Be Prepared !

 

Do I look like the stereotypical‘prepper’? I think not! I would like to think that reasonable minds will prevail and  Americans will come together and eschew the vitriolic rhetoric that pervades our country today.

But, I’m far less confident that our better angels will prevail in today’s environment. Everyone and everything seems to be politicized. There seems to be no moral consensus. There is too much us or them! Why? Why can’t the citizens of this country come together to celebrate our similarities rather than our differences? 

I was raised in a family that taught me and my siblings that we are all entitled to the same rights, the same opportunities, the same rules of law, the same freedoms no matter our race, creed, color, country of origin, disability, socioeconomic level, religion, place of birth, or sex. 

The divisiveness today boggles my mind. I as taught to accept every individual as that person was whatever the color, size, religion, country of origin, differences, beliefs, level of wealth, where one lived.’ I grew up on the ‘wrong ‘side of town. My dad grew up poor on a farm in southern Indiana. My mom was the daughter of a plumber. My parents were teachers. We had enough, but not more than enough. My parents sacrificed to give us opportunities. 

My siblings and I grasp those opportunities and have lived extraordinary lives considering where we began. We’ve achieved relative success. We’ve been blessed. We worked hard, made good & bad decisions, used the tools we earned, overcame adversity, experienced highs and lows, crawled out of the depths of despair, regrouped and tried again, and thanked the Universe and the God of our understanding for our blessings.

That is the American way. We do not blame. We do not burn cities. We do not cast aspersions. We do not succumb to self pity. We do not exploit our fellow citizens. We do not use excuses for our shortcomings. We do not blame others for situations over which we have control.

Live The Serenity Prayer! 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

THIS is the path to happiness and success. 

Memories of Easter When I Was a Child

 

Easter was a solemn holiday during my formative years. We were raised in the Catholic Church. Well, we lived across the street from the Catholic Church, Catholic School, the rectory and the convent where the nuns lived. There was no escaping the holy days of obligation, not to mention the required services of Holy Week. 

Rebellion was not an option. Ash Wednesday; sacrifice during Lent; meatless Fridays; the Way of the Cross; Holy Thursday; the rosary; Good Friday; Holy Saturday and the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter morning. It was a 6 week period of penitence, never ending religious services, and the ultimate endgame of Easter morning with an Easter egg hunt followed by ham, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, blueberry muffins and, an overdose of milk chocolate. 

Mom also ensured we had brand new Easter outfits. She generally sewed my sister and I new dresses and matching coats. Easter bonnets were required in the days preceding Vatican 2. 

After church my parents hosted Easter dinner after the requisite whiskey sours and lively conversation. Generally, a few elderly aunts with dementia held court talking about fantasy days of your. Uncle Mart had to be sprung from the drunk tank. Aunt Kate ground her cigarette ashes into the linoleum. My mother’s sister had a newspaper under her chair to catch the crumbs she routine dropped on the floor. Grandpa drowned his cigarette buts into his beer bottle that my brother sipped nonetheless. We thought it was

The years have flown by. People we’ve loved have left us. Time have changed. We have changed. But the precious memories of days gone by remain. If only I’d known what I know now. I never imagined how time would wound, take away my loved ones, create holes in my heart, change me, alter my view of the world, expunge my faith, shatter my psyche, steal my optimism, direct me to a path fraught with sadness, insecurity, instability, disappointment, discomfort and lack of direction. Part of me longs for those days of my innocent childhood when family dinners and Easter egg hunts surrounded by family and loved ones made life feel joyful and never ending. Damn! Adukting sucks !

The Bittersweet Days

 

This is a picture of me with my husband, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law at Thanksgiving last year. In such a short time my FIL went from a man who could still drive, live by himself, do his own shopping, and converse with all of us. 

Just since the new year, he’s deteriorated quickly. My husband is bereft. I am heartbroken. When my mother passed away just before New Year’s Day 2017, it was my FIL that let my sob on his shoulder, even though he found it uncomfortable.

This time of life is so bittersweet. Facing what is, is sometimes just too much. 

It Is Time for No Labels !

 

Apparently the die is cast and the two major political parties will select the least likable candidates in modern history to represent their platforms in the 2024 presidential election. It is time for No Labels to enter a candidate into the race. I will not vote for Trump or Biden. Many moderates have told me the same thing. They would rather cast a protest vote for RFK, Jr. or any other third party candidate than hold their noses and vote for the lesser of two abominations yet another time.

Trump won in 2016 because people voted against Hillary Clinton. Biden won in 2020 because he wasn’t Trump. After 8 years of divisiveness, many of us cannot support the worst of the worst who have embarrassed us on the world stage and further polarized the electorate. 

Trump’s denigrating comments about Haley have further alienated her constituency. He can’t win. Biden is a doddering cadaver being propped up by his handlers and wheeled out for scripted events he can’t navigate. 

It is time for bold moves. Remember, the Whig party had its brief moment in the sun.

Super Tuesday Voters - Please Do Not Saddle the USA with another Biden v Trump!

 

Dear Citizens of America, 

Where have you been at the recent caucuses and primaries? Where are the people who are horrified at the possibility that Donald Trump & Joe Biden will be the candidates for President in 2024? Neither is fit intellectually, morally, cognitively, or politically to represent the United States  of America on the national or international stage. 

Is everyone so gullible to believe the propaganda spewed by the sycophants that support either candidate that one can’t see the damage both aged, egoistic, fiscally unsound, narcissistic damage these two men have done to this great country! 

Stop the madness! Tell both wanna be emperors they have no clothes! Stop pandering. It is my fervent wish that neither Trump nor Biden will be on the ballot in November. Like many moderates, I will not vote for either. I haven’t missed voting in a presidential election since 1980- even when I was living in Asia. But in 2024, unless both parties come to grips with the shadow puppets and convince both Trump and Biden to step down, for the good of the country, I will be a conscientious objector and vote for a third party candidate. If enough citizens who loathe the concept of another term with either miscreant do the same thing, perhaps the dueling houses of cards with collapse. 

What Do YOU Want To Wear In 2024?

 

A little over a year ago I began my journey with Lani & Kyle with Real Life Style. They helped me curate my wardrobe, initially by convincing me to remove 17 bags of clothes, shoes & handbags that did not fit the person I am today or how I want to present myself to the world. 

After working in the insurance industry for 40 years, I’ve earned the right to dress as a successful woman. Lani & Kyle gave me tools to live my next stage in life looking fabulous, despite the undeniable fact that I will soon be eligible for Medicare! 

I’ve spent the past year upping my game with regard to fashion. I’m focusing on more fashion forward basics, elevated casual wear, quality jackets that fit beautifully, classic profiles with a twist, more structure, with a focus on fit and how I feel when I get dressed- even to work from home.

Based on the recommendations of my Real Life Style counselors, I’m loving jackets from Veronica Beard, elevated casual clothes from MM LaFleur, selection from Rag & Bone, handbags from Lo & Son or M.Gemi, costume Jewelry from Julie Vos, and dresses from Johnny Was, and vintage silk scarves. 

My new style gives me a feeling of invincibility, an aura of authority, and a feeling of authenticity and confidence. 

This is what I plan to wear in 2024.