Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.
For Christmas 2019, my husband got me a 3-month subscription to BloomsyBox, a monthly delivery of beautiful flowers. By the end of the three months, COVID had hit and we were stuck at home, so I kept the subscription going. It was just so nice to have these gorgeous blooms to look at, especially in the winter.
Three years later, I still get these monthly deliveries. Each one is different and quite stunning. And I get excited about each one.
Here’s this month’s. Yellow is such a great color.July’s were exotic – hot and tropical June’s were really gorgeous. My birthday month.
TIP: I ordered and paid for an entire year of deliveries on Black Friday and saved hundreds of dollars.
I think I like to write mostly because it’s therapeutic. Getting some thoughts out of my head and onto “paper” helps me let them go and move on. I originally started this blog when I turned 50. Here’s a post I did then called “Why Blog?” Reading it now (8 years later), it still seems about right.
Also, I’ve always been a reader. I love fiction and memoirs. It seems that many people who really like to read also enjoy writing. The difference between me and a real writer is the discipline and dedication to craft. I’ve found some real writers here on WordPress using the “Discover” button on Jetpack. I loved this post by Jodi Lee Reifer. I’m not ready to tackle an essay like this about my own sister, but Jodi’s thoughts (so beautifully expressed) truly resonated.
The first entry: an account of my New Year’s Day, 1974
I have a screened-in porch, which I grew to appreciate during the pandemic. During those first three summers, I lugged an inflatable mattress out there because I wanted to have a comfortable place to read and smoke weed. I called it my flop bed. This year, I bought an actual chaise. It’s not quite as comfortable as the mattress, but it looks better.
Screens are key in New England due to the mosquitoes.
I like the nature sounds and tree view on my porch.
I once told a friend that, in the event of a nuclear attack on Boston, my plan was to put the kids in the minivan, hit “recirculate” on the a/c, and drive west. Surely, “recirculate” would keep the radiation out of our air supply. She laughed.
By the way, I did not enjoy the film “Oppenheimer.” It’s too long and confusing and mostly about politics. I couldn’t keep all the white guys straight. I thought it would have been better as a miniseries, with new characters rolled out each week. The blast scene was cool though. Terrifyingly cool.
I feel peace in the ocean. There’s something about floating on the waves that gives me a sense of perspective. You literally become part of the earth’s surface and know that you and your problems are but a tiny speck in a much bigger universe.
Living in New England, it can be hard to find ocean water warm enough to bring you peace. This website is good for checking ocean temperatures.
My children and me enjoying warm Rhode Island waters, August 2010
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell?
Weren’t the old “penny candy” stores great? You could go in with a buck and get a paper bag full of sugar in various forms. From rolled bubblegum cigarettes, to candy bead bracelets, giant wax lips, wafer saucers with crunchy sprinkles inside or multi-colored candy dots stuck to something resembling cash register tape, the choices were thrilling!
You could pretend many things with with your candy props – from wearing fancy jewelry or taking communion, to smoking or making out. And the adults couldn’t have cared less.
I was never one to spend time watching cat videos online. I knew people absolutely loved them and spent hours watching them, but I just scrolled right past. If someone sent one to me, I liked it, but was never tempted to re-share. I tended to focus on news, celebrities, and schadenfreude.
But I’m starting to understand why millions of people will watch a baby panda sneeze, a cat with an inner voice, or a cute snail enjoying a shower. A cute snail? The clips make you smile, or even laugh. And sometimes, they make you think of a friend or family member who might enjoy them.
When my friend Carla was dying in a faraway state, she didn’t communicate much, but occasionally she’d send an animal video. It was usually a baby giraffe, because she knew I liked giraffes. It was so moving to know she was thinking of me at that time.
So, I get it now. Animal videos make you smile, laugh, think about friends, distract from the news. They’re awesome.
Now please enjoy these ducks getting flower hats put on their tiny heads.
Some drivers don’t understand how intersections work. If traffic is so backed up that you’re going to have to idle in a crosswalk on the other side, don’t go. Wait until there’s enough room for your whole car, before heading across.
Last week I saw a blind student with a cane encounter a car blocking the entire width of a crosswalk in Boston.
Your ability to say “no” gets better with age. Pleasing people (parents, teachers, bosses) seems so important when you’re young, especially to oldest daughters. Being “nice” is paramount, and nice people don’t say no. The older I get, the more free I feel to decline that invitation to travel with someone who irks me, join a potentially contentious or time-consuming church committee, or even take on a work assignment that’s outside my job descripton. I’d rather be kind than nice, if you know what I mean.
According to Wikipedia, AARP (formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons) is an “interest group” in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. It seems that every single American gets an AARP promotional mailing on or near their 50th birthday. It’s like a rite of passage. You get it, you open it, you groan (why are they ruining your birthday?) and you toss it as quickly as possible. But they do NOT relent. They keep sending you mail every six months or so.
Well, sometime between 57 and 58, I gave in. One of the mailings mentioned car rental discounts and I needed to rent a car, so I joined. The offer was $45 for a 5-year membership for me and my husband. (Later I got $8 back for paying with my Bank of America card.) Immediately upon joining, I saved $400 on a weeklong car rental. Why did I resist this for so long? (Because it’s for old people – duh!)
My husband has not yet accepted his membership. (He doesn’t want them to have his e-mail.) A friend asked if it was possible to access the discounts without actually saying the word “senior.” Another said they might join when they hit 60. Granted AARP does send a LOT of emails, but I’ve come to realize that joining 38 million other Americans as an AARP member is a way of accepting that I’m not alone and I’m not special. I can benefit from basic health, wellness, finance, and travel trips just like everybody else. (No, I did not realize that I should be getting 25 grams of protein per meal, including breakfast. And yes, I would like to see a list of the quaintest small towns in New England. Thank you!)
One of the things I was recently reminded of by an expert in AARP’s free, interactive “Staying Sharp” app is that you can cultivate positive emotions – like awe. Joining AARP can feel like giving up on your younger self, but there’s beauty in accepting the inevitability of aging. You’re just like everybody else. You’re basic – and you’re beautiful.
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