An Appeal for Curves Appeal

I have to say something in favor of the curvaceous woman. Curvaceous - such a sophisticated, all tangled up word, and indeed we are. It seems we all strive for the thin, one-dimension woman. Starve up, then enhance your bust a few sizes over and, voila, the perfect woman. Goes well with our slim, limit-your-step skirt. You don't need to get very far honey, just be pretty and the driver will take you where you need to go.
Well, I want to DRIVE MY OWN car, be my own engine, Yes I can Yes I can, use my long stride steps, no more than the obligatory 2" heel. If I need to run to where I'm going - I should be able to do so.
So, having aired this great theory, I went out and shopped for a tight, curves hugging skirt suit. With it came the obligatory tummy shaper and a pair of Ann Taylor's control top tights.
I wore all of it out and would recommended it for as long as you can hold your breath. With my ribs dented and my airways twisted to find some air I can't say I'll wear this assemblage again.
Best of all - My friend Shellie told me I look like I've lost weight.
So, wait, maybe that shaper has a long term effect....

Pie is Just Another Mathematical Term

I hate Math. I've been hating it ever since first grade. OK, lets adjust it a bit. I hate Math when it doesn't come in the shape of personal donation to me. Because when it is money in my pocket, I kinda' like it.

So today I went to the biggest mall in the area (New York address - surprise surprise), got the kids and hubby happy... so happy they let me wonder off ALONE (would you believe it?) and thus, free as a wait-less bird, relaxed and liberated, I went off shopping.
What can I tell you, I searched high, I searched low, I went in between the shelves and inside the fitting rooms (many a times) and nothing worked. The only fitting thing in MY room was my own old clothes. Which brought me to the sad conclusion that we either need a revolution (where the hell did I put my soap box when we left California???) or I need to get fit. Fit for fittings - what a revolutionary idea!

I left the mall with one small bag. In it were three items:

1. A gift for my friend Jan (great woman)
2. Fancy matches (I wish they could burn fat) for the fireplace
3. A scent diffuser for the restroom (to keep others from smelling all those fiber units I'll be eating from now on).

As soon as we came home this Pecan Pie jumped me with her friend the spoon. I tell you - they had no mercy! Than again, Pie is just another number right? just like size, carbohydrates units and the amount of holes you need to tighten in your belt.

Did I tell you how I don't like Math?

About Facebook,Twitter and Viral Media

I don't have a face on Facebook. Wow, what a revelation. Admitting I'm behind on the viral scene. So now I'm out with it - no facebook, no twitter, I'm not Linkedin either. Leaving here in my little village of a towne I can hide from all those connection seekers, 'remember me?' people of the past that would love to pop in, catch up, visit and hang out.
I bind my past. First I take photos, closing in on one moment in time, freezing it forever. Now we're playing by MY rules, I can do whatever I want to this said memory, it's mine to play with. I print some, delete some, store some photos and the most precious ones, the carefully edited photos, I scrapbook, nudging memories into a personal scheme of things, personalized point of view.
From color choices to shapes to where the photos are placed on the page and their size, the focus is mine and it's my life we're facing. I decide what will be bound forever in our family album, I'm the memory keeper. I save face for us all and I am not ashamed to be biased.
I don't have a facebook page yet my face and the faces I love are bound forever in our family book of love.

Our Trip to Mystic

Patrick Dougherty's The Rambles exhibit in the Florence Griswold Museum in Lyme, CT

Mystic Seaport had lots of old time fun activities for the kids, including the dog happening 'Dog Days' with police dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dogs and good looking dogs' shows.

Rainy day perfect activity - go under and play submarine in the Nautilus.

Gillette castle, on the way to Mystic. Worth stopping.

The Food Market and Politics

It's sunny now in CA. It's rainy here. Sorry, I had to compare. My kids compare, too and that's when the Food Market begins. They discuss what he got and why, why did she get less, what will I get later and, of course, what will he get if he ate his vegetables. But she LIKES vegetables. So that's not fair. "Fair is a complexion, desired by many, true, yet a skin condition" I want to say to skip the bickering routine once and for all but no, nothing will take my kids' mind off their usual routine. Hey, who am I kidding? It's my routine too. I secretly LOVE the Food Market routine, because at a certain point in time, just after the great disappointment of whomever is not getting dessert or what they WILL get for dessert, a little bit before the usual upset of the end, they start THE FOOD MARKET. "I'll give you this if you'll share your dessert with me" says the little one, she's the brain-in-training. But the older knows better, he knows she'll work her charm and get away with much more than was bargained for and so he calculates his steps carefully. In the end they reach an agreement that would have put experienced politicians to shame, so detailed and full of nuances it is, I feel proud of my strategically conniving kids. So I sit at the dining room table and think of what we should fight about next.

8 Unpacking Tips.

My friend Ora is unpacking somewhere in the near east, so here are some tips for her and for anyone who needs some organizing tips.

1. If you use a moving company and they can unpack for you and take their packing materials (i.e papers, peanuts, boxes) with them - do it! It is worth the trouble of having everything laid down on floors and tables around the house because it makes you put it in quicker. When you get tired (pretty quick) and discouraged,remind yourself you don't need that much stuff and give it away. Be free and helpful.

2. Box, tray and contain (in a container) everything you can.

3. Make everyday things easy to reach. That soup bowl you bought 'cause you thought it'll be mighty nice to use at the holiday table - stick it in the back. We both know you enjoy looking at it but it's completely useless. This way, you can wave to your pretty bawl from afar without needing to bend around it to get the things you really use.

4. Have kids? Good chip labor. Sorry - let's make it: it's very educational to involve kids in the process of unpacking! build their furniture pieces first and have them put their books and toys in place while you do ... deep breath... Oh My Gosh.... THE KITCHEN.

5. Art is beautiful but let's leave it for last.

6. The kitchen needs its own chapter and is too painful to think of. If you really need it let me know and I'll fill my wine glass, shut the door (don't want the whole neighborhood to hear my moaning) and write about it. Only for you, my friend. No, I need you to take it into account, cause I really mean it - ONLY FOR YOU I'll sit and do this painful task so know thy collector.

7. Get one of your kids to be the schleper helper. S/he will take all done-with boxes into the garage/dumpster/outside and flatten them. It will help you see the end clearly.

8. All through the process, when you're doing the mundane stuff, don't forget to imagine how great it will be to ............. at the end of the process. (fill in the blank yourself, I don't have to spell everything out for you!)