Ready for Tomorrow's Protest Rally

Gone but never forgotten. May your soul rest in peace.

 

Needle and Thread

I’m rather new to Facebook Marketplace, but in the last year or so I have managed to sell a few inexpensive items. This past November I listed a lot of special Christmas Tree ornaments. They were all purchased in the 80’s, when I celebrated the holidays with a tree and my main hobby was quilting.

After I posted the listing, a lovely gal traveled the distance – about 15 miles – to view my 11-piece sewing themed ornament collection. She told me that growing up as the youngest of 8 children, her wardrobe consisted mainly of hand-me-downs. Since most of the clothes needed minor repairs, her mother stitched them together with thread and love.

When she saw my ad, she immediately knew that to honor her mother she would make a small sewing themed Christmas tree. As she shared her story she choked up and found it difficult to talk. I must admit I too felt teary eyed. My darling ornaments went from one loving home to another. A Christmas miracle.

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What's In Your Bag?

Nothing says 1950’s like cherries. I love the retro cherry theme and own a cherry skirt plus two cherry sweaters. For years I had been searching for a cherry purse to add to my wardrobe, and last month when I saw the one pictured above for $8.50, it was a done deal. This is a cheap copy of the very expensive Coach cherry bag, but to me it’s priceless.

On YouTube/TikTok there is an ongoing trend where gals open their purse and share what’s inside. I have watched over 2 dozen videos and am constantly amazed at the contents of these purses. Some of my favorite unusual purse items include: paper toilet seat covers and paper soap, a portable fan, miniature bottles of booze and eye masks for naps on the subway.

I think the inventor of "What's In My Bag" was Hillary Clinton. During her campaign she carried a bottle of Hot Sauce with her at all times. I, on the other hand, carry just 5 items. All rather boring. I think I need to start carrying a tiny bottle of spice!

 

Black Lives Do Matter

I grew up in an all-white neighborhood where I attended an all-white elementary school. Back then I only knew one black person, Rose, our maid who worked for us twice a week. One day to clean and one day to do laundry. She would iron downstairs in our knotty pine walled basement, and I always looked forward to laundry day. I can close my eyes and smell the steamy aroma coming from hot iron on freshly washed clothes; hear the beat of gospel music on the radio and feel the joy I felt when I was with her. 70+ years later I may not remember her face, but I still remember how she made me feel. Loved.

When I was perhaps 6 or 7, my family drove from New Jersey to Miami Beach, FL for a special Easter vacation. The one memory of that trip that is seared in my brain took place at a restaurant stop in North Carolina. I needed to use the restroom, so I raced to the lady’s room. My mother, by my side, literally grabbed me by the shoulders and held me back. She bent down to my level and in a whisper pointed to the sign above the door that read COLORED ONLY. She then led me to the WHITE ONLY lady’s room and tried to explain why I wasn’t allowed to use the COLORED ONLY bathroom. As a child I couldn’t understand and as an adult I still can’t understand. At home we shared a bathroom with Rose, so why couldn’t we share one in this restaurant?  

This blog post makes me angry and very sad. It’s now 2026 and although things have improved, racism still exists.  

 

Is 79 Elderly?

A few months ago, while checking out at our local Trader Joe’s I noticed the gal in front of me. What got my attention were her fabulous nails polished a bright blue.

Immediately, I had a bright blue memory from about 40 years ago. I was at the Laurel Canyon Ice rink where Casey was taking her first ice skating lessons. Moms would huddle together in the chilly bleachers and chat while our darling daughters and sons learned to move around the rink without falling. One day a mom showed up with a bright blue streak on her rather unkempt brunette locks. When I asked her why the blue hair, she shared that she did it to break out of mom-mode.

After I left Trader Joe’s I knew I needed to break out of my elderly-woman mode. No to blue hair, but I set a goal to paint my nails outrageous colors. I am currently wearing retro blue/green nail polish and am smiling. 

 

My Mother Taught Me To Dream

Today is my mother’s birthday. She was a remarkable woman. Not a typical housewife, she had always wanted to be a doctor but never made it to medical school. I have a thousand memories of her, but in honor of her birthday, I want to share a favorite. I must have been 6 or 7 and it was summertime in New Jersey. We were outside while I ran around the backyard trying to catch fireflies. My mother told me to look up at the first star of the evening. She then repeated the “first star” poem and we both made a wish. I have no idea what I wished for, but even today, after 70+ years I still make wishes on the first star I see. I hope her wish came true.

 

Report Card

The last day of the yearly quarter - March 31st - means that it’s time to evaluate my 2025 goals. Overall, I’ve had a good three months, and I am proud to report that I am giving myself an A minus for New Menu Meal! My Irish Cream Bundt Cake was absolutely divine. As a bonus meal, using lemons from our backyard tree, I made my first ever batch of Lemon Scones. They were delicious, but unlike the bundt cake, the scones weren’t picture perfect. Hence the A minus instead of an A plus.