40 years ago today….

LC and I were married.  Can it really be that long?  Where did all those years go?  Who is that couple that stare back at us in the mirror?  We actually took pictures of each other, looked at them, and said simultaneously, “enough of this shit.”  Seriously, old(er) people shouldn’t take pictures of themselves, it’s too depressing!

It was a good day, hazy and a bit cooler, just a nice easy time.  We have a local German festival, The Volkfest, I’ve always wanted to go, and today was the day.  We went for lunch, I had pig knuckles, beans, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, hubby had bratwurst and German potato salad, and it was absolutely, positively horrid! I guess I don’t like “authentic” German food, it’s too sour and vinegary for me.  My neighbor’s recipe for German potato salad is much better than anything they had to offer.  But it was something to experience, and actually the pig knuckle was the best part.  Thank gawd we left before they started to polka, I just don’t think I was up to watching all those old men dance.

We went to dinner tonight, had a great meal, then cruised the river and drove through our old neighborhood.  It was a nice day.  I’m mellow…

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

Lucille Ball: A Tribute

She would have been 100 years old this weekend…

Coconut Oil, it’s a good thing…

A few months ago, I bought this coconut oil at Whole Foods.  I bought it to make chocolate candy, it’s a long story, I won’t bore you with it, but the upshot was it tasted too much like coconut, and I didn’t like it.

So, it’s been sitting on the shelf in my pantry, and if you read about coconut oil, it’s good for a multitude of things other than cooking with it.  People use it as a daily supplement, and to moisturize their skin, and they use it to condition their hair.

I gave it a try as a conditioner this morning.  I didn’t warm it in water, no need for that, this stuff liquifies immediately. All I did was scoop a dab of it in my palm, held my hands together and it turned to liquid.  Then I ran it through my hair and left it on for a couple of hours.  Of course I looked like an Elvis reject, with my hair all greased up, no way I would have answered the door if somebody came, but when I lightly shampooed it and rinsed it out, I could really tell a big difference.

The dryness was gone, my hair was soft and shiny, and “conditioned.”  And, it’s a big pound jar, (think half of the size of a jar of Crisco) so it’s a really cheap deep conditioner/moisturizer.  And the coconut smell is much more appealing on my hair than it was in that chocolate.

You can get this at Walgreen’s, on sale for $10.  I liked it so much, I’m going to try it as a skin moisturizer next.

Don’t you just love a deal???  I always scout out the good stuff for you ladies, and this is a winner!!!

~ jan

Grammie’s secret weapon, my iPad!!!

Abby is twenty-two months now, a sweet little girl who runs and plays and adores her “P-Pa.”  Yes, P-Pa, he’s no longer Gampa, now he’s P-Pa.  And me,  I’m still just a blip on her radar screen, she only has eyes for him.

She and Lindsay visited this week while Ryan was out of town.  We had so much fun, friends came to visit, her Auntie V got to play with her, and we went for rides on Milly, and out to lunch with Ang, it was such a good time.

After a few hours of her ignoring me, I decided I needed a “gimmick.”  I brought out my ipad, and downloaded games and flashcards, and my little techkie granddaughter decided that Grammie was okay, after all.  She loved the iPad, we played games and watched videos, and she laughed and clapped those little hands, and her fingers were busy tap tapping away on the screen.  She was good, too.  She could figure out all the toddler games.

I’m so glad that I’m smarter in my old(er) age.  Sometimes you just have to bring out the big guns and change with the times.  So much for baking cookies, forget the cookies, entice them with the electronics…

Out, damned spot!! Getting rid of age spots on the cheap…

We all have them, the dreaded age spots.  Years in the sun, genetics, whatever the reason for them, they are horrid and we just want them gone!

Whether you have the discoloration, the flat darker ones, or the raised moles, what would you say if I told you that you could get rid of them for under $10?

Intrigued, sure you are, and you can do it!  I read a few years ago about using Gel Wart Remover to get rid of age spots, and I’ve been using it ever since.  I asked both my dermatologist, and a family doctor if this was a safe way to remove them, they both said it was.  Of course they aren’t going to promote this, they get big bucks for removing age spots in their office.

Using wart remover is just like a mini chemical peel.  You put a dot of it on the age spot, let it dry, and peel it off.  In a couple of days you can repeat it, but don’t do it too often or it will burn your skin. You don’t see results immediately, but in a few days, you will see the age spot dry up and then you can peel it away.  Moles, of course take more applications, just be patient.  You feel a slight tingle when you apply the gel, this is normal.

When the spot is gone, you are left with a red dot where you used the wart remover, but that disappears quickly.  Of course you wouldn’t want to use this on spots that look “suspicious” but for regular, ugly age spots it works perfectly.  I may have blogged about this previously, and even if I have, it’s worth a repeat.

You can all write and thank me later for saving you so much money.  Now head out to the drugstore and give this a try, you will be impressed, pinky swear you will.

~ jan

Monday morning…

It’s cool this morning in Heavensville, I sat outside, drinking my coffee, watching the M&M’s scamper through the yard, and the horses were looking at me through the fence.

My flowers were abloom, the birds were singing, and it was so peaceful. Life is good this Monday morning.

It’s those simple things, again…

Oldies but Goodies…

Remember when you were a kid and your mom used to make strawberry Jello and put bananas and strawberries in it?  It’s still crazy good.  I made some yesterday, and it was like going back in time.

Okay, so I did eat it with a dollop of yogurt, something I never had as a child, and a sprinkle of nuts, but oh, it was so refreshing.  I tossed the bananas with Fruit Fresh so they wouldn’t turn dark, and it was sublime.

 

And, continuing my little trek down memory lane, I’ve been using 20 Mule Team Borax to freshen my linens this summer.  It’s only been around since the beginning of time, and it still clumps in the box, but it’s awesome, makes everything smell so clean.  Now if I just had a clothesline.

Oh, well, a girl’s gotta dream…

Organize your life with Wunderlist…

It’s too hot to do anything else, why not get organized.  I have found the neatest app, totally free, and it works with Windows, Mac, Ipad, Android and Iphone and allows you to syncronize between everything.

It’s not difficult to figure out, it’s very simple to use, just watch this video to get you started.  If you’re like me and most of my friends, we can’t remember anything.  Our thoughts are so elusive, they’re gone in a heartbeat, but with this little application you can quickly type out what you  need to remember, and you’ve got it on your computer and if you have a smartphone or iPad, you can sync with it.  You can even email your lists to your friends, and share lists with people, so they can add to them as well.

The possibilities are endless, just watch the video and give it a try.  What else do you have going on this steamy day.

~ jan

Here’s the free download….

 

My summer garden…

I took some pictures of my garden this weekend and made an album.  Enjoy…

~ jan

If you double click the picture, it will enlarge to full screen

Baby Moose in the sprinkler, a feel good moment for all of you…

Jean sent me this video, it is precious beyond words.  Take a moment to watch it, and enjoy the beauty that is nature and the wonder of animals.  Huge smiles for you this morning… 

~ jan

Here’s whats making me smile this morning…

Fleurs from the garden, a cute little watermelon jar and my red ramekins.  Don’t you love color in your kitchen?

Time is a River–what a fascinating book…

Last week I read Time is a River, by Mary Alice Monroe.  Oh, was it a great book, about, of all things, a woman fly fisher.

I was so entranced with the book, I realized that I would have loved to have learned fly fishing.  I somehow, can’t see me in waders at this stage of my life, but it was a nice little fantasy.

To be surrounded by water, nature and serenity, gently casting the line, oh yeah, I would have loved it.

So, if you want a great read this summer, this is a real page turner.  I just love books where women retreat to mountain cabins, surrounded by nature, that type of fiction always appeals to me, and this book took it to another level, complete with a resident “spirit.”

Here’s the site, if you want to read the synopsis. I’m a big fan of Ms. Monroe, all of her books have been excellent, especially The Beach House, a favorite summer read of mine from a few years ago…

Here’s a video trailer of the book.

Enough already…

We complain when it’s cold, we complain when it’s hot, but holy crap, it’s a towering inferno in Heavensville.  With temps hovering near 100 and the heat index at 120, it is stifling.  Hubby and I were out this morning, my chest felt congested, my eyes were burning so badly from the ozone, all I wanted to do was come home.  And dear hubby reminded me that hot weather is really hard on old people, bless his hot little heart.

I take Mollie out to potty, she is oblivious to the heat, sits on the sidewalk, and I have to go out and drag her inside.  Hubby is holed up in the den watching cowboys, it’s too hot for him to even play in the garage like he does most days. The air conditioner is going full blast, all the ceiling fans are running, and I’m sitting at the computer with a fan blowing on me, thinking that our energy bill is going to be astronomical this month.

Maybe we should take in a movie, but there isn’t much to choose from, so here we sit.  Too hot to go for a ride on Milly, too hot to talk to the neighbors, let’s just hope the power grid doesn’t go down, that happened in parts of Heavensville this morning and knocked out our internet.

Remind me of this in January, when the snow is flying and I’m complaining about sub-zero temps.  But, Geezy Pete, the weather is horrid!!!

Growing old is SUCH a bitch….

The saying, “Growing Old Isn’t For Sissies” is starting to ring true around here.  I haven’t identified with music, or most television shows for years now, but lately, I don’t feel like I’m in the loop of life either, instead, I’m standing on the sidelines watching the younger generations do all the fun interesting things I used to, but no longer do, and without the energy or desire to do these things if I could.  I’m not depressed, life is going along smoothly, and I’m grateful for the health and well being of those I love, I just don’t like the feeling that I’m  out of synch with the woman I used to be and the woman I am now.

I think that perhaps a lot of my problem stems from the fact that I don’t allow myself to “think” like a woman in her 60’s, that I still “think” like my younger self, but of course I look and act older, and no longer fit the old mold, so that isn’t working for me.  But what should I be doing that’s more age appropriate?  I abhor the thought of going to some Senior Center for lunch, playing cards, listening to people lecture on health care and tax shelters.  I think this behavior is for “old” people, but surprise, I’m old now, too, but I just can’t relate. 

I would never be on a bus to Branson, I detest organized anything, and so I’m floundering, trying to find my niche as a senior citizen, when inside, I haven’t let go of the younger me and accepted my age.  It’s like I’m in transition, but I don’t know what I want to transition to.

Are any of you struggling with this, are you nodding your heads in agreement with what I’m saying?  Is there an answer, or is this just one of those gray areas that has no answers.

So, for now, I’ll continue to do the simple things that give me pleasure, gardening, reading, pets, friends and my sweet family.  I have so much to be grateful for, John and Deanna will be married soon, Abby will be turning two this fall, and LC and I are cohabiting peacefully since his retirement.  So, I’ll count my blessings and maybe I’ll find my stride and some new interests that I can share with all of you.  In the meantime, I’ll just keep on keeping on…

Memories that last a lifetime…

As I look back over my life to moments that were truly memorable, it’s feelings that I remember most.  Not what kind of car we drove, where we lived, where we vacationed, nothing superficial, just those simple things I talk about so often that I remember most.

• The smell of the earth after a summer rain
• Hanging clothes on the line to dry on a bright summer morning and the way they smelled of sunshine as I folded and put them away
• Clean little boys, fresh from their bath, running through the house into my arms. Just inhaling their sweet little boy scent and kissing those soft little cheeks, it was pure magic
• Crickets and frogs and fireflies on a summer evening
• Pitchers of sun tea in a big glass jar
• Mother coming to visit with a bouquet of flowers, sometimes picked along the road
• The smell of new mown hay as hubby and I took evening rides in the country
• A pretty sundress, worn with a summer tan
• Summer days, spent at the lake with the boys and Muffin, our cocker spaniel. Veronica and I, sitting right in the water in our lawn chairs, talking, one eye always on the kids.

I could go on and on, the older I get, the most I reminisce about my younger years.  I appreciate what life gives me more today than when I was younger, wisdom really does come with age…

Happy 4th of July!!!!

I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag

Of the United States of America,

And to the Republic, for

Which it Stands,

One Nation, Under God,

Indivisible,

With Liberty and Justice for All…

Tiger Lilies always remind me of mother…

The tiger lilies are in bloom, and they always bring childhood memories to the surface.  Mother was a gardener, she never ordered from catalogs, or bought from nurseries, she got “starts” of plants from friends, or she dug plants by the side of the country roads, and as a result, our yard was a riot of color in the summer.

My beloved ditch bank was covered in tiger lilies, started from a few plants, and over the years multiplying until the whole bank was a mass of orange color in the summertime.  We had no hose, no running water, we would carry buckets nightly to water the plants, she always took care of her plants, regardless of how tired she was.

The older I get, the more I admire her strengths, and her talent.  She lived off the land, and enjoyed the beauty of nature in the plants that she nurtured year after year.  I don’t have tiger lilies, but they always make me smile when I see them, and I think I need to tuck just one plant into my garden.  A pop of orange color amongst all the pinks, just to remember my roots, where I came from and how strong I now am, in large part because of her…

Baby elephants in the pool…

My friend, Carlene, sent me this link this morning. I thought you all could use a smile on this rainy, at least in Heavensville, Monday afternoon...

Abby's First Artwork....

Like all our children have done, Miss Abigail decorated her first door with crayons.  I think she shows promise, don't you ;o)

If You Ask Me, Betty White’s latest book…

This book is like a box of assorted chocolates.  With each chapter, you take a bite, and it’s so good, but it’s a surprise, you never know what you’re going to get.  Some chapters are creamy, some have nuts. Who doesn’t love Betty White, and who doesn’t love a good summer read?  Oh, this is such a treat, and it’s chocked full of wisdom.

I’ve added a GoodReads box to my right sidebar, you can click on it, and see what’s on my bookshelf.  I wish some of you would join me on GoodReads as friends, it’s is such a good time,and a really informative site for booklovers.  Here’s my friends link again, in case you might be interested.

I’m reading so many good books, I’m totally absorbed by books this summer.  I just finished Friendship Bread, it was just wonderful, and makes me want to go right out and make a batch of starter.

The author of this book, Darien Gee has a website, Friendship Bread Kitchen, with the starter recipe, and a badzillion variations in her recipe box.

So, if your time is limited, and you just can read just one book this summer,  give Friendship Bread a try.  It’s a good thing.  Pinkie swear. 

I’ll tip you off to some of my other goodies, I have several beach reads to wade through, but only for those of you who read easy breezy novels.  I don’t do the heavy stuff, remember, just the trash. 

Works for me!

~ jan