2015 and Life Is Still Good...

I suppose it's a milestone...maybe a sign of someone getting older...I don't know, because it's so foreign to me. ( Not the "getting older" part-  the following is foreign to me.

For the first time in 43 years, New Year's Eve found me at home with my husband, alone.  No disco balls, no fancy menu, no loud energetic crowd.  Just the two of us.  And I surprised myself with being happy with that.  We have always "gone out" for the notorious party night but this year, we were content to stay in.

For so many years, we worked on dance committees that had us having as much fun getting ready for the big night, as we did the night itself.  The school cafeteria would be transformed into a beautiful venue.  Bands or DJs kept us moving (and the alcohol made us less inhibited, of course.)

There was a year when we prepared dinner for another couple.  It was when we had wee, little ones and it was easier to just let the kids have at it, instead of the adults.   But other than that night, we were "out".  There were a few New Year's Eves that had us going a bit more "upscale", to reception halls.  The same group of friends, enjoying each other, delicious food and again, the alcohol.  Some years, the food and drink was provided by friends, in their basements, for a more intimate, less rowdy night.  A few years, we even rented our own hall and partied on.

Those days of partying had us lining up baby sitters months in advance.... finding the perfect outfit to wear...taking longer-than -usual to get ready...(I remember one year, I even donned fake eyelashes!  What was THAT about?) I don't remember one year when we didn't have the best time!

Those were great nights...wonderful memories.  But you know what?  Being with the most important person in my life, alone, was alright, too.  The clock still struck midnight, the new year still began and life is still good.  Happy New Year, everyone!

P.S.  And am I feeling better (less hung-over, less tired) than 80% of you partiers?  Yep, life is good.

Another Christmas In The Books...

Another Christmas in the books and it was a dandy!  The family. The friends, the food, the gifts, the music, the fun -all outstanding!

Now I don't share the retailers' enthusiasm for the season when they have Christmas trees in the aisles by Labor Day, but I AM an early bird.  I decorate the house early---Thanksgiving weekend-early.  We have an annual party the first week of December and that gets me moving....and done!

I must ask though -why is it that putting up the Christmas decorations is so much more fun than taking everything down and putting it away?  Is it the "kid" in us that makes us excited about the upcoming season?  Is it the "kid" in us that's disappointed when it's all over?

I LOVE Christmas and everything that comes with it but by Christmas, my things have been up so long, I have cobwebs on the tree!  For me, when Christmas is over, it's over!  I don't want to hear a Christmas song one day after the 25th.  I'm not sure our decorated tree has ever seen New Year's.

I envy those who luxuriate in the season, after the actual day... The trees and lights do look pretty, into January, just not in our home.  I do hate how the house looks so dark and empty when the holidays are over though.  But I have the warm memories of another wonderful holiday season to carry me through til next December....and the hope that everyone I hold near and dear will be here then, too.

I guess it's just in my DNA...hurry thru things, get to it and be done with it.  If I was fortunate enough to have any super power of my choice, it would be to blink my eyes and just skip through January, February and March.  Except for a trip to Florida and four family birthdays, there's nothing I like about that time of year.  Just fast forward me to spring.

I hope you all have a warm and wonderful winter.  Me?  I'll be hibernating and will see you in the spring!

Merry Christmas!

On this wondrous day, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  After all the hustle and bustle, getting ready for the season, I  hope today, you feel peace and joy in your hearts!  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Get Me A Filter!

 One thing I'm noticing  more and more is that folks, particularly those my age and older, are in need of "filters".   We (myself included) sometimes give our opinions, judge, criticize, whether it's solicited or not.  Sometimes it's needed.  Other times?  Get me a filter!

I guess I need to realize that it's a different world now and so much of what I think or have to contribute, isn't relevant anymore.  Do you think that maybe it's that we think we're running out of time so we have to get it all in?  Or maybe because we've "been there, done that", we think we have all this wisdom to impart?

I hope my input is always needed - we all want to feel needed. I just pray that I'm not some judgmental old shrew, in need of a filter...instead I want to be a part of a support group, cheering people on to better things.  We'll see how THAT goes!  Ffff

"Bacon and Cigarettes"

I read that a recent medical study has found that taking a baby aspirin daily is no longer considered to be as beneficial as was once thought.  What?  For years, the medicos have been telling us that one of those little pills would protect us from cardiac problems.  Now they're saying that it helps only if you've had a cardiac episode already.  So do I continue my daily regimen?  Do I stop, only to be told in a few years,  that my first heart attack could have been prevented if I'd have taken a baby aspirin every day?

This got me to thinking about all the dietary advice that we've been offered in the past.   And now I have to ask ---What are we to believe?  Who has the right answers?  What is going on?

Folks have been sucking down Diet Cokes, thinking they were less fattening than the regular Cokes.  Now "they" say that the sweetener itself can cause weight gain and health problems.  It also turns out that butter isn't as bad for you as "they" once claimed.  "They're" now saying that it causes fewer heart-related illnesses than margarine!  And dark chocolate is touted as a health food?  Sure, eat a piece of dark chocolate a day!  It's good for you!  We're supposed to reduce our sodium and fat intake, say one group of doctors...only to be countered by a group who say that our bodies NEED salt and fat in our diets and not having enough of them in our daily diets can result in health problems.

I really wish everyone would get on the same page.  I know that studies are challenged all the time...new findings disprove the old ones...  "They're" only looking out for us but they sure don't make it easy.  I guess the best chance at having a crack at a long life is "everything in moderation" and to keep movin'.

It's wishful thinking here, I know, but I'm holding out for the day "they" reverse their stance on bacon and cigarettes and say they're really not that bad for us!  Now THAT would be a good day!

What Was I Thinking?

I'm a lover of fashion trends.  I should clarify that.  I enjoy reading about them.  I don't necessarily put them into my regular wardrobe. But it's fun to stay current, at least in my head.

For instance, I am fascinated at how mixing patterns is now considered fashionable.  I wouldn't THINK of wearing polka dots with plaid, then or now.  The popular furry looking vests, ala early Sonny and Cher, are darling on the fashion models.  Were I to sport one, folks would think Bigfoot was, indeed, among 'em.

So you get it...I see but I don't do....

That is, until one day, last year.  I don't know what possessed me.  Maybe it was the fact that summer was over...sandals were put away for another year...the time change had me in a funk.  I honestly don't know but something drove me to purchase navy blue nail polish!  I've seen all the cute colors in magazines.  Used to strictly be shades of reds, pinks, and oranges in the drugstore aisles but now cropping up are wild limes, purples, yellows, blues.   Cute trend for young gals...

Oh, what's the harm - painting toenails an outrageous color, in the winter, hidden by socks, shoes, boots.

Hmmm... Hadn't planned on a trip to the ER for a foot x-ray.  Whoops!  In the glare of the lights, my color choice of navy blue looked even more garish than it was. Almost like varicose toe nails!  I'm pretty sure those who tended to me figured I was some kind of old goof.

I make one bad fashion decision and you get all judgmental on me... (Yeah, right!  I've only made one.....)

"People Plan, God Laughs"

Saw that yesterday and realized how true it is.  Just four words... You can plan and plan and then whammo!  God has a different idea.  I'm not sure I can picture God actually laughing at our having to change our plans, but I guess it's a nice visual when life takes a turn, not to our liking.

There were plenty of times, I'm sure, when God was laughing at the Wrights, in the course of their married lives.  It started out with the bride having mononucleosis for her wedding.  Having to take two weeks off work to heal, beforehand, meant no honeymoon.  God got a kick out of that, I bet!  

I'm pretty sure the Good Lord thought he'd be getting a chuckle out of our planned vacation to Myrtle Beach that was almost halted by three boys with chicken pox.  But God would have to wait for his laughs that time.  After fretting and polling the 10 other families making the trip (to make sure they were okay with us going --they were.) we loaded up the old station wagon and headed south.  Turns out the salt water was great for chicken pox.  Who knew?  And not one kid from our group came down with the rash, after being with our kids for a week.  However, we have no way of knowing if a worldwide epidemic didn't start with kids NOT in our group...like the ones who happened to be in the hotel game room, which emptied, when our boys entered....(Ah, unlimited Pac-Man!). Maybe God got his giggles out of THOSE kids' parents' wrecked plans.  

When some of our plans --- serious "life"ones --- never came to fruition, it wasn't as funny.  Plans that involved money, serious health issues, real estate challenges, job changes, the kids being disappointed over something -all were unavoidable, as they are for everyone.   But while God was smiling...maybe even laughing at these times,  He was also helping us get through 'em.

Yes, life has a way of moving along.  You can plan and plan and it just doesn't work out the way you want it to...all the time.  I guess we should just try to roll with the punches, smiling,  maybe even laughing, when our plans don't work out.  Because I'm pretty sure God is.

A Toy Story

As Christmas nears, I'm sure everyone's kids and grandkids are making their lists.  No doubt, they have the old standbys, like dolls and bikes, on them.  And I'm sure technology is represented on a lot of their lists, too.  With that thought in mind, how do you think they'd feel about receiving a "Slinky" or a "Magic 8 Ball" instead?   I'm pretty sure their excitement wouldn't match mine the year I found those items under our tree!

I've been thinking about how far we've come in today's toy departments.  Who wants to join me on a Christmas shopping trip to a toy store of the 60's, 70's and 80's?  Let's go!

Today's kids have Ipods on which to hear their music.  We had "phonographs" or record players on which to play our 45's.  Kids today  may have cameras and smart phones with cameras in them.  We had the "ViewMaster", that "viewer" that allowed us to look at slides of vacation spots or the characters of our times, like "Quick Draw McGraw"or "Superman"... and  who can forget "ColorForms", those plastic shapes that "magnetically" stuck to a board?

Kids today can play games like "Candy Crush" or "Heads Up" on their phones and tablets.  We played board games like "Mouse Trap" and "Operation".  If we wanted to be really active, we had "Twister", the game that had us contorting into all kinds of positions, according to whatever came up on our spin of the wheel.

I always wanted an Easy Bake Oven until I found out from a neighbor girl, who received one for Christmas, that it took about two hours to bake a cake with that lightbulb!  (Patience has never been one of my virtues....nor is baking one of my talents.) I never mastered the Etch A Sketch either, that magnetic screen with the knobs,  but I thought they were silly anyway.  If you wanted to get really creative, there was always  Mr Potato Head, that goofy toy that had you inserting plastic face and body parts into a real potato. Good lord...

Recollections of toys from the past wouldn't be complete if the list didn't include Barbie Dolls and Chatty Cathy dolls.  They were both pretty innovative in their day because one had a very womanly shape and the other one blathered on, at the pull of a string.  Hmmm... Sexist stereotyping?  Maybe, but, as a little girl, I received a "Doctor's Kit" one Christmas so, maybe not.

Kids today seem a lot more sophisticated with their toy choices than we were.  But I think,  that without the toys of the past, there wouldn't have been the evolution into the toys we have today.  So kids of today... You're welcome!

The Art of Casual Observing

Well, I'm trying something new.  I'm trying to master the art of casual observing.  That's going to require watching the world go by without being judgmental or vocal...This is a challenge for someone who seems to have an opinion on just about EVERYTHING!

Some recent casual observations...

I see a cute couple at dinner, each intent on concentrating more on their phones than on each other.  I so WANT to say "you have a gorgeous lady with you!  What could be more important?"

 I see someone taking credit for something when they had nothing to do with its success.  I WANT to tell them  a popular online saying "takers eat better but givers sleep better" ..."how about giving (credit) for a change, hon..."

I see countless motorists, who instead of paying attention to the road, are looking at their phones (do you sense a theme here?) I so WANT to yell out my car window at them, "Pay attention to driving, you jerk!"

I have dealings with a company that said they'd do something and didn't come thru with their promise.  I WANT to tell their rep that "I deserve better."

 I'm sitting in a doctor's office for an hour or more past the scheduled appointment.  I WANT to ask the receptionist  "Isn't my time just as valuable as yours?"
 
I could go on and on with things I've observed recently and felt the need to speak out about.  Maybe just getting along with people is better than getting all worked up about their lives and how they live them.    And a wise man DID once say "It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt". Maybe I'll keep you guessing, for now.   I'll  be quiet THIS time and casually observe... but just so you know, it's very hard...

"Santa, St Nick and Snitch the Elf"

Is there a time of year when there is so much to get done?  With the holiday preparations, the shopping, the baking and cooking?  And is there a time of year when youngsters get as excited as they do, during this holidays season?

I'm not ashamed to admit that, as a young Mom,  I had an arsenal to deal with bad behavior this time of year....and I bet you did, too.  Whether it was caused by a lack of sleep, too much sugar or just the fact that kids can be buttheads sometimes, it didn't matter.   During those trying episodes, I wasn't afraid to call on "The Christmas Trinity" - Santa, St Nick and "Snitch the Elf".

"Santa won't come if you don't behave"...was a  frequent comment in our house this time of year.  I couldn't have been the first Mom to use that tactic, I'm pretty sure.  A song with the lyric "He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake" was around long before I became a Mom.  (And isn't it kind of creepy that we encouraged the belief that some kind of stalker was checking out our kids at night?)

St Nick was the more dignified character (he's a saint, after all!) that was the midterm gauge on how the boys were behaving.  If the boys got an orange, a few pieces of candy and maybe a small toy, like a Match Box car or a Star War's figure,  they knew they were in pretty good stead with the main dude of the season, at least in early December.  St Nick was kind of an assistant Santa.  You didn't want to tick him off, but come on!  An orange?

If that didn't keep the guys in line, our house  had another go-to guy named "Snitch The Elf".  We told the boys that Snitch the Elf was looking in the window and if they behaved that day, a piece of candy could be found on the window sill.  It was pretty amusing to see the boys try to figure out who messed up that day when there were only two pieces of candy on the window sill and we had three boys.  In the end, THEY knew.

It's not like our boys were juvenile delinquents....just normal kids, caught up in the excitement of the season.  But it sure was nice to know that those three Christmas characters had our backs during the most hectic time of year.

And young Moms.  Feel free to borrow any of the ideas.  I mean, after all,  what says Christmas like a stalker, an orange peddler and a Peeping Tom elf?