Summer finds....

Okay, I buy into the marketing hype, you all know I do, but I just had to try the new Stress Relieving Body Lotion and Body Wash from Johnson & Johnson. It said almost all women who tried it felt less stress. Well, duh, don't we all feel less stress after bathing?

But nonetheless, I loaded up my cart with the stuff, came home, took it for a spin. Well, it does smell mah-velous, dahling, but I doubt seriously if it relieves any stress. It has a baby powder scent, touched with lavender, very soothing, I went to bed last night smelling absolutely glorious.

And last weekend in Nashville, I hit up the MAC counter, purchased their bronzing blush and bronze eyeshadow. It's a keeper, but got home and read in People Magazine's Off The Rack site about Hot Mama Blush. Well, it's just the cutest packaging, and I had to have it for the name alone. I'm trying the concealer, too, I'll let you know if I look like one hot mama post menopausal honey with it on.... I ordered both from the Sephora site - you can read about it here! And if I don't like the Hot Mama, I think I'll try the NARS Orgasm blush next time. Ohhhhh, racy......

We were off to the movies...

LC couldn't wait for Oceans 13 to open. John and Tonia saw it last weekend, John loved it, we saw it last night, LC loved it. Me, not so much. Let's face it, this whole series of movies are guy flicks. The one token female last night was Ellen Barkin, and she isn't lookin' so hot these days. She's old now, she needs to hang up the sexy look, it just ain't workin' no more....

Lordy is that woman skinny. Basically she is a bone with obvious implants and a good haircut. As for Pitt and Clooney, they are showing their age, too. Clooney doesn't look particularly healthy, he's pretty skinny, dark circles under his eyes, just doesn't look like he's glowing with vitality. And even Brad Pitt is getting a bit of a saggy chin and crows feet.

So there you have it, one dull evening at the movies. No great clothes, no fun kitchens to look at, no good acting. Just wasn't my cuppa tea....

You have to check this out...

Cousin Pam sent me the following video clip. You won't believe this old woman, I'm telling you this is awesome. The clip is a few years old, Linda Dano has an 80's hairdo and heavy shoulder pads, so the lady in the video is probably no longer with us, but holy batman and robin is this old lady limber....

We all need to be doing whatever it was that she was doing to be this agile at her advanced age...

Check this out!!!

Let's get serious for a minute....

Hubby and I just spent the last few days in Nashville with John and Tonia. Ryan and Lindsay joined us on Friday night, and we were discussing various subjects and last week's kidnapping and subsequent murder of the young woman abducted in broad daylight from the Target parking lot came up.

I asked both Linds and Tonia what they would do if it happened to them. Tonia wasn't sure, Lindsay, however, had watched an Oprah segment on just that very thing and they told on her show to drop to the ground, start screaming and kicking at his ankles and knees.

That makes sense to me, even if you are at knifepoint or gunpoint, you will have a much better chance of surviving if you make major noise in a public place, because the abductor won't want to call attention to himself.

If he succeeds in getting you into the car, your chances for survival aren't so good.

So that's my topic for this Sunday afternoon. It could happen to any of us, hopefully nobody will ever have to think quickly in a situation like this, but at least maybe this will make you think about what you would do in the unlikely event that it happened to you...

I have better things to talk about than Paris Hilton

Holy Schmoly, aren't we all sick of hearing about this whining, pampered princess. Get your skanky ass back to jail, put on your prison issued big girl panties and do the time....

And, now to more important things... I have to tell you how much I'm enjoying Boca All American Grillers, and how after having one for lunch, I'm not hungry 'til dinner. Well, after talking with my buddy V this morning, I checked the box, those suckers have 14 grams of protein in them, I add a piece of fat free cheese for another 5 grams, eat it on a Healthy Life Bun and I'm good til dinner. No wonder, that's a total of 19 grams of protein! If you are weight watcher, the burgers are only 1 point, 1 point for the bun .5 for the cheese, for a total of 2.5 points. Simply amazing...

I've eaten Boca Burgers, usually the original, for years now, and never really liked them. Now I know why, it's because I never took the time to fry them in a skillet. I always slapped them in the wave, and it steamed them, and they were pretty bad, but now I take the time to spray each side of them with Pam, then sprinkle Tony Chachiare's Creole Seasoning on both sides, and slap them in the skillet instead of the microwave - it takes 7 or 8 minutes, but they crisp nicely on both sides, and they are actually good.

So give them a try, if you are trying to eat healthy, these things rock!!!!

Best movie of the summer, say the critics....

They've been advertising Knocked Up as the best movie of the summer. Great date movie, Yahoo critics gave it an A-, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 92%. Well, count me in, gotta check that out. LC was in a movie mood, he kept suggesting we go, so last night we were off to the flicks.

As we pulled in the parking lot he said he had really been looking forward to seeing Oceans 13. "Oceans 13," I said, "we aren't seeing that, it isn't on until next week." Talk about miscommunication, and naturally he wasn't too excited about seeing this movie since he was all ready for Clooney and Pitt.

As we settled in I started noticing packs of 16 year old boys coming into the movie in droves and thought, oh-oh, something isn't right here. Well let me tell you girlfriends, that was the most HORRID, VULGAR movie I've seen in years. I HATED IT, LC HATED IT, when we got out of the movie we called Linds and Ryan because they went to see it in Lexington. THEY HATED IT. But hey, don't let me tell you what to do, if you want to see a bunch of potty mouthed losers sitting around smoking dope, go check it out...

If this is the best movie of the summer, we're in big trouble. What a waste of popcorn!!!!

Oh my.....

pro·cras·ti·nate
Pronunciation: pr&-'kras-t&-"nAt, prO-
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat·ed; -nat·ing
Etymology: Latin procrastinatus, past participle of procrastinare, from pro- forward + crastinus of tomorrow, from cras tomorrow
transitive verb : to put off intentionally and habitually
intransitive verb : to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done

I need to clean my closet really bad, and my jewelry is outta control. I need to go thru my jewelry drawers, and sort and organize and what do I do instead? I scoop up Mags, go for a ride on Milly, trying to scout out the family of foxes that has moved into a hole at the top of the rocks that face Trisher's condo. And did I see them? Of course not, those foxes aren't going to be out midday, but it's a good excuse not to clean that closet and organize that jewelry.

But it's SUCH a glorious day in Heavensville, 74 degrees, blue skies, no humidity. Yeah, Ma, it's easy livin' today for sure.... She so enjoyed days like this. In her heyday, she would have been right on that golf cart with me, scouting out those foxes. Good memories...

Must have summer gadgets...

Okay, you all know what a foodie I am. And what a fan of Williams-Sonoma I am. And I've mentioned these items before, but some things are just worth repeating...

A couple of years ago I treated myself to this tomato knife. Yeah, I know it's pricey, but it was $15 when I bought it, so the price hasn't gone up. It's SO worth it, I just love this knife. So much so that this year I'm going to buy the tomato slicer. You can check it out by clicking HERE...

And a few months back I talked to you about my handy-dandy vegetable chopper. This thing is a "MUST HAVE" if you're into summer salads. Cubes everything into perfect size dice, and it's SO easy. I had the older version, now I have the new and improved one, and it's an amazin' raisin for sure, girlfriends. Look at it HERE...

And finally, i've told you for years now about these great peelers that peel skin off so thinly they even work for tomatoes and peaches. This nifty gadget is HERE...

So there you have it, one stop shopping, one shipping price. Williams-Sonoma should give me a discount for all the business I drum up for them.....

Well, I should be really healthy then....

This morning on "Paul Harvey" he said that Oats, Barley and Brown Rice are the top 3 healthiest foods.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... I eat so many oats, I should be TOTALLY healthy, then. Also lots of brown rice, gotta do the barley next....

Ever since I saw that horrid (except to me) Georgia Rule, and I saw Jane Fonda eating blueberries in her morning oats, I've been adding them to mine. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!! That's my goal, girlfriends, to have Jane Fonda's body by the time I'm 70!

~ Jan, laughing out loud.....

Let's continue this trek down memory lane...

It's natural to progress from soap to shampoo and hair products. I was never a Breck girl as a teenager, it didn't have enough suds for my liking. I was a Prell girl. I loved the lather, loved the smell. I always used Prell. And after shampooing, it was time to put in the hair rollers. But oh, no, I didn't use rollers, I used orange juice cans, and are you ready for this... Tampax tubes.

Yep, that's what I did. First of all I had to use some kind of setting agent to stiffen my hair so that I could tease it into heights that would give you a nosebleed. Sometimes I used a product called Dippidy Doo, but I also was a huge fan of.... JELLO!!! Oh yeah, Jello was quite the hair setting product in the 60's. You chose the color closest to your hair color, lemon for blondes, strawberry for redheads, black cherry for brunettes, and you mixed a tablespoon or so of the Jello in water. then sectioned a piece of wet hair, combed in the Jello and sat it on orange juice cans And the Tampax tubes, I put those vertically in front of my ears to make those little corkscrew curls. Talk about a look! And I actually went out in public with a scarf over my head and those orange juice cans in my hair. Well, not the Tampax tubes though, I wasn't THAT stupid...

And heaven forbid if it was a hot day and my head perspired, or I got caught in the rain, because my hair would get sticky! But I did have volume, egads did I ever have volume. I had the highest double bubble you ever saw. A double bubble was when you teased your hair really big and then the back of it had two layers - you combed that bouffant into a big bubble, attached a bow underneath it, had to have the "bow" and then you had another layer that turned under like a page boy. I probably have pictures of that look somewhere.

And twenty years from now, I will probably look back at my hair today, and wonder what I was thinking with all the choppy layers and the hair wax.

But then, twenty years from now, my hair will be blue, no lavendar, and permed! All 15-20 strands of it. *giggle*

Lordy, Lordy do I smell good....

I've had a thing about bars of soap for-ever. When I was a little girl Mother always used Dove. So did my Grandma Short, and at the time I didn't like the smell at all, but now I love it. Brings back great memories. Last year Tonia brought me like fifteen bars of it, and oh how I enjoyed unwrappping those bars and inhaling the scent. I used it in the shower and smiled at the thought that she gave it to me, and just remembered the smells of my childhood.

My Aunt Mae always used Dial, and I still remember visiting her house and washing my hands at the kitchen sink with that gold bar of Dial. I can just see the bar, attached to one of those little round rubber gripper thingies, with the foam running over the edge and down the sink.

When my teenage years rolled around Safeguard came on the market and I was in love. Oh, how I loved the smell of a fresh bar of Safeguard Soap. It's still around, but somehow either the smell isn't as strong as I remembered or my nose just doesn't pick up the scent like it used to.

LC and I got married, and it was Irish Spring time. We used that for years, along with the occasional bar of Zest. Again, it's that strong, sporty clean scent that just rings my chimes. Oh, and I can't leave out soap-on-a-rope. We always had that in the house, but did anybody ever actually use the stuff? I always just used it to decorate the bathroom with. Don't know why I had the urge to decorate my shower, but I was young and dumb...

And of course I bathed my babies in Baby Magic. STILL love that smell, it's just the best EVER.... And Johnson's Baby Powder, and lotion. Oh, the memories those smells bring...

Then entered body wash and I kind of got away from bar soap. I've used so many brands of body wash that I don't really have a favorite. It's good stuff, body wash, it's easy to use, fast, quick, but somehow it's just not the same.

This week I was at the grocery store and on an impulse I picked up a couple of bars of Coast Artic Surf Bath Soap. OMG, I'm in love with bar soap all over again. It's really strong and really fresh and soapy smelling, just totally delightful. They also make it in a body wash, but for now I'm sticking with the bars, just feels right in my hand. Know what I mean, Vern???

So here I sit, freshly showered with my Coast Artic Surf Soap, and I must tell you, I smell mah-velous, dahling....... just mah-velous......

Okay,so this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but...

it'll do in a pinch, I'm not picky, I'll take it...

Okay, I've just gotta jump in on this one...

First of all, all of you who read this blog know that I'm the most non-political person ever. It's just not my thing. I personally believe that the majority of politicans are biased, corrupt and not in office for the good of the common man but to further their own lifestyle and beliefs. Just my opinion....

And I didn't see the big fight between Rosie and Elizabeth on The View yesterday, I just saw snippets of it on the net. I was starting to form an opinion before I saw the argument in it's entirety, and of course you all know that I am NOT an Elizabeth Hasselback fan, and you all know that I AM a Rosie fan, at least I WAS until she went on that obscenity ridden rant in front of those teenagers at that prestigious luncheon a few weeks back. I thought that was totally over the top and wrong and I got off her bandwagon. And I'm not climbing back on, she's just too far out there for me. I do, however, believe she is smart, honest and extremely talented, but she's a little bit too raw for even my taste.

But today I watched that argument in it's entirety and I am now firmly convinced that stupid, ignorant little Elizabeth be-otch is not only out of control, but is so out of touch with reality that she has no idea of what really goes on in the world. You know when you are in an argument with somebody and they become very defensive and won't let anyone speak, they are usually the one that's in the wrong. That's just an observation of a 50's something woman who has been in her share of arguments over the years. And boy would she not let anybody else talk!

And one other thing that really rankles me is why, out of all the people in this wonderful USA, was she chosen to be at Queen Elizabeth's dinner at the White House and sit at a head table with Prince Phillip? What has she ever done to deserve such an honor? It just looks like she is bought and paid for, but there I go being political when I'm not, but it does bother me when there are so many, many deserving people that are so giving of themselves and would have so deserved to be a part of that honor instead of this woman child who has done nothing, in my opinion, to make this world a better place.

If you watch this rant in it's entirety, you can see Rosie trying to stay out of it, and when she does finally speak, she does it in a moderated tone, as much as she can, while Elizabeth is screaming like a banshee. Rosie is a woman that is clearly filled with pain. She is genuinely painfully hurt by this little twit, and Elizabeth could care less. This isn't about politics and who's right and who's wrong, it's about a supposed friendship and someone asking a direct question and the supposed friend totally skirting the issue. I certainly wouldn't want that stupid little vaporhead for a friend. Anybody would be better than her... It will be interesting to watch and see how her perfect little world plays out in the next decade...

Maybe you don't agree with me. Just watch the clip and form your own opinions. You can watch by clicking HERE.

Okay, I'm finished with anything to do with political leanings. I'm back to my silly nonsense from now on, but sometimes, not often, but occasionally I do get my back up. And boy did this woman get my back up!!!!!!

Remember......

When you were a kid, zipping around the neighborhood on your bike. Ang visited today with her Sam, who is a very grown up fourteen now, and just happens to be the CUTEST, SWEETEST, MOST UNASSUMING, ADORABLE teenager I've ever seen, for real she is! I asked if she ever rode her bike and she shot me this look as if to say, "You've got to be kidding!" "Ahhhh," I said, "it's nerdy, huh?"

Its the times, life changes, kids are too sophisticated today. Hubby and I were tooling around in Milly yesterday, laughing at how golf carts remind us of bicycles without the peddling. Going downhill, the wind blowing in your face, you just can't beat it. That's one of the joys about getting old. I'm sure we look "nerdy," riding around on that golf cart with the M&M's, but who cares... It's a wonderful thing, to not really care what people think. One of the "few" perks we get as we age...

I just bet if Sam got on her bike and rode it down "The Hill", this huge old hill in Enfield that is really, really steep and just goes on for-ever, that she would have a big smile on her face. She would go really fast, the wind would be in her face, and she would experience pure joy and a giddy sense of freedom and excitement. It would be a good thing....

And how do I know this? It's because I, too, grew up in Enfield, and I bicycled down that old hill a gadzillion times when I was fourteen, and it WAS a good thing, actually it was friggin' AWESOME!!!

Let's talk....

Ryan has been here for a couple of days, leaving tomorrow for Chicago for a round of meetings. Lindsay is in Seattle visiting her family, LC was working tonight, and Ryan grilled. We actually fired up the charcoal grill, so much better than gas, just a bit more trouble.

Anyhoo, I've talked before about his grilled salad, but if you haven't tried it, make it this summer. Trust me, it's awesome. So easy, too. Just take a head of romaine lettuce, slice it in the middle vertically, LEAVING THE STALK INTACT SO IT WON'T FALL APART. Then you drizzle it with olive oil, salt, pepper, grill it on one side until it starts to char, flip it, and grill the other side. Then drizzle it with balsalmic vinegar, and a squeeze of lemon if that appeals to you, and it's WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

He grilled steaks for LC and himself, fresh salmon for me, sprinkled with dill and lemon juice, and a pan of grilled zucchini/summer squash/peppers/onions, drizzled with olive oil, and grilled in a pan with holes in the bottom until it all carmelized. Oh, it was an amazing meal, just amazing.

I'm just full of jokes today... another great one...

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.

Dear beloved pets:

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: In many ways, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a "gazillion" dollars for college.

And finally,

11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Janet sent me this...

I think I've published it before, but it's so funny it's worth repeating...

World's Shortest Fairytale

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl, "Will you marry me"? The girl
said "No" and she lived happily ever after and went shopping, drank
martinis with friends, always had a clean house, never had to cook,
had a closet full of shoes and handbags, and was never farted on.

The End

They are so special....

Just had to share Mother's Day pictures of my family from yesterday. I'm so blessed... And yep, they were dancing on the patio... It's those simple things, girlfriends...

It was a great Mother's Day....

I had a great Mother's Day, hope you all did as well. Ryan and Lindsay were here for the weekend, John and Tonia SURPRISED ME this morning, I didn't think they were going to be able to make it, as they had major yard work this weekend, but they got a lot of it done yesterday and drove in for the day. We relaxed, grilled on the patio, the weather was perfect, LC was home early from work, the M&M's were freshly bathed, life was really good for me today.

And I have to tell you about Georgia Rule last night. Does Georgia really rule???? Well, I, who of course have no taste in movies, loved it. You see, I have such a different take on movies, while most people go for the plot, the storyline, and quality acting, not me. I go because I like a certain actress and I want to see how she's aging, what the women are wearing, their hairstyles, their jewelry, and most of all what the houses look like. I know, it's shallow, but that's what I like.

Sooo, LC was working last night, Ryan and Lindsay and I went to see Georgia Rule. Neither of them wanted to see it, but they humored me because it was Mother's Day weekend. OMG, they just hated it, and I have to admit the acting was really schmarmy, and the storyline was unbelievably hokey, but hey, I was raised on movies like Tammy and Beach Blanket Bingo, and then went on to be a huge fan of flicks like Smokey and the Bandit, so this wasn't a stretch for me. And they had some really cute clothes and jewelry, but poor Jane Fonda, she is so weathered and so skinny that in some of the scenes she looked like a skeleton. She did have a couple of cute tshirts though. *grin*

I'm outta here, time for a hot bath and bed. Cya round the water cooler... Oh, oh, hair update... After several washings with Tide and Dawn, it's now faded to a more natural honey red toned color. It's not scary bad anymore, thank goodness, I may even leave it this way for a bit. Or I may not, I'm so fickle, who knows....