a softball game, she intercepted a ground ball hit by Nelle and was set to tag her out at first base. Instead of letting that happen, Nelle plowed right over Jane, knocking her flat. "Like a freight train," Jane recalled. Nelle was also wild about football, and played center on her hometown 4th grade football team. My kinda gal!

I found Harper Lee's insecurity about her writing, refreshing. Reading through the early years of her life, it was easy to see the huge influence played by her supportive father; even if he did think giving up law school to move to New York to write, was an "unpractical profession." He thought she'd be much happier staying in Alabama writing for the Monroeville Journal. Had it not been for the encouragement of an old friend, Truman Capote, perhaps she would've backed out and the world might never have read, "He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning." (I still get chills when I read this final sentence)

Harper Lee was and, according to all accounts, still is her own person; a small-town, Southern girl who took a chance moving to New York to pursue her dream, when staying in Alabama, writing for the hometown newspaper, would've been the safe choice. Every time I re-read To Kill A Mockingbird, I thank her for that decision.

To learn more about Harper Lee, I'd recommend Kerry Madden's biography, Harper Lee: Up Close Amazon

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For more Women Only Over Fifty thoughts & stories:

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WOOFers Revolution - Chocolate! 'Nuff Said!

It's Valentine's week and WOOFers are talking chocolate! We luvs chocolate!!

"...an explosion of cocoa science that has the potential to change the lives of people in terms of their health."

"...flavanols have the potential to inhibit biochemical pathways that can cause inflammation, which is a process that can contribute to cardiovascular disease and other health issues."

Flavanols, Schmavanols! Who cares? And, like we say in Chapter Two: Chocolate. Dispelling the Myth in "WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty," smart WOOFers know that chocolate, especially the dark kind, improves our moods and gives us reasons to woof down dinner to get to dessert...a creamy Dove Chocolate or Hershey's Extra Dark. What the hey? Gimme a full-size bar!

Now, before you go jumping on us about ignoring our health, we WOOFers are thrilled knowing these small bites of heaven really do have medicinal benefits. But I can tell you right here...right now, that the only biochemical pathways this WOOFer cares about are the ones from my hand to my mouth.

Unfortunately, chowing down on a five-pound box of truffles usually coincides with expanding waistline. Guess that's why I only bake 2 chocolate cakes a year...for birthdays. There's just the two of us. Still, a full-size layer cake disappears in less 3 days. Not good.

So, what's your favorite chocolate indulgence? Do you eat chocolate for pure satisfaction, or for medicinal purposes? (Yeah, right!)

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"Mind spinning? Mood Swinging? Middle sagging? Get used to it! When you reach 50, shift happens. But, you're not alone. WOOFers to the rescue!"

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