Tag Archives: ideas

Aug15

Heat, Heat, and More Heat!

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Is anyone else over the heat and humidity?

I have to admit after having one week of the hot weather, I was thinking, “how long will this heat last?” Of course as I’ve said before, I’m a Goldie Locks Girl. I really have trouble with the heat, but most of all the humidity. It just lays me away!

That must be why it is said that young children, and the elderly need to hydrate, stay in a cool place, and keep quiet. But then again, we are not elderly, we are well seasoned!

Who’s elderly? I’m not and I certainly don’t think any of you are either. And yet, they continue to insist we are elderly. To me that means we are sitting in a wheelchair, by a window in a home drooling, with glazed over eyes, and frog fuzz shaped into a rats nest called hair!

I sincerely hope none of us has this problem.

I admit my hair, although it isn’t a rats nest, is now extra fine, and I prefer to call it silverly-white. I use to think I’d never let my hair grow out natural, but now I really love it. I also have it very short, and rather spiky now. In my eyes, this gives it an edgy look even though it is all natural. At times I’ve had wisps of pink, or teal put into the front, but right now it’s all natural… Now I ask you, would an elderly person ware spiky hair with or without color? I think not!

Let me know if you have cut your hair short, and if you have had the courage to have a little color put into the front. If you haven’t, it lasts, but not forever. Some ladies have used a semi-permanent color, and applied it themselves. I’ve done that also, but if done right, it will be a permanent color, and last for quite a while. Don’t get to the end of your life, and wish you had been more brave.

It makes me happy to know that you have taken time to read my blog. If you can please respond, it helps me keep posting.

Stay cool my friends , it will all get cooler soon… Many thanks, Karen

Aug1

Coping with Southern California’s Heat and Humidity

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A few blogs ago I posted about on Adapting to our Southern California weather, however what I didn’t mention is how this heat, and humidity effects us personally.

Everyone isn’t the same!! That seems obvious I know. Many people have been raised in the heat, and humidity. I was, but I sure can’t take it now. The older I get, the more difficult it is to put up with all this climate change.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, that’s in Los Angelous County in California. I wasn’t born there, but I was raised there. The heat, and humidity didn’t bother me as a child. Even after I was grown, and had started a family, the heat didn’t bother me. But, as I get older, it becomes evident that I can’t take it, and I didn’t pay for any of this.

Now living in San Diego County, I realize our weather is changing, and not for the better. Yes we do have months of beautiful weather, and yes other parts of the country have much more severe weather. That doesn’t mean I’d move there. As I’ve said before, here in Southern California…”we are pansies.”

My fate was sealed when my parents moved from Michigan to California many years ago. I was then three years old, and my father was transferred to California for his job. Mom, and Dad were excited to be out of the snow, and into a place where it was sunny and warm! It was once said, “It never rains in California!” As opposed to the rest of the country, that’s probably true.

I think back in the day, you were told anything to get people to head west. Almost like the covered wagon days, only without the Indians.

My energy is zapped, and I don’t have any desire to do anything. This is not good! My best advice is to keep hydrated, stay out of the sun, and lessen your activities.

I’d love to know how you as readers cope with this weather. Does it bother you, or not? Do you have tricks to keep cool, and deal with the humidity? Your input, and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I know sometimes it can become a little scattered, and you might not get my point. That’s OK! Sometimes I don’t even know what my point is! . It’s all me!

Stay cool, until next time. Karen

Jun20

Adapting to SoCal Weather: A Goldie Locks Perspective

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I’m sure I underestimated June gloom. Many of us expected it to stay cooler for just a little bit longer, but we were wrong. Even though we have cooling trends here in Southern California, that means a few degrees cooler. For me it’s not enough!

You see, I’m a Goldie Locks Girl! That means it can’t be too hot, or too cold. It’s been this way since I was in my early twenties. We all deal with what we’ve been given, and that’s one of the things I was given.

Some of you are thinking, she doesn’t know what she is talking about. In a way that’s true. Here in Southern California our temperatures are temperate, sometimes even mild. For us, this is hot, and if you live in a highly vegetative area, or close to the coast it can get humid as well. Yuck!

What I’m trying to tell you is this, most of us are from a different part of the country, and after moving here we have become Pansies!!! Our blood thins, our tolerance becomes much less tolerant, and a lot of us whine a lot! This can only be attributed to the change in climate, and an annoying personalities.

Other parts of the country get much more severe weather, and they have to adapt.

Just look at Alaska for instance, or Wisconsin, Michigan, or Hawaii. Well, the first three are definitely a challenge, but we can’t even compare Hawaii. Although, I have been there when the humidity was so oppressive you could hardly breathe. (That was my opinion based on I’m a Pansy.)

We get colds, and flu more often. Our resistance has weakened. It might be a beautiful place, but our resistance is not the same.

What’s the moral of this story, darned if I know. I’m just here stating the facts! I can complain about the heat, but what good would it do? The thing is, you can put a coat or sweater on if you’re cold, but there are only so many things you can take off if you’re hot! I think the moral of this story would then be to “Stay Cool.”

Stay cool ladies, our lives depend on it!

Until next time, I appreciate you, I wish you all the best, and most of all take good care of yourself.

Much love, Karen

Jun6

June Gloom…..

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June Gloom…..
Current image: Foggy coastal beach with ocean waves, cliffs, and people walking on sand

As we start the beginning of the end of the half way point in 2026, I am surprised at the amount of cold, breezy weather we are having here in California. Yes, here in San Diego County at the base of California.

The sunny state that never rains here, and always has great weather! That’s what we were told when we moved here in the olden days. Yup, I moved here with my family when I was only three years old.

It was our first plane trip, and what an experience it was for a small child. I was allowed to walk the isles, and pretend I was serving water to the passengers. Would the airlines allow that now? I really don’t know.

My father was transferred to Los Angeles from Detroit, Michigan. It was a huge change from the snow, and ice we had in winter to rainy, gloomy days in California. Never the less, it was to be our home from now on.

From now on means to me seventy nine years ago. Yikes! I guess I am that old, but I usually don’t feel that old. Even though I can no longer do many of the things I had been use to doing, I’m still painting, and still writing. My kids have all grown up leaving us with an empty nest long ago. Their kids are now leaving their nest, and that seems very odd to me. Where did the time go? How is it time flies when we get old, but drags when we are younger?

What this means to me is this….We spend a few short years growing up, and thinking we know it all. Then because we know so much we find a partner, and have a gaggle of kids. Some find themselves with more, some with less. After those sweet, wonderful kids peck you to death, they leave the nest.

Leaving the nest doesn’t mean they are totally on their own because we all still feel responsible for their success. Emotionally, we continue to worry about their future. Financially we also continue to worry about their future. If we are able, we help out. If we aren’t able, we really suffer with them. Somehow we all survive!

But our nest is still empty, and if we aren’t careful we allow ourselves to hang our happiness of the children that have left, and are busy trying to find their own way.. In short, we need something to do to keep us happy in our Golden Years.

Most towns have senior centers and this is a place that often has a gym, occasional movie night or afternoon. There are many things the centers offer to help keep us engaged. This is a good thing even though we don’t consider ourselves a senior.

There are also many groups to get involved with through those centers. Many have lots of younger people taking classes as well. Also Community Colleges have programs for continuing education, classes for fun, and some are even free. Check into those if your interested, you may be surprised at what is offered.

Let me know what you find, and how it fits for you.

Thank you for reading my blog, it is much appreciated.

Until next time, keep busy and don’t forget to be happy! Karen


Apr4

Chins Up!

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That’s right, Chins UP!

It has come to my attention that as we season, we seem to walk looking down. Not only does this mean that we can fall easier, but as we do this, we tend to slump. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I slump I seem to encourage a spare tire around my entire midsection. And I am not happy about spare tires! I’ll bet you aren’t any happier than I am about spare tires either.

The other thing that happens is looking down seems to encourage an unwanted “chicken neck.” I have never been excited about chicken necks even on chickens. So now that I’m realizing how easy it is to get one of my own, I’m definitely going to walk with my chin up!

Since not one of us needs to fall, and not one of us wants a spare tire, or a chicken neck, I’m sure we will all be walking with our heads up from now on.

This is a good thing because we will look twenty years younger due to the slight shift in our habits. As we walk straight with our heads up, we will be walking with confidence, and the knowledge that we are vital, beautiful, and worthy. And in doing so, we will look twenty years younger. Now the next thing to work on are our pants….

I won’t get into that this time, but I have some ideas about how to handle this problem.

Oh, you didn’t know that pants were a problem? Well they can be, and we are going to solve the pants problem on this blog next time.

Thank you for taking time to read my blog. I hope this one helped with a couple of vintage related problems. We really have to stick together as we go from vital to vintage without even realizing it.

Until next time, Karen

Feb28

What Mother Didn’t Tell Us…

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Your arces are going to fall!

As I sit here in my office chair pondering life’s changes. I realize there were so many things Mother never told me . Who else would, or could tell us things no-one else would venture telling us?

Things like, as you age your nose, and ears grow…..what? That’s right, haven’t you seen a little old man with a nose bigger than his feet? Well, next time you’re out and about check it out.

I pick on old men because, well I don’t want to pick on women. We are sensitive, and we try our best to keep ourselves as lovely, and beautiful as possible, and we do. Men just don’t care if their nose its larger than their feet, or they are aging without grace! Their bellies hang out! Their nose hangs out! Their shoes are falling apart! Their clothes might be stained and dirty, they just don’t care!

On a different note, what’s with the scales all over the body? That’s right scales! It starts with just one or two on one of your legs or arms, then…..all of a sudden there are a dozen more all over the place. I can’t tell you what the final place will be until the end. I can tell you I now have one on my forehead. At least this one is under bangs. It seems that I’ve gotten these so called scales only in places that have been effected by the sun. And a few that haven’t even seen the sun.

Maybe you don’t have any scales, but you might have something else just as annoying. Note to the young women, Make sure to use sunscreen everywhere!

Now this is something I’ve learned through experience. Always wear good supportive shoes. It seems that if your shoes don’t support your frame properly, after a while your knees start to turn in. If your knees are turning in, your toes are moving to one side. This has only one meaning, your arches are falling! If your arches are falling, everything else is probably starting to fall as well. This is not good! I’m sure someone somewhere is laughing like crazy. But it isn’t funny, especially if it’s happening to you….

Remember when an old car is falling apart? There are so many things going wrong with it that you don’t know where to start fixing it. They are all important things, and that’s why it’s so difficult to decide where to start!

Well it’s the same with your body. So when your arches start to fall, don’t think it’s just your arches because it isn’t just your arches! It’s everything connected to the arches that fall as well! So along with the arches are your knees, hips, back, and everything else even the boobs! They are all going to fall!

Never think you will escape any of this. If it isn’t this, it will be something else just as bad. This is not a threat, but a warning in advance from someone who knows!

There are so many other things Mother didn’t tell me. In regards to pain, having children, getting married, compromising in ways you never thought would be necessary. Don’t get me wrong, none of this is easy, or even fun. But to keep from being in tears 24/7, you have to see the humor in it. When you finally retire you’d better hope and pray…..pray that you can still have the energy, health, and desire to step outside your home to go anywhere.

It sounds grim, and for some it is, but I choose to laugh it off. Think of it as a puzzle game. It’s all hit and miss. If you don’t get any of these things, you’re lucky.

If you do get some of these things, you need to learn how to think of the ride as an adventure. Good luck on your trip!

Thank you for stopping to read my blog, I wish for you health, happiness, and the energy to laugh at yourself. Much love to all of you. Karen