Hello, hello, hello! I am approaching the holiday season with some sadness. Sorry but I just had to get that out.
Anyway, as I age I remember past holidays and sometimes it is a bit tough. I used to be the Mom in a family of 5 with Inlaws and my Parents in for the holidays. I would cook and clean and shop and decorate and get all excited about the lovely holiday dinner I would serve. I am an only child and I felt terrifically lucky to have that big a gathering to cook for. Of course I loved to cook for them too. But anyway, that was there and then. Now I have 3 grown children, 2 with husbands and kids, who split their time between their father's home and mine. They don't live nearby.
And they really should be home for Christmas. We went to visit my Ex's parents sometimes but not until after the Santa thing was taken care of. Hard to do when you live 9 hours away.
I see that as one of the bigger problems facing the Retired Folks now. The RF's often live in the area they raised their family in but the children rarely do. Jobs are so hard to get now that often the family must move and move often. The airlines don't make the travel home for the holidays so easy either. And often the working folks don't have enough time off to make trips. So Mom and Dad are alone during the holidays.
I am glad there are free long distance plans for cell phones. I like that I can receive pics on the internet. I am happy to send greetings through the mail and in the form of gifts to my children and grandchildren. But it just isn't the same. I yearn for the days when the kids came down the stairs rubbing their sleepy eyes and all ready to open gifts. I long for the days when I wasn't Santa. I know I need to do something to add the joy back to my holiday spirit. This year my special someone gave me an adorable puppy for a Christmas gift. Yes she is super and fits right in with our other 2 dogs(furchildren). I am too tired from staying up with her to decorate. So I tivo'd a bunch of the Christmas shows that I have loved and am playing and replaying them. It helps. And God bless us everyone.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
My Picture
I have studiously avoided having my picture taken because I hate being fat. Then I heard about being a role model for the grandkids. So I am rethinking. They see me in person. They will remember me being fat. I think it would be good for them to see me accepting myself as I am.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dickies
I recently saw a couple of dickies from the dark ages and I was reminded that sometimes we need to change the look of our clothing. A top that is cut too low can reveal too much, including crepely skin and sagging girls. So instead of a dickie the TV sales shows are hawking inserts to cover the deep V and act as a camisole. There are also camisole bras available. However, I would like to offer an alternative. If you have a pretty scarf, you can place it inside the neckline of a dropping top. Of course this would only include relatively small scarves unless you want to emphasize a large front.
If, however, you have a scarf which is pulled, or otherwise damaged, you could cut it into a deep triangle large enough to stretch between your bra straps in front and with a little left over on the sides. Hem the piece all the way around, either by hand or on a sewing machine. Then pin the scarf under the bra straps and voila there is a dickie. And you made it.
If, however, you have a scarf which is pulled, or otherwise damaged, you could cut it into a deep triangle large enough to stretch between your bra straps in front and with a little left over on the sides. Hem the piece all the way around, either by hand or on a sewing machine. Then pin the scarf under the bra straps and voila there is a dickie. And you made it.
Don'ts from About.com
Don'ts
1. Don't get too skinny (think Nan Kempner, who looks like a "Best dressed" bag of bones) and don't gain too much weight!
2. Don't wear baggy, shapeless clothes.
3. Don't wear ditsy and fussy prints like tiny florals.
4. Don't wear overdone, fussy styles or details (gold buttons, gold trim, etc.). They are terribly aging.
5. Don't think you have to wear skirt suits to look well dressed. Even though they may be "in," some skirt suits can be very aging. Pants are generally much more youthful, so a better choice would be a pantsuit or a pant and coat ensemble.
6. Don't shy away from all black. It looks great, especially when textures are mixed: leather, crocodile, patent, fur, vinyl (this lightens it up a bit and gives it life).
7. Don't expose your upper arms and neck: these are both tricky areas for most women over a certain age.
8. Don't wear your skirts too short.
9. Don't overdo the grooming. Helmet hair, and too much color -- red nails, red lips, eye shadow and blush (especially when used together) -- are terribly aging.
10. Don't think you have to cut your hair: a chic ponytail always looks smart and youthful.
11. Don't wear fussy, frilly evening attire. Go for tailored instead!
12. Don't wear shawls (too granny) or capes.
13. Don't overdo the glitz! Despite the fact that maximalism is in right now, you don't want to look like a Christmas tree.
In short you will find that many of the rules of dressing your age are common sense and have a lot to do with wearing things that are attractive on.
1. Don't get too skinny (think Nan Kempner, who looks like a "Best dressed" bag of bones) and don't gain too much weight!
2. Don't wear baggy, shapeless clothes.
3. Don't wear ditsy and fussy prints like tiny florals.
4. Don't wear overdone, fussy styles or details (gold buttons, gold trim, etc.). They are terribly aging.
5. Don't think you have to wear skirt suits to look well dressed. Even though they may be "in," some skirt suits can be very aging. Pants are generally much more youthful, so a better choice would be a pantsuit or a pant and coat ensemble.
6. Don't shy away from all black. It looks great, especially when textures are mixed: leather, crocodile, patent, fur, vinyl (this lightens it up a bit and gives it life).
7. Don't expose your upper arms and neck: these are both tricky areas for most women over a certain age.
8. Don't wear your skirts too short.
9. Don't overdo the grooming. Helmet hair, and too much color -- red nails, red lips, eye shadow and blush (especially when used together) -- are terribly aging.
10. Don't think you have to cut your hair: a chic ponytail always looks smart and youthful.
11. Don't wear fussy, frilly evening attire. Go for tailored instead!
12. Don't wear shawls (too granny) or capes.
13. Don't overdo the glitz! Despite the fact that maximalism is in right now, you don't want to look like a Christmas tree.
In short you will find that many of the rules of dressing your age are common sense and have a lot to do with wearing things that are attractive on.
Oh the pain
Well, if I needed more info I have it now. The Doctors told me I have Spinal Stenosis. That was some time ago and I never thought much more about it. But now I have discovered that the weight I gained back has become pain in my joints and back. Back to the plan. I had gone hog wild with sweets and food in general. I now know that eating the way I was before the diet started has put me into more pain now than I had then. Age I guess. So I am going back to low fat, high protein, complex carbs. It is the easiest way for me.
I have been reading that a man restricted his calorie count to 1800 a day but ate only twinkies and such. He lost a lot of weight. And his cholesterol dropped. Apparently the calories have more to do with the weight loss than previously thought. I am happy to hear that except I don't have a feeling of energy when I eat sweets. So for me it is interesting but not a problem. I need protein to have any sort of energy. That is what I'll have.
I never said not growing old was easy.
I have been reading that a man restricted his calorie count to 1800 a day but ate only twinkies and such. He lost a lot of weight. And his cholesterol dropped. Apparently the calories have more to do with the weight loss than previously thought. I am happy to hear that except I don't have a feeling of energy when I eat sweets. So for me it is interesting but not a problem. I need protein to have any sort of energy. That is what I'll have.
I never said not growing old was easy.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Winter coming
I am looking forward to winter this year. I have been going through my closet and I have lost enough weight to get into many of the winter things I already had. Bring on the snow!!!!!
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