Fall and Apple Pie!

Oh, how I miss the fall season in New England! The beautiful foliage, falling leaves, breathing in crisp, cool air.

Wish I were in New England in front of a bon fire in Vermont or Maine.

We Floridians don't experience change of seasons...just hot and hotter. The Newscaster announced a cold front coming in our area....I cracked up...Yeah, right it will drop to 88 degrees from 94....that's what they call a cold front down here.

Well, I'm sure my daughter will have her camera with her at all times to capture the beautiful foliage in Vermont.

Wow, I remember hand picking the apples and my mother baking pies and cooling them in the opened window sills. Can’t do that here in Florida!

While you guys up north are starting to put your heavy sweaters on to keep warm because your temperatures will start dropping in the evening soon. We are down here in Florida trying to keep cool. The air conditioner is on 24/7.

I guess you can tell I'm missing my roots! LOL

Do you have a change of seasons where you live?

Rose

Remember when?

Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend, and you didn't need insurance or a lawyer to defend? The way that he took care of you or what he had to do, because he took an oath and strived to do the best for you. And, made house calls!

Remember when going to the store and shopping casually....and when you went to pay for your purchase, you used your own money? Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount....

Remember when the cashier person had to really count?

Remember when you saw the milkman going from door to door?

Remember when there was a time when just one glance was all that it would take and you would know the kind of car, model and make by it's unique style. They were streamlined, white walls, fins and really had some style. Now they all look the same.

Remember when the music you played was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five? The record player had a post to keep them all in line and then the records would drop down and play one at a time.

Remember when life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways? Don't get me wrong, I personally love the new technology but I sure miss some of those days. So, time moves on and so do we, and nothing stays the same. But I sure love to reminisce and walk down memory lane now and then.

Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today and as always we were striving and trying for a better way. Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun. How can you explain a game, just kick the can and run?

Or playing Jacks!

Remember when!

Hugs, Rose

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall!

We have all looked in the mirror and pulled our skin up and wonder what it would be like to have your 20-year old face back. I'd settle for my 50 year old face back and body too for that matter. I wish our society would make us feel better about getting older instead of glamorizing youth, which is a very short period of life.

People are trying to look airbrushed in daily life and that is not healthy. So, I decided that I'm content to expose my wrinkles, creases and every freckle and age spots. I'm a bit fearful of needles because I don't want to walk around with weird puffy lips or a stiff forehead. Not to mention the cost of these procedures every 3-4 months....Yikes! I know Botox is poison. It is best to just stay clear of all of them.

Oh, and the thoughts of a surgeon with that knife!!!!! Egad!

I'm fortunate to be using a skin product that does wonders for my very sensitive skin thanks to TC. So many products out on the store shelves that promise to nourish, replenish or renew aging skin and hair. At least some newer ads today are using real older women in their 50s and 60s who happily expose every wrinkle in their recent ad campaigns. Thanks for acknowledging us old bitties!

And, don't be fooled....many men have the same concerns about aging skin and they too want to look younger. Fortunately, for men….their gray hair is sexy and their wrinkles look distinguished. Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a woman! We would all be lying if we said we didn’t want to look younger. I for one.

I just had to write another entry to keep my mind off of the freaking three hurricanes out in the tropics heading towards Florida. One named, Ike is already a category four! Yikes! Time to sit down with Johnny Walker Red!!!!!!!!!!!

Feeling Ugly?????

Gosh, lately……if it wasn’t for irritability, grouchiness and mono-syllabic grunts, I would have no personality at all. Lack of sleep is making me one unhappy camper! It even makes you feel ugly! Che faccia brutta!

Sometimes, wouldn’t you just like to close your eyes wave that magic wand and say “Abracadabra.” Now open your eyes and all your dreams come true! I guess I have been doing a lot of day dreaming lately. Certainly not night time dreaming! I don’t sleep long enough to dream.

I just seem to be bored with everything lately. Tired of the bar scenes, tired of the online dating sites…..you know the ones….. SWM looking for lovable, affectionate, fun-loving companion, who enjoys long walks on the beach and evenings curled up by the fire. (what? No five star restaurants??) LOL

And, my response would probably be………..Meet “Fido”.

TV is getting so boring…all the repeats, campaign crap, and all those damn info-mercials are driving me crazy! What happened to those great sitcoms…the good old days….when TV was considered entertainment.

South Florida………….during the summer TV is filled with so much hype over every tropical storm and potential hurricanes which you really cannot ignore because I’ve been through many of them and they were all terrible disasters! I miss New England and the different seasons (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring) not just hot and hotter like down here! Yep, the weatherman is now tracking Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Hanna. Here we go again!

Who doesn’t love and miss I Love Lucy! LOL Those were the days when TV was entertainment.

It’s getting dark out….time to pour myself a glass of wine. I have no clue what I’m going to have for dinner because I forgot to defrost something.

Wine doesn’t go too well with Cheerios does it? LOL

Well, usually buying a new pair of shoes makes me happy......maybe I'll search for a sale tomorrow and get out of this mood and go out dancing for a change!

Internet Friends

Life is a song and dance as long as there are my Faceless Internet Friends as dear as you with whom to share it.  Thank you for being mine!  You know how sometimes you feel like someone is thinking really hard about you?  Well, you should all be getting that feeling. (I was trying to insert some male pictures above but was unsuccessful) so you guys know you are included too!

 

I guess my only complaint this week is that the stubborn Tropical Storm Fay just won't go away.   Although the storm never became a hurricane, it has killed 10 people and dumped rain all across the state of Florida.  Cabin fever is setting in having to stay indoors for such a long time but I'm grateful that I never lost electricity.   In southern Florida, signs that the floodwaters were receding is music to my ears.

 

Oh the tangled web we weave here on the World Wide Web!  How wonderful it is to have my Internet Friends to listen when I’m worried, cheer me up when I’m down, encourage me when I’m scared and console me when I’m defeated.

 

Some people would charge for that.  Thank you for being my friend.

 

Nutrition Facts of  AOL Journals:  Serving Size: 1 Entry;  Amount per serving; Calories 0, Total Fat 0, Minimum daily requirements:  Amusement 25%, Good Cheer 25%, Smiles 25%, Friendship 25%

 

Total Enjoyment 100%

 

And you all know how we love to read the you leave on each entry!

 

 

Outsourcing!

Is it just me or is everyone else also getting so freaking annoyed with outsourcing jobs?  I was so angry trying to resolve a disputed bill....first there is the very annoying automated system, press one for this, press 2 for that, press 3 (that's when your nerves are shot)...then finally a live speaking person on the line....but then you immediately detect the thick accent and know that you are talking to someone overseas which infuriates me knowing that people in our country are denied jobs because of this.  Plus, you can't understand these foreigners and they can't understand you which becomes a frustrating ordeal and the outcome is usually unresolved and you have to demand to speak to a Supervisor from the U.S.

 

Shifting jobs to lower-wage countries--a form of what is known as offshore outsourcing--is an increasingly popular practice among U.S. businesses seeking to cut operating costs. Outsourcing has also become political shorthand for presidential candidates to describe what is perceived as unfair international trade and its costs for U.S. workers.

 

While some jobs may get sent overseas or be automated by machines, certain tasks will most likely always be handled by by human beings. 

There will always be a need for Teachers because there will always be a need for education; therefore, we need people to do the educating. Scientists are needed to dedicate their lives to the cause and effects of our actions and our environments to deal with changes. 

 

Gone are the heydays of horse and buggy and wheelwrights (the maker of wheels), but an element of those jobs live on in one form or another.  With advanced technology and science, so come changes in jobs.  But, as I walked out of my doctor’s office one day to chat with the Nurses at their station and pay the bill, I realized that there are certainly a lot of occupations that will stand the test of time and have staying power and will never disappear.

 

In the doctor’s office, I observed the doctors caring for their patients and couldn't help but notice how much they are needed  to investigate and treat our medical conditions since we still have a mortality rate, and we still get bumped, bruised and diseased along the way....so their professions are everlasting.

 

Then driving home, I observed a police car that was behind me through my rear view mirror and again realized another profession that is everlasting and that is the Law Enforcement Officer.  If we are dependent upon a system that governs, we will also be dependant upon people to enforce the rules of that system.

 

Then I thought of the 30 plus years I worked in the legal field....yes...we need Lawyers.  The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street.  Lawyers form the backbone of this vital system, linking it to society in numerous ways.  For that reason they hold positions of great responsibility and are obligated to adhere to strict code of ethics. 

 

And, Lawyers cannot function without their Legal Secretaries that perform highly specialized work requiring knowledge of technical terminology and procedures.  Oh my, all those Summonses, Complaints, Motions, Responses and Subpoenas!  You can’t do that from India or China!

  

Then I got comfortable in front of my TV to watch the News.....the subject of Soldiers came on.....Even if world peace were in reality, there would still be a fear of future wars based on history.....a very important everlasting profession.

 

Barbers and Hairdressers.....why are these professions everlasting?  Just ask any woman.........as for men...they just want to look neatly groomed with a good haircut....women on the other hand require more than just grooming....we need to look beautiful with highlights, lowlights, perms, precision cuts, hair color etc.  Again, a definite everlasting profession, right ladies?

 

Then I was channel surfing with my clicker and on came some Religious Leader......again my mind wandered and thought of the people that continue to ponder the meaning of their own existence, a majority find a need for people to assist them with a form of spiritual guidance.

 

Wow, I couldn't stop my mind from thinking about all the everlasting professions that still require a human to perform and not an automated system or machine and a profession that can't be outsourced.....No wonder I can't sleep at night...I can't turn my mind off and relax!

 

What profession do feel is everlasting and cannot be replaced by being outsourced?  Did outsourcing affect your job?

Tags: Outsourcing!

My Girlfriend Glossary!

 

"I need to talk"
CODE FOR....drop everything and come over immediately.  If you must speak over the phone (clearly a second best choice).  Make sure I can't hear you opening your e-mail or washing dishes during my dilemma.

 

"I have nothing to wear"
CODE FOR.....I'm stressed and cannot tolerate standing under fluorescent lights to try anything on.  What I want is for you to lend me a perfect outfit with matching shoes!

 

"Do I have food in my teeth?"
CODE FOR.....You are so close to me, you can actually tell me the truth about that little piece of spinach caught in the gap between my front teeth.  This code also applies to your honest opinion about my wearing anything luminescent and pink.  The colors may be in style, but you have permission to tell me I look like a psychedelic ice cream cone.

 

"Don't tell a soul"
CODE FOR.....includes your husband or boyfriend.  No exceptions!

 

Men must have their special codes too.  Do you have any?

 

"Choices"

"Choices".  Gosh, we have too many choices from cookies to cell phones, dog food to discount drug cards......Do you remember going back about 10 years ago when you went to the Gap to buy a pair of jeans....you only had one choice....now so many choices....slim fit, easy fit, relaxed fit, baggy or extra baggy!  Stone-washed, acid-washed or distressed.....button-fly or zipper-fly...faded or regular....No such thing as regular jeans anymore!

 

By creating all these options, the industry undoubtedly had done a favor for customers with varied tastes and body types.  However, it had also created a new problem.  In the past, a buyer like myself might have had to settle for an imperfect fit, but at least purchasing jeans was a five-minute affair.  Now such a complex decision and forced to invest time, energy and no small amount of self-doubt, anxiety and dread over the ordeal and what about the outrageous prices!

 

It's not just jeans.....wow....eighty-five types of crackers, over two hundred types of cookies, eighty types of pain relievers....thousands of mutual funds....hundreds of cell phones, calling plans....paper or plastic......I can go on and on.....wherever I turn, I face mind-boggling choices.  Amazing...the more choices we have....the more we seem to regret the decisions we make....confusing isn't it?  It's hard to know which road to take....

 

Gosh, remember when we only had three choices of TV channels?....4, 5 and 7......now we have over 100 channels to choose from.....how things have changed throughout the years!  Decisions....decisions....just going grocery shopping each week becomes a chore....making decisions!

 

I made a smart decision to stop smoking over one and a half years ago.  Restaurants, lounges, all stopped allowing smoking....I now go out with my friends and since when did they allow smoking again in certain places?

Breathing in second hand smoke is just as bad as lighting up!  Ugh!

Constant choices, decisions, options, everything forever changing like the color of your lipstick and so disappointing when your favorite product is discontinued forcing you to select another shade of pink!!!!!!

 

 

 

Looking for love in bars; lonely under the influence!

Everyone loves a good “how we met” story.

You know, the kind that makes movies like “Must Love Dogs” or “27 Dresses”, it’s all……...you know……..cute ”how we met” stories!  I love it when I hear my friends tell theirs, it’s like icing on the wedding cake.

Many people have colorful tales of how they met either the loves of their lives or the reasons why they currently have to take out court orders of protection!  Who hasn’t heard the mundane stories of couples meeting in local places? 

One friend said she met her husband at a Laundromat….Yikes, I don’t think I’ve ever been in one have you?

O.K. maybe I have “How We Met Stories” envy because I never had such neatly wrapped tales of how I met someone.  Well, not unusual movie style stories anyway.  Oh sure, I’ve recently eyeballed a distinguished guy at the bookstore and we shared a “moment” before moving on with our lives.  No, I never went back to the same store at the same time the following day or week to see if he’d be there.  There may be such a thing as Fate, but no one said that it was a matchmaker!

Yeah, I’ve tried the “Online Dating” thing several years ago.  It was flattering for a while when your computer is loaded with tons of emails from men saying all the right words until the truth be revealed...........I just got bored with all the liars and false photos posted that are 10 years old!

So, I occasionally go into some nice night spots with my girlfriends and I have other friends that feel that looking for love in bars is being lonely under the influence!  I actually should go out more often than I do.  No one is going to meet anyone by staying home with the clicker in your hands.

Well, now at my age, I’m not looking to get married again but what is wrong with wanting company with the opposite sex?  Oh my, so how have I’ve fared with finding my Prince Charming in bars????  Remember the old saying about having to kiss a lot of toads?  Well, I’ve had my share of “ribbits” as the next woman.

I’ve also met some cool people to hang out with.  I’ve been on a few nice dates that haven’t gone anywhere as well as actually having had a relationship from a bar meeting or an online dating meeting.  These days, I like popping by certain night spots and while I don’t quite have that “Norm” status from the TV show “Cheers”, I do enjoy seeing the familiar faces.  I'm originally a Boston gal and yeah, it's nice walking into Cheers where everyone knows your name!  Is there a “Prince Charming” in the horizon?  Well, there is always a charming gentleman somewhere, that devilish man who piques my interest or that one particular fantastic dancer that glided me across the dance floor...…so, let’s just say that my Apple Martini days aren’t over yet!  I really drink scotch but an Apple Martini sounded like a nice girly drink!  LOL

Do you have a great “how we met” story you would like to share with me?

 

Just had to copy and paste!

I was chosen for Guest Editor in Magic Smoke on July 25, 2008.  Below is the entry I submitted for those of you who did not see it.

I just had to copy and paste what I posted as Guest Editor last Friday.  It was an honor and so much fun as well.

It was not on my AOL Journal, therefore, I just had to save it below even though you are only able to view the "Comments" on Magic Smoke where the entry was staged and created!

 

Hugs, Rose

Guest Editor (ME)

Friday, July 25, 2008
1:56:00 PM EDT

Guest Editor Picks - 7/25

I love to write and I love to read. I realized that the development of both is alluring to a variety of audiences. As an avid reader, I never thought that creating a Journal/Blog online would be my cup of tea because total strangers would be reading it from all over the world! I guess I always felt it best to stick to a favorite genre of writing, my weekly Newsletters to my family and friends, because of the assumption that no other format will deliver the same satisfaction for me personally.

Writing for me is a form of escapism. Of course, everyone enjoys a really good escapist read so I thought I should write what I feel. Writing takes you out of yourself, it passes the time if you're bored, and it relaxes you if you're stressed. It is also a great form of therapy. Some authors are so good they are able to bring you into another world for a short time. I enjoy reading things that are entertaining, funny, challenging or even disturbing. You will certainly find all of the above on AOL Journals from various authors.

I just learned how to “Hyperlink” so when you see that blue underlined lettering, you can just click on it and it will take you to my picks as I have the honor of being your Guest Editor this week! (Gosh, I hope it works) LOL

The Authors of all the AOL Journals I have read have been a pleasure and sometimes a very complicated concept. For example, I love reading Jimmy's Journal. Jimmy leaves me on the floor laughing daily. I find myself looking at the clock because I know that he usually posts an entry every week day around suppertime. I'm glad I found him via a referral on an Editor's Pick one day. His entries have become like a “Fix” I need everyday!

Then I turn to Indigo and read about her serious issues in life. This can very often be quite a bumpy ride. I found Indigo when she left a comment left on my Journal when I was new at this. She is a very talented writer and has experienced many obstacles that life has challenged her with but she is a strong woman and I’m very proud of her.

My next pick is Garnett109 who leaves me on the floor again with his off the wall humor! I'm sure he and Jimmy must hang out at the same place “Area 51”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You will notice on my sidebar that I’m an honorary member and have their logo posted.

Foremost, I remember my very first comment from Dan when I was a newbie and he featured me as one of his picks when he was Guest Editor, I was shocked and honored. I enjoy reading his journals and viewing the adorable photos of his children and seeing life through a Dad's eyes. I also enjoy his serious side as a commentator of movies and book reviews.

You also have to stop by and see Russ and view his amazing sketches, he is quite the talented artist!

Last,but by no means least, is Val who introduced me to another world of graphics which I love to include in my Journals. I'm sure you have noticed all my animations and graphics in my Journals. I love using animations to help me express myself. I amuse myself as well when I find that perfect animation to help tell my story!

I love animated graphics but I was limited to what I could do with them at the time. Now, I'm hooked! I belong to a site with an amazing group of gals that are so talented, kind, helpful and just wonderful to chat with daily online. Again.......more wonderful Faceless Internet friends, I recently decided to take on a project for the creator of that site and since we are a smaller group than AOL Journals, I created an Album so we can match the face with that email address! I’m proud to say, it turned out lovely. LOL

AOL Journals focuses on the potential and excitement of reading, of sharing our lives with each other every day and shows how we all fit it into each other’s lives even though many of us have nothing in common. All these Faceless Internet People that have become our second family.

I have to thank my lovely daughter for encouraging me to create my online Journal in the first place. I get so much enjoyment from this new-found hobby.

When my friends found my Journal entertaining and enlightening, they asked if I would create another one for our forever friends and old classmates of 1962. So, now I have two (2) Journals up and running. My first of course, is “Roses Are Read” and the one for my classmates is “The Lantern”.

Thank you for allowing me to be today's Guest Editor. I hope you enjoy my picks.

BROAD SQUAD!

We all have a best friend but sometimes one best friend is not enough. And, now with new modern technology, we have our Online Friends. Just as we need more than one lipstick, so do we need our "BROAD SQUAD" to help us survive a tribulations of work, marriage, and family .... not to mention fashion emergencies! Of course, you may have one great friend who can handle all your problems on her own. Lucky you! But others have different specialists on call for each life challenge, including but not limited to how to wreak revenge on an evil boss and how to sniff out whether your boyfriend or husband is telling the truth about things....

THE OLD FRIEND: The person who convinced you that you looked beautiful, even with braces, on prom night...and the one you still yap with on the phone for hours. There's a song: "Make a new friend, but keep the old; one is silver, and the other's gold." We all need that one friend who goes for the gold. She's the one that we bonded with while drooling over glossy photos of some teen idol on a Saturday night sleep over and that we called three times a day, convinced we were in the middle of a life-altering drama. Our oldest friend is a walking, memory book, the one who reminds us of the embarrassing nicknames and hairstyles of our past. She's our hope chest, the girlfriend who thinks of us as her good china and crystal. She still sees our unique beauty, even as our body surrenders to gravity.

THE SECRET KEEPER: The friend in whom you confide your online dating disasters. The secret keeper is there for you in good times and bad. She moves with the speed of a freight train to make sure that everything in your life is in operational order after a divorce, death, major trauma issues. Someone you want to share everything with whether engaging in retail therapy or inhaling macaroni and cheese in your kitchen.

THE PERSONAL COACH: She's our glass half-full friend who may drive us crazy with her cheery optimism but never lets us shortchange ourselves. She encourages us to dream the impossible dream yet remain fully awake and solvent. Her positive outlook is not only infectious.....it's inspiring. Makes you want to strut in your high heels and classic suit....leaving negativity behind.

THE PARTY PAL: She always makes you feel as if you were the guest of honor. Her enthusiasm is unconditional. When we're determined to be depressed, she shows up at your door, ordering us to ditch our big bag of potato chips (and our bathrobe) for a night of embarrassing karaoke. Every girl gang needs one member who gets you up and running and keeps you in a festive, feel-good frame of mind. This party gal is always insisting that you wiggle yourself into last year's jeans, and encourages you to paint your face with lots of goop and set your eyes with three layers of thick black mascara. Before you know it, you are dancing in the aisles, arms flung heaven-ward, underarm flab be damned!

THE FRIEND ON SPEED DIAL: Everyone has that special friend that will be there for you no matter what.

FAMILY FRIENDS: Many of us are lucky to have family members as best friends.

Tags: Blogplugs, AOL Journal