Who's behind the Turtleneck?

I have a turtle neck and, because I live in Florida where Fall means it’s 85 degrees outside instead of 90, l can’t wear a turtleneck to cover it up. I see commercials all the time for plastic surgery which I would never do, or would I?
When I look in the mirror or see photos of myself it’s always a shocker because I don’t feel my age.
Recently, I had an especially rude awakening when I got my new passport. My old picture was taken in 1995, 15 years ago.
I made the mistake of looking at the two pictures side by side and saw all 15 years written on my face.
I saw the gray hair from my divorce, the worry lines from my kids’ teenage years, the wrinkles caused by extreme anxiety when they got driver’s licenses; there was the skeptical glare and twitch in one eye from dating again. The nail-biting decision to buy a place on my own left me looking pale and tense. The fatigue from opening a business and running it while working full-time created drooping lines. Sleepless nights and gritting my teeth made my smile tremulous at best when I lost my job and closed my business within months of each other and the skepticism and insecurity rumpled my skin when I started job-hunting for the first time in 30 years.
Yes, my face was a road map of where I had been.
I thought about wearing my headbands upside down to help the sagging but that would be kind of obvious and not easily explained and the turtlenecks were out so, maybe scarves? Plastic surgery would not change who I am. Dieting and exercise helped me feel better about myself and I came to grips with who I am now and not the woman in the photo 15 years ago.
Those 15 years passed by, but I lived every one of them! Yes it might show on my face but, you can also see the wrinkles of satisfaction from raising two amazing children, the creases around my eyes from smiling and laughing whenever I am with them, the peaceful contentment of having a husband who supports and loves me no matter what, and the smirk of amusement that life tried to beat me down and I’m still kicking. So I'll keep covering those gray hairs every three weeks and with this new passport maybe I can add a squint from peering into the distance toward my next great adventure... 

Banana Bread-the comeback story

Now that my daughter is married and my son is almost 20 I understand empty nest syndrome. They don't really need much from me anymore.
This is not a pity party, just a statement of fact and I'm ecstatic they can take care of themselves. Isn't that the eventual goal of all good parenting, to have your child be able to stand on their own?
Even while they were growing up, so was I, and it makes me very proud to look at them now as adults and see how wonderful they turned out.
Everyone knows kids don't come with handbooks but if you are paying attention, you begin writing your own.  It starts out as umm, "note to self" and then it becomes a novel, your bible, and eventually, your scrapbook of memories. 
I'm still creating memories but now it's hard to find time in our busy lives to get together as much as I like.  Having discovered that food is the one draw that continues to pay off I use that knowledge to my full advantage whenever possible. 
I tease my son about his dinner radar.  He seems to appear, sometimes without warning, exactly when dinner is ready. There are days when I can text him with one word: dinner? And, just like that, the trap is baited.  It's wonderful to sit and have him fill me in on the details of his day and really get to just enjoy his company.
My daughter is a little harder to bribe with food. She doesn't trust me because I cook like a Southerner. My favorite recipes come from Paula Deen's  cookbook, including one for Banana Bread.

It used to be one of my daughter's favorites too until she found out the recipe called for shortening, she refused to eat it anymore because she said it had lard in it. Just for the record, I used vegetable shortening and Crisco claims it's 50% less saturated fat than butter and Kosher for Passover.
Turns out my son-in-law loves the stuff! Not the lard, the Banana Bread.
When my daughter was saving for "The Wedding", I offered to cook dinner to help stretch their budget.  A couple nights a week she would come by with her then fiancé, now my favorite son-in-law, for dinner.  They were really appreciative and thought I was doing them a favor but in fact it was just part of my master plan.
I love those dinners and learned the key to my son-in-law's heart was also through his stomach. One night we were talking about some favorite childhood foods and when banana bread came up I offered to make some. My son-in-law became a fan and my campaign to lure my kids home with food continued.  As soon as I put a batch in the oven, I send him a text: "Banana Bread" and he appears, sometimes without warning, to pick it up.
Even though it's not the same thing as being needed, it's nice to make them happy.  And, it may be a peculiar trait but, feeding them makes me happy.

I've made adjustments to the original recipe to make it a little healthier after all I don't want to fatten up my son-in law-he's always watching his figure!

Sweetly Said Banana Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¾ c raw sugar

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Large bananas-mashed

1/3 cup Voskos Vanilla Bean Yogurt
2 eggs-beaten

1 tablespoon of apple butter

Directions:

Beat sugar and applesauce together.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients slowly into the sugar and applesauce.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Pour into pan.*

Bake @ 350 until top springs back when touched lightly and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 *You can use muffin pans, loaf pans or any other size just adjust your baking time

I think my face is frozen into a smile!

Because I just had a front row seat to the most amazing wedding ever!

What's Next?

My daughter is getting married in 2 days!
Jessica has been planning this special day for a year and now that it's so close it seems completely surreal.  It feels like it's happening quickly but in slow motion at the same time. 
Yesterday we went to pick up my son Joshua's tuxedo. I watched him trying it on and wondered to myself, how can my little baby boy be standing there all grown up in a tuxedo with his sister fixing his tie?  Then Jessica turns to me and says, "I'm going to see if my dress is ready so I can pick it up today instead of coming back tomorrow." 

The next thing I know we're walking out with THE Dress and his tuxedo. Then my kids get in the car and drive off to lunch together, very casual, as if  last 27 years didn't just flash through my head like a reel of 8mm film. I remember when Jessica would sit in front of the TV watching Barney with Josh in her lap.

How did we get from there to here?

When you're raising your family and just trying to make it through each day sometimes you forget to treasure the special moments, then all of a sudden, you realize every moment is special. I am grateful and thankful, I have the most amazing children in the world and, I can't wait to add one more!

My Mother the Diplomat

My sister-in-law and I both made carrot cake for dessert this Easter. Mom was supposed to coordinate the menu and failed to update us that we both were bringing dessert and the same kind. Oops! 

When we discovered this, instead of letting everyone just enjoy their dessert, I made it into a competition and tried to throw Mom under the bus by having her choose which cake was the best. (I am the youngest child, I have issues ok.)

She promptly walked away muttering,"I don't want dessert."

My Mother the Diplomat

Happy Mother's Day and a very Happy Birthday to the Best Mother in the world! 

"The" Carrot Cake

Sift together 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tsp cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix together 2 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 cups oil, 4 large eggs, 2 cups (1lb) of shredded carrots, 8oz can of crushed pineapple-drained, 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.

Butter and flour two round cake pans. Pour batter evenly into both pans.

Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Cool 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the pans before removing the cake.

Allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese frosting

Mix 8oz of softened cream cheese with 1 stick of softened unsalted butter.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and slowly mix in 1 1/3 cups of confectioners sugar until smooth consistency.

I made extra frosting and added some of the crushed pineapple for the filling between the layers.

 Thanks for this recipe Sandi. Even though Mom wouldn't eat it it turned out great!

Sweetly Said: Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.

Sweetly Said: Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.

Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun.

Sometimes my son will try to pull back the cobwebs in my brain with a childhood memory. He'll describe it in great length and include all sorts of detail but rarely will I remember it the way he wants me too. Mostly I remember him laughing all the time, being full of questions, excitement, and enthusiasm. I remember he was entertained by the silliest things like making parachutes with dental floss and plastic grocery bags or getting one of those toys from McDonalds. 

I remember him being afraid of the dark and sleeping on a pallet on the floor in my room, and now he wants to chase bad guys in the dark. I remember his big sister timing everything he did just to keep him busy. I remember he liked to help me cook and I helped him “invent” new recipes. I remember the day he learned Santa had the same hand-writing as me. I remember him being the fastest runner in his elementary school but having stomachaches because he didn’t want to go there.  I remember the day he graduated from high school and even he was proud. I remember he always wanted a go-cart and now, he has a motorcycle.

I don't remember the things he remembers because I love him so much my heart overflows and makes my memories blur together.  And, even though he's almost 20, I still bring him toys from McDonalds because I don't want to let go of the little boy I remember.

Carry On, until I return...

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AFTER 50-really?

I came across this article on losing weight after 50 and, since I just turned 50 and my goal is to be Fifty and Fabulous, instead of  Big Fat Fifty, I thought it it might be useful information.

Here are the highlights:

#1-Get plenty of sleep. Turn off the television earlier and get to bed at the same time most nights to take advantage of the benefits that sleep can provide.

   First mistake, I'm reading this at Midnight because I stayed up late to watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion-part 2, make room on the scale.

#2-Schedule some time each day, even if it's fifteen or twenty minutes, to walk or jog. Cardiovascular exercise increases lung capacity and strengthens the heart. Use it as a relaxation tool as your body reaps the benefits of the endorphins released in your brain from the exercise.

   I walk my beagles every day for more than 20 minutes and not only is it not relaxing but the only lung capacity that's increasing is the crazy hounds you can hear them howling at the squirrels from blocks away.

#3-Add in weight training at least 3 times weekly. Increasing your muscle mass protects your joints and helps fight the gravity that has begun to work on your body.

  This is definitely worth a try, any help I can get to fight gravity would be great because my boobs fell and they can't get up.

#4-Watch what you eat--it's a key component to rebuilding your health. A good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with vegetables. 

This one is just not going to work for me at all, I believe in filling half my plate with dessert.

#5-Check your thyroid, problems with this gland can affect your metabolic rate along with your ability to burn fat and calories. 

It could be my thyroid that keeps the weight hanging around after fifty or

it could be filling half my plate with dessert.

Which Golden Girl are you?

Dorothy
You're a strong, grounded woman and somewhat intimidating. You command the attention of your friends and loved ones and are extremely loyal to them. You have wit and wisdom and give great advice. Usually you know exactly what you want and you won’t hesitate to say what you think and feel.  Your bleeding-heart desire to help people means you have a tendency to fall for a yutz and you may have become jaded.

Blanche: "Rose, you must be confused. You come to me if you have problems with a man. You go to Dorothy if there's some grammar you need help with."
Dorothy: "You ended that sentence with a dangling preposition just to bait me!"
Blanche: "What would i do that for?"

Rose

You are a glass is always half-full woman, your perpetually positive attitude can border on gullibility. You always lend an ear or a helping hand without judgment and sometimes you are a push-over but you’re no dummy, you just want everyone to be as happy as you are. When it comes to love you’re all in and a one true love kind of girl.

Rose: "Dorothy, you're the smart one, and blanche, you're the sexy one, and sophia, you're the old one, and i'm the nice one. Everybody always likes me."
Sophia: "The old one isn't so crazy about you."

Blanche

Life of the party and belle of the ball, you’re a blast to be with and you take life as it comes. You're always available to give fashion or sex advice. Some think you come across as vain, selfish and a little flaky but who cares when you’re so damn good-looking?  You don't hesitate to date just about anyone, but it usually doesn't last for long…you're a man-eater.

Blanche: “There is a fine line between having a good time and being a wanton slut. I know. My toe has been on that line.”

Sophia

You have no patience for stupid people. You're not mean or judgmental per se, just brutally honest and unapologetic when it comes to sharing your opinions. Your friends and loved ones seek out your advice and count on you to tell them the truth, but can end up wishing you would shut up. There is a heart of gold underneath when those close to you finally crack your prickly exterior.

 Sophia:  “Picture it... Sicily…”

I'd have to say I'm a little bit of them all!