It dawned on me about a half hour ago, that my aging, empty-nester self is enjoying this “do-nothing” Memorial Day weekend.

This is me doing the “I-don’t-have-to-do-a-damn-thing” dance this Memorial Day Weekend!

When my children were young, there were Memorial Day parades—when we lived in Manhattan, picnics in the park and when in New Jersey, backyard cookouts.  The cookouts reminded me of my own childhood where those cookouts would be at a relative’s house.  All the kids would be swimming in the pool, which had us exiting with blue lips and shivering for about twenty minutes until a char-grilled burger or hot dog warmed our innards.

I was a picky little thing. I would only eat dirty-water hot dogs. I’m still the same!

Now, Memorial Day is merely a welcomed three-day weekend commemorating the beginning of the summer season.  Don’t get me wrong.  I always stop and think about all our troops who lost limb and life in various wars. These days I become triggered over a certain ex-president who referred to our American Patriotic troops as “losers.”  Never forget that.

There’s another reason we celebrate Memorial Day. To give thanks and remembrance to our troops, past and present.

Regardless, working on a tedious project at work.  Tedious but not awful. I love projects that really need a focused eye (as I only have one good eye) and the talent of being detail-oriented.  But…. that extra day off from work is a charm.

The eyes to my office. Eye can see you!

So, how did the Frenchman and I spend our Memorial Day weekend?  *Sigh* We originally planned to drive down the Shore on Saturday.  However, after seeing the weather report of cloudy and a high temp of 69 degrees, we decided to save money on tolls, gas, and placing Chippy in daycare and we stayed home.

Last weekend we drove out to Long Island to celebrate my Brother-In-Law’s 70th birthday. It was befitting to relax this weekend!

Suffice it to say, the freaking meteorologists were wrong. Again!  What was supposed to be a crappy weekend weather-wise, turned out to be a “not-a-cloud-in-the-sky” grouping of days.

Back in the day, when living in the City and was too lazy to board the “A” train for the Rockaways, I would head to Tar Beach—the roof of my apartment building, and join the others who were equally as lazy.   In remembrance of those days, we headed out to “Deck Beach” just outside our sliding doors from the sunroom onto our deck.

A perfect photograph of a woman on Tar Beach in NYC. From the book “Tar Beach” by Susan Meiselas. This is where I got some of the best tans ever!

Me, in my 30+ sunscreen, and my husband in no protection, lolled on the deck all morning until it became too hot.  Surprisingly, I was the holdout.  I had a jug of diet iced tea and a book.  And I read and read and ……………………. red!

Deck Beach is the new Tar Beach!

Yup. Sunscreen and all, I looked like a tomato with a Rudolph the Reindeer nose.  But it was worth it because the book I read was such a great, quick summer read.  Have you ever heard of the mystery/detective writer James Lee Burke?  He is my absolute favorite crime mystery writer.  On our most recent trip to Barnes and Noble I noticed books by Alafair Burke. His daughter. I could not resist and bought “The Wife.”

Red nose but protected, it was finally nice to get some color.

An incredible nail-biter down to the last chapter. Twists and turns abound.  I could not put the book down and immediately got in touch with my sisters (I come from a reading family) to tell them to go buy the book.

If you enjoyed “Gone Girl” you will love this book. It was a thrill throughout. You MUST read this book!

Yesterday, I started Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak.  This is not going to be a quick read but will be one of those Russian historical novels where every character has three names and is oftentimes referred to a different of the three every time they are mentioned.  So far, I like the book—and am in the mindset that I need to stay focused on the story and characters.

I like to change up my summer reading with a light read, then a classic or intense read, then back to a light read. Ahhh. I just enjoy reading!

In true Memorial Day fashion, my husband did the cooking for Saturday and Sunday night.  He grilled Beef kabobs on Saturday which were loaded with vegetables and last night he enjoyed his hamburger whilst I dined on a delicious turkey burger.

Although I’m cutting down on carbs and sugar, I did manage to make Tabouli with cous-cous.  My husband’s kabobs were a French Chef’s Kiss!

There was no dessert or ice cream mid-day or evening.  No cake with strawberries and blueberries. No fancy pre-dinner drinks either we kept it simple.  Although I will say, I came clean with my husband and told him I didn’t like red wine in the summer. It’s too heavy. He suggested a Rose, and I explained rose wines activate my GERD.  He suggested white wine but I told him they are too dry and give me heartburn.  Then he suggested a Reisling.

The Reisling before I had a glass. It’s back in the same spot waiting to be used for cooking.

As I’ve never had Reisling wine before I approved his going out for the purchase.  I tried it. I did not care for it.  Therefore, it will be used for cooking.  I am one of those rare individuals whose body just doesn’t agree with wine.  Champagne?  OUI!  Wine? Meh.

Also, yesterday, I tried on more clothing to pack for vacation.  My little make-up room is presently so disorganized and such a mess that I find it overwhelming.  Three weeks before we fly to Nice and I am still mulling over what to pack.

I’ve had both of these dresses for a while. The one on the left is 5 years old and the one on the right is two.  I will bring the one on the right because it’s just more conducive to the heat. And I get a ton of compliments on it. It’s a Target dress.

Two more dresses. The one on the left was $7.99 at Old Navy. I’ll leave it home and wear it to work.  The dress on the right is from Temu–a $10 deal. It’s ridiculously comfortable, wrinkle-free and will be great to wear to dinner after a day at the beach.

The linen-blend pants on the left and middle are a fabulous fit. I love the very wide legs and drawstring at the waist.  The pants on the far right are not as wide and the fit isn’t as comfortable. The wider legged pants are coming to Nice.  The pants on the right will be worn to work.  Both are from Old Navy. 

This jumpsuit is from Amazon and I love it. I thought about bringing it but decided against it simply because going to the bathroom is a chore. I have to take the whole thing down and then it drags on the floor. Nah. It’s unsanitary to wear on a plane too.

I will stand strong on packing one-piece bathing suits this time around.  Why?  Because all I want tanned are my arms, legs, and face. I wear clothing to work. I wear dresses during the summer.  My stomach isn’t showcased nor is my back—I may as well protect some of my body from the sun.

This is my summer of the one-piece. And although I find two-piece suits more comfortable due to my long torso, this bathing suit is perfect. From Temu at $10. YES. Ten bucks and it fits like a charm.  I”m so over cellulite. It’s there. It isn’t going away. My body is 69 years old. If someone finds it offensive, f*ck them!

Ohh!  I ordered some makeup from the brand “Merit.”  The company pontificates “clean” (a marketing term) makeup and leans toward a more natural look.  Since I have been embracing all the faults on my face and wearing less makeup these days, I figured I would try some of the brand’s offerings.

My Merit haul. Came with this cute makeup bag. I’m figuring out how else I can reuse that bag.

The set ordered was “The Summer Set,” consisting of four products.  A serum made to give your face a glow; a contour stick; a highlighting stick, and a lip oil.  So how did they work? What was my first impression?  I’ll tell you.

The packaging is great. Let’s see how the products work!

The skin serum: Great Skin, Instant Glow Serum—this is made to hydrate and give skin a glow.  Before using, it is a must to shake the little bottle. And shake a few times.  When the elements blend you can pump the product.  My suggestion, if you get this, is to pump into your palm, slap the palms together to get an even distribution then massage into your face. The con in this is that it’s super liquid even though it’s a serum.  At first, I pumped on the top of my hand and the product dripped right off.  The second time, I pumped directly into my palm and was successful.

The pro is that this did the job. At first, it seemed that it would be very oily. However, within minutes that all changed.  It went from oily to slightly stick to “there-is-nothing-on-my-face.”  Nothing except a nuance of a glow.  The glow was not an in-your-face glam glow but a very subtle “something” that give my skin, as faulted as it is, a nice, natural look.

Started out with a clean face. I did pencil the brown in.  After applying the serum, it finished down to a nice glow.

Next to be applied was the Bronzing Balm.  The shade I chose was “Clay” a cool-toned stick that glided on so ridiculously easy.  Now this is a bronzing balm for all skin that has matured.  It was not as pigmented as I expected but that was a good thing.  I applied, blended in and couldn’t have been more pleased with the hint of bronze.  It really toned down the redness on my face that the sun gifted me with.

Creamy bronzing balm next. I really like this. It browns without turning orange, blends well and isn’t overly pigmented.

Over that I applied the Highlighting Balm.  My highlight of choice was “Cava” and I was spot on.  It isn’t one of those highlighters that makes you appear like a human strobe light.  It is subtle but you know it is there.   This is honestly a wonderful “after-the-beach” product.

Applied the highlighter, which gave a nice dewy glow and added some eye makeup. Ugh. I have had allergy eyes for the past week!

Lastly, was the lip oil.  I had very low expectations for this as everything seems to darken my already pigmented and rather large mouth.  It is so difficult to find a decent lip shade—be it lipstick, lip gloss or whatever.  I went with the Les Deux.  Surprisingly, I was quite pleased.  I’ve been wearing this for two hours and my lips are not the usual chapped beyond repair. They are smooth and not over-darkened. There is color but it is very bearable and this did not oxidize into orange!

Last to be applied was the lip oil. I was very impressed with this. My naturally, very-well pigmented mouth has issues with many lip colors. Mostturn horribly dark.  This just added a nuance of color on my lips and appeared lighter in outdoor light (last picture) than in indoor light.

CAVEAT: Allow me to add an additional lip gloss in here. City Beauty sent me a few lip glosses to try out. OMG. That bright pink shade is Watermelon and it is, hands down, the greatest gloss I’ve ever used since I was 16 and was hooked on Yardley of London’s Pot o’ Gloss! It doesn’t oxodize. It stays put and I am such a fan that I’m using it sparinly because I don’t want it to run out!

Finally, I have both a Lip Oil from Merit and Lip Gloss from City Beauty that works! IT WORKS!

Allow me to rate this Summer Set as one to order. The brand stayed true to describing this kit. It is, without a doubt, a summer-appropriate bunch of items.  And is very “Old Lady Skin” friendly.

Okay, it has been two hours since I wrote that last sentence.  My car lease was up last week so I bought my car. An hour of signing my name. I wish my husband could have just forged my signature.  I did find out that my credit report is just shy of the highest score one can have—my inner competitive self is now striving for that perfect score.

Now, if you follow me on any social media platform such as Facebook or Instagram, you are well-aware of my distain for automobiles. They are overpriced, cost way too much in maintenance, and depreciate the second you drive out of the dealership.  In the past it was easier to lease because I knew I would leave the dealership with a brand-new car.

This is the car I have. 2021 Toyota Rav 4 in the color “Lunar Rock”. I love the color because dirt blends in so well.

This time around, with the still ongoing shortage of cars, my husband and I thought it best to just buy the car.  And upon entering my vehicle after purchasing the weirdest thing happened.  I noticed how dirty the interior was.  I don’t mean there was stuff all over because there wasn’t.  It was the dashboard and the area that I put my feet upon when I am in the passenger seat. And the sides of the car doors. And the seats.  That all went unnoticed while leasing. Now it was noticeable and I did not like it.

Now I will need a pretty steering wheel cover, little pads to absorb any water in the cup holders, an organizer for the trunk, an organizer to hang over the seats. A pretty armrest cover and nice floor mats.  Oh. And cleaner for the interior of the car that I find unacceptable.  See what I mean?  Everything car-related is a waste of money albeit a necessary one.

Now that the car is mine, I need to transform it into a “she-shed” on wheels with pretty decor such as this steering wheel cover. That’ll really bring my credit rating to the perfect score!

I finished cutting up some lemons to make a new batch of preserved lemons.  The juice and salt, and lemons, after a while create a beautiful syrupy liquid that I prefer over straight lemon juice.  Preserved lemons are always something I have on hand.

Easiest recipe on earth. Buy a bag of lemons.  Cut them lengthwise in quarters. Get Kosher salt. Pour about a tablespoon of salt into the crevices of the cut lemon. Squeeze into an air tight glass jar. Shake the jar every two to three days until you can see that the lemons are acquiring a softer skin.  Use them for everything. Slice the rinds for decorations for hummus or salads or fish or whatever! Y U M!

And as I write these last few words of this post, the sun has decided to hide behind a mass collective of clouds. It rained a bit. It stopped a bit. It rained some more.  Thus ends the three-day weekend.

But our Memorial Day weekend is ending with such mundane, basic, and quite possibly, boring for some—but for me, I’m welcoming this slow pace.  Besides.  One can now officially wear white!  That is, until Labor Day.  So, get those white shorts and pants out. Get the white shoes and purse if one is so inclined.  And enjoy!

Wow. It is now 3:30 in the afternoon and raining. Enjoy these last few moments of the three-day!