Blog Archives

Nov29

If You Were Stranded on an Island….

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We’ve all had dreams of being on a tropical island while Pepe the Cabana boy waits on us hand and foot! But what if we really were stranded on an island, and without Pepe, what would you need to survive?

It might be a far stretch to think you’d be comfortable, however your resourcefulness would be a determining factor on this adventure. Maybe you have a friend with you…that would be fortunate. Someone that could take care of everything you couldn’t. And, you could do the chores that they were unable to. A division of necessities!

What would be the essentials you might just happen to have with you that would help surviving be just a little more comfortable. Maybe how you got there would be a factor. What could you salvage, presuming your boat ran aground, or drifted off course….Or maybe, an emergency (soft) landing on the sand was necessary, and unplanned!

What would you do for food and shelter? We are going to say, this adventure would be on a tropical island, with lots of fruit dripping from the trees. Then food clearly wouldn’t be an issue, but what about water? With all the lush fruit, there must be a water source. But where?

This is where your resourcefulness comes in. Remember when you were a child, and you had a very active imagination? Pretend you were once again playing with your friends in a big wooded back yard. Your imagination soared, and you could come up with all kinds of things to do, and games to play. This is the time you need to pretend you were that age again, and find water, food, and something to build shelter out of. Shelter might be the easiest thing to do. What would you need to do all this?

There are things to be salvaged from a boat or plane. Maybe pillows or a blanket or two. There could be all kinds of things to salvage that had never occurred to you as being of necessity. But then you’ve never been stranded on an island before.

Ok, so a knife, preferably a big knife, or a machete. That would come in handy cutting fruit off trees, and cutting palm fronds to make a shelter. It would probably take a bit of time to get organized and put all that together, but once you did…just think of how good you would feel to have accomplished shelter for yourself. Maybe while you were at it, before you collapsed out of exhaustion, to help your friend put together their shelter as well.

If I were doing this today, it would take me years to accomplish. But remember this is fantasy! And both or all of you will have enough energy to face each day, harvest food, make a shelter, and, still look for water.

While thinking about this, never go into the jungle alone! Mother was right, always use the buddy system. “Safety comes in numbers,” Mother would say, and I now believe Mother was right. This trip is not for sissies, and we are all bad ass women, but safety really does come in numbers.

Just about the time you’re about to give up, you hear something. It sounds to me like a waterfall, or running water. Thank heavens, water! Did you find anything to put fresh, clear, cool water into? It might be a good idea to keep something with you to keep water in should you actually find clean water to drink. So that’s another thing we will most definitely need….a container to keep fresh water in.

Now our list is growing, we need:

  1. Knife/Machete
  2. Blankets/pillows
  3. Container for water
  4. Food/water
  5. Shelter1

The last two depend on how resourceful we can all be. What can you salvage? Think about the possibilities, think of your younger self, and how you use to play for hours on end just being a kid! Playing in a total fantasy. Kids are good at this, and I remember spending hours just playing with my sister in our huge back yard. We were always pretending we were in a jungle with wild animals lurking behind the big trees. We were clever though, we were never eaten or even attacked!

I’d say rope or at the very least string would be helpful to tie together the palms for our shelters. With enough fronds we might even be able to make sides for our shelters.

Has anyone found a radio, or a phone that might be of help getting us off this island? That too would be a huge help. It’s possible at the moment we have not been labeled as missing!

Sooner or later it would dawn on us that being able to catch fish to eat would increase our choices for food. So a pin, or paperclip, even a fish hook might help with a string tied to a pole so you could fish, that would help! None of this would be easy, survival isn’t easy. It’s stressful, and scary, but I have no doubt that each and every one of you if challenged with a survival situation would be able to survive. You’d have your moments, but it would pass, and soon you’d pull your big girl panties up, and get it done! Yes! Each and every one of you!

Before you get rescued, and you will get rescued, you will have pulled it all together, and set up a fairly decent, and comfortable camp.. It might take a few weeks to be found, but you will be found.

When the whole thing is over there will be dozens of opportunities for talk shows, and news hours will want to interview you to find out how you did it. You might even be offered a book deal. How cool would that be. It all sounds overwhelming, but again I promise you it can be done,…..by you! It could help to get your friend or friends together and write a book together. Collaborate on a book, make it fun instead of reliving a nightmare.

I thank you for coming along on this fantasy journey. Just remember, you can do anything even at our ages. Hugs to all of you, Karen

Nov15

On A Day Like Today….

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It’s rainy, it’s cold, it’s a curl up with a book, a blanket, and a pillow day. It’s a curl up with your dog day.

We recently adopted a dog. And after only three months we are still getting use to each other. She recently had puppies, and then when all was said and done, the people that owned her whisked her off to the animal shelter. We still can’t figure that out! Both of us think we were so lucky to be able to find her.

I had seen her on the shelter web page for quite a while, but after a few weeks she wasn’t there. I wanted to rescue a dog from the cold, hard life that a shelter would offer her. Luckily she was sent to another shelter closer to home. And, I spotted her on their website. The Rancho Coastal Humane Society. I can’t say enough good things about them, I was truly impressed with how clean, and caring they are.

This is our newest addition to our family. Peppa, a four year old French Bulldog.

Have you ever adopted a pet? Or, do you only get puppies from a breeder? I’ve done both, and I have to tell you I prefer rescuing a dog instead of paying for a purebred. It’s not that I don’t love getting a purebred puppy, it’s more about giving a forever home to an animal less fortunate. I can do that!

But there is a downside to all the goodness rescuing holds, the downside seems to be that we haven’t any idea what these sweet little animals have been through. These are the issues we have to deal with when giving them a forever home. Then there is the issue of personality. Frenchies are stubborn, they will outsmart you, and don’t like to be yelled at. But they will push you over the edge if you let them, and they need attention, and are high maintenance. I happen to be very calm these days, and don’t get pushed easily!

Our dear little Peppa was probably used for the puppies she could give them. Maybe this was their main form of income. Maybe they had other breeders also. We will never know, but Peppa did have some good habits I’m grateful for. I guess it doesn’t matter that she is wicked smart. She knows how to manipulate us, but we think we are smarter than she is. But are we?

She sits, stays, and comes when she is called. Could this be because I give her a training treat when she does these things, or did her previous parents teach her this? See what I mean by her being smarter than we are? We are still working on the word “Potty,” and what that means. She also gets a treat after she potties. Motivation is the name of the game.

I want you to know that our home as sweat as it is, was empty without a companion in it. My husband didn’t want another dog, or cat, but I convinced him it was important to me, and he kindly gave in. Now we both love her and get great amounts of joy from her.

She has made herself at home, and loves her back yard. She’ll even go out by herself now.

So if you ever wondered if you wanted a dog or cat to liven up your home, I’d say yes. They do bring you so much joy, and laughter. It gives us purpose, gets us up and moving. All that is a good thing, and probably it will keep all of us younger!

Thank you for stopping to read my blog, Have a Happy Thanksgiving from our home to your home, and from our Peppa to yours.

Nov1

Time to Declutter: Revamping Your Closet Essentials

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Are we saving things for a special occasion? Maybe a wedding, or a funeral! Who and what do we save our clothes for. Are you planning to go on a date, or a Cruze, maybe a vacation, because most of my single girlfriends wouldn’t think about dating any longer. We all think our girlfriends are the most important people to have fun with now!

My closet is filled with clothes that I consider “special.” Special to me maybe, but in reality I keep saving a lot of them for a special occasion, and that occasion never arises. Not that I’m thinking about it, since they have been in my closet for years just waiting, they have grown out of style, and have probably shrunk in the dryer! Yes, some of them just hop into the dryer all on their own, and they will shrink!

In the event we ever go to a wedding, or a dinner party, wouldn’t we want to look refreshed, and at our best? Of course we would. So why would we want to wear something dusty and old out of our closet?

Think about it……. is it just because we love the look we once had? Is it that we payed a lot for this beloved outfit? Is it the color that makes us feel young and vibrant?

Well, maybe all of the above, but as I think of this I can also think of several outfits that were pricey, colorful, and made me feel great at the time. But, I could almost bet that if I could even get them on, and I put them on, I wouldn’t feel the same.

I’ve changed, my taste has altered a little, and as I get better with time, I’ve become more relaxed, and casual. My idea of dressed up is a comfy pair of pants, and a lose top. Maybe a jacket, or sweater. If I’m feeling really good, I’ll add some earrings, and maybe a necklace. That’s it!!! Times have changed, even the shoes I wear have changed. Never in a million years did I ever think I’d be wearing Berkenstocks. But that’s the only thing that feels comfortable, so that’s all I wear now.

I am casual, and my idea of a comfortable outfit is something that feels like I’m wearing a nightgown, or a soft pair of PJ’s. After all as long as I have makeup on, earrings on, and maybe a scarf, or necklace, in my mind, I’m dressed to kill……for me.! Fortunately we live in Southern California where it is super casual, and my mode of dressing is perfect.

Dressing for someone else is a thing of the past. Don’t get me wrong, I want my husband to feel good when we go somewhere. I wouldn’t want him to think I’ve given up, and no longer care, because I do care. It’s just that our world changes as we age, and we don’t have to prove anything.

Let me know what your thoughts are on cleaning out the old closets. Dressing with comfort, and what that means to you now.

Thank you for stopping to read my blog. I hope you found it helpful, and interesting.

Remember we all are in the same boat, and we need to stick together. Much love, Karen

Oct18

Confessions of a 99 Year Old!

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I thought this was interesting, and a bit humorous at the same time. It is 18 minutes long, so sit down when you need a break to watch it.

Thank you for stopping to watch this little video. As always United we Stand.. Karen

Oct4

If I Could Live My Life Over Again…

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“If I could live my life over again,
I would have gone to bed to rest when I felt sick instead of pretending the earth would stop if I wasn’t at work for a day…
I would have burned the pink candle carved like a rose instead of letting it melt in the pantry…
I would have talked less and listened more…
I would have invited friends to the table even if there is a stain on the carpet and the couch needs to be cleaned.
I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” room and wouldn’t have worried so much about dust when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.— with Esme Kopelowitz.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather telling stories from his youth.
I would never have insisted on driving with the car windows down on a beautiful summer day, just because my hair was freshly styled and fixed.
I would have been lying on the meadow with my head on the grass.
I would have cried and laughed less watching TV and more watching life.
But, most of all, to have a second chance at life, I would cherish every moment, I would really look at it… I would live it…
I wouldn’t get so worked up over petty and petty things anymore…
Don’t worry about those who don’t like you, or rather, you shouldn’t care who does what…
Instead, let’s cherish the friends we have and the people who love us…
And to what we do every day to improve our mind, body, soul, emotions.”
Written by Erma Bombeck 1979.

Thank you for taking time out to read my blog. I thought this was worth the read.
As always, we stand together! Karen

Sep20

Let’s Talk Eyebrows

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There is no doubt about it, eyebrows are a pain in the neck! I don’t know about you, but there aren’t too many things I want symmetrical, eyebrows are one of them, glasses being another! To me, if they are out of sync, or uneven, I’m not one bit happy. That being said, I can drive myself crazy trying to get them just right.

My eyebrows have been tattooed three or four times over the years, and each time they just don’t look like I think they should. How about you? Have you ever had your eyebrows worked on? or have you been happy with their shape, color, and style? If you’ve been happy with them, you are lucky.

The first time I had my eyebrows tattooed was many years ago, way before mycrobladding. When I went to this lady, who by the way came highly recommended, used an old school tattoo gun. Yikes! That was not only scary, but it was incredible painful. To add insult to injury, at the time I jumped in with both feet. I not only had my eyebrows tattooed, I had eyeliner, and lip liner tattooed all at once as well.

Apparently, my skin is very sun damaged, and extremely sensitive. Not apparently, it was, and still is sensitive. She had a cream to put on my skin that might as well have been Jello, because it didn’t help at all. Since she was working on my face, and I couldn’t move or she would make a mistake, my face was the only part of me still on the table. The remainder of me was ten feet up on the ceiling. She wasn’t happy, I wasn’t happy, but I started it, so I had to finish it.

I had red hair at the time, and I explained to her that it wasn’t going to be red for long. It was going to be back to dark blond. When I left her studio, and the dust had settled, my eyebrows were red!!! Not auburn, but red! I wasn’t too pleased about that, but I thought when I returned for a touch up, I’d have her brown them up a bit. Don’t panic, everything is fixable.

The Tattoo lady was located in Arizona, and I actually ventured out to Ultra Hot Arizona to have my tattoo’s done. My girlfriend was with me, and the heat wasn’t a concern. Today, it’s a big concern…..I wouldn’t consider it. I was only there for a short visit (to have my eyebrows tattooed), so we wanted to see, and do as much as possible in the time I had. We drove from Flagstaff all the way to Mexico. And what we realized was, our lips arrived way before the car ever got to the designated town we were going to visit.

If you have ever had your lips tattooed, you’d knowhow much they swell up, at least to three or more times their size due to trauma! I’d say just about every part of our faces were traumatized that day having faced that big old black tattoo gun. To make it even more fun our faces were all greased up so nothing dried out.

What a sight that must have been…

My girlfriend and myself went together, because safety comes in numbers! At least we both had each other to lean on.

On our drive that summer day, we went almost all the way to Flagstaff, and found a Renaissance Fair to check out. People were dressed in midivil attire, with ribbons, faces all made up, and clothes that made us feel like we had stumbled into a mid-evil Hollywood movie. The music was from mid-evil England, and everyone was over the top joyous.

That was just the beginning. When we finished there, and had gotten a break from the heat due to the mountains, and altitude, so we ventured south to Tubac.

Tubac was at the time a small artist enclave above Tucson. It was dirt streets, but only a few, with adobe houses, and wire fences around the properties. It wasn’t impressive, clean, or even very interesting. I remember thinking, now is a good time to buy property here. But it was an armpit of a small, deserted, desert town. Well we saw it, we drove around it, now we’re going to leave it.

And leave it we did! On our way to Mexico……. What a fun day we were having, time to grease up again. We don’t want anything to get dried out!!!

Now going across the border, what should we focus on. I did notice a few people turning to look at us. After all, our lips were bigger than ever, and they did arrive before we did.

I brought back silver mirrored balls for the garden, and a few other odds and ends for my yard, but most of all….. I brought back my lips. I had to get my lips into the car so we could return home.

It was a fun trip, and having a friend to share it with was the best. We still laugh about that visit. It was one of those times you couldn’t repeat even if you wanted to.

That was many years ago, and since then I’ve had bad tattoos, and good tattoos of my eyebrows. I’m still having trouble getting them to look halfway decent, but now days If they’re close, they’re close enough!

There is a lady on YouTube who struggles with her eyebrows also, and she said something that really helped me. She said, “Remember your eyebrows are sisters, not twins!” I hope this helps you too.

Thank you for stoping to read this crazy post on eyebrows. Life can be so funny, and fun if you can see it that way.

Until next time, Together we stand. Karen