Pensées du jour

Published on by Grace10 Comments

I’m a bit tired of fighting with frying pans. You know that brand of cookware I mentioned, Hexclad, well, dear reader I bought them.  On the website and on Amazon 3 saute pans with lids are $399. But  while reading (even more) reviews I discovered that Costco also sells them. Popping over to Costco’s website I discovered they had – On Sale – a 7 piece set for $349. Now who could resist that, not me obviously.

I don’t buy shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, we don’t eat out, we don’t drink – hell, a little indulgence to make an onerous task easier I can justify that.

While hardly a pollyanna, and far from being one of those positivity people, I often can see the upside to the downside.  My husband’s recent lengthy hospital stay, with me at the hospital 10 to 14 hours a day, certainly upset our self-defined schedules. Or rather my husband’s schedules that I had to follow because even tho I was always the one doing the work he had set the schedule.

Such as – laundry on Monday and Friday morning. Several times I did the laundry in the afternoon and he got all twitchy about it. He had no hand in doing the laundry why would be care when it gets done? Yet – he did care. It bothered him when I changed the schedule. Same goes for vacuuming, grocery shopping, changing bed linens, washing dishes – the list goes on. He never did any of these things – why did he care so much when they got done? I asked him, he said he doesn’t know, it just does.

Those schedules are all trashed now. Being at the hospital for so many hours, things got done when I had ‘early’ days; some things didn’t get done for weeks; dishes stayed in the sink overnight – I just didn’t have the energy or the time for arbitrary schedules.

Since he’s been home – I still don’t have the energy and the schedules have been tossed.

Meds and exercises on schedule? Of course. Laundry? No.  Everything gets done but – when it needs to be done; when I feel like it. And my own crazy obsessive habits? Some of them have bitten the dust too. I would never leave dishes in the sink or the drainboard overnight – not even a spoon. Now? Who cares. Not me…

What a wonderful upside to a dreadful downside!

 

I’m so excited!

Published on by Grace19 Comments

When my husband became ill at the beginning of the year and I was totally overwhelmed with caring for him and having no family or support system here our daughter brought up that perhaps we should think about moving closer to her. I mentioned that I had been looking at CCRC’s here and she suggested looking in Vermont near her.

Then she brought up the possibility of she and her husband buying a house with an in-law suite. I LOVED that idea. We talked about the financing and that is not a problem since my husband and I could put down a substantial down payment and pay half the monthly mortgage amount or close to.

She and her husband own a home but it is way out there and the commute is a killer and they really want to move closer to Burlington.  We all like this idea – it’s a win-win for everyone plus of course having a built-in babysitter (me!)

With my husband’s diagnosis still in flux the whole project was put on hold. Well, my husband’s MRI came back with nothing to worry about so I immediately texted our daughter that if she still wants to do the house thing, health-wise it’s a go for us.

So the search is on! It’s gonna take a while but it seems we will be moving! Yay!

Granted Vermont is not my first choice of a place to live but Paris is out of the question and needs must. At our ages and health challenges we need some sort of support system. Since our daughter offered we would be fools not to take them up on it. I may be a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of them.

I’m so excited!

Here’s My New Anthem

Published on by Grace8 Comments

Never Gonna Not Dance Again written and performed by Pink

If someone told me that the world would end tonight
You could take all that I got, for once I wouldn’t start a fight (Yeah, right)
You could have my liquor, take my dinner, take my fun
My birthday cake, my soul, my dog, take everything I love

But, oh, one thing I’m never gonna do
Is throw away my dancing shoes
And, oh, Lord, don’t try me, really, not tonight
I’ll lay down and die, I’ll scream and I’ll cry
We’ve already wasted enough time

[Chorus]
I’m never gonna not dance again
I’m never gonna not dance again
Oh, I just wanna pop and lock to my records
There go all of my clothes
Never gonna not dance again
D-d-d-dance, I’m gonna dance, bruh
D-d-d-dance, I’m gonna dance

I want my life to be a Whitney Houston song (I wanna dance)
I got all good luck and zero fucks, don’t care if I belong, no
If I could kill the thing that makes us all so dumb
We’re never getting younger, so I’m gonna have some fun

‘Cause, oh, one thing I’m never gonna do
Is throw away my dancing shoes
And, oh, Lord, don’t try me, really, not tonight
I’ll lay down and die (I’ll lay down and die)
I’ll scream and I’ll cry (I’ll scream and I’ll cry)
Know that I’m starting a fight

[Chorus]
I’m never gonna not dance again
I’m never gonna not dance again
Oh, I just wanna pop and lock to my records
There go all of my clothes
Never gonna not dance again
D-d-d-dance, I’m gonna dance, bruh
D-d-d-dance, I’m gonna dance
D-d-d-dance, I’m gonna dance, yeah, d-d-d-dance

I’ll lay down and die, I’ll scream and I’ll cry
You know that I’m starting a fight (Fight)
I’ll lay down and die, I’ll scream and I’ll cry
We’ve already wasted enough time
We’ve already wasted enough time

[Chorus]
I’m never gonna not dance again
I’m never gonna not dance again
Oh, I just wanna pop and lock to my records
There go all of my clothes
Never gonna not dance again (Hey, hey)

Never gonna not dance again (Never gonna not dance again)
Dance again (Let the music play ’til the end)
Dance again (Never gonna not dance again)
Dance again
Let the music play ’til the end (Hey)
I’m never gonna not dance again
Dance again (Let the music play ’til the end)
Let it play, yeah
Dance again (Never gonna not dance again)
Dance again (Let the music play ’til the end)
Come on, come on
(I’m never gonna not gonna dance again)
(So let the music play ’til the end)
Yeah, yeah
I’m never gonna not gonna dance again
So let the music play ’til the end
(Why’d it stop?)

 

Fluff ‘N Stuff

Published on by Grace11 Comments

I like chocolate but only dark chocolate and I am very, very partial to See’s Candy.  I’ve never been much impressed by supposedly high end chocolates like Godiva or Ghirardelli. The ultimate in chocolates, in my opinion is Teuscher but that’s another conversation.

At any rate our daughter sent chocolates, as a little spirit raiser when my husband was in the hospital, which included a bag of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry squares. And now I am addicted. These things are not cheap but I scored some on sale last week. I do not need an expensive addiction. Nor do I need the calories (70 per square). But boy oh boy do I need that hit of chocolate and raspberry.

Speaking of raspberries – I love raspberries but only when they are cooked down to a syrupy sauce like in fillings for chocolate or as jam. Or as a coulis to be used on chocolate cake instead of frosting. Fresh raspberries don’t thrill me. Same with blueberries – put them in muffins, waffles, pie – love them. Fresh in a bowl – not so much.

Notice a theme here? chocolate and fruit has got to be the ultimate  combination of any two foods.

I checked my WP stats yesterday and weird thing. Someone downloaded an 11 second video I posted last November. I made it with an Instagram filter of “Let It Go” with my face in place of the cartoon character’s.  Why the hell would anyone do that? And who did it? I find this very disturbing.

I still can’t get that Hexclad pan out of my mind. $199.00 for a pan – No. But then again why not? I have a stainless steel 12-inch pan and a  12-inch non-stick one. The non-stick is pretty beat up and I’m back to using the stainless steel pan, which I’m not thrilled with considering what I use it for. Now the Hexclad is non-stick, and the 12-inch pan is the one I use more than any other because I do mostly one pan cooking. I am so jonesing for that pan.  Stop me before I shop! I am too old to be buying expensive cookware.

Speaking of cooking – it is 11:30am so I need to start making lunch – which is our main meal of the day and the only time I cook – there is no cooking at night; no dish washing. Kitchen closes at 6pm.  Lately I’ve been having dark chocolate raspberry squares for dinner and my husband has yogurt and a peanut butter sandwich.  At least he is eating something reasonably healthy, me – I’m just being decadent.

Handy Hints…

Published on by Grace8 Comments

I’ve been wanting to share this one with you for weeks ’cause I love it. I’ve got a basic Mr. Coffee coffee maker – no bells and whistles at all, not even an auto shut-off. I do the vinegar and water cleaning thing on a regular basis and I try and clean the filter basket grooves with a cloth but I noticed when I took the basket out that there were coffee grounds in the section that holds the filter basket. I tried cleaning them out with a damp paper towel and was getting nowhere. I also noticed there seemed to be coffee residue in the water reservoir and tried cleaning that with a damp paper towel too. None of this was satisfactory.

I wracked my brain for some easy way to clean these parts and Eureka! I got my silicone pastry brush  out and it did the job like a champ. That soft brush gets into every nook and crevice. Because it is silicone it cleans up easily with no coffee stains or residue on the brush. I’m betting I can find other uses for that brush – nooks and crannies, watch out!

Now for some bathroom/beauty hints.

I haven’t been spending much time on myself lately – what with my husband’s care demanding 110% of my attention. Last night I noticed my face was looking dull and I thought “Oh way past time for a pore cleansing mask” Thing about face masks is that you need to leave them on for 10-15 minutes and I get bored waiting for them to dry. This morning I realized the shower needed to be cleaned – Voilà – apply the face mask and then while it’s drying, clean the shower. Two chores done at the same time.

What you’ll need for this is: Freeman’s Face Masks. They have a mask for just about every skin care  need you can think of. But here is the best part – $14.95 for 4 tubes of different face masks? Yes, please. I’ve been using Freeman products for decades and I like the results. Will someone try to sell you some fancy-schmancy skin care products that cost a mortgage payment or two? Of course. Are they any better than Freeman’s – NO. You can get Freeman’s just about everywhere – Amazon, Target, your local drug store or supermarket.

Once I applied the facemask I got started on the shower. First I sprayed Scrubbing Bubbles and then, if you have a tile shower you most definitely need an Oxo tile and tub scrubber – trust me , you do. Once the Scrubbing Bubbles did it’s job then came the Bon Ami to get that grout clean (I’ve been a little lax these past weeks). I’ve written about Bon Ami before it’s the best for cleaning everything (except glass). It’s not always easy find but Target has it.

Also – just because we are talking about beauty regimens – I’ve always taken particular care of my skin – my body as well as my face. At 76 I have barely a wrinkle and my skin – body and face, is as soft as the proverbial baby’s bottom. So much so that when I was in the hospital 2 years ago and blood was being taken every 4 hours one of the phlebotomists remarked “Your skin is so soft, I can feel how soft even through my gloves!” Why? Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Even as a teenager with oily olive skin I moisturized. What do I use? For the past 20 years or so – Curél. I use the Ultra Healing formulation on my face and body (tho they do have a sensitive skin face care line). Again, available everywhere for a pittance of the fancy-schmancy.  Before Curél I used a product called Soft Sense – drugstore brand and price – beautiful skin.

And then there is that face lift. Need one, want one? Here’s a tip – get your eyebrows professionally shaped and then maintain the shape yourself with a good tweezer. I had my brows done for the first time when I was in my early 50’s and I was shocked and delighted to see the difference. My eyes, my whole face looked more open and bright and younger.

It just occurred to me that I have touted some these products before. I have no idea if any of you tried them. But I am living proof they work.

Here are links to the web sites for these products. Check them out and then shop for them at your favorite retailers.

Freeman Beauty Products
Oxo If you don’t know Oxo products, the link will take you to their web site and you can get all “gimme, gimme” over their nifty products for cleaning and organizing your life as well as kitchen and home gadgets of every kind. I LOVE Oxo products. You can buy from their web site, Amazon, Target – all the usual suspects. Prices vary.
Bon Ami
Curel

Overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness (and a little glee)

Published on by Grace10 Comments

for having been born and brought up in New York City and having the father that I had.  New York City is the entire universe in 300.46 square miles. Thanks to my father I got to experience just about every square foot of it.

How do I keep this short and sweet? It all started this morning, with me being grumpy about some inconsequential shit on the internet that pissed me off and that I couldn’t let go of – ignorant yahoos.

But then I received a New York Times ‘newsletter’ in my email that featured a story about Marvin Gaye singing the national anthem. When I shared it with my husband his reaction was “meh” whereas I was blown away. This led to a discussion about music and the realization that because of where I grew up and with whom I grew up my views and tastes were more far ranging than my husband’s.

And that is due to my father.

I know of people who have lived for several generations in New York City and know jack-all about what’s there. So sad.

As soon as we were toilet trained and had acquired manners my father took us to every single museum in NYC.  Not just the art museums but the numismatic museum down on Wall Street, all sorts of museums covering every topic imaginable.  He took us to white-tablecloth restaurants; to the theater.

And yes to the zoo, the botanical gardens, the planetarium, the circus,the rodeo, the horse races, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden – no type of sport was left out – we were introduced to it, if only as spectators.

At home we were surrounded by music of every form and format. And books – my father came from a family of readers – anything with print on it was perused.

Music? Oh my word – there was ALWAYS music. And NYC, being NYC, you could twirl your way around the radio dial and there was no music unrepresented. There was no culture unrepresented. There were radio stations that broadcast in languages other than English.

So much popular music originated in NYC – doo-wop, rap, beatbox, hip-hop – we heard it all first. Nothing was banned, nothing was off-limits. You only had to be curious enough to stop and listen.

Food? Oh hell do not tell me anything about food, just don’t. From the mundanity of mashed potatoes to haute cuisine – I ate it. And not the Americanized versions. The real deal.

It wasn’t just that you lived in a city with people of other cultures, you experienced their culture, and they yours because you were in and out of their homes. They were your friends and when we were young we took our differences for granted.

My parent’s friends – all my “Aunts” and “Uncles” – a veritable United Nations.

That’s how I grew up. As an adult my native curiosity took me farther and wider. I’m thinking I got my curiosity from my father –  it’s something people have commented on my whole life – my shrink said “You are the most curious person I have ever met”

How do you not wonder about the world that surrounds you especially when the world you live in is so diverse and strange and magical.

So, yes, right now feeling happy and bouncy and lucky and grateful that I had the father I had, growing up in the city I did and being blessed with a sense of curiosity that leads me down rabbit holes even Alice never dreamed of.