Month: April 2019

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EVERYBODY LOVES A BABY

Most people don’t like to be in a roomful of strangers.  You know nothing about them—whether they’re hateful , rude, snobby, or unpleasant to be around.  When entering a restaurant in a new  city, we don’t feel comfortable surrounded by men and women we’ve never met.  Then, someone walks in the door with a baby , and the whole atmosphere changes.   People smile and wave.  Everybody loves a baby.

Babies bring families together
EVERYONE LOVES TO SEE A CUTE LITTLE BABY

Science has proven that the maternal instinct is wired into women’s  brains.  And it’s a good thing, because those “love” hormones get a parent though  a lot of sleepless nights.  But even if it isn’t your own child or grandchild, most people sort of melt when they see a sweet little baby.  Why is that? Psychologists say it’s because we feel safe and secure around a baby. They aren’t judging us.  If we smile at them, they often smile back.  And even if they cry, we still think they’re cute because we know it has nothing to do with us, personally.  Maybe they’re tired, or sick, or  afraid of strangers—just like we are.

They’re sweet  and appealing and uninhibited.  We love the softness of their skin and the brightness of their eyes. They remind us of our own children when they were babies, and bring back wonderful memories.

Best of all, a new baby  often brings families closer together. Family feuds and past resentments fade away at holiday gatherings  when there’s a baby in the midst.  You don’t have to force conversation or talk politics.  All you have to do is ooh and aah while a toddler takes his first steps, or holds out her arms to be held. And sometimes, relatives who have been estranged are reunited when a new baby is born.  Everybody loves a baby.

Family feuds are forgotten when a new baby arrives
A NEW BABY OFTEN BRINGS FAMILIES TOGETHER

“Pretty Baby” was a popular hit tune written in 1915.  But most of us who are alive today remember it as  crooner Dean Martin’s hit album in 1957.

PRETTY BABY

Everybody loves a baby
That’s why I’m in love with you
Pretty baby, pretty baby
And I’d like to be your sister
Brother, dad and mother too
Pretty baby, pretty baby

Won’t you come and let me
Rock you in my cradle of love?
And we’ll cuddle all the time
Oh, I want a lovin’, baby
And it might as well be you
Pretty baby of mine

Everybody loves a baby
That’s why I’m in love with you
Pretty baby, pretty baby

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6 FAVORITE CREATURE COMFORTS

Some of the things that make life enjoyable  don’t require much material wealth.  These are simple pleasures you can enjoy whether you live in a beachfront mansion or in a small apartment building. Here are my 6 favorite creature comforts.

#1. Comfortable bed.  No matter how your day has gone, or whether you’re coming down with a cold, the most welcome thing you can look forward to is a good night’s sleep.  If your mattress is hard, soft, or lumpy, watch for mattress sales.  This is the best investment you will make in terms of your own well being.

#2. Warm bath or  hot shower.  Nothing is more soothing than a long soak in a warm bath.  People don’t take baths so much anymore, but if you have a tub and the time, one of the most pleasurable things you can do Is sprinkle some bath salts in your bathwater, lay back, close your eyes, and bask in the solace of water.    Showers aren’t quite as relaxing, but they are refreshing and invigorating.  Who doesn’t feel good when they step out of the shower?

mANY CREATURE COMFORTS MAKE LIFE ENJOYABLE EVEN IF YOU AREN'T WEALTHY
YOU NEEDN’T BE RICH TO ENJOY THE COMFORT OF A WARM BATH OR HOT SHOWER

#3. Morning coffee.  We load up our coffee maker each night before bedtime, so that a press of a button makes hot coffee available in minutes.  Some people don’t like coffee, but maybe a cup of tea or hot chocolate?  Sit down for a moment and sip a warm beverage while  gathering strength to face the day.

#4. Sunlight on your face.  This is more difficult in winter, but now that spring is here, try to find 15 minutes to lift your face to the sky and bask in the warmth of the sun.  Doctors tell us that it’s good for our health to spend a little bit of time in the sun each day.  They don’t recommend more time than  a quarter or an hour in the sunlight unless you’re using a very strong (50) sunscreen.

#5 Fragrance of  flowers.  Besides enjoying the sheer beauty of all the flowering trees and shrubs, stop and smell the lilacs , hyacinths,  and all the other fragrant flowers and bushes.  If you don’t have your own garden,  you can always go to a park or step inside a florist shop.

#6. Curling up with a good book.   Never has it been easier to find a good book to read. If you don’t like downloading e books, go to the library and check out the latest best sellers for free!

Those are my favorite creature comforts, but you can probably add more to the list.  The next time you’re feeling frazzled and stressed, reach out for one of these creature comforts, and enjoy life!

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THE PENDULUM SWINGS IN POLITICS

Ever notice how a person’s second marriage is radically different from the first?  After a divorce,  people often marry someone totally unlike their original spouse.  A man married to a socialite may choose a waitress the second time around.  A woman may choose a  modest gentleman  over her boisterous first spouse,  I think the same thing could happen with elected officials.  After Nixon resigned, his VP Gerald Ford got beaten by the pious, soft spoken Jimmy Carter.   Nixon’s deceptive practices  made  voters  turn to someone they thought  could trust.  Four years later, they decided they didn’t want a  small town Sunday school teacher, after all, and elected  Ronald Reagan, a divorced movie star from California. The pendulum swings in politics.

Voters wanted a change in the last election
VOTERS WANTED SOMEONE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN OBAMA

Is that what’s happening now? Obama’s popularity as president was based partly on his refined, scholarly demeanor.  He was a literate, elegant man who published beautifully written books.  Obama wasn’t an experienced candidate, but he had class.  Then, the public turned on his chosen successor, Hillary Clinton, and elected a brash, egotistical womanizer from New York City who never held a political office and brags that he never reads a book.

People often vote in a man who is entirely different from the incumbent
Pete Buttigieg is a gay intellectual who offers voters a complete contrast to Trump

Now ,  a rising star in the Democratic politics  is a soft spoken, gay intellectual  with a hard to pronounce name  who is the mayor of a small mid  western town.  Whether  Pete Buttigeig wins the nomination or not, it looks like the voters are looking for someone in total contrast to Trump.

We aren’t always satisfied with our choices. Second marriages have a high divorce rate. Is it wise to go from one extreme to the other?  And should people vote for a candidate simply because that person  is entirely different from the incumbent? I’m not sure, but I’m thinking it’s just human nature

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SHAVED HEAD, GELLED HAIR? NO THANKS.

I know I’m going to sound like an old lady, but here goes.  On a news discussion program that we watched the other night , the  representative of one political party may have made some valid comments. But I can’t remember a word he said,  because I was too distracted by his hair style.  Shaved head, gelled hair? No thanks.

A news reporter with "regular" hair gains my respect more than one with a strange hairdo
NEWS REPORTERS WHO WEAR STRANGE HAIRDOS AREN’T TAKEN SERIOUSLY

A man  from the opposing political party also sported  gelled hair, spiked up in sort of a dome.  This wasn’t quite as arresting as the shaved head guy, but It make you wonder what they have against what we used to call “regular.” haircuts.

I can’t take a person with a shaved head on one side, and gelled hair on the other side,  as seriously as I take someone who looks like what my generation would call “normal.”

I can remember  the evolution of many men’s hair style fashions. After World War II, the GI’s came back with  burr cuts and for a long while, that was all the rage.   Before Elvis Presley left for service, most young men were sporting a  copy cat “duck tail,” hairdo. That was pretty sexy.  For a couple of years in the late fifties, men went back to “regular,” haircuts.  And then, in the sixties,  young men started protesting the Vietnam War, and they identified themselves as hippies by their long hair and occasional beards.  More recently,  those  wishing to make a statement against the status quo wear dreadlocks, the man bun, or shave their heads completely for the bald look..

nEWSCASTERS WITH REGULAR HAIRDO'S GARNER MORE RESPECT
GELLED HAIR STRIKES SOME PEOPLE AS AN AFFECTATION

During all these  hairstyle changes throughout my lifetime, most television newscasters and journalists remained pretty staid.  They wore suits and ties, black shoes and socks, and “regular” hairstyles. While we may not have always agreed with their comments, we respected them.

David Muir on ABC Is  my favorite  evening news anchors .  Who can resist that dimpled smile and dynamic delivery?

Recently, I noticed David’s hair sticking straight up on one side, and thought maybe he had been caught in a windstorm.  But since it’s begun to look that way every night, I have to believe he’s using gel.  That’s  not too bad.  But please, David.  Don’t shave your head.

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Earth Angels Among Us

EARTH ANGELS AMONG US  was one of my most popular posts at this time last year on my other blog, EightyGo.

Since this is an important weekend for many religions,  it seems like a good time to celebrate people  who give much to others, with no thought of reward.  What makes a person so generous that you can almost see the halo around their head?

Somewhere along the way, most of us have been touched by an angel.   In this instance, I’m thinking of two inspiring women who volunteer to teach Tai Chi and Mah Jongg  several days a week at our local senior center.  They also do many small favors for those who are lonely or in need.  As far as I know, one attends church and the other doesn’t, which may or may not rule out religion as their motivating factor.  What I do know is that both of them are very strong women—nothing meek and mild about them.   They come from different socio-economic circumstances, so it seems like one’s income bracket doesn’t influence  a servant’s heart.   Perhaps there’s a generosity gene in their DNA.  All I know is that earth angels are rare, and a blessing to those of us who come under their wings.

From what I’ve read, altruistic people are great leaders with a strong sense of purpose, who were raised in warm, empathetic families.   They aren’t condescending, and treat everyone with respect and dignity.  They bring out the best in people without any signs of thinking they’re superior—even though they actually are.  They would be embarrassed to read this blog, because they don’t believe they’re doing anything great.   And yet,  it would be impossible to quantify the joy they bring to so many lives, or how many low spirits have been lifted  by their kindnesses.

Thank heaven for the angels among us.

 

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SECRET TRIUMPHS OF THE HEART

Many of us are struggling with inner demons that no one knows about.  You may be uncomfortable at social events.  You could be struggling with a slight case of depression, or an addiction to alcohol., prescription drugs, or nicotine. Your weight might be affecting your health , but you can’t stop over eating.  You limp along with these afflictions, until one day, you  face reality and decide to do something about it. You might seek counseling, or maybe just some self help books. You enroll in a support group like Weight Watchers.  And at last,  there comes a time when  you realize that your efforts at changing your life have paid off.  These are  the secret triumphs of the heart.

Seniors often struggle with inner demons that they are resigned to
YOU MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH FAILINGS OR INNER PROBLEMS NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT; ITS TIME TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK

The trouble might not  be one of spirit ,  but of body.  A sudden onset of sciatica makes walking painful.. You feel off balance at times, but you won’t submit to the indignity of using a cane.  Suddenly, you can’t hear what your grandchildren are saying.  Driving at night is scary because you see halos around the street lights..

For a while—months, maybe years–you deny these failings of your aging body.  But suddenly, you’re tired of it all, and you realize you don’t want to do  this anymore.

You make an appointment with a physical therapist, and faithfully do the prescribed exercises at home, even after your Medicare coverage runs out. You bite the bullet and buy some hearing aids. You see an eye doctor and agree to whatever surgery or treatment he recommends.   You share your fears and insecurities  with a counselor.

Instead of sinking into a chair and looking out the window, you make the decision to get your life back. You work on overcoming  these problems by whatever means it takes.   With the help of modern medicines  you can see, hear, and walk.—maybe not as well as you used to, but better than before.  You can go places and do things.  These are the secret triumphs  of the heart.

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THE MAGIC OF LIVE THEATER

Many young people never attend live theater.  It’s not surprising, when you think of all the movies and shows available on television and Netflix, 24/7.  Why waste your time getting dressed up, drive somewhere and find a parking place?  Once inside the theater, you’re stuck .  You can’t get up and go to the bathroom or grab a beer whenever you feel the urge.  But wait. When you’ve settled down, and the curtain rises, there’s  a rush of anticipation unlike anything you feel when watching a movie.  It’s the magic of live theater.

Live theatre has an immediacy you don't experience at the movies
YOU FEEL A RUSH OF ANTICIPATION, WAITING FOR THE CURTAIN TO RISE

Actors appear as real people, not some two dimensional image you see on a movie screen.  If you’re up close enough, you might see one actor slightly trembling with a bit of stage fright.  You’re rooting for him, and soon he’s doing just fine.  Audience and actors are interacting.  If it’s a comedy, we hear real laughter, not the canned stuff you hear on television.  Yes, that was really funny, not just meant to be funny.

People in smaller communities don’t often see professional actors on stage. But most cities have community theater and that’s where the spirit of live theater thrives.  These are unpaid volunteers involved with acting and stagecraft just because they love it.  Sometimes, they appear a little miscast.  The romantic leads may be a bit overweight, or too something or other.  But once the story unfolds, we’re into the plot, not caring whether they look like movie stars, although some of them do.

There’s an immediacy to live theater.  You’re watching the show with a crowd of like minded people, some of them neighbors and friends.  You feel  part of the action, and identify with the actors,  forgiving them a few gaffes .

When the  show is  over, and they form a receiving line in the lobby, I get a little tongue tied.  But my husband can’t wait to speak with each actor, complimenting them on their performance, and thanking them for entertaining us.  As we drive away from the theater,  we discuss the play and decide which actor stole the show.   And when we arrive  home, we may  sit down with  a glass of wine to celebrate what a good time we’ve had.

Viva live theater!