My Favorite Color

During my life I’ve gone through several favorite colors as I’ve changed and grown and matured. I’ve loved red and black, silver and purple. However, for many years now I’ve settled on green as my favorite color. I like so many of the shades and love the feelings it invokes. It seems fitting to talk about this color this week since it is the National Color of Ireland. Happy St. Patty’s Day!

With Spring just around the corner, it is the color of life and the environment and invigoration. Green is usually associated with positive attributes like a green thumb or finding greener pastures. A green light gives you the go-ahead.

Green is a restful color. Is it the color of my birthstone – the beautiful emerald. It is the color of the best apples in the world – the Granny Smith. It is the color of a mint leaf, a Christmas tree, jade, rolling hills, and my eyes. It symbolizes hope, renewal, and peace. Green is said to be the color of harmony and balance.

If your favorite color is supposed to speak to you, I hope I can glean some of its hope, renewal, and peace for my life. I hope I can carry around the images it conjures to brighten my days.

Age is a State of Mind

I was discussing people who are our age with Doug and how I am often astounded at people who are our age but look so much older. Not our friends but just people we encounter from time to time. I look at our group of friends and think we all look relatively equal in age. However, others our age surprise me sometimes when I find out "she's only a year older than me?!?"
I've never understood those women (or men, for that matter) who let their age define them. I didn't get overly exuberant when I reached 21. I didn't mourn when I passed 29. I'm not depressed at the idea of 40 "looming on the horizon" (as some might put it). I've also never understood the idea of cosmetic surgery or even the new processes like Botox. I know what drives these big money businesses - pure vanity. I'm just astounded at how many women are susceptible to such ideas.
I will say though, as I am starting to show signs of my age, that I am also amazed at women who do nothing to preserve their youth. I'm always a little surprised at women who wear no makeup - even though just a little lip gloss and powder would make them look ten years younger - or those who haven't figured out that liquid foundation actually highlights those little wrinkles around their eyes instead of camouflaging them.
I like to think I'm not terribly vain but I guess the fact that I won't go out to get the mail without my lipstick on means that I really am. The funny thing is - it isn't really about who will see me but about how I feel about myself. And the even funnier thing is that I feel better about myself, even with 40 looming on that horizon, than I can ever remember feeling. Even with those extra 60 pounds I found since college. It's funny how age can give us some perspective. Perhaps older is wiser!

A Little J Magic... or a Little White Lie

J loves to do magic like his favorite character from The Wiggles, Greg. He wiggles his fingers in front of the television when I am starting a movie in the DVD player, says Wiggle Waggle, and calls that "A Little J Magic" when it starts. His favorite magic trick is to make things disappear. This requires some audience participation, somewhat unbeknownst to him. He holds up his Magic Sheet (any blanket, handkerchief, restaurant napkin, etc.), says the magic words (usually Wiggle Waggle or Abracadabra) and the object disappears (which really means someone in the "audience" hides it from his view when he pulls down the sheet). He's been doing this trick for some time now and was shocked when it worked the first time. He's still a little shocked when it works each time. He's made things disappear as small as a penny or a salt shaker all the way up to making me disappear. While J has caught on that we are involved, he still gets mad if he actually sees us moving the object. He'll say, "Don't do that. I'm going to make it disappear."
Last night we called him at his grandparents' to check on him. He was having fun playing with a box of "new" toys (toys that belonged to me when I was his age that mom and dad just got out of the attic for him). He then said he wanted to do some magic. Mom said he grabbed the closest Magic Sheet, ran into the living room (alone), and started screaming Wiggle Waggle! He did this several times before coming back to GranMa to announce that his magic wasn't working. We told him magic has to have an audience in order to work. Really, is there any harm in little lies when you are a kid? Doesn't it make things just a little more fun... and magical?

Take My Heart With You

It is amazing how the smallest comment can carry you all through your day. How one little sentence can make any day brighter. J is going to his grandparents' house this week for Spring Break. I was telling him goodbye this morning with all that entails (be good, I love you, mind your Papa and GranMa, etc.). He grabbed me around the neck for a tight hug, gave me a big kiss, and said, "I'm gonna miss you, Mommy." as he nuzzled into my neck. That's all I needed to carry me through the week. I hope he always knows that when he is away from me, he carries my heart with him.

The Tomato Drill

Sometimes J’s brain gets ahead of his mouth and causes him to get a little tongue tied or for the wrong words to come out. I have tried pointing out to him when he uses the wrong word but he will swear he used the correct one and will not waiver. This one was a conversation between J and my mom – GranMa.

J: At school we have tomato drills.
G: Tomato drills?!?
J: Yes, tomato drills. We have to get on the floor and sit like this (puts his hands on top of his head).
G: You do this when a tomato is coming?
J: (exasperated) No, GranMa! When a tornado is coming!

Ridiculous things I want to spend money on

Everyone knows I'm cheap. I can't help it - just brought up that way, I guess. It is a habit I've cultivated over my entire lifetime. Doug says that he thinks if I won the lottery, I would still be frugal. This is likely true. However, occasionally I run across things that make me think, "now that I would blow money on if I had it to spare." I'm going to start a running list of things I'll purchase if I ever win the lottery (since I would actually have to have millions in the bank before I'd be this irresponsible).

This is the first of those things. ecreamery.com allows you to design your own ice cream flavors and then name your flavor and have it shipped to you. Since ice cream is one of my very favorite desserts, I can't imagine a better dessert than an ice cream containing exactly what I wanted. They have traditional flavors like chocolate and vanilla and even my favorite (dark raspberry) along with nontraditional flavors like anise, mango, ginger, and clove. Stir ins include traditional delights like dark chocolate alongside stranger additions like cheddar cheese and basil. So, when I finally get around to buying that lottery ticket that will, of course, be a winner, what kind of ice cream does everyone love?

The second thing I'd like to purchase in abundance is L'Occitane en Provence items. I currently indulge in their tinted lip balms (one of my all time favorite beauty products), their pure shea butter tin, and their solid Green Tea perfume. I received a Ruban d'Orange shower gel for Christmas and it is divine. However, when I have millions in the bank, I'd love to add some of their other delectable products to my toiletry case.

The third thing that I can think of right off is really good quality linens. I love having cloth napkins at the dinner table. Everything tastes better when served on a beautiful plate with a cloth napkin tucked under the corner - right? I also adore really good, quality sheets on the bed. I would love to be able to splurge on these items without thinking, "they want what for a set of Queen sheets?!?"

The final thing for today is Kinerase moisturizer. I've always been of the opinion that any facial moisturizer was just as good as the next one. Boy, was I ever wrong. I received a postcard from my favorite makeup store Sephora to take home a sample of Kinerase on them. The offer was followed by my favorite words on a postcard like this: No purchase necessary. So, the next time I was at the mall, I picked up my sample. I expected little of the sample, valued at $35. However, I was wrong! The lotion is light and airy and feels like a little bit of satin on your face. And, even more surprising, it actually does what it says it will do. It temporarily erases the smile lines and wrinkles around my lips, eyes, and forehead and has lessened their appearance overall. I've tried my best to use it sparingly to make the tiny little pot last as long as possible but I am almost to the bottom. At $117 for 2.8 oz, I won't be replacing it. Well, not until I win the lottery anyway.

As I think of additional items, I'll revise this post to include them.