laurspag

I appreciate all the feedback...I too feel like we never know. I still can't describe the feeling of having the doctor call my husband on Christmas Eve day, and say that he does not have cancer. I am trying hard to balance everything out. We live once. I think we will definitely cruise to Alaska, but I think we may plan a trip out to Canada in order to see the aurora. I think it is something that we could definitely do. Alaska is likely to be about 5 years out, maybe 4. I am not putting it off, just trying to plan it out. We need to do these things. Hawaii is more of a dream for me than my husband, but he is totally game for it. I feel like I have so much to look forward to, and we can plan one thing at a time. When you think about it, there are so many amazing things to see and do. It's about picking what matters, and doing whatever you can to make it happen. I feel like we are starting to do some little things. My husband isn't 100%, but he finds that mental and physical states tie in to one another, so he sometimes gives himself a little extra push. Saturday, we went to see the Syracuse Mets. It was a fun game, and the fireworks after were wonderful. I have a love/hate relationship with fireworks, but that is a different story here. However, my dad always new how much I enjoyed them when I was little, so as an adult, he would always call me when the team near him was having fireworks after a game, and we would go. It brings back great memories. Today, we are taking pictures of some of the items we have been cleaning out and are looking to sell, and we are already getting some inquiries. It will feel good to get them moving along. We decided to use Facebook Marketplace, and then we plan to have a garage sale soon for anything that doesn't sell, plus the small items. That may not seem exciting, but to me it is. My husband and I take different approaches, which I have spoken about before. I am determined that we need to declutter and simplify if we want to stay put. We also need to finish a few things in the house so that we feel we can age here better. For example, we have oak treads on our stairs, and we want to add a runner for safety. You can see what I mean about balance. I feel like we are figuring out more about where we are heading, what we want to do.

Snowmobiling...I mean snow machining! That is very common here in the winter. I've never done it myself, but it looks like a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Anita! I love hearing about your trip. My husband and I continue to talk about Alaska all the time. For me, it is very clear that this is at the top of his list, as far as a bucket list goes. It is high up on mine as well. I never really had a bucket list, so to speak. In the past ten years, we have talked about things that we really want to do someday, and it has slowly morphed into an unofficial bucket list, written in pencil. 🙂 Some things on my list: Hawaii (not sure if we would fly there or cruise there), Alaska, seeing aurora borealis, going to see the Red Sox play at as many different stadiums as we can. Going to Disney with my grandson. Right now, we are talking about a cruise to Alaska probably in about 5 years. My husband has a thing about not taking more than one week at a time of vacation time, so it will be when he or both of us have just retired. There are no plans for Hawaii, but that has been something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. With the baseball games, well, that is really all about money. We are trying to establish balance in our lives, and have been saving very diligently for retirement. I think the big thing with us as that neither of us was in a situation where we could save much when we were younger. Our income was lower, and we were living mostly paycheck to paycheck. We are so proud of all we have accomplished, but we are also feeling the pressure as we get older. I do find that spring going into summer and fall always gives me added incentive, and an overwhelming desire to do things. It has made me wonder how we would feel living somewhere warm all year round. Flying and travel in general is so expensive right now. I"m glad I booked the cruise with my daughter well in advance, as well as the one with my husband for October. But that also gets me thinking about little things we can be doing now, locally. so we scheduled some long weekends in order to do that. We had a four day weekend last week, with the intention that we may do some little things, like go to a movie and so forth. As it turns out, the windows that were not supposed to be until August were ready, so we used on day to be home for the installation. Then the next day involved all the blinds and drapes being put back, as well as the guy that was sealing our driveway calling with a last minute cancellation. So we had that done. We did take a drive on Monday though, and we stopped at a favorite place for lunch. I always tell my husband that any day with him is a good day. 🙂 And....we had scheduled a three day weekend for this weekend too! As it turned out, my car lease was coming up and we decided to stop at the dealership...which ended up being half a day. And then my husband's best friend is in town for a car show with his son, so they have been out and about for two days. We are going to a local baseball game next weekend, so there's that. Anita, do you find yourself feeling busier, living in Florida? This goes back to what I was saying earlier. I think just the idea that it is like summer all year, and if I have wondered if I would be more active. I think one of the key things to think about is the fact that right now, my husband and I work full time plus extra hours, so it is hard for me to compare. I'm babbling, aren't I? 🙂 I ordered that orange print Rachel Roy maxi dress. When it came in, I was a bit thrown off at first because it is more of a dusty peach color than orange. I should probably say powdery - think of the shade of orange being lightened with white. The print is a bit different for me also. I tried it on, and it feels really well. It feels like "me" once I have it on. The little triangle cutout in the front is really a non issue, but I was trying to think how I felt about it. Then I realized that because I am more endowed on top than the typical model, all my bras would show a little bit. This is the band of the bra that I am referring to. So I have been the fence. I tried it on, and my daughter said "Mom, just bring it to Sharon and she can put a little piece of mesh there. You're never gonna see the band sneaking through, and you will feel better about the cutout." She is so right too. I really, really love the dress, so I think that is the way to go. I could do it myself, without bringing it to the tailor. I just need to get my hands on some mesh. So I have it hanging up, tags still on while I decide for sure.

Anita, that is a bucket list item for me. Seeing your pictures just reminds me that I need to really start researching this. Are they elusive or commonplace? I'm just wondering if I planned a trip around aurora borealis is easy to do, or difficult. Your pictures are stunning. Your discussion about the dancing lights reminded me that so many time, we miss out on the beauty that nature provides us. When we went to the Grand Canyon, I can still see the stars, and how much bigger, brighter, and three dimensional they were. Nothing ever takes the place of a beautiful memory. I'm jumping around here a bit, but by aging gracefully, I think it is about just feeling good about yourself, instead of saying that I'm 57, and my hair is turning gray and I've got wrinkles and my weight is being stubborn, and....you get the picture. It's about feeling comfortable with who I am. That duster does seem like something you can see being worn now, I agree. I think it is pretty neat looking. I was noticing the button. As someone who grew up sewing and not having much, I was used to saving buttons off of clothing that needed to be tossed. You never knew when you might need a button. I loved when I was sewing and could choose some of these great buttons. I still have my buttons too! Melody, I went on Allure before. It is beautiful, with tons of things to do. The aqua show is a must see. Central Park was quite impressive too. We ate at Chops and Giovanni's on different nights, and if you get a table near the entrance, it gives you that feeling you are eating at an outdoor cafe. Once thing that was not my favorite was feeling more closed in. I had trouble finding those quiet areas where you could watch the water, but it was also a port intensive 7 night cruise. We were catching shows and doing all sorts of things when we were onboard, so I don't think we explored as much as we should have. If you have a FitBit, wear it and watch how quickly you get to 10,000 steps!

I just noticed something in the pictures I posted...both me and my daughter both have one eye that closes more than the other when we smile. Lol! I just saw this maxi dress online at Macy's. I think the colors ae great. There is a small triangular cutout in the front, but it is subtle. I'm thinking that the overall styling is something I would like, and jersey is a good fabric for me, since there is a size difference between the top and bottom and jersey adjusts pretty well to that. As you know, I'm not a bit print fan. I'm also not usually a fan of something that feels geometric, but the abstract nature of the flowers picks up on that for me. So, I really shouldn't like this dress. But I do? RACHEL Rachel Roy Fran Halter Printed Maxi Dress & Reviews - Dresses - Women - Macy's (macys.com) I found this to be cute too, but I don't see myself wearing it. Ruffles, thin straps....no. If I was in the store and they had it, I would try it on, I think. Mostly, I like to analyze what I like and dislike about things. If the straps were thicker and I could wear a regular bra, it would be a plus. At the same time, my broad shoulders would look even broader, and then the area the ruffle lands would just be adding to the wrong part of my body. It is still fun to look and admire! RACHEL Rachel Roy Marcella Off-The-Shoulder Dress & Reviews - Dresses - Women - Macy's (macys.com)

Margaret, I'd love to see the dress you ended up getting. I liked that Calvin Klein dress, but as you know, I have trouble with prints sometimes. You actually had two CK dresses, and I liked both. For myself personally, the sleeveless sheath looked like my kind of thing, and I might be okay with that print but I was concerned that the white background might be too cool, and then there was the price. I do know after this cruise that I am seeing that I need to focus a bit more on how easy or hard something is to pack. Long or short isn't so much the issue, as style. My daughter's dress was a nightmare to pack but worth it to see it on her. My dress was super hard to pack because it had a bit of a trumpet/A-line quality and it wrinkled easily. My dresses for the next cruise have similar issues. I think for a short cruise like the one I just went on, I really wanted simplicity but that was hard to do with those two formal night dresses. Someone told me once they pick a pair of sandals for dinner, and everything they were is based on that. Of course, they mentioned black, which I don't wear. I have had cruises where I was able to wear my gold Anne Klein sandals or those bronze sandals (I still have those! Can't wait to wear them again!) not just on formal nights, but other times as well. I am looking for a new pair of gold sandals and I am very focused on them being similar to the Anne Klein ones. When they are not glittery and they are comfortable, you can really make them work well with a number of things. So I'm on a mission with that. One more picture of my daughter...and me. Because I think the aging process is something we shouldn't be scared of. I'm in a pretty good spot, even though I'm not happy with my weight right now.

Oh, and I'm ordering that dress in red, not the burgundy, because....well, red!!!

Just a few quick pictures here, but my daughter looked so good, all cruise long. One thing I realized is that my daughter really doesn't love having photos done, but she humored me. And she is so photogenic! I told her that this is a way to save memories.

Margaret, those are great dresses. I think I may order that cranberry one, the one you mentioned for the red and gold ball? I don't really have anything to wear in a shorter version that has sleeves. It is also on sale for such a good price that it is worth checking out. My personal favorite is the Calvin Klein dress, but I can definitely see you in that off the shoulder dress in periwinkle. I think Melody may have a similar dress? I love those dresses on both of you, but I have trouble with figuring out the chiffon overlay. I get very distracted by things like that. You mentioned an outdoor wedding in July, so I would imagine it might be pretty hot. Which dress is your favorite?

I'm back! Already. That went fast, but I think it was just the right length for my daughter and I. First, I want to mention that I'm glad to hear you had a great time in Niagara Falls, Margaret. I haven't been there in quite some time - 2010, I think? And I love Watkins Glen State Park. I absolutely loved hiking there, and would love to go again. I don't think my husband could do it though. It is a very pretty area. It has easily been 20 years since I was last there. I know I mentioned that my husband was doing better, but he still has a lot of trouble getting around. I did a little online researching, but I know that never takes the place of a doctor's diagnosis. It's just that I think he has a very weak link in the doctor chain. His primary is great, his arthritis doctor is great. His gastroenterologist leaves much to be desired. For example, on the first visit, he started asking by husband some questions, and very quickly said "you have IBD! While he has done a colonoscopy and endoscopy, he really doesn't do much when my husband visits. It is always another prescription, without telling my husband what it is even supposed to do. So, long story short, I have suggested he find a better doctor - one that communicates with him better. The reason I bring it up is because I am not certain how they decide when you have Crohn's Disease versus IBD or IBS. And Crohn's can cause a great deal of joint pain. I just want him to feel better. Melody, is your snow gone???? Now to the cruise...we had a fabulous time, and I really needed the time away from work. It was good to clear my mind. Our flights from Syracuse to Miami were right on time with no issues. We got a Lyft from the airport to the Marriot Biscayne Bay. It is a very nice hotel on the harbor. There is this little mall like building attached, and we found a restaurant called Primo's. They had the best seafood linguini I have ever had. I think I will be craving mussels for weeks now! I will share more soon, but we really enjoyed ourselves.

What?????? It's 90 here! I can't believe you have snow!!! We leave tomorrow. Leaving for the airport at 3:30 AM. I think I'll turn in early tonight...