Never too old for... scented memories

At my dental cleaning appointment the other day, someone in the waiting room was wearing Heaven Scent. My husband was with me because we were going to do lunch afterwards and when I told him, he was doubtful that I could recognize a scent just like that. But like many men, he underestimates the power of the nose - particularly a woman's nose.

I wore Heaven Scent when I was 15. I remember exactly because that's when I got my first official kiss. I say official because I was actually kissed for the first time when I was 14, but never told my parents, so 15 is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Just for fun, when I got home I searched online for Heaven Scent perfume to see if they still make it. They do! Heaven Scent, designed by Dana in 1936, has lasted nearly 60 years after it helped entice a boy to kiss me.

Heaven Scent is available on a web site called FragranceNet. Closer inspection of that site has revealed the availability of just about any perfume or cologne your nose can recall. For a limited time, FragranceNet will be donating to Pink for a Cure® , a national fundraiser for breast cancer research. That in itself helped me decide it was the perfect time to march right into the online store and buy some memories. It won't make me 14, er, 15, again, but it will be nice to visit my old friend Heaven Scent once again.

Do you or your companion have a scent from yesteryear you'd love to enjoy again? I'll bet you can find it here...

~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~

Never too old for...feeling sad when a celebrity dies

Right before I turned off the computer to head to bed last night, I learned that 44-year-old comedian Greg Giraldo died yesterday.

Comedy is my favorite way to de-stress from life. I know most all the comedians, going back to the days of George Carlin. Well, I don't mean I know them personally, although there's several I'd love to get together with once in a while. I mean I've watched them for years and know their particular shticks, and a bit of their personal histories. I certainly know which ones I find to be funny, which ones are funny, but dirty, and which ones are a waste of my time.

Greg Giraldo was one of my top 5 favorite funny guys - of all time.
When I learned he had died, I gasped loud enough that my little beagle/dachshund mix, who is permanently attached to my lap, raised his head to see what was going on. I also woke up my husband, who had been asleep before me for about an hour, to tell him as he's also a big Giraldo fan.

Evidently, Giraldo died in a New Jersey hospital where he had been admitted after an accidental prescription drug overdose a few days ago. There will probably be an autopsy to answer several questions. For the record, I do not believe Greg Giraldo would have harmed himself
deliberately. He was hilarious, intelligent, sexy as heck, respected by other comedians, and very successful. He was a Harvard Law School graduate and was loved by a wife and 4 children. That's not normally a life from which escape would be desired.

My husband and I will miss incorporating Greg's sarcastic musings into our everyday conversations. Not that we'll stop; it will just be a bummer to not have new material periodically. We do this cute back and forth frequently, pantomiming Giraldo's little tales and then dissolving into little puddles of laughter.

In a world that seems to value being thin or being intolerant more than being healthy and loving, the gift of laughter is an honorable legacy. It is the gift you left this middle aged couple, Greg, and we thank you. RIP.

~ Until next time, readers, don't act your age! ~

Never too old for...a new career

People of all ages are losing their jobs these days. If you, your children, or grandchildren are lucky enough to have a job not affected too harshly by the economy's ups and downs, there probably hasn't been much discussion about this topic around your place.

But if there have been pink slips, unemployment compensation checks, and the continuous submissions of resumes and applications, with call-backs being far and few between, take heart. If a particular industry isn't on top at the present time, this is a good time to find one that is.

There are several industries out there literally begging for people. Some will require a few years of formal education, something you, your child, or grandchild may already have. Some involve learning a trade, like electricians, and require a year or so of specialized training.

There are still others that only require a few months of class and practical work before a graduate can walk off to a nearly lay off-free career. And even better, there are grants and scholarships for many of these programs, lowering your or your loved one's out of pocket costs to a minimal amount.

One great example is the scholarship program offered by
Sally Beauty.

There are 7 scholarships of $1,000 available and the deadline for submission of applications is November 14, 2010. All the particulars can be found at the link above.

There are also grants and scholarships for student assistance from the federal government. Check out the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid for all the info.

Another all-over great resource, especially for women seeking assistance for education, is Women Grants & Scholarships.

~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~

Never too old for... disorganization

You would think I'd be getting more organized as I get older. In reality, I'm getting older trying to get more organized.

It used to be pretty easy. Twice a year, I'd take a whole week and dedicate 30 minutes every day to each room of the house. Going room by room, through every item, I'd make decisions. The genius of this method centered about being able to separate the items into one of four piles: 1) Items to keep due to a practical use or sentimental value; 2) Items to keep that required repair; 3) Items to give away to charity;
and 4) Items to throw away. Woosh! Before I knew it, I had a house that looked like it had been redecorated by an efficiency expert.

These days, this organization thing is taxing. It's not the number of cheese graters I own that's getting on my nerves. And I'm not one of those people who trip over piles of National Geographic issues from thirty years ago. Nope, I am just simply snowed under with - paper. During the past 20 years, we have accumulated enough paper work to wallpaper every house on our street and that's the sort of thing you can't divide into four tidy categories.

I have a shredder. Last week I moved it from the office in our house, where it wasn't seeing much action, to right beside the chair where I sit to go through the mail. I show no mercy on the various pieces of paper that make it into our mail box. I only wish I could roll that shredder around the rest of the house, dividing and conquering all four of those piles I mentioned earlier.

And then, onward and upward, also shredding the non-paper items in our house that keep the place off the pages of House and Garden.

And then, come to think of it, there are a couple of people I know...

Until next time, don't act your age.

Never too old for...nail color

The title of this blog seems obvious. But here's an actual statement found on a well-known fashion and style web site just last week: "Women of a certain age should keep their nails short and wear only light pink or clear polish."

Good thing I'm not a woman of a certain age.

Since college days, I've used my nails to rebel. I attended a religious school my first two years and got into trouble for wearing what they called, "harlot" nail polish. Actually, "Harlot Red" would be a fantastic name for a international nail polish line.

But I digress...

The powers that be at school called me to task about my red polish.

What I should have done: Removed the red polish and stayed with pale pink, as the Dean of Women suggested, for the duration of the school year, wearing what I pleased during summer break.

What I did: Bought a 6-color polish kit and got everybody's jaws flapping over my sometimes orange, sometimes green, sometimes purple, sometimes blue, and even black fingernails. Yes, there was red polish in that kit, possibly the most subdued color in the bunch, but hey, I had been told to not wear red anymore. So I didn't. The crazy thing about this was that I never heard another word about my nails after I "de-harlotted" myself.

So, what does a woman of a certain age with a certain rebellious streak that goes back a few decades do when she reads someone in 2010 say the same sort of thing she was told back in the Stone Age? The same thing I did back then.

Something outrageous.

Since I play piano, I can't wear my nails too long or they get struck in between the keys. I'm cheap about upkeep, so I'm not interested in acrylic or gel nails. Instead, I settled for something like this...




How do you like me now, Dean?

One of the great things about being "of a certain age" is that when I do something nutty, I can just smile and mumble something about, "finding my muse."

Whether you're like me and still like to experiment, or you just want nice quiet fingertips, check out the great polish colors and nail art at Sally Beauty one of my very favorite online places to shop for all that is girly.




~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~

Never too old for...playing in the rain

I played in the rain last week and I liked it.

When I was young, I loved getting wet and exploring all the ways to make it happen. Whether I was practicing my television commercial spokesperson career in the bathtub, splashing around in my blue plastic backyard pool,  or begging for 10 minutes in every motel swimming pool along our summer vacation route, I got my mermaid on frequently. I certainly went out of my way to get caught outside during summer showers.

Fortunately, I grew up, got reasonable, and shook off all my foolish ways - not!

We're never too old for the unexpected!

 About 40-some years later - this past Sunday, to be exact -  I was doing my back exercises in our pool and it started to rain. It was a hot, humid day that produced a steady rain, not the soaking or pounding kind. There was no thunder or lightening. It was the perfect kind of rainfall I would expect in heaven.

At first, the reasonable adult in me flipped out a bit and demanded I leave the pool. Then my inner little girl whined, "Hey, you're already wet and this will be fun!" The "I wanna" child in me won out and I stayed in the pool, splashing and swimming around and watching the rain dance on the water surface. I closed my eyes and let the tap, tap, tap of the rain drops hypnotize me. I leaned back and closed my eyes to allow the warm drops to sting my face. It was a magical time, just the sort of thing we're never too old to enjoy.

If you've gotten to play in the rain lately and it brought a smile to your face, tell me about it under the "Post a Comment" section below.

~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~

Never too old for... a maid

Perhaps it's the summer of my discontent, but when I turned 57 in July, I decided it was time for a maid. But I'm not talking about the traditional sort of domestic helper here.

Actually, if I weren't happily married to the sweet man snoring beside me in bed tonight as I write this, I would be interviewing for a handsome young man to stop by once a week and clean the house, the pool, the car, the dogs, the dishes, the dryer vent...

Ah, but I digress...

I have bone spurs and degenerative arthritis in my lower back, and the pain is truly excruciating at times. But I'm in good health otherwise and usually feel like I'm only about 40. I don't need a maid - yet. However, my pain is worse when I have to stand or walk for any length of time, so I do need some help. I'll cheer anything that can keep me from having to walk, walk, walk, or do a lot of bending and stretching, movements the doctors say I should avoid.

After performing lots of Internet research, I found Alice. Where has she been all my life? She tracks down our favorite brands, even some I've forgotten, and she gets them directly from the manufacturer. (Think "less mark up!") She saves us money on everything from razors to fabric softener. We don't have to waste gasoline going from store to store to catch all the sales. And no matter how big our order, we never have to pay to have it all shipped right to our back door, all of which also helps my back enormously.

Alice is a really efficient resource for men and women of all ages and I'm excited to share her with all of you. Alice will not charge you a fee, yet she'll get you the very best deals on your choice of brands, she'll remind you when it's time to reorder, and she'll track down any available coupons for the items as you order them. Check her out. I think you'll find Alice is an angel.

~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~