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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| My old movie for this week is Born To Dance from 1936, black and white, starring Jimmy Stewart. Stewart sings and dances in this one. He plays a sailor about to leave the military and enter civilian life along with two other guys in NYC. It starts out with a big musical number by the sailors aboard ship. By today's standards, the opening number is stiff and too staged. The whole musical part of it is a good example of how musicals got a bad reputation. There are a few familiar songs, but they are not rendered in a fashion with which we are familiar. The costars are Eleanor Powell, Virginia Bruce, and Buddy Ebsen. 1936: we're talking about a very young and lithe version of each actor. Buddy Ebsen's bones just seem to be liquid, his face a constant comical contortion. He resembles very little of Jed Clampett. Stewart does less dancing and singing after the story is under way. There's lots of tap dancing, jazz, and big show fanfare. The commander of the ship is totally inept, forgetful, and unbelievable, but manages some very funny exchanges with some of his sailors. The best story line was actually that of a married couple who'd been separated for 4 years by the navy, neither character being played by one of the big stars. In the end, all the boys get the girls, and everyone lives happily ever after. It was interesting, if only to see these young stars. It's not hard to believe they've never remade this movie, like most movies are. The music would need newer formats or replacements. The dancing would have to change. The story lines would need greater touch with reality, and the humor would have to be more consistent, not just occasional. Don't put this one on your "must see" list, unless you're a student of dancing. For the rest of us, it's just a history lesson. |
| It's almost Labor Day. Summer is drawing to an end. It's still hot. Tomatoes are still growing. Squash and beans are done. The weeds are coming in faster than we can pull them. But the leaves are starting to fall. Not the ones that change color, just the dead brown leaves. School is back in session, and the autumn and Halloween decorations are out in stores. I've even seen some Thanksgiving decor advertised. This is when the year seems to take off at a galloping speed. Soon it will be NaNoWriMo. There's a new baby in our family now, almost 24 hours old. My 401K is dwindling before my eyes. There's no way to rebuild it before I'll need it. I'm back at work, at least part-time. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to do while I was off. A few closets are neater. Good Will has had a lot of donations, and the house is reasonably clean. The great American novel has not rolled off my computer, however. I still haven't read American Sniper. And I still haven't lost that ten pounds. Life keeps running ahead of us, season after season. This particular seasonal change is always a little wistful, a little nostalgic for me. The days get shorter, the shadows in the afternoon get a little longer. I can't help but recall summer jobs winding down before going back to college. I would regret then that summer was almost over. Now I just regret that the summer of youth is over. I'm reminded of the English professor who pointed out that even though the seasons indicate the active, productive times, the fullness of summer, may be ending, the greatest beauty still lies ahead. |
| If you want to look as young as possible, the answer is not in make-up or the perfect ointments. It's good dental care. It's amazing in "before and after" photos how men and women look years younger, not to mention smarter and classier, after having some good dental work done. It starts when you're young. Your own dental hygiene is important, but the twice yearly visits to a dentist are essential. It will avoid many headaches later on. You have to plan for the costs unless you are filthy rich and never worry about paying for anything. But if your dentist tells you your teeth need something done, you better plan on doing it as soon as possible. A lengthy delay to save money can result in jaw bone changes, teeth shifting, etc. Dental insurance helps defray the cost of maintenance. Most employers offer it as a convenience. It's taken right out of your paycheck. They don't usually supplement the price like they do for medical. The key is to find a participating dentist. If you have a dentist you don't want to lose, find out what insurance plans he takes, then go to one of those insurance companies. If he doesn't process insurance or doesn't "participate", you need to decide if you can pay full price, or maybe you should change dentists after all. If you have insurance, get a list of participating dentists. Choose someone from that list, so that you will get the discount. Most insurance plans, with participating dentists, will save you money at the end of the year on cleaning your teeth twice, and a basic x-ray once a year. If you need extra x-rays, like for a toothache or accidental breaking, the insurance will only pay a portion; you pay the rest. If you need extensive work done, the insurance usually has a maximum. So if you need $4000 in work done, it might only cover $1800, including the basic cleaning. However, most dentists have information on finance companies that specialize in dental bills. You apply like any other finance company, make a down payment, then monthly payments. You can't get more credit until you're almost finished paying for that one. I don't usually favor loans, but your teeth are worth it. It might be difficult making payments now, but in the long run, you will be glad you made the sacrifice. If you had braces as a kid, you were fortunate. It's not too late, if your teeth are crooked. Other things that can be done include getting caps on teeth that are chipped or are too short in front. Don't smoke, so your teeth won't have to be whitened. If you have a tooth pulled, you usually have to wait a few months for healing before getting a replacement, but don't wait too long. Plan on getting a bridge or an implant within 3 to six months. An implant requires a healthy jawbone. A bridge will require work on the tooth behind and in front of the missing tooth. Dentures are a little cheaper, but don't always fit right and can cause multiple problems over time. All will help keep your jaw lined up, help you eat, and make your smile look brighter. A good dentist can do more for your youthful appearance than any make-up artist. So take care of your teeth. They could last your whole long life. They affect your overall health and your good looks. The way people perceive you can also be affected by the way your teeth look. |
| We are so dependent on our computers. My Internet access has been messed up for four days. I was beginning to think my computer was dying. But suddenly, today it's working fine. I've had to play catch up. I used my i-phone to watch some videos I was sent by email. That gets better reception, but I have to use glasses to read the print. My desktop is perfect without glasses. I think I need to change Internet access on the desktop. I'm still a little retarded when it comes to the i-phone. I'm sure it has services I'm not using, because I forgot after the initial demonstration, or I just can't see the small screen well enough. Anyway, it's been frustrating to be unable to finish certain projects or do work-related programs at home. I don't know how we survived without these little gems of technology. Last minute meetings are called and we miss them if we don't check our phones for text messages or email. I haven't gotten in that habit. I try to avoid texting at all costs. However, if you want to do business in the modern world, you have to know social media and the hardware. We older folks just have to invest in magnifying glasses. |
| The due date for the latest baby boy in our family was yesterday. Still no baby. The mother is fine. I guess the baby will be here when he's ready. Maybe he knows he has two sisters, age 6 and 3 waiting for him. He's better off where he is. The rest of us are getting antsy. We want him to be here already. There's only one other boy, two, and he's a cousin of the other children's mothers. A little odd family spacing there. There's another baby due in November, but we don't know if it's a boy or a girl. That one will have only one older sister, age two. These are lucky kids. They have gazillions of toys at their own homes, toys at the grandparents homes (divorced, so two sets of toys), and some have toys at Great Grandpa's. They all have aunts and uncles and friends who spoil them rotten. I'm kind of jealous because I never had it half that good. I hope it makes them better, smarter, and more self-confident. And I never had a wonderful aunt, or great aunt like me! |
| Watched another old movie again. I know I saw it the first time around, maybe once or twice since then, at least partially. I never realized that Stacy Keach was in The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. He had a receding hairline even in those early days. I never knew that was Sondra Locke's first big break. They kept the no make up look to help her look about 8 years younger for the part of a high school girl. But she has always kept a natural look as far as I can remember. I never really followed her movies. In fact The Outlaw Josie Wales and the chimp movies with Clint were the only ones I was aware of. Apparently, she's done a lot of movies with and without Clint. Unfortunately, her private life with him has gotten more publicity. She actually had an Oscar nomination for this role, along with Alan Arkin. Neither one of them actually got it. It's a very tender story about hurting people, all eloquently portrayed. The deaf mute, who cannot communicate, manages to befriend lonely, misunderstood, hurting people. In his silence he still connects with them, and they "hear", like they count for something. He makes them feel a little less broken. But no one can help him. He resorts to talking to himself with his hands as he walks down the street. The story is still strong today, transcending the 60's setting and culture. The Mozart, the dance music, the fireworks, and all the other noises accentuate the silence. It's a very gripping movie. Alan Arkin pulls at the heart strings in a great performance. |
| It never fails. You can look and look for something and not find it. Go and buy another one, and you'll find it very soon after. My dad and I searched everywhere for a meat thermometer. He and Mom had one. After I moved in, I came with all my goods, which included a meat thermometer. But the utensil drawer is very full. We took it out and emptied it and couldn't find one. We made do without one several times. But I made up my mind that we needed one. So I drove past K-Mart today. I needed something else that I didn't wanted quickly, so I went in the store that was handy. I picked up a meat thermometer while there. I got home and put it away. I didn't like the thought of the utensil drawer, so I opened the towel drawer. I looked underneath the stack, and there was a solitary meat thermometer. I had already opened the new one and discarded the packaging. We might be the owners of two, now. I did the same with the camera battery charger at Christmas. We couldn't find it, so I went to a big tech store and spent almost thirty dollars on a new one that handles several kinds. After Christmas passed, I found the charger in an outlet we hardly ever use. So now we have two. Back to K-Mart. I purchased four items. Only one ended up being the price I expected. The meat thermometer was 40 cents higher. Another item was one dollar higher. A third over the counter medicine was three dollars higher. So now it's not so handy. I have to go back with the receipt, and walk around to find out if I really misread that many shelf labels. I almost didn't get the one that was $3 more, because the price I thought it said was more than CVS. But it had a $2 coupon on it that would make it the same, and I could save a trip. If I misread the shelf signs, then I need to shop with glasses and maybe a magnifier. If Kmart made that many errors, I need a refund and to shop somewhere else. |
| Today was a long day with a two year old. Her mom, an RN, had a 12 hour shift. They spent the night with me, so that the girl could sleep in. She's fairly mindful when her parents aren't around. But like most two-year-olds, she has to push the limits, and refuses to eat. Every door gets opened, every drawer is pulled out. Her feet go inside the refrigerator before I can get to her. So we have new rules, including "No feet inside the refrigerator!" (She has to stand on a shelf to look higher up.) I have to force her to take a nap. She resists, but within 2 minutes she's out. So I just have to ignore the fake crying and the pleas of "No". We read lots of books, tell lots of stories, sing songs of all kinds, and I get to recite from memory nursery rhymes and kid poems. We walk a lot. Sometimes, weather permitting, we pull weeds or sweep (pretend sweep) the patio. We feed birds and pick up trash. Today, the weather did not cooperate. Every time we went out the sun would fade, and it would start to drizzle. While I was getting her diaper change things ready, she jumped on the bed. She hit the wall at the head with a really hard thud. We're convinced this fearless child will have a wing of some hospital named for her one day. But I distracted her, and the wailing stopped. No bumps showed up--yet. I had to miss choir practice. I admit I'm a little old for this. I have to push myself to entertain her when my head is aching, and I need a nap of my own. (Try resting with a child around.) Kids like to cook, so we made a cake mix. She got to brag and try it out when Mommy got in. It will take me a day to get back into sorts. |
| Emergency food has been in the news and the ads a lot lately. I don't know if it's just another business trend getting promotion, or a timely idea. The ones advertised are pouches to which you add water. These have a 25 year shelf life. The only prices I've looked at, are about one dollar per person per meal. There's no use buying more of that than the amount of clean drinking water you stock. But if you're only planning on a climate disaster, like flood or hurricane, why plan for 25 years? A 3 to six month supply could be turned over yearly, so that you're prepared. But where does the average person store such things? Shouldn't it be a temperature controlled environment? And what if the disaster happens, looting starts, and word gets out that your family is fully supplied for a while? You'd have to be very secretive. But how could you let a relative or neighbor child go hungry? I have heard economists say that a six week supply, including matches, candles, first aid, and paper supplies should be stocked up, in case of disaster, be it weather or governmental, until things go back to normal. That seems kind of rash, especially since these same economists say an emergency is eminent, and have been saying so for many years now. Seems kind of alarmist, if nothing's happened since they said it five years ago or more. I don't think it hurts to have a little extra. There could always be a trucker's strike, things like that. We keep coffee, since that has an extended shelf life. We keep bottled water and paper supplies just because we don't want to run out in case we have unexpected overnight company. Soft drinks don't keep. Bleach is only good for one year before losing effectiveness. Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is good for 4 years before it's opened; once opened, it has to be refrigerated. Jelly lasts a long time. So does Spam and canned beans. These emergency food places talk about "frankenfoods" which is a bad thing. I don't know what that is, but I'm going to find out. Personally, I don't want to tie up storage space or my funds with food supplies I might not live to use. |
| Actually, the concept of anti-aging beauty products is not logical. You cannot stop aging. It's part of life. The products only minimize the appearance of aging or draw attention away from it. However, I read recently that the way we age is only 10% DNA, and the rest is within our control. Now, by what means they determined the percentage is questionable. Maybe the number should be a little higher. I know I can look at the people in my family tree, and they tend to age in the same way despite different lifestyles. The folds in the face, the hair trends, the sagging jowls, etc., make us all start to look alike as we get up there in years. As young people, we were blonds, brunettes, straight haired, curly, thin, chubby, short, and tall. But the aging makes us resemble each other much more. We make a good case for DNA having the upper hand. But sources seem to agree that certain factors make us appear older than we need to. And those factors begin when we are young and don't care about getting older. The rules don't apply to us when we're in our teens and twenties and early thirties. As we approach 40, however, most of us start looking ahead a little more, because the present has caught up with us. We are not invincible after all. Smoking is the number one enemy. It dries out and discolors the skin and promotes unwanted hair growth. Too bad it doesn't promote hair growth on the scalp. Getting enough sleep is the second most important thing, and we even call it beauty sleep. It must not be a new concept. But when you're young, you work all day, and party half the night. Then you start a family, and you're up all day and most of the night with the kids. You get a break briefly if you space them right, but then they start driving and dating, so you're up all night again. Drinking water is good for your skin. Exercise is good for the circulation, so it keeps the skin more resilient. Being sedentary doesn't just affect weight or muscle tone, but affects the skin as well. Eating healthy affects skin tone and elasticity.Skin is a major organ of the body and needs the proper nutrients. Not surprisingly, sun is our enemy from our childhood. In America the left side of our faces tend to have more age spots than the right. In Europe, the driver's side is on the other side of the car, so the age spots are more numerous on the right side of the face. Products like Olay moisturizer, have an SPF 15, but now they're telling us that's not enough. Women do not apply it evenly all over, so they now recommend 25 or even 30 SPF. When we're young, we want to tan, so we don't bother with sunscreen on the beach or the tennis courts or golf course. But we should use a sports variety with a much stronger SPF. You'll still tan, but the UV rays won't hurt as much. Unfortunately, most people don't get into sun protection until they're older. We're not so concerned about being cool. I wear a big straw hat when I'm out at the park or in my own yard. A baseball cap will do, if the visor is big enough. I burn easily so I use the sports sunscreen. But olive skin people and black people still need to use protection. They get skin cancer, too. Dark skin people can turn ashy in the sun without protection. You can get UV protected hats and clothing for vacations and hotter climates. Don't forget sunglasses.There are two kinds of UV rays; both are harmful. So when you buy sunglasses, read the labels. The darkness of the lens does not provide protection. You can actually get clear glass that is UV protected. Not only do they protect your delicate eyelids and surrounding skin, they protect against glaucoma. People are experiencing that at earlier decades now because of the thinner ozone layer. Men need to heed these same rules. They don't want to look too old too soon, either. Sunscreen or a really big hat for riding the lawn mower is a good idea. Baseball caps at games already work for them. Smoking, not sleeping, and the rest affect them the same way. As for beauty products, don't keep switching around, trying new things. Give them enough time to work. I was using one kind of cleanser in the morning and a different one at night. My face was clean, so I thought I was okay. I started using one of them night and morning, and was amazed after a week or so how different my skin felt. If you want to try something new, finish what you have first, unless you really hate it. And the products don't have to be really expensive. Some great ones exist at lower than average prices. Just stick with what you choose for at least two months; three is better. You'll never look 25 again once you've passed it. But you don't have to look older than you are. You can look as healthy and vibrant as you can at any age. |
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