RIP Ozzy

July 23, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 18 Comments

I responded to this WordPress Daily Prompt almost two years ago by interviewing my husband about Jimmy Buffett, who had just died at age 76:

Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.

Here’s that post:

An American Reacts to the Death of Jimmy Buffett

Welp, yesterday we learned that Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the exact same age as Jimmy Buffett—76. So, I decided to ask my “Generation Jones” husband (age 63) the same questions about Ozzy that I had asked him about Jimmy Buffett two years ago.

Question: You heard the news that Ozzy Osbourne has died at age 76. How did it make you feel?

Answer: Surprised. I didn’t know he had Parkinson’s and I had heard about the farewell concert two weeks ago (which was billed as the last time Black Sabbath would ever play together).

Question: What were your overall feelings about Ozzy?

Answer: I really liked Black Sabbath, but only with Ozzy. Together they were great. (Didn’t really like Ozzy on his own or Black Sabbath without Ozzy.) Iconic sounds. Ozzy’s voice and Tony Iommi’s guitar…there was nothing else like it at the time (early 70s). First started listening to Black Sabbath in junior high school.

(Tells me the whole story about how Tony Iommi’s fingers were severed in an industrial accident, which forced him to play the guitar an octave lower and make that incredible sound.)

We then listened to a couple of his favorite early 70s Black Sabbath songs: “Sweet Leaf” “Into the Void” “NIB”

He says that their 1978 album “Never Say Die” was the last album of theirs that he liked.

Question: What made him a cultural icon?

Answer: The Black Sabbath/Ozzy sound. They were the first ones. The low guitar, the slow riffs, Ozzie’s Voice. Influenced everything that came after.

As an illustration of how truly different and awesome their sound was at the time, we looked at the Billboard Top 100 Hits of 1971. And I really got the point. I mean…I love Carole King, The Osmonds, The BeeGees, John Denver, etc…but you can see how Black Sabbath felt like the start of something entirely new and exciting to a lot of people—boys especially.

And then came the true revelation: my husband still listens to Black Sabbath all the time—even more than Led Zeppelin—especially in the gym.

It’s his jam.

Deadlifting 485 pounds

I guess Black Sabbath makes a better soundtrack for powerlifting than say… Taylor Swift. I get it!

Question: Would you say that they were a uniquely British band?

Answer: No. They were just completely different than anything else out there.

Question: You’ve now read his obits, was anything a big surprise?

Answer: No. (Already knew the whole story of Sharon dragging Ozzy out of the gutter and resurrecting his career—way before “The Osbournes” TV show.)

Question: Did you ever know any other big fans?

Answer: We all listened to them in high school. (He has an older Boomer sister who introduced him to cooler music in the 70s. Meanwhile, I was listening to The Osmonds and the Bay City Rollers.)

Question: What do you think his legacy will be?

Answer: First answer: young people don’t listen to Ozzy anymore.

Upon research, we learned that certain subgenres of metal continue to cover Black Sabbath songs and even sound a lot like them.

RIP Ozzy.

Where have all the eyebrows gone?

July 22, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 23 Comments

I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to realize that women’s eyebrows fade away as they age.

I recently posted about feeling pretty darn good about how I looked all dressed up for the first time since turning 60. Not to rain on my own parade of self-confidence, but the one exception was my eyebrows. Where’d they go? I did use a colored gel product on them, but clearly it was not enough.

Soooo, having spent an embarrassing amount of time watching complicated eyebrow tutorials, I’ve decided this quick and easy one is the easiest to follow:

My beautiful 60+ friend Susan recommended the very cheap and readily available (at CVS) wet n wild ultimate brow retractable pencil, which I bought in Ash Brown (because ChatGPT said that was the best color for me) and I think it was a good call.

I’m not usually on here with make-up tips, but hey…if I have one, I’ll share it.😊

I don’t think I did a thing to my eyebrows in college…they were just *there*.

Summah

July 20, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 18 Comments

Boiled lobsters for sale at Woodman’s in Essex, MA

The tip jar at Woodman’s—a family-run business since *1914*

The “Italian garden” at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA (my Italian is on the far right 😉)

The property is now owned and managed by a nonprofit organization: The Trustees of Reservations

The Great House (with a wedding reception underway on the lawn)

The “rose garden” at the Crane Estate is now mostly filled with more sustainable plantings.

The Crane Estate’s salt marsh is part of the largest continuous salt marsh system north of Long Island, spanning nearly 25,000 acres across Essex County.

Everyone around here knows that the one big drawback to this part of our beautiful state is Greenhead fly season. Those little buggers love the salt marshes and their bites really hurt! I was not being bothered by the flies, but they were really going after my poor husband. Maybe they prefer 100% Italian-Americans. (I’m only 50%.) My Irish was protecting me ☘️ 😊

“Summah” is Boston for “summer.” The truth is I’ve never had much of a Boston accent and my husband has mostly lost his, but I do like to hear it when I’m away from home. There are different versions of it, based largely on socioeconomic class. In my opinion, the upper class “Kennedy” version is fading away. You rarely hear it. (Listen to JFK say “summer” at minute 6:00 of this speech.)

The middle class/blue collar version of the accent is way more common. Former Boston Mayor Mahty Walsh had a good one.

We’ve got four distinct seasons here in Massachusetts and there’s just no doubt about it…

Summah’s the best.

Perspective shift

July 18, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 9 Comments

OK, I’m starting to sense a certain outlook change now that I’m 60.

I’m sure there are lots of people out there that start wonderful new adventures at age 60, but I think, for most of us, that feeling that the path is wide open is over. That “open road” feeling you had in your 20s, 30s & 40s—that life could still potentially take you anywhere—has passed.

If you haven’t already done it, you’re probably never going to:

—move to Paris

—became a famous musician

—join the Peace Corps

—become a doctor

—become so rich you never have to worry about money

—move to the other coast

—~~buy an RV and travel the country~~ (actually, I think some people DO do that in their 60s)

—leave your spouse and run off with an old flame

—have children

—learn to cook

—get a graduate degree

—make the Olympic team

I’m not saying these things can’t happen in your sixties, but they usually don’t. Those big forks in the road are in the rearview mirror and your focus shifts to the twenty good years or so that you hopefully have left. Sadly, too many people are consumed by health and money worries in their 60s, but if you’re lucky enough to not have to worry about basic needs, you may want to return to fulfilling creative pursuits like painting or writing, or focusing on being fully present with family and friends, or traveling to your bucket list destinations.

The dreams are different now. And there are fewer of them.

My high school senior graduating class in 1983—when anything was possible

What the Actual F***

July 14, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments

I did not fully understand the MAGA/Epstein drama until last night.

From The New York Times (David French, 7/13/25):

The Epstein story mattered so much in MAGA circles because it was a key element in their indictment of America’s so-called ruling class. Trump’s appeal to the Republican base isn’t just rooted in his supporters’ extraordinary affection for the man; it’s also rooted in their almost indescribably dark view of the American government.

Why are they so keen to burn it all down? Well, if you believe your government is populated by people so depraved that they’d participate in and cover up the systematic sexual abuse of children, then you wouldn’t just want them out of office; you’d want them prosecuted, imprisoned and maybe even executed. And you’d want all the power you’d need to make that happen.

And if you believe that the ruling elites would abuse children, then they’d certainly be the kind of people who’d gin up a Russia hoax or try to steal an election in 2020. People who are that terrible are capable of anything. And if you wonder why MAGA turned on the F.B.I. and the Department of Justice, well, it’s not just about the Russia investigation or the F.B.I. search of Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago. MAGA America also believed the F.B.I. was protecting pedophiles to preserve the status quo.

Soooo, the MAGAs are mad not because Epstein’s client list might expose Trump. They’re mad because the list is being withheld and will (they think) include big name Democrats so privileged and depraved that the MAGA worldview of a “corrupt liberal elite” will be confirmed. When Trump doesn’t pursue that narrative, it undermines his role as their chosen avenger.

Honestly, this is all so warped, I feel like it’s an alternate reality.

This is 60

July 12, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 14 Comments

I got all the way dressed up for a very elegant Boston wedding and had a wonderful time.

My tan is real (from outdoor swimming) and my hair is its natural color. I’ve never done Botox or had any cosmetic surgery (not that I’m ruling it out). But, in the spirit of the many women sharing “This is 60” pics on social media, I decided to share a few here on my blog.

This is 60, with a fun “up do” by a local stylist who took me at the last minute when the humidity reached about 85%.

I’m lucky that the grey is pretty much just around my temples now. Embracing truly grey hair is going to be a challenge.

I was even feeling good about taking pics with much younger, gorgeous women.

I’m fully indulging my “Gilded Age” fantasies here. (Is anyone else watching that series on Max?) Now, if John Singer Sargent could just come back to life and paint my portrait, my fantasy would be complete.

Next size up, please

Sounds of Summer

July 2, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments

Last night felt like peak summer in New England.

First we had this.

Then this.

After the rain, the sky looked so beautiful.

I like my porch

Eye color

June 29, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments

Is anyone else stumped when they have to choose their eye color for an official document like their REAL ID/Drivers License?

Last time I chose Hazel, but I really don’t think that was right.

The Massachusetts choices are: Black, Brown, Gray, Hazel, Pink, Blue, Dichromatic, Green, Maroon, and Unknown.

Maybe Gray is the closest?

Or basic Blue?

But definitely not Hazel, right? I think I messed up picking Hazel.

It’s not a big deal, but I think this may be the type of thing that concerns me more now that I feel like our country is descending into authoritarianism. In movies, Nazis are always asking people for their papers, Are my papers in order?

Free Gift Article from the NYT

Excerpt: Belarus is a warning that democracy is fragile and that authoritarianism is not a wrecking ball but a hatchet, which slowly chips away until everything is broken beyond recognition.

America the Beautiful

June 25, 2025September 18, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 15 Comments

I just turned my house upside down looking for our “America the Beautiful” National Parks Annual Senior Pass that we bought last year to go to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. It lets people 62+ get a whole car full of people into any national park for free. (It only costs $20, if you buy it in person.)

Good news! I found our pass in my husband’s wallet, even though he checked there himself. (Senior citizens cannot be trusted in these matters!) And even better, it’s good through September 30. So, I can book a post-Labor Day trip to one of our great national parks. I basically have to, right? I can’t let that Senior Pass go to waste!

I thought about Yosemite, because it’s such a wildly popular national park, especially for international travelers, but that’s a big commitment for people from the East Coast.

So, the national park I’ve most wanted to return to for many years (I haven’t been there since 1976) and that my husband has never been to is….

Drumroll

ACADIA

In the great state of Maine.

I’m going through my Bucket List so fast you guys. I’ll be good to kick it by the time I’m 65. 😉

Food and Signs in Ireland

June 24, 2025October 23, 2025 ~ MaryG ~ 12 Comments

My parents have traveled a lot. They’ve been to many countries and seen many things. And one thing I’ve noticed is that they’ve forgotten quite a few specifics of late. I’m not blaming them (they’re pretty darn old), but I’d like to not forget as much as possible.

Typically, I take photos of signs or menus to remember where I was, but now our phones tell us exactly where each pic was taken (which is handy).

In any case, this post is mostly for me, like a diary. And possibly for my kids or grandkids who may someday wonder where exactly we went in Ireland on that trip we took back in 2025.