Atypical 60

Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely a summer person—but for reasons that are purely selfish and self-accommodating.  And I realized this after much thought.

You see, what I love about summer is that I don’t have to wear a lot of clothing. A simple frock that I slide on over my shoulders and allow it to fall over my body means that I will get into my car and drive comfortably without having cumbersome outerwear to deal with.

A simple five dollar frock–Rondini Sandals and a long but lightweight wig make it so easy to dress during the summer months.

Let’s not even broach the subject of driving barefoot simply because I drive that way during all four seasons.

I also passenger barefoot.  I dunno. Summer is the time to let the feet be free!

And truthfully, although I love the beach, I am getting sick and tired of the damage it has done to my skin—even with sunscreen and sitting under an umbrella—that seed of damage was planted when I was a child—from my summers at Rockaway Beach to Long Beach when I lived in NYC to those at Fire Island, the Jersey Shore and the Cote d’Azur as an adult when the damage only got worse.

Let us not even go to the subject of my surgeries from sun damage! It’s my own fault!

In addition, I also love the longer days—and to be completely honest with you—that reason is because I’ve always despised driving at night—but due to my new job being part-time (with benefits] and leaving at 3:30 in the afternoon, I’m not driving in the dark. Anymore.

Lastly, although I love and adore our home—I love being in a townhouse. Now that the kids are on their own, we don’t have to deal with curbside appeal. We have an HOA fee for that.  But, living in multiple dwellings often means that you have to deal with certain “stuff”. Our “stuff” is our neighbor’s overly aggressive dog who they insist letting practically live on their deck. Our summer dinners on our deck are a thing of the past as of last summer.

No thanks to the dog next door, we can no longer enjoy summer meals on our deck!

And so, I have a new-found fondness for that dark, monochromatic time of year. That season where hibernation seems to be on the minds of more than bears.  I think a good number of us like to spend more time under the covers during this time.

Ahhh. Winter Solstice. My favorite day of the year because after this short day, they get longer.

When I was a child, I loved winter. It was, in fact, the coziest time of year.  Headed to school all bundled up, coming home to hot cocoa while doing homework and studying.  Getting into pajamas earlier than usual, feeling satisfied when my mom cooked a comfort-meal dinner then being nestled on the sofa between one of five siblings to watch a TV show or two before heading to bed.

How many of us when through this winter ritual getting ready for school or play?

Weekend afternoons were spent ice skating on the lakes until our feet and fingers became numb.  We didn’t have snow days back then.  The school buses drove slowly through the snow making that crunching noise as the wheels hit the packed-on snow that covered the road.   Winters seemed longer but it may have just been because we weren’t impatient with our lives back then. We lived each day at a time.

Back in the day, winters seemed colder and snowier and ice skating at Brightwaters Lakes was a weekend thing!

I’ve somewhat returned to that patience.  And at my age, have learned to appreciate winter, once again, for what it is. Although not a snow person anymore—the shoveling is taxing and driving through snow and icy roads is not only dangerous but it is stressful. There are other things I can now safely say I love and enjoy about winter.

I can do without snow but I love this painting. I have no idea who the artist is but they caputured winter perfectly!

I love my daily commute to and from the office through Valley Forge Park. It’s enjoyable to admire the foliage and lack thereof during the seasons. What I love about the winter is that you get to view the naked trees with their branches and split-end like twigs extending out like nerve endings. You get the shape of the bones of the trees.

On the way to work through Valley Forge Park CAVEAT: Nobody was behind me and I drove very slowly while I snapped these pics!

The bare trees and my music make for a very soothing commute!

I also love to see how the trees change on a seasonal basis!

Honestly, even a dismal scene can be a thing of beauty in the winter! It’s what you make of it and how you look at it!

And the lack of color is wonderful for a neutral-toned lover such as myself. I love my color in the summer and during the holidays.  Otherwise, I’m happy with a few tones that make life appear similar to black and white photography.

Had it been a cloudy day, this would have been a beautiful black and white photo!

And my diet withstanding, I love the weekend meals that I make in the winter.  Saturdays are spent running errands then coming home to cook a restaurant-dining-at-home atmosphere in the privacy of our home.  We don’t have to deal with noisy or complaining diners.  I won’t lie, we do enjoy our dinners out but we don’t do that often. We save those evenings for special occasions.  I enjoy the baking and it comes to a stop in the summer!

I made escargot last night for a starter. I do not do this in the summer…

On Friday, I made 75 Gougeres for The Frenchman. He’ll have a supply to last through February!

Even my music tastes change with the seasons.  During Spring and Summer, it’s more classic rock. Fall is my Scott Joplin season and with Winter comes my beloved Christmas music, classical and smooth jazz.  The later two calm me down.

I can’t get enough of Wes Montgomery’s Snowfall on my Spotify Winter Jazz playlist. I LOVE this one! It’s so wintery and calming!

Winter is also a time to binge on new Netflix discoveries. I am now official hooked on KDrama–AKA Korean dramas and comedy series.  Definitely worth watching and well-done–especially the historic dramas!

I finished Extraordinary Attorney Woo (left side pic) on Netflix. It’s about an autistic attorney and it was fantastic.  I also just finished the 20-episode The King’s Affection–a historical melodrama taking place during the Joseon Dynasty. This was epic. History. Drama. Mistaken identity. Love. Comedy. Tearjerker moments. It’s got it all!

And I will admit, even though I can’t stand outwear, I enjoy my time in sweaters and winter clothing.  To a point.

And notice–no socks!  Not even in winter!!!!!!!!!

The weather may be chilly—and downright cold on some days but I love the warmth of our home. I feel cuddled and coddled.

Hmmm. snuggled up on the sofa with a blanket and Netflix or a book. During the winter months it is all that is needed!

Chippy agrees!

And I love my visits to Longwood Gardens when Roman visits.

Longwood Gardens at Christmas or anytime during the winter is fine by me!

In fact, I’ve been inspired to become a member of a local arboretum—Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens.  I visited last week for the first time and fell in tree-hugging love. The huge deck area has me waiting for Spring when that first burst of warm weather allows me to sit on a chair  or bench within the gardens and get lost in a novel!

Jenkins Arboretum in Devon. In the winter, it’s like having a huge garden to yourself!

I stumbled upon this cut-down tree trunk at the arboretum. Look. It’s older than I am!

I sat on one of these chairs last weekend for quite a while just reflecting upon the beauty of the bare trees. It was glorious!

How about you?  Is winter a time for reflection, self-improvement and hibernation—or are you disgusted with the cold weather?

 

Yeah. After lockdown and all the required vaccinations as well as booster shots, wearing a mask in public for what seemed like—forever, traveling both domestically and overseas on flights as long as 8 ½ hours, jammed packed at customs—and close enough to others to become impregnated (if I was that young and productive), staying home and becoming more of a misanthropic individual than I ever was.

I tested positive for Covid.

Thank goodness the “T” line is not as dark as it was a few days ago!

There are definitely mixed feelings about this and I’ll address it as I go further into this post.

On Christmas, I had a cold. Nothing to the chest, just a head cold of sorts and feeling a bit tired. Nevertheless, I took it easy.  Since The Frenchman’s granddaughter is in a community presentation of the play “Mary Poppins”, they decided to forego Christmas dinner with us as they didn’t want his 12-year-old granddaughter exposed to germs. And I get that.

Basically, this is what I’ve been going through.

And so, Christmas, as you read in my previous blog post was restful and quiet. Just me. Roman. The Frenchman. Roman went home the Tuesday after Christmas.  I had a few days off with the return to the office last Thursday.

And my return to work was quiet but very productive.  Nobody was in the office and I had the opportunity to catch up on mail, tidying up the facilities and wait for a delivery that never arrived.  Yet, I thought this “cold” was lingering. Something felt “off” and yet it didn’t.

Yessssssss!  I was happy to be back at work–even if for one day!  I honestly enjoy my new job!

So that evening I took a Covid test at home. We ordered quite a few free tests and had a plethora of them in our main bathroom.

We have quite the number of these tests. I fact, my obsessive personality has me taking these tests more than I should.

I carefully followed the directions on the test.  Opening the swab gingerly, making sure my hands were clean (as if it really mattered), and, went to town showing the swab up my nose to ensure that I was collecting whatever traces of disease were lining the wideness of my nostrils.

With the focus of a scientist, I placed my dirty swab into a little plastic container and swirled it around 15 times with the liquid that was securely ensconced into said container.

Yes. I take my obsession with these Covid tests very seriously.

And then, I placed my three drops of my snotty residue into a small oval opening that would lead to the area which would tell me whether or not I was infected.

It came as quite a surprise when I discovered a positive result. In fact, I’m such a Doubting Thomasina that I repeated the test. Three times.  Positive.

I’m obsessed and triggered at the same time.

You have no idea what went through my head.  I was thinking about heading to the emergency room. After all, I had heard more than my share of Covid horror stories since my previous job was dealing in healthcare. Thank God in Heaven I am no longer working at a triggering job.

But I thought the worst. I envisioned myself under an oxygen tent, gasping for a molecule of air. I saw my temperature rise 1000 degrees.  I wondered if I needed to be placed into an iron lung.  I started to cry. Not little tears but sobbing, ugly tears. To the point my husband thought I needed to be placed in the ER for my mental health as opposed to the physical.

Well, yeah. I was also crying because I was hungry. I’ll admit it.

Here’s the thing that bothered me though—and please, please, please my friends, please correct me if I’m wrong—because I could be….wrong, that is.

What really bothered me is that, after almost three years, the vaccines, the boosters, the mask-wearing, and the fact my blood type is O Negative, I was under the impression that I wouldn’t get Covid. At all.  My competitive nature makes me feel as though I lost the sport of avoiding this annoying condition.

It’s true. I couldn’t win at the game of keeping Covid at bay and it pisses me off.

Granted, the media did a fantastic job into showcasing the horror of not getting vaccinated—and I appreciate that.  The media also did a stellar job of managing to showcase how politicians could have saved millions of lives—but I’m not going to touch upon that right now.

I only wish the media had showcased a more realistic picture of what can happen after you comply—after you get your vaccinations and boosters and follow the rules.

Fact is, I don’t feel bad.  I’ve had colds where I was a lot worse. Where I couldn’t speak (which everyone I’ve lived with was thankful) for a week, where my chest was like a rattling old trunk, where my only meals were the daily amounts of mucus that flowed down my throat into my belly.

Believe me, I’ve had colds far worse than I’m feeling with this Covid.

There’s none of that. No sweats. No fever. No chest cough. Just sneezing and what appears to be a congested head.  I swear to you even the stuff that comes out of my nose into a tissue is clear!  Albeit, there’s a lot of that clear stuff running into the tissues…and dripping on my pajama tops.

Quite honestly, the worst part about Covid was sneezing made my hemorrhoids worse.

I think hemorrhoids should be a symptom of Covid. From one end to the other!

Yesterday, we were able to take down all the Christmas decorations.  I cursed at the lights that were difficult to unravel because I should have unraveled them when the tree fell on top of me but I was too lazy. I, along with The Frenchman, lugged tubs up and down flights of stairs, lifted the tree out of the tree stand so my husband could put the tree outside, wrote a blog post—overall I was very productive.

When it warms up a bit I’ll transplant the Poinsettias into a large pot.

From the family room on the lower level..

To the foyer..

..and

..the..

..living room. All traces of Christmas are gone.  Back to beige..well…

…the Catholic in me is leaving the fake tree in the sunroom up until Epiphany. Then it’s being dismantled.

And so, today I’m home. And just as our Christmas tree slightly overstayed it’s welcome—as the branches started to droop and dry out; I’m feeling like I’ve overstayed my welcome at home. I had a nice time being home for the holidays but I want to get back to work. I enjoy working.

The good tree waits patiently to be picked up.

That process of waking up when the alarm rings at 6:00 AM, gives me joy—because it’s another day that I woke up.  I love brushing away that morning feeling with a dab of toothpaste squeezed upon that brush that’ll enter my mouth.  The feel of the splash of cool water hitting my face rejuvenates me. And the feeling of moisturizer over my face makes me well-aware that I’m keeping my skin soft.

When that alarm rings–I’m up. No snooze button for me!

When my husband brings me my coffee as I’m “putting my face” on makes me happy.  And deciding what outfit to wear is one decision I’m never indecisive about.  My morning commute through Valley Forge Park relaxes me as I listen to my music.

And then when I arrive at work, I’m ready to handle any tasks that come my way.

What I don’t enjoy is being stuck at home when I would rather be at the office. It’s weird.  At 10:25 AM I finished a nice cup of tea.

I know. I know. My tea mug is naughty but today, that’s how I feel. I just want to get back to work!!!!!!!!!!

I applied nail strengthener to my nails and I’m hungry. But since I’m making yet the 1,000,000^th attempt at losing weight, I’m drinking water instead. And I’m still hungry. I could actually go for a burger topped with melted Swiss cheese, sauteed onions and cooked mushrooms along with a large chocolate shake. Yeah. My taste buds are longing!

My taste buds are in working order–as is my nose!

Actually, I’ll go into the living room, plop my butt on one of the sofas, turn the TV and peruse through Netflix to find something to watch!

Honestly, have you had a mild case of Covid?  I’m pretty sure it’s safe to assume you’ve all been vaccinated and boostered. So please if you did have Covid anyway, I would love you to share your experiences.

I’ll be back to wearing a mask on my own accord!

Welcome to 2023!

Okay. As we end 2022, I’m not going to post about my Christmas Holiday. That much!

Well….not THAT much. I’ll add a few pics!

Fact is, it was a pain in the ass. Literally. I had a hemorrhoid flare-up. And after the plethora of Preparation H (which I used so much of, I couldn’t even save any to use to subdue wrinkles on my face) gel and cream, along with Tucks pads and cream shoved up my back door canal, and sitting in a hot bathtub every night, I’m just now, after a week, beginning to feel normal again.

Basically—I feel like this guy!

Add to the fact we all had colds, it was a very quiet albeit relaxing Christmas.

The sofas were decorated with blankets, pillows , Alka Seltzer Cold and Flu and NyQuil!

I kept off Social Media as much as I could because, quite frankly, I’m getting tired of the subliminal bragging that is showcased. Equally tiring is seeing women over forty/fifty/sixty and over filtering themselves to fetal or marshmallow level.

She’s really 88 years old. I got a bridge to sell yas!

Honestly, MOST people are tired of seeing your annual new luxury cars, bags, shoes, jet planes, islands you own….

Also, I don’t need to see how you are dressed in a different ensemble every night sipping cocktails.  All that booze would give me the worst GERD on earth and I would ruin anything but old pajama bottoms and a tee shirt while cooking or drinking.

Welcome to my Holiday Wardrobe!  Old Navy PJ Bottoms, A tee shirt covered in dripped snot and  filthy, wet tissues stuck in the sleeve. I’m enjoying watching Netflix movies about look alikes switching places!

So here it is. The holiday look for my home in a nutshell.  I am pleased and quite happy with how everything looks. We didn’t get the biggest tree this year nor did I break out the “good” China. It was low key.

Table set for Christmas!

Set for three!

But…I did listen non-stop to my Christmas playlists on Spotify and Roman and I had a great evening at Longwood Gardens.

We did return to Longwood Gardens to see the spectacular gardens at night. It was gorgeous.

Oh! And we did manage a trip into NYC to visit Vincent’s nephew and family in from Paris!

Yup! It was a great day in the City! 

So on to beauty my way.  My blog, as small as it is, is almost eight years.   I was a newcomer to my ‘60’s and as I’m now at the end, I see that during this decade, I’ve noticed the process of aging has hit harder than any past decade.  My skin has definitely gotten a lot drier. The fine lines have grown deeper. The jowls hang from the sides of my jaw like mudflaps.  Where my eyelids were once perky, they are now drooping and tired looking.

Freckles have morphed into age spots.  The uneven coloring has become more uneven. Eyelashes are sparse as are brows.

And the tweezer remains my most-used beauty tool to pluck those surprise lady whiskers that pop up on a daily basis.

Yeah. I have one of these babys in each purse and in my car!

Eight years ago, I wore more makeup. My eyes could handle heavier shadow and liner. I used to wear shadow and mascara on my bottom lids as well as the top.  Nowadays all that eye makeup looks hard and harsh. So, I apply eye makeup only to my top lids.

Not gonna lie. I LOVE the way my eyes look here but in the five years since this pic was snapped, my skin has aged. 

Do I miss the heavier look? Yeah. Not gonna lie. But now I need to do what works best for me. And come to terms with my aging.

It doesn’t do any good to get caught in a cosmetics rut of yesteryear because it’ll only age us more.  And it isn’t that I want to look like I did back in the day—it’s that I realize I no longer do look like that so it’s time for a change.

I think the biggest change in my overall use of cosmetics came this year. Realizing that heavier foundations were doing absolutely nothing for me, I started to research alternatives such as cream foundations and tinted moisturizers.

Some creams are better than others. I do like the Seint cream foundations (which the company refuses to call foundations—referring to them as “highlight” instead) but you need a couple of shades for a look that isn’t flat.  Also, their contours are very good but the tutorials are horrific. I’ve yet to see any self-proclaimed Seint make up artist blend that stuff in.  Contour needs to be well blended to create the illusion of a shadow—but that’s another subject.

Actually, in 2021 I went a bit overboard with the Seint makeup–but I do like the creams–they need to be applied LIGHTLY though!

I love the Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Foundation but I equate it more with a tinted moisturizer. A little goes a long, long way.  (I love this so I’m sure it’ll be discontinued any day now) It gives a nice satin finish and the key is to use as little as possible.

This is excellent for mature skin–again, apply lightly and moisturize before using but it really is good.

The iT Cosmetics CC Cream is surprisingly, one that I really like considering I cannot stand the brand. The brushes fall apart, the other cosmetics leave my skin dry as the desert but this is really good. Again—just a touch is needed.

I seriously cannot stand this brand overall–but this is one good product and it stays on all day.

This year brought about my admiration for Jones Road Beauty.  I think Bobbi Brown has done very well with her new “clean” brand.  The “clean” part really doesn’t move my needle. I’m not expecting any cosmetics that I buy to become filthy unless I don’t take good care of them.

It’s whipped and light and I’m definitely a fan.

Anyway, the WTFoundation is an airy, whipped dream of a foundation. There’s definitely a learning curve to applying but once you get it right—you’ll love it.  I also love the whole aesthetic of the brand.  Minimalist, simple and neutral. It’s a no fuss way to approach the makeup.

Here’s a face full of Jones Road Beauty. I’m even wearing magnetic false lashes here. I don’t even know why but I am–and they stayed put all day!

I’m gonna focus more on the makeup that I discovered this year—actually around September. I was really on the fence about it for a while, but the more I use it, the more I really love it.

Chanel Beauty Les Beiges makeup line’s three products I’m talking about are: The Water Fresh Tint; The Water-Fresh Complexion Touch and the Water-Fresh Blush.   The Tint and Complexion Touch both come with little brushes. I can give or take them but the purpose is meant to break up the little “bubbles” with the brush then apply to the fact.

The three Les Beiges makeup I purchased from Chanel Beauty. The Water Fresh Tint; The Water Fresh Corrector and the blush.  I used quite a bit of the water tint already–it’s because the product is very watery!

These products are very watery and the Complexion Touch is more of a concealer that does a great job covering up little flaws. The products feel like nothing but yet, last all day. It’s really weird—but in an excellent way.

This is the water tint. It’s extremely liquid!  Extremely!

The blush is very liquid as well. The corrector–more of a thicker texture.

The little brushes that accompany the corrector and water tint–used to break up the “bubbles”. Your fingers will work just as well.

My big issue is the price. These products are expensive—especially the Water Fresh Tint. If I used this every day, I would be broke—so I save them for when we have guests at work or if my husband and I are going out to dinner—or actually, I did wear these products a good deal during the holidays.

Here’s a Before and After. I used all three Chanel products on my face along with other items…

At first, I applied a ton of moisturizer. Then followed up with Etude Face Blur, which I’ve been purchasing from Amazon for Years: (Face Blur Link ) I love this stuff. Then I applied Charlotte Tilbury Flawless fllter for a hightlighted look.

Then I went in with this eyeshadow palette from Jones Road Beauty. The neturals are wonderful and last all day..

 

Next it was brows and eyeliner…

…and mascara primer and mascara!

Then I went in with this trio on my face.

Lastly, lipstick and gloss..

I don’t spend a lot of money on lip products. The inexpensive stuff works just as well, if not better! NYX  Butter Gloss remains a favorite as does Revlon lipsticks. I prefer pink to reds or corals!

Are these products going to turn back the clock?  No. They won’t. However, they will give you a nice glow and a nice look.  And at this point, all I strive to achieve is a look that won’t scare anyone. In all honesty, I am incredibly pleased with the Chanel products but it’s that price. In justifying—or at least trying to justify the price, I can honestly tell you that I’ve cut down a lot on purchasing makeup and beauty products.

As long as I don’t scare anyone when I leave the house, it’s all good!

I refuse to buy based on social media anymore. Those Instagram ads—those YouTube reviews will have you sliding down the deepest rabbit holes at a rapid speed.  I refuse—absolutely refuse to purchase products where the ads feature over-filtered women and men. I refuse to support any cosmetics company that supports this false advertising as well.  I’ll judge for myself and use the products in my own way.

I no longer follow any influencer who uses a filter. This one–the photo on the right shows how she looks without a filter and she’s an attractive woman. The left photo? Any cosmetics company who supports this false advertising should be fined.  My cosmetics boycott listing has grown quite long.

I USED to follow Angie of Hot and Flashy. But she’s full of $$$hit these days. She’s old enough to know to use the phrase “Pro” Aging rather than Anti. And she’s pretty honest about the work that she’s had done–I respect that. But don’t sit there pontificating products when you’ve had regular work done. Nothing against her–I like her way , she’s just not my jam anymore.

Another “beauty my way” thing?  My nails. I’ve decided to grow out my natural nails. This one is sure to be a doozy because my husband has a “thing” about longer, perfectly manicured nails. Look. I can’t blame him because beautiful nails make for beautiful hands.

I cleaned up the nails a bit–I thought they would be in worse shape but they are paper-thin presently. It’s gonna be work to get them into decent shape!

However, when I think of all time spent at the nail salon and almost $100 including tip for a set of acrylics or a refill, I feel it’s high time to give my fingers a break (not literally).   And so, the acrylics were ripped off. (Yes. I know that is bad.) I filed down the residue as best as I could.  I ran to Target and purchased a cuticle cutter; cuticle sticks a big file and OPI Start-to-Finish which is a nail strengthener of sorts.

This stuff is all I need for now. 

Do my nails look great? Nope. Not at all.  Am I okay with the way they look? Meh—I know in a few weeks they will begin to look healthier. Actually, within the few days I’ve taken the acrylics off, they are looking slightly healthier.

Fact is, I’ve always admired healthy and natural nails but as a life-long, nail bender—not biter mind you, but bender, I’ve never been able to grow my nails to a decent length (BTW— “nail bender” –That’s when your nails get to a certain length and due to anxiety, you bend the nails mindlessly until they break.)

My nail goal! We’ll see…

We’ll give it a go here and see how it turns out.  I can only hope and try to get my nails in decent shape. I’m not going to beat myself up over this. Just like I’m not going to beat myself up over losing weight…

That’s another thing I seem to go through each year—the false promise to myself that I’ll lose weight. I’ve done it before. Pre-covid era.  Then came Covid and the job that really messed with my mental health and the weight hung like a swinging pendulum.

I can’t do the emotional eating thing anymore.

Now, with a new job that I enjoy, I can only hope and try to stick to some phase of a healthier eating phase and rely less on emotional eating.

This Christmas was actually a decent start. Since we had colds, it was mostly soups and tea.

I made a ton of soup. In fact, I’ve more on the stove. Make a lot, put it in jars and you’re good to soup up for a few days!

Oh..I made quiches too!

In fact, the huge roast I purchased was cut into two, cooked for Christmas dinner and half is still in the freezer. Desserts were consumed in human portions and most of the cookie dough is still in bags in the freezer.

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The Buche de Noel this year was smaller and decorated with candied cranberries and rosemary..

The last slices were consumed last night. A decent way to end the year!

And as I sit here at our dining room table on this first day of 2023, I’m looking at the Christmas tree in the living room. She has begun to wear out the welcome as the branches droop downwards. The Christmas music I’ve been listening so gleefully to, beginning right after Halloween, and sounded so happy and made me giddy with excitement, now have a nuance of sadness to them.

The tree is drooping but I’m not ready to let go yet!

The wreaths and décor need to be taken down, wrapped carefully and nestled into tubs for next Holiday season.

Well..TWO of the three wreaths need to be put away, the one on the far right is realy. I’ll just strip the ornaments and ribbon off.

I’ll do that next week. I just want to gaze fondly upon the remnants of Christmas 2022.

Yeah…next weekend I’ll take it all down!

Happy New Year to all.  Have a healthy, safe and prosperous 2023.  Don’t worry about perfection. Don’t fret over unpromised resolutions. Just do the best you can.

Chippy is resting from an attack yesterday! He’s okay though. He’s a fighter!

With my love to you for 2023!

When I last posted it was two days shy of a month.  There has been a lot going on. And I think I’ll begin with the obvious.

I started a new job. Three weeks ago.

It’s part-time, four days a week—benefits included and is close to home. I’m the receptionist/facilities administrator. A pleasant change from the past five years in disability.

Still business casual but when visitors come, I step it up a bit with a skirt and heels.

On another note, we stayed home this Thanksgiving.  We didn’t go to Paris—what, with a new job and……Oona being in a wedding close by in neighboring Bucks County, PA, meant she and Sam and the boys stayed with us and I got to babysit while Oona and Sam attended a wedding.

Jake flew in from LA. Roman arrived via Amtrak from NYC and my step-daughter and her family were all on board for Thanksgiving Dinner.  My sister and her family were dining at her in-laws and stopped by for dessert so it was a very enjoyable holiday with lots of activity!

A nice shot of me and my boys during the hectic Thanksgiving week!

Due to the babies arriving, I did manage to add some Holiday décor to make the house festive for them!

The small fake tree was in the sunroom. I wanted at least a little holiday embellishment!

As usual, Thanksgiving was fantastic.  Great food and family—what could be better?

I didn’t look like that as I served the turkay. I also don’t have a picture but it was pretty-much a modern take on Normam Rockwell’s Thanksgiving dinner!

The icing on the cake was getting to babysit for Owen and Bennett whilst Oona and Sam attended the wedding—actually Oona was in the wedding party. And……. Owen was ring bearer. And after enjoying himself for a while at the reception, he was ready to come to the room and enjoy quality time with GamGam and Uncle Roman!

My grandson, Owen, quite possibly the most adorable not-quite-two years old ring bearer of all time! The flower girl dropped the petals and Owen cleaned them up. Oona is training him very well!

Back to Thanksgiving—Since the kids were over a few days prior, it meant lots of cooking and prep for the Holiday.  I have to say that I should have taken photographs of the turkey because it turned out to be the best I’ve ever made.

Chef Jay Hajj with his turkey. Mine turned out looking this good but I didn’t cook it standing as he suggests because the bird was too big!

I followed the brining instructions from the cookbook Beirut to Boston by Chef Jay Hajj. Hands down, this brine was fantastic.  We had to purchase a huge plastic tub from the hardware store because the 24-pound turkey was a handful.  Placed the turkey in a giant plastic bag, added the brine and placed into the tub.

This book has become one of my favorites and well-used!

It was almost comical. I purchased a tub similar to this, placed a huge plastic trash bag in it, placed the turkey in the plastic bag, poured the cooled brine, closed the bag and filled with ice. For two days. It was well-worth it!

Now, there was so much stuff in the fridge that the tub with the bird and the brine had to be placed out on our deck. Due to the temperature two days before Thanksgiving being more end-of-summer, The Frenchman had to get ice. Luckily when evening fell the temperature dropped drastically and my turkey was bathed in a cold brine surrounded by ice.

I was nervous about the turkey because I didn’t cook it with stuffing.  My ex-husband and his girlfriend had the task of bringing stuffing over. His mother’s recipe for stuffing was always a hit with everyone so I took advantage of one less item to cook.  Anyway, I opted for throwing a couple of oranges and lemons into the cavity and basting the bejesus out of this turkey.  AND, I actually cooked TWO turkeys. Chef Hajj suggests cooking one to make stock. Trust me the first bird was merely a turkey breast but it still did the job.

Needless to say, even I was impressed with the juiciness of the bird. Honestly, three days later the remaining meat was not dry. His brining recipe is a keeper.

I also made his hummus and his Moroccan Meatballs.  The meatballs are such a hit with my family that I’ll make a batch next weekend and freeze them.

Incredibly creamy and the best hummus I ever had. Chef Hajj’s. I’ll never go back to store-bought hummus again!

You can see from the mess I made on the recipe page that these are a family favorite. 

I made a lot. A lot. They keep well in the fridge and Roman would just randomly snack on them–and the sauce is incredible!

After the meatballs are browned, they continue to cook in this ridiculously aromatic and flavorful sauce. I’m getting hungry.

The hummus?  Owen, who isn’t even two years old couldn’t get enough of it. His strategy was sticking a piece of pita into the hummus, sucking the hummus off then redipping the bread.

My little sous chef. He helped me with baking cookies. And ate a ton of hummus!

My apologies for a serious lack of pictures but we were having so much fun that I didn’t take any pics of Thanksgiving dinner.  Here are a few that I did manage to take.

Blueberry crumb oversized muffins which were a big hit..

Croissants which are always a huge crowd pleaser.

Homemade cranberry sauce.

Biscoff roulade. I made it in advance, wrapped it very securly, froze it, thawed it out and decorated it right before dessert. This was delicious.

The Biscoff filling was finger-lickin’ good!

Preparing deviled eggs.

I made quiches in these pie pans that I bought from Amazon.  Very Emile Henry but for a fraction of the price. Went from fridge to oven with no issues and cleaned up like a charm!  The brand is Le Tauci and I’m heading to Amazon to buy two more. 

Onto Friday.  Jake flew back to LA. Oona; Sam and the babies drove to the wedding venue for the rehearsal and spent the night. Roman and I hung out. The next day we drove to the wedding, to Oona and Sam’s room to baby sit.

Wow. It was such a pleasurable time.  First of all, Oona is such a great mom. She’s very much on routine –especially with baby Bennett.  She had a ton of expressed milk in bottles for him. And it was easy peasy. Although I must say, he went through quite a number of diapers!

Baby Bennett is so chill. He’s completely unfazed by me. LOL!

Owen was the ring bearer and after he partied for a while, Oona brought him back to the room. He watched his little Trash Truck videos, we read, then he went to bed.

Tired after dancing and partying at the wedding–it was Trash Truck time and then right to bed!  

On Sunday, Roman and I visited Longwood Gardens to see the trees in the conservatory all dressed up for the Holidays.   And in the Holiday spirit, came home with two ornaments and a Christmassy bar of soap!

Just before the rain arrived at Longwood Gardens!

The Christmas decorations are awe-inspiring and really get you into the Holiday spirit!

Photos don’t do justice to the natural beauty.

It’s so beautiful!

Now THIS is a wreath!

Little goodies that Roman treated me to!

Monday morning brought about a farewell to Roman as he caught the train back to NYC and to work. There is such an empty feeling when the kids leave.  And it takes a few days to get my emotions back to normal.

Here’s where the fun begins.  The office I work is in new. As such, there is still minor construction going on. And on Thursday, work was being done in the reception area which is my new dwelling.  Due to safety measures, I was given the day off. Which was a nice turn of events as it meant another four-day weekend.

On Thursday I decided to run a few errands. One of the errands was purchasing a plain wreath for the front door and Poinsettias.  I drove to my favorite place for product and plants—Produce Junction and I found what I needed.

I purchased a plain wreath and embellished it with ribbon, berries and balls!

My Poinsettias. I need more!

After loading the car and dropping the shopping cart off, I made my way to my vehicle. Then it happened. I fell. I fell because I tripped over my foot. I tripped over my foot because I have this awful habit of dragging my feet. I was wearing flat shoes.  However, my clumsiness me.  I fell hard.  Thankfully the cashmere leggings that were worn were not ripped, but underneath all that fuzzy warmth, I gashed my knee.  My coat never ripped but I had a gash on my arm. My nose got scratched and my clean white tee was now a mess of gray tar, dirt and the remnants of a rainstorm the night before.

I leave the house all clean and arrive home a hot mess! My leg was actually a lot worse. This photo was the cleaned up version!

But there as another surprise.  A surprise worse than the fate of bloody limbs and filthy clothing.  Upon my fall, face down to the ground, I fell an inch away from a used condom.  Yes. My precious visage almost touch someone’s love juice. I could not handle that.

No way would I take a photo of that thing. But this is pretty-much my reaction upon seeing that!

As helpful as shoppers and store staff were to run to my assistance, the only thing I could point out to them was the used piece of latex rubber.  Had my face touched that thing, I would have driven straight to the ER to have them degerminate my entire body.

And so, the next two days were spent sore and bloody. I think it would have been a safer haven for me at the office.

Wait! There’s more entertainment.

On Friday, we got our Christmas tree. We’ve always gotten a rather…large tree but this year, my husband suggested going the smaller route. Although I hate to admit it, he was right.  The kids have their own lives. Jake will spend Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. Oona has the same Christmas value routine that I had when the kids were younger. Don’t leave the house—Christmas is for the kids.  Roman will come over simply because he isn’t far away and my husband’s daughter and her family will come for dinner. So, it’ll be small and intimate.

Our 2018 tree. Rather large but pretty. We opted for smaller this year!

We headed out to get the tree and found one at Home Depot. A nice balsam fir number that hit the six-feet mark. It’s full but not oversized.

Ahhh. The Frenchman smiles because he is happy to finally have a smaller tree!

My husband also pointed out that since the tree was substantially smaller in girth that we get a tree stand constructed for a smaller sized tree. I agreed and we purchased a tree stand with plastic screws.

This is the tree stand we decided upon. It’s plastic. The screws are plastic. Do you know where this is headed?

Upon arriving home, we prepared for the tree’s placement in the usual corner in the living room.  Honestly, a smaller tree was a pleasure to take up the stairs and place into the stand.  Now, about the plastic stand.  The tree was placed into it. The trunk screwed in, but if felt slightly wobbly to me. My husband assured me it was fine.   The tree, nestled into the corner, settled in for the night before being decorated.

Taking up less space, I think I’m going to go for a smaller tree every year.

Yesterday, I woke up early, and after my morning coffee, headed downstairs to begin embellishing and decorating the tree.  Strands of lights carefully placed upon the evergreen. Spools of ribbon were wrapped carefully on the diagonal.  Ornaments from years past and recent ones were hung with thoughtful placement.

I woke up early to untangle about 8 sets of tree lights. Ever so patiently I must say!

Then it happened. The plastic tree stand that was wobbly in the first place gave out and the tree fell. On me. On me who already had two gashes, a scratched nose from two days before, was now under a fallen tree.  Ribbons became unfurled. Ornaments flew. Chippy’s eyes lit up because he envisioned lots of items to chew.

Yes. The tree fell. On me.

I called to my husband. No answer. He was watching the World Cup.

Apparently these guys were more important than me and the tree!

I called again. No answer. I managed to lift the tree off me. The tree that was now a tangled mess of lights, fallen needles and ribbon droppings.  I held the tree and called to my husband in a louder pitch. Meanwhile water was on the carpeting.

My voice would wake the dead. If you drove me to a cemetery late at night and had me scream, I can assure you that at the least, spirits would rise and beg me to let them rest. However, my husband was so focused on the World Cup that he didn’t hear me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, there must have been a commercial break because he finally came downstairs.

I’m proud to be loud!

He assessed the damage, went downstairs to the garage and came back with the old tree stand that was used for the larger trees. It worked like a charm.

In the meantime, I had a tree to redecorate, I was covered in tree needles and sap, and had a meltdown.

Understand, we were an hour and change away from attending a community theatre production in which my husband’s pre-teen granddaughter was performing. She’s incredibly talented and it would have been great to see her but there was no way I would be ready in an hour. And there was no way I would leave the mess of the tree on the floor for our dog to tend to while we were away.

The redecorated version. I kinda like it!

Instead, I stayed home to re-decorate the mess.  My husband was not happy but I’m going to see her perform at a later date.

Just some Holiday fun folks.  And as I sit here typing these words, I’m looking up at our tree-standing erect in its corner and thinking—it doesn’t look half bad!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are looking forward to this Christmas and Hanukkah Season!

I’m spending the day indoors today. Away from parking lots and trees!