I dont get to have a say

Being the wife of a CEO has its draw backs. Many times you dont get to have your say even if you know the intricate details of the schemes and strategies of the board members and their staff. You have to stifle every thought and let it go even when you see trouble ahead it is not your call to advise or warn the bosses. Thats when you spend the most money. Its the only consolation. The only thing to do is enjoy the lifestyle that you are in while it lasts because it will never last. Thats the nature of of money. Enjoy it while it lasts. Hello - Nordstroms!!!

Kind Woman

How is it possible that some women can get all the way to their 50's and be so delusional about themselves? You know -the ones that masquerade as a younger version of themselves and never reach a graceful maturity. I wonder why a lot because I'm meeting more of them though the male version is easier to spot, because it has a name: Male menopause. The men become teenagers again. Sad as that is it's worse when women do it. The aging process is not as kind to us as it is to men.
"Men get better looking as they age but women just get old" is something my own mother would always say.
If a woman is fortunate enough to preserve her youthful appearance why can't her personality still show the experience of all those decades? Shouldn't that be as appealing and desirable?

I played a tournament with a lady whose entire game was spent acting like a spoiled six year old instead of the 60 year old she actually was. She looked good for sixty though.
I know another pretty lady who has more experiences than most have in a lifetime but she spends her days searching for true love based on how attracted they are to her looks!

They forget to value the wisdom that comes from their experiences and their story.
You can't stop this aging process. It twists and turns and every decade gathers years that may or may not show at all. But inside on the pages of your mind, an epic unfolds waiting to be shared.

It's never too late

Today I finally found the wool argyle sweater that I wanted for my father. When we took my parents to England ten years ago he spilled Welsh rarebit cheese on the front and after the washing it had shrunk. It really looked so good on him that whenever I think of him he's wearing that sweater so I was excited to be able to replace it.
Its the same navy colour with leather buttons and on sale too. I must confess to a serious emotional reaction when I saw it. I just knew I could find one if I was persistent.
If only he was still here to wear it. He passed away 3 years ago but now I understand why people go out and spend the money they should have after someone dies. Somehow it brings them back for a little while.
I love you dad.....

Being best friends

Over the years my best friend Jane has kept me busy learning to be nice. In fact thats all she wants on her headstone after her name and date span. "She was nice". I on the other hand have never had that description added to my name. So I pay attention when I see Jane demonstrating it and she does on a regular basis. I've never seen her belligerent to anyone or anything for that matter in the 20 years I've known her.
She can imitate her mother (from Arkansas) in a very funny way and that always makes me laugh. I request that demonstration every time we visit now that I live on the other side of the country. But she is always caring and concerned for anyone who needs it. She's consistent about it and I trust that eventually it will rub off on me.
So Jane Anne - here's to you - the nicest person I've ever known.

What are you doing in this down economy?

Excuse me for pointing this out but any student of history will tell you it repeats itself. So why do we Americans continue to try and reinvent the wheel? When this country gets lazy, obese, and zoned out on the boob tube we become wasteful,wanton, and worse we feel no shame about it.

Reuse, recycle, and restrict yourself from buying as a form of entertainment.
The economy is not any worse than my checkbook gets (on a micro scale of course) when I dip into the overage account.
When that happens I go back to basics and cook from scratch, shop at goodwill, and have a garage sale for extra cash to shop at good will. When the stuff can't be used anymore - then I take it to Good will for a tax deduction. Here's my 80 year old mother rearranging the displays for the second day of the sale. What a team player and she can still work harder than any of her children.
Besides its not and economy she hasn't seen before coming from the Great Depression Years and to her this is still the land of opportunity and the greatest country on earth. Yah!!

I can see for miles and miles

I like living in an apartment. I like Bruce - the doorman and I like the feeling of being able to come and go knowing that someone will recognize me every day. I haven't had that since I left Alaska ten years ago.
I guess I'd forgotten the importance of human contact. And I've learned that you don't have to have intense discussions with everyone, every day. Sometimes just a friendly greeting or a smile goes a long way if its consistent.
And it seems I have more time now to listen, and really hear what is being said even without a lot of words.
Tony the night doorman had to come up and check on us when the fire alarm went on this week. I was searing a small tenderloin with mushrooms and I guess it was smokier than I realized. Later that night it occurred to me that I've had more interaction with neighbors and doormen this first week than I've had all year at the old house.
I like that a lot and I'm surprised by the realization. I didn't know I needed people as much as that.
Thank you providence

Wow! for Women -Thanks Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has brought the federal government down to the people's level. She has the ability to convert the foreign language of congress into terms that small town America can understand. She is opening the secrets of the business of big government to reveal what is behind the curtain. It is NOT pretty.

Most amazing are the liberal pundits that criticize everything from her hair to her accomplishments as Alaska's governor of which they know even less. This is making me sick. The half truths out there about her work in Alaska is under more scrutiny than cancer genes in a petri dish?

It doesn't help that Alaska has always been "up there" and far removed from the lower 48. Most Americans know very little about the mineral rich state that has now contributed the most dynamic and feisty candidate in the history of politics and she has the old Washington guard and liberals running amok!!

What is it about her that is shaking up the politics as usual? When I lived in Alaska almost 24 years everyone knew every one else. The transparency with which you lived your life could be exhausting at times but it has proved to be the real training ground for this governor. That's why she seems so real.

BECAUSE she is.