The Loss of a Sibling

Posted on November 24, 2019 by

I honestly do not know where to begin with this post.  Rather, I’ll tell you there’s a reason that I haven’t been posting over the past week.

My baby brother passed away.

My baby brother.  Peter Michael Wynne. And yes, the entire family, cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles always referred to him as “The Baby”.  Maybe it’s an Irish thing….

It’s as simple as that.  He is gone.  I will never see him again and I’ll never speak to him again.  We will never butt heads over politics.  We will never see him at family weddings nor will we ever hear from him during the Holidays.

This is my favorite photo of us.  It was taken back in 1991 at Tice’s Farm in New Jersey. He was visiting us before Halloween.  See his hand on my shoulder?  I love that little nuance.

He has ceased to exist and I am sad, and angry AF and broken.

My brother, Pete and his wife’s family were enjoying a mini-vacation in Vegas. He felt ill. Nausea.  And went to an urgent care center.  He passed out. Cardiac Arrest.  Same as my dad.

And that was it.

I am so grateful that we got to spend time together during Oona’s wedding week.  Here’s Roman with Pete at the Red’s game. It was fun sitting behind him because he kept feeding me!

At 51 years young, this shouldn’t have happened.  He loved life too much.  He was one of the kindest and generous men on earth.

One of his favorite life moments–being on the field at Notre Dame after a football win.  This photo says it all.  He loved life!

Here is his obituary. It is beautifully written and describes him perfectly.

Wynne, Peter Michael of San Antonio, Texas formerly of Port Richey, Florida died suddenly on November 15, 2019 at the age of 51. Pete was preceded in death by his father and mother, Thomas and Germaine Wynne and Father-in-Law, Raul Torres. Beloved husband of Yanela Wynne. Loving father of Jasmine (fiancé Sam Kazarian) and Isis Wynne. Adored son-in-law of Aida Torres. Cherished brother and brother in law of Cathy Latrigue (Vincent), Theresa Cseh, Thomas Wynne (Beth), Germaine Baker (Charles), Raul (Monique), Ruben, Rene (Carmen) Torres. Pete was uncle to 15 nieces and nephews and great uncle to 5 nieces and 2 nephews. Pete was a Faithful man of God as a Fourth Degree Knight.

Pete was with the United States Air Force for 29 years. He retired in 2009 after 21 years of service. He was proud to have served in both the United States Air Force Presidential Honor Guard and Security Forces. During his active duty he spent time at Bolling AFB, D.C, from 1988-1992 as an Honor Guard member; performed military ceremonies and provided presidential security. He was at Osan AB, South Korea from 1992-1995 as Law Enforcement patrolman and town patrol. He was stationed in Minot AFB, North Dakota from 2001-2003 as a Security Forces Flight Chief and he finished his active duty career at Lackland AFB as a Security Forces 7 Level, Combat Arms and Advanced Officer Instructor in the 342nd Training Squadron in 2009. After retirement he went back to school and finished his Master’s degree while staying home with his beautiful newborn baby girl, Isis. In 2013 after completing his Masters and perfecting parenthood, he returned to Lackland AFB in the 802 Security Forces Squadron as a Civilian DAF Police Supervisor. In 2015 he was promoted to Assistant Operations Officer, the title he held until his recent passing.

Pete’s love for his country came first, Notre Dame Football was second until he met his wife Yanela in late 2006. In May of 2008 they married and he was able to spend the rest of his beautiful life with her and their two beautiful daughters Jasmine and Isis. He was not only an exceptional Airman; he was a dedicated, loving and devoted husband, father, brother and friend. He lit up so many people’s lives. He was a happy and selfless man, a true angel on Earth. An outpouring of love and kind words have been shared since his passing, a true testament on what a wonderful soul he was. He leaves this world with a lot of broken hearts, but his memory will continue to live in everyone.

Pete will be missed tremendously by his family, friends and his faithful pets.

The family will receive friends for visitation from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

What makes matters even sadder is that his body had to stay in Vegas for a week until it was released to fly home to San Antonio.  And due to the Thanksgiving travel, his funeral service is delayed until December 5.  I cannot imagine the heartbreak of my Sister-in-law and my nieces.

With Roman..you can see how happy he is to be with Uncle Pete…

Jake with a very young “Uncle Pete” on one of our visits to Florida.  

…and with Oona.  My God, he was the favorite uncle of all my kids and they won’t have him anymore..

It’s difficult to function right now.  The Frenchman and I leave for Paris on Tuesday.  I haven’t even packed yet.  And if you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I pack weeks in advance!  And the day after we return, I will be getting on a plane to head to Pete’s service.

He loved and served his country so very much. A perfect example of a PATRIOTIC and TRUE American.  He was an enlisted man!

Everyone has their personal coping mechanisms.  For me, I’m ok one minute and the next, I start to just cry.  It’s so random.  To make things a bit festive, I started decorating the bannisters for Christmas.   It wasn’t a happy moment.

A man of  deep Catholic faith, I remember how proud he was when Jake asked him to be his sponsor for Confirmation.

He was my brother Tom’s, Best Man.  Actually, Pete was best man to everyone!

The photo is a bit fuzzy, but this was taken at Disney World when he was just a kid!

I just want my brother back.  I can hear his voice.  I can visualize his animation when he gets excited.  And nothing will bring him back.

Back in his “single” days, he was often at our home for Christmas.  This is one of Oona’s favorite photos.  She’s so tired and out of it but Pete was there to carry her down the stairs to Santa’s gifts!

You got siblings?  Give them a random call if you haven’t seen them in a while.  Are you on the outs?  Fuck it.  Put the outs to the side and reach out.  My siblings and I don’t agree politically.  I’m the Independent of the family and it’s put a dent in our relationships.  With my brother’s passing, politics no longer matter.  It’s family that does.

My cubicle at work.  I just want Pete next to me!

There’s not much more to say in the post because I certainly don’t want to come across as morose and a downer.  I’m taking a little break for a week or so until this pass.

I love you baby brother!

And then I’ll be back with my sense of humor.

Love and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Posted in Uncategorized | 87 Comments

T’was Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas—A Month Ago!

Posted on November 10, 2019 by

Our Holiday Calendar has gone askew.  Some time before Halloween, we took a trip to Costco and the Christmas Decorations were in full force.

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Nothing like seeing THIS before Halloween!

The “Holiday” décor was of better consumer placement than the Halloween candy and costumes were.  It was quite disturbing for me.

And it brought memories of a childhood back to mind.

Halloween was that stretch of time where you thought about your “store bought” costume with the plastic mask that made you sweat and for some other reason gave you the gift of a constant drool.  I’m thinking swallowing your saliva kept you hydrated as you roamed the neighborhood for hours in search of the house with the “good” candy.

I love the realistic “Baby Jane” application of the lipstick on this mask. I had this very one and can attest that there was a ton of sweat and drool within an hour of wearing this.

Then there was the delight of trading candy with siblings and friends and all those great autumn activities such as jumping into piles of raked leaves and closing your eyes to enjoy the wafting scent of burning leaves.

And the actual “smock” costume that you could wear OVER your outwear just made Halloween’s Trick or Treating experience epic!

Immediately following the Hallowed Eve, the planning for Thanksgiving began.

And no matter how many times, mine eyes have seen the glory of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want”,  my personal Thanksgivings have been more like “Wishful Freedom from Stress”

Now, my mother was into total convenience and having five children to take care of didn’t help matters. She always had our Thanksgiving dinner “catered” by the deli up the street— “Bernie’s”.  Bernie was our Thanksgiving chef.  And to this day, I cannot stand turkey.  For some reason, Bernie’s turkey had a horrific aftertaste. It didn’t taste homemade to me.

My mother opted for a catered-from-Bernie’s-deli Thanksgiving feast that looked NOTHING like this.  It was all served in plastic containers.

Regardless, Thanksgiving was still a time for a great family meal.  Except for those years when my dad had to report to the New York City Police Department as he worked on a rotating schedule.

But..the greatest thing about Thanksgiving was watching the parade.  The spectacular floats.  The marching bands.  The celebrity hosts. And most of all, at the end of the parade, the arrival of the man—Santa Claus!

There were some great memories on the Upper West Side of NYC watching the Thanksgiving parade and standing outside in the cold freezing our asses off!

From Spiderman (and I must say that I’m impressed with my photographic talent, it was my Nikkormat camera and not a phone)…..

….to Ronald McDonald, we had a blast!

The official commencement of The Christmas Season was the arrival of Santa, sitting in his sleigh being wheeled through New York City streets, waving to the children both standing in the frigid cold and in the comfort of their toasty homes.

Now THIS was the start of Christmas Season!

The Santa.  Last float of the Thanksgiving Parade. The official start of  the Christmas season.  I love old school…

Prior to his arrival, there were no Hallmark Christmas movies—especially in July.

Oops! I doth believe that the only Homegrown Christmas Lori Loughlin might be celebrating this year will be the one in the Big House!

There were no decorations or lights showcased from the neighbors’ homes and lawns.

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Seriously folks, I would love to live next to this house.  

The retail establishments kept the goods in the stock rooms until the arrival of the bearded man in the red suit!

It was an event!

Things have changed for sure!

My oldest son Jake with Wall Street Santa in 1984.  I was working at the now-defunct Morgan Guaranty Trust company–I loved my job and I loved the perks.  Each year the company held a Christmas party for the children of employees. It was incredible.  Look at the way Jake is admiring Santa!

Although we celebrate Christmas on the 25th, we now lead up to that date so far in advance.

Christmas 1989.  Roman still talks about this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask to this day. Ahhhh the simple gifts that Santa brings…

Oona with her favorite doll she named  Oats.  And I still have Oats packed away!  I’m in a state of shock that my horrible mothering lack of skills allowed my daughter to eat chocolate so early on Christmas morning and I never even bothered to wipe her face!

December 25th, best day of the year and within hours it’s gone….

As Bonaparte and I were driving through downtown Phoenixville last Tuesday evening to my WW studio session (don’t judge—I can’t drive at night due to my lack of vision), I noticed an unusual sight.  Christmas wreaths were hung from the downtown lampposts.  It was both equal parts horrifying and delightful.

Horrifying because it was barely a week after Halloween and delighted because I’m looking forward to all things Christmas.

Not gonna lie. I’ve been listening to Christmas music in the car.  That Vince Guaraldi—right??

Bonaparte is quite concerned that I’m listening to this so far ahead of the start of the Season!

Friday morning before work, I stopped at Walmart because I wanted a bag of carrots to munch on. I ended up with a couple of Christmas decorations for the house.

Yes. I did.  And I’m not ashamed either!

So, what’s my train of thought on this rush for the most wonderful time of the year?

I’m embracing it.  Fully.   And hoping that man and womankind put aside feelings of hatred toward others and for at least a month start to behave in a more respectful manner.  I want values to be exercised.

Come along with me as I show you a bit of the Christmas cheer in downtown Phoenixville.

Come on. Hop in my car and take a drive to downtown Phoenixville, PA!  

The wreaths are all placed atop the lamp posts!  What’s this?  We could DONATE a wreath????  Why did I not know this?  Atypica60 would LOVE to donate a wreath and to see her name displayed!!

The Pub in Phoenixville is in full-tilt Santa Boogie!

 

He just asked me what I wanted!  I told him a winning Powerball ticket!

Frosty is inching his way into the scene…

This is making me so utterly happy and warm and fuzzy inside!

The greens have been hung…

And the lights are up. Oh lordy, I’m so excited that I need a Depends!

I love downtown Phoenixville!

And a Very Merry to you!

Hope you enjoyed the pre-season fun!!!  

And I did manage to get a little bit of the holidays into the house!

The little plaid tree. It’s so cute!

Posted in Holiday Season, Phoenixville | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

All I Wanted To Do Was Watch “The Righteous Gemstones”. Is That Too Much to Ask???

Posted on November 9, 2019 by

It’s been a tough week at work. There’s a monthly project that I’ve taken on, and in all honesty—it’s the cause of frustration and stress.  Nonetheless it has to be done.

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My eyes.  They burn. They hurt. I’m seeing triple!  I’m so stressed!

And that’s what happened this past Thursday.  And it rained.  No!  It freaking poured.  Add to the rain, thanks to daylight saving time, the sky was dark when I left the office and my commute home was treacherous.

traffic jam

Add rain, darkness and glare to this mess. And me driving one mile an hour!  But at least I had the Christmas music on!

I don’t even want to think about what those who were driving behind me were thinking because when driving around the bends and curves, I must’ve been going five miles an hour.  Then there’s the glare from oncoming traffic (I have non-glare glasses.  There’s still glare).  And the bozos who drive at twilight with their damned brights on.

Bright Lights GIF by Power Rangers

Yeah. This is me all bent out of shape because oncoming traffic lighting is too bright!

Suffice it to say, when I arrived home, I broke down in tears.  Night driving is very challenging for me due to my horrific eyesight and I cannot change my work hours.

Let’s just say I wasn’t in the best of moods.  And leave it at that.

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It’s kind of a bitchy story…..

And so, I was too spent to sit downand write a blog post.  I was too stressed to do much of anything.

All I wanted to do after dinner was to relax and watch a TV Show.  A particular TV Show.

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Ok. So I don’t have a reclining chair. But I did want to chill and watch TV!

I just wanted to watch “The Righteous Gemstones”!

After a taxing day and a horrific drive home, I can relax and have a good laugh by watching this show!

Earlier in the week, my daughter, Oona, called me to extol the greatness of this HBO series.

She said it was the funniest show ever and that Bonaparte would love it because it broaches the subject of religion.  Now understand.  Both of us were born Roman Catholic.  I’m still very-much into my Catholic roots.  Bonaparte is not.

As a Catholic, I’m not particularly fond of priests but the nuns…I love these women.  Two of my aunts were nuns and The Sisters of Mercy taught me.  I honestly love the nuns!

However, we  are not fans of the religious extremists.  Evangelicals top that list.  Anyway, the description from HBO’s site is below:

You had me at John Goodman!

This comedy series tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. John Goodman, Danny McBride, Edi Patterson, Adam Devine, Cassidy Freeman, Tony Cavalero, Tim Baltz and Greg Alan Williams star. 

And the sons!  Adam Devine from Pitch Perfect!!

The Father, The Sons, and the Holy Spirit!  I’m blessing myself already!

This show is right up my comedic alley. And considering all the political garbage that I’m subjected to every night –a leader with no moral compass, I welcome a show that’ll make me laugh.

And music about the evils of Satan are included!  I’m shook!

And as we settled upstairs in our comfy bed, me in my toasty pajamas nestled between Bonaparte and Chippy, I anticipated an evening of fun and laughs.

I was already smiling–but it was to be premature…

That did not happen.

What ensued, however, was an hour-and-a half of frustration, anger, cursing and threats to Verizon Fios and HBO!

That’s correct. My happiness quickly evolved into distorted frustration..

Remotes, yes, the plural. Remotes in hand, we headed to “On Demand.”  First off, the Verizon Fios On Demand is challenging and a great pain-in-the-ass.  The process to even get to the show you want takes at the least, fifteen minutes. And that’s when you know what you want!

And these are just the master bedroom remotes. There’s more downstairs and on the ground level of our home!

You have to press the “On Demand” button on the remote. And then you have to wait for On Demand to load.

On Demand. It should be renamed “On Anti-anxiety Meds”!

Then once there, you must choose a particular category. Sounds easy—right?  Wrong because the friggin’ remote either jumps categories or a window for movies automatically pops up that you can exit out of.

Really?  Trying to watch your damned TV show is giving ME anxiety flashes!

So, after about ten minutes, we reached the “Premium” channel category and started to peruse through the never-ending sea of offerings of the Home Box Office.  When we finally found The Righteous Gemstones, all frustration was gone because, by now, both of us were eager to watch the first episode.

Thank you Jesus. I was finally going to see The Righteous Gemstones.  Or was I?

And then the frustration really began to hit us.  The series just ended it’s first season (it has been renewed for a second).  With that, you would think this series would be readily available for viewing.  Well……it is but you have to pay! 

So wait.  We gotta PAY to watch this?  We already DO pay…

Yeah.  PAY!  We already pay over $100 a month for Verizon Fios and for HBO.  And we’re supposed to pay extra to view this series?  From a premium channel that we pay for from a provider we pay for?

Lots of naughty language from both of us.  Me, cursing in English, and Bonaparte saying very naughty words in French came next.

Actions speak louder than words so I flip to bird to both Verizon Fios AND HBO.  Actually I got loud too!

A few moments later Bonaparte’s eyes lit up.  He reached for yet another remote. This time it was the Roku remote.  I don’t even want to think about what he paid for the Roku service but he went through a series of clicks and another screen popped up.

WTF?  Where’s HBO?  Where’s HBO NOW and HBO GO!  Gone to hell I suppose!

This time with “HBO NOW”.   It occurred to me that we probably received HBO NOW with our monthly subscription.  We did not.  We tried entering passwords and usernames to no avail.

Truth. I want my HBO NOW!!!

Then I realized we must have HBO GO; a service provided to HBO Subscribers.

The problem lies therein that we couldn’t reach anyone from HBO or Verizon to help us. The wait was over a half hour.

It was at this time, I nearly ended up in a straight jacket.  After a taxing day, all I wanted to do was watch a damned TV show to make me happy. I wanted to smile. I wanted belly laughs.  I wanted entertainment.

Happy Shirley Temple GIF

All I wanted was to be comfy in my pj’s, watch a TV show and have a happy laugh!

Instead I went to sleep exhausted from anger and frustration.  My hysteria fatigued me.  Where my husband is the calm one, I’m the crazy person. And trust me, I went to sleep a madwoman!

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Yes. I’m the crazy lady. Thank you Verizon and HBO for my insanity!

And that’s what frustrates me.  Everything these days has a price.  Subscribing to a cable provider isn’t enough.  You need the premium channels.  Subscribing to a premium channel isn’t enough. You need to pay more if you want to watch a newer show.

It’s all about the Benjamins.  Mo’ money. A Cable subscription isn’t enough. A premium channel isn’t enough. They want more and I bring home less.

Network TV sucks.  Comedies are contrived and way too politically correct for my taste. If you want something along the lines of Norman Lear, you need cable. Network TV is for those who are easily offended.

Maude. Where are you?  Network TV needs you back.  God’ll get you for that!  Oh how I miss great network TV!

A simple evening at home is no longer simple if you want to watch TV.  I’m better off reading a book.

Image result for atypical60 the count of monte cristo

Perhaps I need to read The Count of Monte Cristo again. After all, it was entertaining and juicy and full of revenge!

Is it these times we live in?  Technology, as great as it is, can be daunting and frustrating and cause for high blood pressure. Even the simplest of things, like setting a clock in your car can be difficult. It isn’t just TV.  One of my sisters sent me this video the other day.  I’ll tell you, no matter how many times, Bonaparte and I watch this, we bowl over from laughing so hard.

It’s so stinking funny and rings so true at the same time.  Here it is for your entertainment. And if you are easily offended by naughty language please do NOT watch this.  He drops the “f” bomb so if you are offended, this isn’t for you.  I’m giving you fair warning.  If you can relate to the frustrations of remotes, electronics, digital items and so on, you will be laughing at this guy and at yourself.  Here goes!

As I said before.  I’m better off reading a book. A novel if you will and not a manual!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 28 Comments

Let the Skincare Begin and A Peek at My Bio Hair!

Posted on November 3, 2019 by

Summer is over. And I’ll tell you, I get very lazy with the skincare regime in the summer.  I’m outdoors more. In the sun.  The sunscreen goes on. It’s hot, I sweat—or rather, glisten.  And my skin just stays more hydrated in the summer.

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Hey!  Excuse Me.  But I don’t sweat. I GLISTEN!!!

Now it’s fall. And as we head into mid-to-late fall, the skincare routine must resume.

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Oh yes. OH YES!  Bring on the skincare routine!

In my laziness, the only moisturizer I use is CeraVe and I pick it up for an inexpensive price at Walmart, slather it on my face, allowing it to sink into the wrinkles and that’s about it.

I apply this stuff like frosting on a cake. I”m not kidding.  I use a ton of this!

But I’ve noticed that my skin is now drier in spots and it gets kind of red and a bit itchy.

What’s a mature woman to do?

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A mature lady has to do more than apply lipstick. And that means serious skincare!

I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for the next 30 days!  I’m going to be testing a product!  That’s right.  I received a complimentary, full-size jar of L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Moisturizer.

That’s right!  I’ll be testing L’Oreall’s Age Perfect Rosy Tone Moisturizer. If Helen Mirren says it’s okay then it may be a great friend to mature skin. We’ll see…

Influenster sent this to me to try out for a month, and at month’s end, I’ll be reviewing this cream.  I’ll report how it worked, if it worked and generally, if it is worth the money.  It retails for $24.99 on the L’Oréal site but I’ve seen it as low as $14.89 at Target for 1.7 oz.

I was so excited to receive this VoxBox from Influenster. I take my reviews seriously and am eager to report on this!

It’s fair to say the price point is average for a moisturizer—especially with the ever-escalating price of drugstore brands.  Other brands are far more expensive.

What I find respectable is that L’Oreal never uses the term “anti-aging” on this.  It’s such a great thing!

I’ll be using this every day in the morning and evening.  My biggest challenge will be to not use a ton of it.  I’m very heavy-handed.

Here’s the moisturizer. It’s got a rosy tint and such a subtle fragrance that disipates upon application.  I think this will be a decent product!

My other skin-care products will be put on the back burner for the next month so I can truly concentrate on the way this affects my skin!

My Nuxe serum and Ordinary skincare products will be put to rest for a while.  

Please allow me to thank Influenster for sending this to an “over 60” member.  It seems that the products are all so youth-oriented and I’m grateful I’ve been chosen to test this.

My thanks to Infuenster for including my demographic. Thanks so much!

I’ll report back at the end of the month.  Actually, may be the first week in December because we’ll be in Paris the end of the month!

Barefaced and testing. I’m ready to try this and report back to you!

OTOH, I blew my hair out for the first time in over a year today.  The baldness is still there and the wigs are going to continue to be a part of my life but I just wanted to show you how my bio hair looks since I stopped coloring it some seven months ago (maybe eight—who’s counting!)

From the front, you would never guess that I have a hair loss issue.  Oops!  From the back it’s a different story.  Calling Friar Tuck!  Calling Friar Tuck!!

As an aside, I washed in in the shower this morning with Head and Shoulders shampoo. I did NOT use conditioner.  I did not use any products other than the shampoo.  The hair is still coarse and wiry and dry as all get out.

Seriously.  If I had all my hair, I would greatly enjoy going out in public with my “ombre” hair!  I love it! And I chopped it myself!!

I will say though that giving my hair a rest from blow drying, it was much easier to dry.  I posted a pic on Instagram earlier and Oona called me to tell me that she loved the Ombre effect on my hair.  She asked whether or not I could wear a topper.

I blow dried the hair, and whilst I applied my makeup and got dressed, I had it up in clips and rollers.  So old school!

You know, I told her that there are no toppers to match my hair’s texture and that toppers don’t work for everyone.  I much prefer a wig.

And when I got off the phone with her, I started to tear up a bit.  It was because at that moment, I wanted my hair back.  All of it.  My bio hair looked great today.

I have to say, I was really pleased with the way the hair I have left turned out today!

And then I realized the amount of time it used to take to blow dry my hair and how the weather affected it so I went to my wig closet, opened it, and gave a big smile because I’m just so grateful to the wig companies and creators and designers for giving me my confidence back!

And at the end of the day, this sight made me happy because I’m eterally grateful to the people and creators of wigs who have made our lives much easier!  Thank you!

Have a great evening—and evening is coming early today due to Daylight Saving time.  I cannot wait till the days get longer!  How about you?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Lost Blog Posts, A “WW” Vent, NYC Lunch and Clothes I’m Loving!

Posted on October 30, 2019 by

Oy Vey!  First of all, I lost a couple of blog posts.  My laptop had “updates” and every effing time there is a Microsoft “update”, something goes awry.

Nooooooo!

Yes!  Every. Stinkin. Update. Ruins my laptop!

This time it was my word docs.  Three of them were lost. Poof! Vanished into thin cyber-air.

Stephen Colbert Shrug GIF by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Pretty much like my blog posts!

I felt like a modern-day Little Bo Peep—except instead of sheep, I have blog posts—and they can’t be brought home with their tails behind them. But they can be brought home with their tales behind them and still haven’t!

Humpty Dumpty Vintage GIF

Maybe I should run around without panties like Bo Peep and my blog posts will follow me just like these sheep!

Adding to that, I’ve got a “WW” vent.   OK, first the good WW news I lost a pound last week, bringing my weight down to 149 pounds which I’m pleased as punch about.  A new Lifetime membership card arrived in the mail and I’m able to track everything on the app for my phone.

They didn’t even bother to change my last name.  Well at least the numbers are changing!

I’m also obsessed with the WW barcode feature on the app. It allows you to scan a barcode from any food item and will automatically tell you the number of points per serving. It’s as though the WW App is too good to be true.

And it is.  Yesterday, in the early afternoon, I decided to pre-track my dinner, and for some reason the app wouldn’t load.  I kept trying into the late afternoon, even though I was at work.

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My obsession. The WW App and now I can’t even get into it to track what I’m eating!

Nothing. The app died.  I Googled to see if there was an issue with the WW app and there was.  Which annoyed the bejesus out of me because I finally figured out how to master this friggin’ thing and then it dies.   And as of the present time, I need an activation code to get back in along with some other information.

Then I remembered what our “coach” at the “WW Studio” during our “Workshop” said last week.

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Instead of  turning the meetings into studio workshops, perhaps WW should put more money into making their technology more user-friendly!

She said the WW app would be changing because WW is evolving and the program is changing. Again.

You know, this really pissed me off and I’ll tell you why.  It’s the constant changing of the program.  Granted. I realize that change is a good thing.  However, too many changes can have the opposite effect.

Although I cannot remember what the original premise of Weight Watchers was, I know there were no points involved and there was a lot of weighing and counting. My mother followed Weight Watchers religiously. I still fondly remember the old WW “fake” nut recipe by roasting canned mushrooms.  And the baked apples with diet cream soda poured over them before shoving them in the oven.

I’m now in search of the old school recipes like the roasted mushroom “peanuts” and the baked apple with diet soda poured over it!

 Then came the Point system—which is genius.  Then came the Smart Points—as if the regular points were the village idiots.  We had Points Plus too!  And Zero Point foods became a hot commodity.

And then, as presently, came Freestyle.  Where many foods are zero points but the foods with points have a higher point value.  It’s complicated. I know.  But it takes diligence to do well on Freestyle.  For me, the weight is coming off slowly, but at this point, I don’t care.

Who knows what’s in store with the new program that hasn’t been introduced but my thinking isn’t so warm and fuzzy about this.

I happen to like the name “Weight Watchers” it is just what is says it is.  “WW” can mean a plethora of other things such as “Whadya Want” “Where’s Waldo” “World Wrestling” …the list goes on.  You can make a drinking game out of it.

I love the point system.  But I’m intrigued by the original ‘Weight Watchers Program“.  In fact, I may go a step farther and try sleuthing for a copy of the Original Weight Watchers Cookbook that my mother had!

My mother had this book and if I can recall, this is where the original “mashed” cauliflower was created.  There were some very strict guidelines but it was better than the way Weight Watchers keep morphing!

Since I can no longer trust technology, I shall track my food intake in a little journal.  Pen and paper are more reliable than my finger prodding my iPhone.

I’m now manually tracking in a journal..

—and when I ask, because the new WW is stingy, a little pocket tracker.  I can’t trust the app!

But I have been good.

This post has been interrupted by a two-hour phone call from my daughter!

I’m back.

Where was I?  Oh yeah. The “WW” thing.  Anyway, I have been good.  I’m continuing to make better food choices.  I’m certainly not starving myself and I’m doing the best I can.

I’ve yet to try the red lentil pasta from Trader Joe’s but the Roasted Seweed with Sea Salt snacks are delicious and One Point!

I made this shortbread/pastry cream/raspberry tarte for a pot luck luncheon at work last week.  I didn’t even have a piece but heard it was delicious!  It disappeared within five minutes!

One thing I’ve decided to do is to place myself on a clothing “no-buy” for the remainder of the fall/winter seasons.  There’s nothing that I really need.  Besides, for my job, I’m the only one who dresses up anyway.

My outfit of choice yesterday at work.  The clothing is fitting much better!  And the legs are now fake tanned!

Another look–I’m loving this suiting ensemble so much.  Both were purchased years ago at J. Crew and I can wear the jacket with jeans!

For Jeans Friday it was high-waisted skinnies by AG, and my beloved French Hen Sweater from J. Crew. The shoes? Repetto’s from maybe eight years ago.  Nothing new here but it’s another outfit I love!

I wore this Monday.  I took the tights out of the drawer in the dark and realized they were blue so I ran upstairs and changed to green.  Now you know why I like bare legs!

Another recent look and it’s all J. Crew from years ago.  The booties were purchased last November in Paris during the Black Friday sales!

Hello!  I wore this today. The sweater (guess where I got it?) is about six years old and I think the skirt could be in high school by now.  But I love the combo of the pencil skirt, bare legs and sweater!

And here is one of my most-loved looks.  A faux suede mini skirt that was purchased at J. Crew Factory maybe three years ago.  I don’t know how old the boots are but this look is one of my faves. Its incredibly comfy!

And the clothing is fitting much better!

This is what I wore into NYC to meet my sisters.  In all honesty,  I overdressed. And by that I mean it was really warm and this outfit was just too hot.  I wasn’t comfortable but I love the combination.  This is better for heavy winter temperatures!

On Saturday, I met my two sisters and two nieces in NYC for lunch.  It was great to be back in the city so soon after the Hairdo event!

NYC twice in two weeks!  It’s almost as good as living back there!

We met at my nieces’ apartment; the two sisters are roomies.  And headed over to Lafayette. A really nice restaurant downtown.  I made a great choice with the Egg White Frittata and I have to say, coffee was the beverage of choice.  We’re not a day-drinking family unless it’s at a wedding!

Back on my home turf…

….headed to my nieces’ place on Mott Street!

We all have hearty appetities!

My choice as well as my niece Sarah, was the egg white frittata and it hit the spot!

My sister Germaine had the Bananas Foster French Toast. This thing was the size of a home-baked layer cake and she ate every last morsel.  I was jealous! My sister Theresa had lemon pancakes.  I was jealous.

We had a great time!

I wish we didn’t live so far away.  Theresa is in California and Germaine in Long Island!

I’m still searching for those lost posts because the topic was makeup!  Ahhh. I’ll just start new ones!  Instead I’ll leave you with a photo of scenes from my morning commute to work!

Thank God nobody was on the road because I snapped these whilst driving.  But slow driving!  My commute is through Valley Forge Park in PA and it calms me and relaxes me for the day ahead!

Have a great evening and I’ll hopefully find those posts!

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Hairdo, The Wig Company, NYC and an Event to Remember!

Posted on October 20, 2019 by

My wigs are my accessory.  I change them up most every day.  It’s important to me.

“Hair” I am in Whiteout by Hairdo!  The Wig Company sent it to me to wear to the Wig Out Event!

But more than that, my mission is to get women of the “mature” demographic to not shy away from wearing a synthetic crown of glory.

Yes Mature ladies!  Wear the hair….

Let’s face it, there are a plethora of reasons for wearing wigs.  Illness is most likely the main reason and I consider wigs the greatest non-drug medicine.  There are those of us who have lost hair due to autoimmune disease, stress, menopause, female balding pattern and many other reasons.

And my passion is putting out the word that wigs can be a great asset to the pro-aging woman–especially those wigs with a youthful vibe.

That’s right!  A Youthful vibe and trust me, The Wig Company has recently given themselves a facelift of sorts to become a more modern company and they are rockin’!!!

So, you can just imagine my surprise and delight when The Wig Company and Hairdo reached out to me to invite me as a guest to their Wig Out event in New York City this past Thursday evening.

Yup!  Me. Moi.  I can’t believe that I was on the receiving end of Hairdo and The Wig Company’s kindness and generosity!

Seriously, I was over-the-moon elated! I mean, come on, rarely is the mature demographic included in anything!  I couldn’t contain my happiness! Luckily, my PTO from work hasn’t been used up and I was able to take the day off from work.

And since it was a quick overnight, packing was a cinch!

My Longchamp Weekender was packed in less than a minute!

What would this event be like?  I’ve never been invited to a PR event so this was a big deal for me.

With Chippy in doggie day care for the next 24 hours, my husband and I headed off to Manhattan.  I called my son, Roman, to let him know we were coming in to “The city” and surprisingly, he had a few days off from his hectic schedule.  He would meet the Frenchman while I attended the event.  All was set into place.

 

 

The closer we got to the city, the more excited I got. And it was very exciting because there was no tunnel traffic!

OMG. It was so great to be back in NYC.  This is a vision of absolute beauty to me. I will always be a city girl!

We stayed at Sixty LES, a very, very nice boutique hotel on Allen Street. And to tell you the truth, I was a bit fascinated at how much the lower east side has changed since my days of a NYC resident. What used to be somewhat iffy area so close to Alphabet City has morphed into a trendy and hip area.

Image result for sixty les hotel

60 LES is a GREAT boutique hotel. Might I suggest this venue for your next visit to the Big Apple?

With a bit of time before heading to the pre-event meeting, I was able to finally meet the friends I’ve made from The Wig Company and Hairdo in person!  Everyone was so incredibly welcoming and friendly. In fact, I felt like I was meeting a group of friends from my childhood.  There was no awkwardness or those silent moments. It all fell into place.

So, let me take you on a little tour of the fun. OK?

Welcome to Wig Out at 60 LES!!! Isn’t Poise & Berry so pretty?

The event was held in the Make Believe room on the 7th floor.  With a somewhat tropical vibe, comfy seating and wonderful views, it was the perfect place to wig out!

Image result for sixty les hotel make believe room

The Make Believe room was transformed into an ethereal event of fantasy wigs!

All the fantasy wigs were on display with some sweet surprises!

Move over MGM Lion. Momma Lioness in her fabulous mane of Arctic Melt is watching over you!

Midnight Berry–a gorgeous angled bob was so hard to resist..

She’s gorgeously angled and the pigmented berry color is stupendous.  Photos do no justice1

If you love a bob and love a deep berry shade, she’s a winner!

Here’s Fierce Fire!  And if you have a fiesty personality and are fierce, this is a great banged bob!

Pinky Promise wig.  I promise you won’t be disappointed in her.  The length and style are very soft and flattering!

Here she is again and next to her, Peachy Keen, a lighter peach-toned bob!

Lilac Frost is next. And I have to say, this photo doesn’t showcase the beauty of this wig.  She’s one of those wigs that any woman with gray hair would look breathtaking in because it’s lilac with gray undertones.

Arctic Melt. This. Is. Mermaid. Hair!  And my photo isn’t all that great so….

Image result for hairdo arctic melt

Here’s how she looks on.  She’s a stunner!

And my personal favorite of the evening (other than the Whiteout wig I was wearing) was this–Out of the Blue..

My biggest regret was not taking her home with me.  The more I look at her, the more I realize she’s that bob I love. Longer and bumped under at the ends.

I mean—look at her!  She gives new meaning to the phrase “blue haired lady”.  I’m kicking myself….and there’s fun-sized Crunch bars that I missed…

But I was able to take the bright and beautiful Poise & Berry in the shade Red Wine home!  I even did a YouTube review on her!

Sugared Pearl wig being styled!

The open bar provided for refreshing beverages and servers were walking around nonstop with food.  Everything looked so good but I opted for Zero-point salmon!

For some reason I was making this guy laugh all night!  And I only had two spritzers!

The photo booth was a great addition and I must say that I had an absolute blast with this one!

At the photo booth with my Long Eyelind twin!  HairUWear, Inc., CMO Michael Ferrara.   And he has a son named Roman!!  How cool is that???

My guys arrived shortly before the event ended but we were able to make a couple of photographic memories!

Me with my son Roman…

…and a rare appearance by the Frenchman!  Look!  He smiles!!!

And a lovely end of the evening with a beautiful view of the City I love so much!

Goodnight New York!  

Overall, I’m blessed to have been invited to such a fun event and it was a remarkably fun experience!  Thank you a million times to The Wig Company and Hairdo!

Below is a review I uploaded on the Hairdo Whiteout Wig!  She’s a great wig and I wore her three days in a row without any knotting or frizz. She’s a keeper!  Whiteout and all the Hairdo wigs featured on this post can be purchased from The Wig Company. There is always a great deal on TWC and the customer service is stellar!

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About Tuesday Last Night…And Some More Makeup—Is it Mature-Skin Friendly?

Posted on October 19, 2019 by

So, as life turns out, I was unable to make it to the WW Studio on Tuesday evening.

And NO—I’m not bailing out.  There’s a reason I didn’t go.

I may have missed the meeting, but I’m diligent with the tracking.

I took all the winter clothing out from storage and put the summer stuff into storage.

Two of four binsful of summer clothing.  And yes. I had to put some summer footwear away!

And it took a while to do.  The storage bins had to be lugged up the stairs.   Summer clothing had to be taken off hangers and out of drawers.

Then the winter stuff had to be separated for the dry cleaner and the remainder hung.

And when I took my sweaters out of the bins, they all needed to be steamed.

Steaming these sweaters was actually a Zen experience. Like Ironing. The wrinkles just smoothed out in no time!

Might I add that this $19.99 steamer I purchased at Walmart last year did an excellent job.  Not only does it steam my wigs but it steams my clothing too!  What a little multi-tasker!

Originally, this was purchased to steam my wigs–okay?  But..it’s great for the sweaters too!  What a bargain!

 

My beloved French Hen sweater from J. Crew–and quite a few years back, is looking brand spanking new!

But back to the weight loss journey.

This morning I weighed myself.  147/148.  I’m thrilled with that number.

I’m thrilled with this number. Let’s hope next Tuesday evening the number at least remains the same!

I’ve been very good in tracking everything I’ve been eating.

And with this comes a realization that I don’t want to sit around all day stuffing food in my mouth.  The choices I’m making are wiser.

Lower-point foods and just being more cautious in general is doing the trick.

One point for four to five of these little cilantro and chicken wontons by CJ Foods that I picked up at Costco are a far better choice than a slab of cheese or a cookie!

But for more news….

The Wig Company, an online wig shop and Hairdo hosted an event downtown NYC on Thursday evening and I was an invited guest!  I’ll be writing more about this on my next post!

It was such a Cinderella moment for me!  I’m still excited about it!

And in my attempt to try out different makeup that could prove to be mature skin friendly, I purchased three items from the company Glossier.  I’ve seen the brand’s ads all over social media and until I saw a couple of YouTube beauty reviews from women I follow, I decided to order!

Glossier Boy Brow.  This is definitely a great brow product.  My go-to-brow gel is Benefit’s Gimme Brow.  It’s a wonderful gel that keeps the brows in place but I have to tell you,  Glossier’s Boy Brow does a better job of making the individual brows stand up a bit more which is something I like.  A lot.    At $16 for 0.11 oz, it isn’t cheap.  Gimme Brow is $24.00 for .1 oz.  Gimme Brow’s travel size is $12 for 0.5 oz.  I suck at math but I think the best value for the dollar here is Gimme Brow’s travel size.  It’s just a feeling.  If you are a math wiz, please let us know!

Glossier boy brow.  This little gel packs a punch to get the brows looking great. But the price for the amount of product?

I was thinking that perhaps I would replace Gimme Brow with the boy brow but there is definitely a different price point.  Both are great brow products though!

Regardless of the price, I rate Glossier’s Boy Brow an A.  Same with Gimme Brow.  A’s all the way around.  The weight is what keeps it from being an A +.  You would think there would be a bit more product!

Boy brow almost became “Dog Brow”. You-know-who got a hold of this. Luckily I rescued it just in time!

Cloud Paint has been intriguing to me for a while.  And I bought it.  $18 for .33 oz. It comes in a little tube.  Tubes can be temperamental at times and this is no exception. You squeeze too hard and too much product comes out.  Too light a squeeze and nothing comes out.  Catch my drift here?

Glossier Cloud Paint cheek color comes in a tiny tube.  And if you have a heavy hand, more product than needed will ooze out.  I’m not a fan of the packaging.

The color I chose was “Puff”, a light pink.  The dot of product that comes out of the tube looks opaque but when you blend it in, it is sheer.  Sheer is good but I just wasn’t wowed by this blush.  It’s a gel/cream and I love a good cream blush but this didn’t do it for me. It’s ok. Not the best and not the worst.   I rate it a B.

It’s the Brylcreem of blushes. A little dab’ll do ya! 

Next is Glossier’s Stretch Concealer.  Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner!  $18 for .17 oz.  A little goes a long way with this stuff.  The shade I chose is G11. Light Neutral.  The thing is, it isn’t so much that I need to conceal, I just love this because of the dewy finish it gives off.  And I think that is an excellent thing for mature skin.  A tiny bit is all you need and it doesn’t cake up.  There’s no fragrance either.

Glossier Stretch Concealer.  This was the best of the lot. It’s a bit on the very dewy side and absolutely great for pro-aging skin that needs a bit of hydration!

I give this a solid A.

Overall, the Glossier products that I bought are decent.  They are, in fact, mature-skin friendly because there’s nothing drying about the products. I think I’ll be getting the most out of the Stretch Concealer but the brand won’t be a Holy Grail for me.

I’m wearing all three Glossier products here. As you can see, there’s just a hint of cheek color so if you like that–it’s a go for you!

More Jouer.  I ordered two more Jouer products that were on sale for $5 each.  The Mineral Powder in “perle d’Ivoire” a pearlized ivory powder.  I happen to like this because it’s incredibly lightweight.  A touch of a big fluffy brush is all it takes to set your makeup and it isn’t drying nor does it cake up.

Each of these compacts were $5.00 each on sale at Jouer’s website.  They snap together to make one palette.  This is such a great thing!

I also ordered another bronzer, this in Suntan. It is a more cool-toned shade than the Sunshine that I purchased but continue to use due to the warm glow it gives off. And I also ordered a powder which is so incredibly lightweight! Perfect for setting the bottom lid makeup!

From left to right:  “perle d’ivoire” a nice and slightly pearlized powder; “suntan” bronzer which is a more cool-toned bronzer and more of a matte finish; and on the right is “sunshine” a warmer bronzer with a slightly satin finish.

All three snap together to form one compact and I’m just loving this. It’s a portable tan for the face.  This brand is really doing it for me.  And yes. I rate my little threesome an A+. The price per compact was fantastic.  And…the shades can multitask as eyeshadow!  What’s not to love?

OTOH, the majority of the pants I unloaded for winter still fit.  The camel pants, that are on the way to the dry cleaners can’t be worn until I drop at least five pounds.  But some are a bit tight in the belly but for all intents and purposes—they fit!

My favorite plaid pants from J. Crew fit. I’m thrilled..

All of my brushed velvet pants from Old Navy fit as well!  I have these in burgundy, teal and black..

Chippy is welcoming the winter clothing–either that or he’s looking for more boy brow!

As I write this, I’m filled with memories of the past few days and I’m so happy on quite a few points that I’ll be sharing with you shortly!!!

I’ll be back!!!!!

Stay tuned….

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