What Are YOU Celebrating - Waffles, Kissing or What?

           Sometimes I wonder who comes up with the names of some of these special days we celebrate (or don’t celebrate, as may be the case.) 

            Some of the observances are things I enjoy more than just once a year – and some I’ll NEVER celebrate.

            Just this week, there are all kinds of special days.  Tuesday was National Senior Citizens’ Day.  Since I’m a senior citizen by most standards, I like this one, although I haven’t found anything to let me know exactly how to mark this special day.  As a matter of fact, I appreciate being a senior citizen every time I get a discount on something for being one!  I’ll celebrate saving some money any time.

            Friday is National Waffle Day.  I think that one has something to do with the invention of the waffle iron in the United States.  However, it seems that some of our politicians celebrate waffling every single day!

            Saturday has two observances: National Kiss and Make Up Day (now that could be interesting) and National Second-hand Wardrobe Day.  A second-hand wardrobe could contain hand-me-downs or consignment shop finds.  Either way, I’ve been enjoying such clothing for a long, long time.  And, in this economy, I think being able to find second-hand clothing and items for the home is cause for true celebration.  It also makes good sense.

 

 

 

            Sunday is Go Topless Day.  No, I’m not celebrating that one, nor do I want to be around anyone who is. 

 

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Just An Embarrassing Question

You may know the answer -- if you're female and if you're over 50-ish or so:

Just where all or how far does it grow before it's no longer a "chin" hair?







Just askin'.



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The Sofa and the Old Woman

This is the story of the sofa and the old woman. 


It happened like this: I spent several days this past week with daughter Mandy; her husband, Adam; their three-year-old, Harrison; and the almost-four-month-old Fisher a/k/a The Fish.

Early in the week Mandy called to let me know that she and The Fish were sick and she had no energy.  As most reasonable folks know, a mother of an infant and an active three-year-old must have energy.  Mandy said she needed my help, so I drove to Murrells Inlet to help as I could.

And it was during these few days that I learned a new indicator of "old age." 

There's a sofa in the room with the TV, the official "hang-out" room at their house.  And there's one spot on the sofa that I occupy when I'm feeding The Fish, or reading, or checking e-mail - well, you get the picture.  It's just the point to which I gravitate. 

One night the family decided to play a joke on me.  They put a "whoopee cushion" under my usual spot -- the place on the sofa  that I seemed to claim as mine for giving The Fish his bottle or for whatever I'm doing. 

So, I - the innocent victim of the prank - plopped down on that spot on the sofa.  And, yes, there was one of those awful sounds as I crushed the whoopee cushion.

And that's when I learned what old age really is.  They all laughed.  I didn't know there was a whoopee cushion there.  It was just a typical sound for me, one that I seem to make all too often -- without the aid of a cushion.

And, my friend, if you don't understand what I'm saying, just wait.  You will.  When you're this age -- old -- you'll understand -- totally!


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The Solution to the Country's Budget Crisis

Want to solve the country's budget crisis? 

There's a relatively simple solution

that won't adversely effect the farmer and agriculture

and grocery prices

without increasing prices in stores, at the gas pumps & elsewhere

without jeopardizing health care

without sacrificing our military's pay & benefits

without cutting benefits to senior citizens

without making it more costly to die, i.e. estate taxes & such?



The solution????

Furlough Congress!

Two months?  Six months?

Whatever it takes!

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Oops! Things I Had Forgotten

Last week, I quickly remembered some things I had forgotten.


I was in Murrells Inlet taking care of my two grandsons – almost three-year-old Harrison and 10-week-old Fisher. It took only a 24-hour period for me to realize why God created women in such a way as to end child-bearing years before women are my age!

One of the things I had forgotten was how important it is to go quickly when changing a boy baby’s diapers. I was sprayed twice in three minutes! Diaper-changing time is not a time to play “goo-goo-goo” with baby, at least not between diapers.

Nor is it a good time to play “goo-goo-goo” when baby is ready for his bottle. When he’s hungry, he is not in the mood to smile. Babies can be extremely goal-oriented.

I also quickly remembered that if the two children are ever sleeping at the same time, quickly do anything you need or want to do. That little block of time is when the adult showers, dresses, cooks, sleeps, returns phone calls, checks e-mail, reads Facebook, etc. Yes, everything in a short time frame.

I had also forgotten that days are spent wearing clothes infused with the aroma of “eau de spit-up.”

Through Harrison, I realized (again) that toddlers repeat what they hear. I’m still holding my breath on this one.

He also reminded me that little boys have an unending supply of energy, enthusiasm and inquisitiveness – and that grandmas don’t.

Harrison made me think about the various names grandparents are called. New grandparents often wonder what they will be called: Nana, Granny, Pops, Poppa or whatever. Harrison calls me “Puff,” but last week he often used “Puffy.”

No, neither name is very flattering, but it doesn’t matter. Every time Harrison says my name, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have two healthy and wonderful grandsons.

Smelling of “eau de spit-up” is an aroma of love. I’m happy to wear it any time.

 
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Something I Never Leave Home Without!

First, if you’re reading this and you’re a man or a young woman, you won’t understand today’s post.


Oh, sure, you’re welcome to go ahead and read it but you won’t be able to identify with it.

This is about something I’ve learned to keep with me at all times. I’ve got one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, one in my car, one in my pocketbook - even one permanently packed in my suitcase.

And it’s all because I’m beginning to look more and more like my dad.

What is this can’t-do-without object?  It’s a pair of tweezers.

Yep, you read that right: tweezers.

The tweezers are necessary because of those irritating, embarrassing, fast-growing appendages called stray chin hairs!

Did I mention fast-growing? I mean these things crop up out of nowhere. Early in the morning, there’s no sign of a single hair. Then by midday, there may be two or three that seem to be an inch or more in length. They grow as quickly as Pinocchio’s nose – and I don’t even have to lie to cause them.

And did I mention that they stray? Actually they stray considerably enough so that calling all of them “chin hairs” is a something of a misnomer. They actually materialize along the chin and on the neck and throat areas.

Just like Dad had and just like on most men. Facial hair growth is often considered a sign of masculinity and virility, two traits that are not on the wish lists for most women.

So, that’s why I never leave home without tweezers.

Baring It All: This is a Serious Post

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You can’t tell it from the picture, but this is a serious post.


Marriage isn’t easy. It’s hard work.

Second or subsequent marriages are even harder, especially since they usually involve combining families and possibly even adding to those families.

Certainly over the last several decades there have been thousands of books, magazine and newspaper articles, radio and TV interviews, blog posts and conferences about how to help young children adjust to step-parents, step-siblings and such.

Where, though, are the helpful hints about subsequent marriages when all of the children are grown adults?

Even in those cases, adjustments, acceptance and harmony take a lot of effort.

The Duppster and I are tying the knot three weeks from today, and acceptance from among various family members hasn’t been what  you'd call universal.

That’s why I’m writing to “bare it all.”

Between the two of us, there are seven grown children, none of whom live with us in our respective homes. They are in Ohio, Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Obviously, we are not combining families with everyone living under the same roof. And, not that I really need to say this, but here goes anyway: Dupp and I are NOT planning to add to the family!

We are both over 55, reasonably sane, and somewhat responsible. Even at our ages, we are delighted to have the approval of both of our moms.

It’s our children – not all of them – who are giving us the hardest time. There have been all kinds of questions and comments: Don’t you think you’re moving too fast? How well do you know each other? Why do you want to get married?

There was also a question about why they had received such short notice, which we answered by explaining that we tried very hard to tell as many of them as possible in person, face to face. That’s not easy when people are so spread out geographically.

One question specifically for me was “Can’t you just be alone for a while?” Well, yes, I can. I’ve been alone for a while – and some of that time was even while I was married (which can be the most alone time of all)! Besides, I wasn’t looking for someone to marry. Nor was The Duppster. We both thought we preferred to be alone but, then when we met, we both decided we wanted to be married to each other.

I’ve always tried to be very supportive of each of my children, their relationships, their pursuits, their activities. I’ve been supportive even when I haven’t agreed totally with their decisions.

Is it too much to ask for that same kind of support in return?

Have I made some mistakes in the past? Most definitely, but I certainly hope that I have learned from those mistakes.

One thing I know is that I love my children and my children love me. I believe the same is true for Dupp and his children. No one is going to come between that parent/child love.

Yet, as one or two of the grown children have questioned us, Dupp and I have not once considered postponing our marriage or making any changes. Quite the contrary, the expressed concern, controversy and questions have drawn us even closer together and made our relationship stronger.

What we want, however, is for our grown children to share in our joy and to support us. How do we explain that at our ages, it doesn’t take as long to decide whether a person is the “right one” or that, by our ages, people have learned what’s important and what to overlook?

Any advice?


Note: After writing most of the above, I learned that The Duppster's oldest daughter has posted extremely nice and warm comments on her Facebook page; she openly welcomed me to the family. That means a lot!

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WW: Why Is This Man's Photo on My Blog?

Every Wednesday in the blogging world, many bloggers participate in either Wordless Wednesday or Wordful Wednesday.  It's very difficult for me to be "wordless." 

I know, I know.  A picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words.  But I like to talk, and I like to 'splain things.

Today I'm doing more of a Wordful Wednesday than a Wordless Wednesay 'cause this picture needs some 'splaining.

Earlier this week, I mentioned both good and bad experiences with on-line dating. There were few details about those experiences, which spanned almost two decades, off and on.


One thing that always turned me off was the profile information that sounded trite or fake. Do you know how many men say they like holding hands while walking on the beach, or sitting in front of a fireplace with a special someone, or enjoying candlelight and romantic dinners? And most contend to be strong, handsome and athletic.

Those profiles are a dime a dozen.

Having grown up in a different time with far-different rules, I’ve always been hesitant to be the first to make contact with a potential date. It took a long time for me to overcome that hesitancy, but I finally did – sort of. I still proceeded with caution - if I ever made the first contact.

Not long ago, though, I came across a profile that was quite different. I wasn’t looking to date the guy but just wanted to let him know how refreshing his profile was.

There was one particular sentence that really caught my attention. This man said he liked to play golf but was only allowed on the golf course when they needed the earth moved around!!!

Here was a man with a sense of humor. This was someone who could laugh at himself. How refreshing!

And I told him so.

And then, he responded.

And now we’re getting married! Actually, not “now” but in a few weeks – on June 6th.

Did all of this happen rather quickly? Oh, yes, most definitely.

But, once you reach this age, it’s risky to put off anything you really want to do. 

Besides, at our ages, we both know what we like and what we don't like, what we should expect and what we shouldn't, what to overlook and what not to overlook. 

And this is why there’s a picture up above of Karl J. Duppstadt. I’ll be writing about him from time to time, including sharing more later this week.

So, now that you’ve been introduced to “Dupp,” come on back to find out more about him. The Duppster is a very special person, whether you need the earth moved around or not! 

One thing is certain: he moves the earth under me.


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More Wordful Wednesday participants are here.
More Wordless Wednesday participants are here.

How Did You Meet Your Toad, Er, I Mean Mate?

How did you meet your true love?

If your match-making efforts occurred decades ago, they probably weren’t through a site like eHarmony or match.com, were they?

These days, more and more people are turning to on-line opportunities to meet potential companions. This is especially true for those who are on the second-time around (or third or fourth) and for those who are, um, “older.”

People over 40 or 50 are in a quandary:

1. We’ve forgotten what it was like to date.

2. What “rules” we happen to remember no longer apply.

3. There aren’t many places to go to meet potential “candidates” of a similar age.

4. Most of us aren’t interested in playing games that many younger folks play.

5. If we wanted to play, we probably wouldn’t even know how.

6. For what reason would anyone feign innocence at such an age as ours?

7. Most places for socializing don’t even open until past our bedtimes.

Some people frown on the on-line meeting and dating process. I understand that. I’ve tried three different sites – and have met some unusual inhabitants of this planet. At least, I think they were all from this planet, although it was questionable in one or two cases.

During these adventures, I’ve had some bad experiences as well as some good ones. And, thank goodness, I’m still alive to write about them.

Initially, it’s impossible to know how truthful people are being about themselves. It’s always important to play it safe.

One woman said, “You have to kiss a lot of toads to find your prince.”

That, my friend, is usually true whether you’re looking on-line for a partner or through more traditional methods. In the meantime, just try to avoid the warts.

Too Old to Trick-or-Treat?

You know you are too old to Trick-or-Treat when:

10. You get winded from knocking on the door.

 

9. You have to have a kid chew the candy for you.

8. You ask for high fiber candy only.

7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.

6. People say: "Great Boris Karloff Mask," and you're not wearing a mask.

5. When the door opens you yell, "Trick or..." -- and can't remember the rest.

 

4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.

 

3. You have to carefully choose a costume that won't dislodge your hairpiece.

 

2. You're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.

1.  And the number one reason Seniors should not go Trick Or Treating...

*

*

*

1. You keep having to go home to pee.

No matter, have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN anyway.

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Thanks to Penni for sharing this!

Celebrate Being Old???????

It’s not so bad getting being old after all.

There are several known benefits, like senior citizens’ discounts, some starting at the age of 50! In this economy, I enjoy a discount no matter what it’s called.

It’s the unwritten plusses, though, that are the best.

See, it used to be that when I forgot something, somebody would ask accusatory questions: “How in the world could you forget about that?” “Why would you let that slip your mind?” “Wasn’t that important enough for you to remember?”

Now, my forgetfulness is forgiven dismissed because of my senior status.

Being older old gets a person out of lot of work opportunities. Project leaders and committee chairs don’t expect as much out of or from older folks. Those in their 20s, 30s and even 40s are expected to pick up the slack when work needs to be done. Older volunteers are warmly welcomed and appreciated, but don’t have to feel guilty for not seizing every opportunity to help out.

Having senior status explains a lot of behavior – for men and for women. “Look at that crazy old driver – changing lanes without using a blinker!” “Did you see what he was wearing? Poor ol’ thing can’t see well enough to match his clothes!” “Do you think she knows she has her housecoat on in the grocery store?” (I stand in the shower, soaking wet, wondering if I just got in or if I was getting out.)

And being old means you don’t have to prove everything. For example, suppose I’m watching Michael Phelps in competitive swimming. I can say, “I used to be able to do that” – and, at this age, no one will force me to prove it. Anybody listening can either believe me or chalk it up to hallucination or senility.

Today (October 1st) is International Day of Older Persons. What a good reason to celebrate!

It's Time for a Fake I.D.

I think it’s time to get a fake ID.
Yep, one of those cards – like teenagers get when they want to pretend they are 18 or 21 or some other age. My reasons are different, though.


I was at a grocery store the other day. It was a chain that I don’t shop in much any more, but I was out of town and this one was close. I couldn’t find my old “frequent buyer” card, so I went to the customer service counter to get a new one. Like most people, I wanted to save a few cents here and there on purchases.


The lady at the counter had two stacks of papers. One was the application for the card; the second was the card application for senior citizens. She glanced at me and, without speaking a word, she handed me the senior citizens’ application!

The lady could have been at least gracious enough to ask if I qualified as a senior citizen, but, no, she just took one look – one look that said, “Oh, yeah, you’re old.”


The age qualification for senior citizen status varies from place to place. Some use 55 or 60; others might use 62, 65, 70 or even as young as 50.

By this particular store’s standards, I am NOT a senior citizen. Did you see the word “not”? I am NOT a senior citizen. Okay, so I will be in two months. That does not mean I want someone to glance at me and assume that I am.


There are definite advantages to being a senior citizen. There are discounts involved at many places.

So, why in the world would I want a fake ID? After all, the reason for the card is to save money.


Well, see, if I get an ID card that indicates I’m 80 or 85, I’d show it – and hope people would say, “Oh, wow, you really look good for 85!”


Hey, you get this age, you work for compliments any way you can get ‘em!