Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Happy Friday! Happy Weekend! On Fridays, I typically keep things on the “worldly” side. Usually on Fridays, I list three of any kinds of my favorite stuff: products, books, make-up, websites, songs, etc. Please check out my previous Friday listings for more favorites and please add your own favorites to my Comments section. I have had a busy week, and I still do have a lot on my plate, so for today, I only have one favorite to share.
The other day, when I joined my husband on a drive to his most favorite bike store, I found an adorable, old-fashioned, delicious little bookstore, right around the corner to peruse instead, while my husband was in the bike store. (He likes bikes. She likes books. He likes beers. She likes baubles and bags. They both like boats and bands and most of all, their babies. In short, they support each other’s B—S.)
In this little heavenly bookstore, I purchased this adorable tote bag:
Front:
Back:
I looked at the tag on the bag, and the tote is made by this company: outofprint.com
This website is truly a bibliophile’s dream come true. You’re welcome!! Enjoy and find some new favorites to treat yourself to, this weekend! See you tomorrow!
Happy Friday!!! Happy weekend!!! My regular readers know how much I love Fridays. On Fridays, I take off my ruminating, philosophy pants and I put on my Friday Partypants. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite songs or products or websites, (basically anything that I really, really like) and I love it when you add your own favorites to my Comments section. I am always excited to have new things to try, or new movies to watch, or new books to read. Here are my favorites for today:
Uptime – This application for your phone is not cheap, (I think that it is about forty dollars a year) but for me, it is worth every cent. This app takes popular non-fiction books and documentaries and basically narrows them down to “the gist” of what you need to know about each source of information. I wish that I had time to read every book that I want to read, but that would take several lifetimes, and it would also create an extremely one-dimensional life for me. Uptime also works as a great tool to figure out what areas and books that I want to explore more about, and also figuring out areas, where settling for “the gist” is all that I need to do.
The Gift by Edith Eger – This book is outstanding. Written by an Auschwitz survivor who later became a successful psychologist (she got her doctorate in her fifties – it’s never too late!), The Gift is incredibly uplifting, inspiring and full of good sense. The theme of the book is to help people find freedom, which Edith Eger defines as “becoming who you truly are.” She says that freedom requires hope, knowing that all suffering is temporary, and staying curious about what comes next. You won’t regret the time you spend reading and soaking in this wonderful, empowering book.
Sharing Knowing Looks – This might be one of my most favorite human experiences. The communication that we share with others, without talking, and yet being able to feel that complete connection and understanding between each other, by just one knowing look, is totally priceless. Yesterday, I was in the middle of getting a pedicure in a part of town that I don’t know all that well. I was getting a pedicure in a shop that I had never been to before. And I was trying to reach my daughter by text, and then by calling her frantically, and I still couldn’t reach her. Thus, (this is the negative side of today’s instant gratification, “reach everybody and everything in one second flat” technology) I flew into a mini-panic attack. I yelled to my nail technician that I had to leave the shop immediately to get to my daughter. I flew out of the shop, dragging along a towel, as my technician was desperately trying to help me to dry my feet, and to help me put on my shoes, as I ran to my car, breathing heavily. My daughter turned out to be fine. It was all a big, scary misunderstanding, but after the fiasco, I knew that I needed to return the towel to the shop. I was horrified and I was utterly embarrassed by my previous “making quite the scene,” but I decided that the best thing, and the right thing for me to do in this situation, was go back to the shop, return the towel, and get pedicures for both me and my daughter, and to leave them a nice tip. The shop was filled with female Vietnamese-American workers and it seemed that many of them did not speak English, but the look of relief and happiness and kindness and understanding on their faces, when they looked at me, almost brought me to tears. Mamas know other mamas’ hearts, without ever having to say a word. Love is the real communication and connection between all of us. And this deep and wise communication doesn’t even require any words. Love and kindness is able to be communicated in a single glance. Love is. Love.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! Today is the third year anniversary of me writing my Adulting – Second Half blog. I started this blog on a whim, on the day that we got back from dropping off my eldest son off at his first “adult” apartment. In a week, we’ll be dropping off my second son at his first “adult” apartment, in a city where he will be attending medical school. You have been with me throughout this strange, uncomfortable transition in my life, where I am having to pull myself back from everything that I poured myself into, for over twenty-five years. Your attention is an incredible gift to me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
But that’s enough seriousness for a Friday. On Fridays, my regular readers know that I list three favorite things, or TV shows, or books, or websites, etc. that make living life just a little more fun, or comfortable, or interesting. I like to list things that give life to life! Please add your favorites to my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:
Gossby Personalized Mugs – These are the cutest mugs and they are so fun to create! I recently got one for me, and for my son’s girlfriend, for her birthday. They have so many themes (dogs, sisters, friends, etc) and they arrive pretty quickly after ordering them. If I would change one thing, I would have purchased a bigger mug. Otherwise, I LOVE it. Go to gossby.com and let your creative juices flow. Here is mine:
Rooted Earth Farm Lavender Lemongrass Perfume Oil – A theme of my life might be summed up this way: “You had me at, “Wow this smells sooooo good!” I walked into a shop the other day and I thought that I would die of proboscis bliss. I said to the keeper, “What smells so amazing in here?” It turned out to be lavender lemongrass soap which I purchased, and put under the seat of my car. But that wasn’t enough for me. I did any online search and I found this incredible concoction that I just swill under my nose, from time to time, to remind myself why smelling might be my favorite sense. So ambrosial!!!!!!!! (look it up, it’s a good word)
Burned – This is a Korean thriller movie. Fair warning, it’s a long, drawn out movie, but it is one of those movies that you keep thinking about, long after you have seen it. I think that is the mark of an excellent creative product, whether it be a movie or a book or a piece of art. If you can’t stop pondering it, it has moved something in you. I recommend watching this movie. I enjoy foreign films, much in the way that I enjoy visiting foreign lands. I like to experience how other people live in their ordinary lives, in ways that are different than what I am used to doing. I find this experience enthralling, even more so than seeing museums or landmarks.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!!!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Hi, friends. My regular readers know that they can usually start their Fridays out with a whimsical little post from me, speaking of my frivolous favorites. Typically, I list three favorite things, or songs, or websites, or books, or whatevers, on any given Friday. But I didn’t do that today. On this Friday, this is the first time that you are hearing from me. On this Friday evening, I am sitting in an airport, awaiting another amazing adventure with my immediate family – the five people in this world, whom I love more than life itself.
No one would ever feel sorry for me. I have nice things, a decent sized savings account, and a husband of almost 27 years who loves me, and whom I adore back. I have a beautiful family, supportive friends, and overall, a really good life. Typically, I “reflect” my life. Typically, I look good in the airport. I have nice purses and luggage and clothes and I know how to put on make-up. I am well-traveled. I guess these days, I would be considered to be, what is commonly called (with an air of disdain), a privileged, white woman.
Nonetheless, today, I look a wreck. I threw on clothes that were on a heap on my floor, and make-up wasn’t even a consideration. I was seriously questioning whether me or my family would even make our flights. My husband ended up doing half my packing. I spent my morning at the hospital, a place that is fairly familiar to our family. My youngest son, who suffers from epilepsy, endured another major seizure this morning, after recuperating from a different, traumatizing seizure from the night before, when he ended in a heap up on the floor, convulsing uncontrollably, right after celebrating his brother’s birthday, with cake and ice cream. My baby’s feet were turning blue. It was hard to see if my son was really even actually breathing, so even though we are all experienced in these events, I frantically called the paramedics, yet once again, for the familiar reassurance and comfort that these incredible people always bring, along with all of their other muscles, (brawn and heart) and the heavy duty equipment which comes from being among the bravest and most compassionate people in the world.
This morning, after my son’s vitals all looked good, we conferred with his doctors. As usual, epilepsy remains a mystery. Trying to figure out epilepsy is trying to make sense out of nightmares which do not make sense. Epilepsy is always about trying to understand a personal mystery with dire consequences, and there never, ever seems to be any real, concrete, reassuring answers to give you any comfort and respite. Epilepsy makes you believe in hope, like nothing else you have ever believed in, because usually hope is the only thing you have left to hold on to, when dealing with this frustrating, personal and heart-breaking ailment.
Right now, I am writing this blog post from an airport this Friday evening. I don’t have my usual air of excitement, confidence and aura of “put togethered-ness”, that I sometimes carry along with me on my trips. I am scared out of my mind. I want to grab my son and I want to keep him in my own little cocoon, where he and I can never get hurt. Adventures be damned. I just want us to be safe and loved and alive, together.
But my son doesn’t see it the same way. My son doesn’t want epilepsy to win. And his doctors agree. So, right now, we are just doubling down on his medicine and praying that his body doesn’t rebel against his choice to live his life. And right now, I am that privileged woman, who you see walking through the airport, all decked out in fancy clothes that hide and shield, a wounded, desperate heart, praying that she is making the right decision, to roll with the punches, and to let things be as they may, as she walks behind her precious, beloved son, in a crowded corridor in any given airport.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
I’m kidding! It is actually Friday, the best day of the week!! Happy Friday, friends and readers. On Fridays, I keep everything surface level and I typically list three favorites of mine: songs, or books, or products, or food items or whatevers, and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites to try out. Here are three of my favorites for today:
Suspender Earrings – My friend texted a video of Tina Fey chatting with Jimmy Fallon the other day. Being the hilarious people that Tina and Jimmy are, the video was hysterical, but what really kept distracting me, was the unusual earrings that Tina was wearing. They were sparkly rods that seemed to hook into her middle ear. Today’s earrings are full of edginess, and are worn all over the ears (my daughter really likes wearing ear cuffs). These suspender earrings fit into just one pierced hole on your ear lobe, but loop up on the bottom of your inner ear, giving your ears an unusual, unique, modern look, without having to get any extra piercings. Of course, I had to get a pair for myself, and a found a beautiful set on ebay, at an affordable price.
Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes – My friend has the most beautiful magnolia tree in the middle of her front yard. It is one of the most blooming-est, full of itself, fabulous trees that I have ever seen. Our little magnolia tree, on the other hand, leans on the side of “pitiful.” I asked her the secret to her tree’s gorgeous vitality and she said that she hammers these Jobe’s spikes all around the tree, two times a year. We have started doing this with our tree, and the level of “perky” for our magnolia, is going right up. Interestingly, my husband pointed out that there is a ring of darker green, thicker grass around the tree, where he had placed the Jobe’s spikes. (the proof is in the pudding) You can order a package of these on Amazon.
Bless You Tissue Box – I love this tissue box (also found on Amazon). I keep it on my desk, alongside my adorable, favorite knick-knack, my gorgeous marble goldfish. (unfortunately, this is the only goldfish which I have ever successfully kept “alive” for years) I once went to a yoga class, where we had to do about fifteen minutes of movements to the chant, “I bless myself, I bless myself. I am, I am. I bless myself, I bless myself. I am. I am.” At first the wording felt strange, and indulgent, and perhaps even audacious, but after a while, the chant became very soothing and comforting. It served as a wonderful reminder of all of the power that lies within each one of us. How can you feel comfortable offering “bless yous” to anyone else, if you don’t have the ability to offer yourself blessings?
Bonus, if you are so inclined, here is the I Bless Myself chant:
Many blessings to all of you and yours this weekend!!!! See you tomorrow.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Hello friends!! Welcome to the best day of the week!! I LOVE Fridays. Fridays just feel lighter, and more anticipatory, and more fun than any other day of the week. On Favorite Things Fridays, I try to keep it on the surface. On Fridays, I list three of my favorite things, songs, websites, movies, etc. and I would love it if you shared some of your favorites in my Comments section, in order to spread the fun and love. Here are my favorites for today:
National Day Calendar – “June 11, 2021 – NATIONAL MAKING LIFE BEAUTIFUL DAY – NATIONAL CORN ON THE COB DAY – NATIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY” Did you know that it was National Corn on the Cob Day? Now you do. I did some exploration this week, to find out about who are the powers that be, who dare deem anything as a “National Day”. It turns out that it is a website and anyone can ask to register a national day for just about anything. This is a must-see website: nationaldaycalendar.com. I look at the National Day Calendar as a wonderful resource to remind yourself why living a life is so interesting, and full, and multi-faceted. You can also subscribe to the website’s daily blog, so I knew that it was National German Chocolate Cake Day, when I started scrolling my emails at 7 a.m. this morning. Yes, I am “in the know.”
Vitaminwater Zero Gutsy – If you have been my blog buddy for a while, you know that I love Vitaminwater. Vitaminwater tricks me into staying hydrated. It’s like Koolaid for adults. I particularly like the “zero” varieties, because I prefer to save my calorie count for pizza and German chocolate cake. This gutsy flavor is divine. They call it “watermelon peach” but it is a subtle blend of these two flavors, which is good because I honestly don’t particularly enjoy either flavor, but the fusion of the fruity flavors in “gutsy”, makes all of the difference. Even better, the beverage contains “prebiotic fiber”, hence the moniker “gutsy”. So, if you are a curious cat like me, you may be wondering what the difference between probiotic (I take gazillions of these a day) versus “prebiotic” is, and I will tell you. Probiotic is the good bacteria for your gut, and prebiotics are the food that feeds the probiotics. (at least this is what the marketers tell us.)
Soundtrack to Better Call Saul – My current TV addiction is Better Call Saul. What makes particular TV series more enthralling and enticing than others? It think it relates to the “overall package.” Besides great writing, intriguing characters, a fascinating plot line, and excellent filming techniques, the cherry on top of all great TV and amazing movies, is the soundtrack. One of my favorite soundtracks of all time, is from the Colin Hanks’ movie, Orange County. I know that a soundtrack is good, when my mind wavers from an intense, intriguing plotline to say, “Oh, this song is so good. I must remember this song. I might even pause the show right now at this very moment, while this horrendous murder is taking place or when the lover is finally professing his love to the beleaguered heroine, just to write down this song for future reference.” Better Call Saul is filled with forgotten songs that make you remember how much you love them, and it also features interesting new takes on old, beloved songs. The entire soundtrack is 8 hours and 30 minutes on Spotify. I just gave you your background music for Monday’s work hours. You are so welcome!
Have a delightful weekend!!! See you tomorrow!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Hello Friday!!! Hello Holiday Weekend!! Fridays are the best, aren’t they? They are just so full of anticipation and relief. On Fridays, I don’t go for the deep dive. On “Favorite Things Friday“, I list three favorite songs, books, TV shows, websites, beauty products, etc. that remind me why it is so much fun to be alive. What is the material “stuff” that you love in life? Please add your favorites to my Comments section, and please check out previous Friday postings, for more good stuff. Here are my favorites for today:
Better Call Saul – If you missed this spinoff/prequel to the TV series Breaking Bad, like my husband and I almost did, this is your lucky reminder to check this series out. It has become our new nightly, couch event. This show is excellent and is full of flawed, but interesting, colorful characters who you can’t help, but to love and to root for, despite all of their shortcomings. Better Call Saul is so good, that last night we were attending a really fun, joyous graduation party, and yet, in the back of my mind, I was hoping that we would get home in time to watch another episode. We did. 🙂
Embellish Creative Co-op Tote Bag – I recently purchased this tote bag at a little local shop, because it was adorable, reasonably priced, large, soft and smooshy, and looked easy to clean. It appears to be made out of a bath rug, with a tassel for flourish. It is the best bag for boating, or for the beach, or for other fun summer activities. It came in a variety colors. I went with boring, blah taupe and I love it. Which brings me to my next favorite . . . my next favorite is a fun prompt to just put out there, when you are hanging out with your friends this weekend. You may remember my blog with the prompt “Your Drag Queen name is your Grandmother’s first name and the last dessert/sweet you ate. Go.” That was a good one. Here’s the new prompt for today’s shenanigans:
“Your Rapper Name is “Lil” then the last thing you spent money on. Go.” – It so happens that I purchased the above mentioned bag right before I saw this thought provoking prompt, hence my rapper name is officially “Lil’ Beach Bag.” I tried this prompt with my best friends from college and here are some of their rapper names:
Lil’ Biscuit, Lil’ Cookie, Lil’ Books (this rapper friend said that the books were for her daughter, Lil’ Money Pit), Lil’ Hula Hoop (she has much better hips and dancing skills than I could ever dream of having), and Lil’ Shorts (who we changed to Lil’ Shorty, even though she is taller than any of us)
What’s your rapper name? This is an important question, on a Friday.
The shop that I purchased my beach bag from, had this sign in the window:
Apparently this comes from the title of a book by the actress, Reese Witherspoon, which came from a phrase her grandmother used to describe Southern women: “her grandmother used to describe Southern women: Like whiskey in a teacup, they’re beautiful on the outside and fierce on the inside.” I suppose this is another phrase for “Steel Magnolias”. Frankly, I think that this phrase describes most women, whom I have known, and whom I have loved in my life, from all over the United States, and the world. Embellish the outside of yourself however you like, ladies, but remember, the inside of you is FIRE. Have a wonderful weekend!!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Good morning friends and readers!! The best day of the week has arrived in full form. On Fridays, I don’t blog about anything serious. I don’t dwell on feelings or retell my cache of silly stories (search for my “no-horse-pucky” stories on the blog, if you are in the mood). On “Favorite Things Friday”, I discuss three things, or songs, or books, or apps, or websites, etc. that makes my tactile life a little more fun. Please check out previous Friday posts for more good ideas, and please share your favorites in my Comments section. (You guys tend to be a little stingy with your sharing of favorites. Don’t be afraid to share. There’s enough for everybody. Don’t be like Troye Sivan, who once said, “Sharing is caring, but I don’t care.” Ha!) I will now share my favorites for today:
Memory Foam Slippers – If you want to keep your feet in a perpetual hug, while you bounce around on clouds, get yourself some thick, memory foam slippers. I never knew walking could be so trampoline like, without exerting any effort. My only issue is that I tend to be a little “shuffe-ly” when I walk in mine, but I know how to prance to stop that dance. Kooba and Ultraideas are the brands of my memory foam slippers, but the true secret sauce is the memory foam. They don’t look too bad either. They have a spa-slipper appeal.
Two Favorite Questions That I Came Upon This Week – These are two questions to ask your highest self, and your inner intuition that will give you real insight into decisions to be made, and/or who you want to allow into your life on a regular basis. I hate to get so thought provoking on a Friday, but you can put these in your back pocket for when you have some soul searching to do, or for when you want something to meditate on:
“What do I need to become aware of that I wouldn’t even know to ask about?” – Rob Brezny
“If the phone rang at 11 p.m., do you want it to be that a-hole at the other end?” – Anthony Bourdain, question asked to his crew about a certain Hollywood producer, who they ended up turning down a lucrative deal with, because he didn’t “sit well” with any of them. In short, be choosy who you let into your circle, and certainly be even choosier who you let into your sacred inner circle. Life is too short to be talking to a-holes at 11 p.m. any night of the week.
E. Jean on Substack – If the only reason you ever subscribed to Elle magazine was for E. Jean’s spicy, on-point, evocative advice column, and then you realize that Elle was stupid enough to fire her, cancel your subscription and put your hard-earned cash towards her column moved to Substack. You get the E. Jean Carroll advice column every single day, right in your email’s in-box. I have always adored E. Jean’s writing style and her cocksure confidence. She’s still going strong. You can subscribe here: ejeancarroll.substack.com
Bonus fries: Have a great weekend!! If you just can’t get enough of me (I know, it happens 😉 ) here are links to two of my most popular blog posts, as trending shows, over the years:
Hi friends! Happy Weekend! Happy Friday!! Friday is, by far, my favorite day of the week. On Fridays, I am really, really good at leaving my worries at the door. Here on the blog, we call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday” and I list three favorite things, songs, books, websites, apps, etc. of mine that have helped to make my own life, more FUN. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Also, please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites to try.
Today’s favorites:
Straw Bags– Summer is almost here and nothing says summer like a cute, eye-catching straw bag. Every year I buy a couple of fresh ones, because unfortunately, straw bags are typically not as durable as leather purses. (I do have a few vintage ones that have definitely withstood the test of time. You can find darling vintage straw bags on Etsy and eBay.) My most favorite straw bags and purses have been made by Monsac, Pulicati and Michael Kors.
Full Circle Green Little Sipper Bottle and Straw Detail Cleaning Brush Set– I love this little gadget found on Amazon. These stiff little brushes get into all of the grooves and crevices of water bottles and other dishes. It’s a wonderful tool to clean out any intricate or hard-to-reach places. The best part is that these brushes are kept on a ring and the set is dishwasher safe. So, like my dish brush, I keep this set in my dishwasher at all times, so they are always sanitized and easily located.
Coolhaus Ice Cream– I’ve mentioned before that I adore the Fresh Market grocery store. Every week, they offer up a delicious and complete dinner which feeds four people for $25. Each meal has five components to it. It’s a wonderful deal and a great way to try new food products. This week’s deal included a pint of Coolhaus Ice Cream. When you open the tub, the word G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) is printed on the plastic protector label. I thought to myself, “That’s a tad presumptuous.” Then I had a bite of Street Cart Churro Dough ice cream. G.O.A.T. fits it perfectly. This is the best tasting, best textured ice cream that I have ever eaten in my life. If you want to have an extra special dessert, go get yourself some right now.
“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.” – Bill Watterson
Have a wonderful weekend, friends! See you tomorrow. (BTW, I had a lot of readers yesterday. The need to have more fun, seemed to resonate with all of you. Make sure that you have a lot of FUN this weekend!!!)
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Good morning friends! Today is my favorite day of the week and typically on “Favorite Things Friday” I list three favorite things or songs or books or movies, etc. that make the tactile world we live in, so much fun. My process is this: when I revel in a “favorite”, I run to my Barnes and Noble Desk Diary calendar (a previous, and still all-time favorite) and I scribble that particular favorite anything, on my nice large Friday space. Unfortunately, today’s space is filled with plenty of “to do” stuff, but alas, no favorites. This morning, I was lamenting this with my husband, scrambling to find “favorites” and asking him to brainstorm with me. My husband reminded me that I treasure my authentic connection with my readers, so I can’t be fake, and pretend to love and to adore anything that I have barely tried. So, today, I have no favorites to share. Please forgive me. As I have mentioned, I am in the midst of a three week period, crammed with “big ‘stuff’, events, celebrations, concerns, etc.” that in an ideal world, would be spread out a little more evenly throughout the year. It’s like having too much salt on one part of your meal. That salt tastes better when it is evenly spread, but such is life, sometimes! I’m rolling with it, and I’m trying to stay in the moment.
The other night, I was returning 18,000+ HomeGoods decorative items (only a slight exaggeration), because we are in the middle of changing around our bedrooms and as we all know, what looks good in the store, doesn’t necessarily translate at home. In trying to appease the understandably exasperated sales clerk, I started listing all of the things which we have going on in our family life (which precipitates me having to get my rooms in order, in a big hurry), all happening in this short time period. As I was doing this, I was incredibly annoyed with myself. It’s so lame to do this. The clerk isn’t going to remember any of that stuff, which has nothing to do with her, and frankly, she doesn’t care. Nor should she care. Yada yada yada. But I kept on rattling on and on. Eww. Yuck. I don’t owe the clerk an explanation. She doesn’t owe me anything but courteousness. So much nervous energy happening, as I spout out loud, what my frenzied, and emotionally charged calendar events look like throughout the rest of this month. But you know what? We were both wearing masks, but we caught each other’s eyes and our eyes smiled, knowingly and warmly, at each other. We got it. Two middle-aged women who have been around the block a few times, gave to each other, in just that one look, the feeling of understanding, humor, empathy and reassurance. That, my friends, is the beauty of our shared humanity. And that shared humanity will always, always be a favorite of mine. I revel in it! Have a great weekend!!!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
