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All Things EARTH... part 2


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On 5/21/2021 at 8:30 AM, awhfy said:

We’ve had 3+ very welcome inches of rain this week. Pikes Peak, elevation 14,115’ got lots of snow. Melody

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My sister and BIL used to live in Colorado Springs when he taught at the Academy.. They could see Pike's Peak from their home. It was stunning.

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Anita, I hope all has went well with your husband's surgery!  

 

Melody, that is a stunning picture.  I have never been to Colorado...someday.  🙂

 

New York has lifted the mask mandate for those that are fully vaccinated.  I have to admit, it is taking some getting used to.  I am currently still wearing mine in most public places, along with about 80% of the people.  I think outside, it will be easier.

 

Also, I got a really bad cold last week and I'm still coughing.  I got to thinking it might not be the nicest thing to do...spread germs to everyone just starting to take their mask off.  To be on the safe side, I did get a COVID test because my main symptoms were fever, cough, and shortness of breath.  It's been hard to shake this cough.  Test was negative though, so I'm happy with that.

 

Seeing that we are going to Boston in a few weeks and attending two baseball games, I am sure I will adjust to going maskless outside.

 

Also, I find myself wanting to do some cruise planning!  I have to wait all the way until November, but it is certainly looking like it is more likely to happen now.

 

I think it is safe to say that with a 5 day cruise, there will not be many long dresses, or fewer than there has been.  Consider the trend towards shorter dresses, I started to look in my closet and online.  I don't really have a lot in shorter dresses.  I am hoping to wear a red cocktail dress i have, which will be very appropriate considering I will be sailing right after Thanksgiving.  

 

The online selection didn't wow me.  I checked Macys, Lord and Taylor (they still have stores onine?), Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.  Meh.

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Laurie, have you ever checked Chicos or Chicos OTR for dresses?  OTR has some adorable knee length casual dresses. Chicos has some great maxis. Their sizing s different. I find a 2 in a top or dress is great for me, whereas I wear a 1 in the pants & jeans 
 

I was in Walmart last weekend (first weekend to be maskless inside stores if vaccinated). This very elderly lady (I’m 70. She was up there) came over to me in her scooter & said ‘honey, you forgot your mask accessory’. I smiled & said if you’re fully vaccinated you don’t have to wear it at Walmart. She looked at me in total disbelief, reached up & ripped hers off. She grinned at me & said ‘thank goodness, I like to see smiles!’  We grinned at each other like a couple of loons. I giggled all the way home about ‘mask accessory’. Melody

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Melody,  I think I am pretty good with casual dresses, overall.  I tend to really break down my wardrobe.  I think Margaret said once that I like uniforms, in the sense that I feel that certain attire goes with certain things.  That seemed very accurate.

 

So I have basic casual, such as my tshirt dresses.  I took a picture this morning, and I will share them in a bit.  Pretty much, these can be worn spring, summer and fall, after work, on the weekend, or during the day on a cruise.  These are very inexpensive, and I get a ton out of them.  I had one that I was wearing a ton over the past two years that I still have, and that is what prompted me to get a few more.  The most I have spent was $20.00 for one of them.  Even then, I had some some Target Circle earnings I had forgotten about that I applied to it.

 

Then I have casual that is a step up from the tshirt dresses.  Those are jersey type dresses, usually a swing dress, maxi or sheath styling.  I have a few of those, and they have really stood the test of time  I added a new one last year but have had no place to wear it!  Soon, I hope.  While casual, they are great for informal wedding receptions or parties, showers, etc.  Casual night on a cruise!

 

Then there is a step up from that.  It's hard to describe, other than to say they are fine for work.  I don't wear dresses a lot to work though.  I have a couple and they are classic styling so they won't go out of style.  I then go to cocktail, then formal.  There are subsections in the formal category for me, but I don't see the really fancy ones being worn too much.  I still have that teal lace one with the sparkles that I love.  As a matter of fact, I have a few lace dresses.  I seem drawn to it.

 

But here I am rambling!  I will check out Chicos to see about filling any voids I have.  Do you ever look at things that you love that stand the test of time, and ask yourself what makes them "keepers"?  I do.  It helps me to shop for future items.  I was just thinking what my favorite dresses are in my closet, and I have realized that they are not very detailed, semi fitted, and can be dressed up or down a bit.   That is kind of telling to me. It's like I want to make a look be my own, maybe?  I love to think about shoes or sandals to wear, a scarf, or what jewelry.  

 

I enjoy the process a lot.  I am also curious about how I will feel about my usual colors with my hair color changing.  I find I can get a rough idea when I pull my hair back for the gym, because if I look in the mirror, I only see the new growth that way.  I still feel that with my skin and eyes, I need the warmth.  But I do look better in a soft earth color than I used to.  

 

Melody, when you went gray, were you a stage where your new growth was completely gray?  I always think that is the best way, because you can literally color your hair gray and when it grows out, there should be no real difference if you choose the right shade to begin with.  Or you can continue to color and go a bit lighter each time to make the transition..

 

I recall you started to have an allergic reaction.  My skin issue is currently fine, and I would risk it but the scenarios I mentioned above really won't work, I don't think.

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Following up with some pictures...first, here are my tshirt dresses.  I've already worn one of the three new ones and I know I will get a ton out of them.  By the way, I saw in today's ad that there is a flutter sleeve version of the short dress.  More of an a-line and shift, but not a swing dress, I don't think.

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I absolutely love the reddish brown colored one.  You can see the differences in length, sleeve, and even one has a pocket.  By the way, that is a dark olive.  Between lighting and putting it near the earthier colors, it looks different than what it really is.  I should have stuck with the picture I took from the other side.

 

Now for the hair...ready?  I think the true shock isn't my hair, but that I am actually wearing a black shirt for the first time in a good ten years.  It was Mother's Day.  Mine said Grammy, the little one says Mini, then there was Mama and Auntie too.  🙂

 

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This will show you why I'm so perplexed with the colored section.  It's obviously lighter and redder than what I was coloring my hair.  Add that to the fact that that my hair growing in isn't just gray, but some other brown color I've never had on my head before has me confused.  Also, the second picture contains a filter,  believe, so it magnifies the color a bit.

 

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Any suggestions?  I posted the picture below to clarify that it isn't all gray coming in.

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Edited by laurspag
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Oh my gosh Laurie, I am in the exact same boat as you with the hair situation. I haven't posted about it because I am experimenting a bit. I love my auburn hair, but I have to touch up my roots every 3 weeks now -- so annoying -- and also I'm finding it a bit too colorful as I age. You know, you lose pigment as you get older, not just in hair but lips, eyes, skin. I don’t know that auburn is flattering any more instead of aging. It's starting to look too fake, kwim? Like you I have a muted brown mixed in with white. My gray hair is actually quite white.

 

I first started thinking about this when I let my hair go natural for a bit after my fall in 2018 and for the 3 weeks we were in Africa. Then I tried a chestnut brown but it was too brassy for me and I went back to auburn. My latest attempt was 3 weeks ago when I just bought two root kits, one medium brown which I used on all my roots and one auburn that I used here and there like highlights. I was pretty pleased with the results of the blending and my gray roots weren't  as terrible to look at when they came in.

 

This month I used medium brown all over and it toned down the auburn length nicely, I think. It is a neutral brown, not warm or cool. I do wish it were a tad lighter, maybe. Next month I will do just the roots again and possibly add auburn highlights. Eventually I'd like to not color the whole but just add lowlights as the brown grows out, and see what I look like natural. 

 

I'm looking at maybe several years to transition in this way. I don't want a sudden change. Even just this little adjustment is bringing forward some of the cool of my dark autumn.

 

I'm going out to work in the yard so it's a ponytail.day.

 

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One thing that I have learned, and that you have confirmed, as that I'm not alone in the journey.  I think we all have different feelings about it.  It can be pretty frustrating trying to figure out how to address it.

 

One of the main reasons I added that last picture was that the gray will reflect light, while the brown will absorb it.  So when you see the first two pictures, it looks like I am just loaded with a ton of gray.  I have a lot, yes, but the pictures are deceiving.  

 

One thing I was told was to try having my hair colored brown to match the color that is coming in as close as possible.  Then do the highlight thing.  Over time, the highlights can be increased and made more gray, etc.  

 

For me, I decided that if I want to do this, I didn't want it to take a long time.  It's kind of the opposite approach as you, in a way.  I also don't know when and if my skin and scalp will react, so it seems to be for the better.

 

To be honest, it makes me feel younger.  I worked with someone who has been retired a while, and she still colors her hair regularly so that the gray doesn't have a chance to show.  Yet her skin tone just doesn't look right?  You are right about us losing pigment as we age.  Curt pointed that out in the original thread.  I believe he said for your hair, eyes and skin to work together well, go a shade or two lighter.

 

I tried a different approach with coloring, and when darker by a shade to match my natural color.  I thought for sure it would grow out looking decent until the shade of brown started coming in.  It does reflect with a red undertone in the sun, by the way.  Still, it is so different.

 

But I feel like...me.  Like I am okay with who I am, I'm okay with the gray, and I am okay with being an energetic grandma. So that is why I am happy to do this.  I just feel like it looks sloppy in the transition.  

 

I have seen two dresses I like at Macys, both more expensive than I want to pay.  Also, they are both ivory based, which isn't a good choice for me.  They are beautiful though.

 

Adrianna Papell Embroidered-Floral Sheath Dress & Reviews - Dresses - Women - Macy's (macys.com)

 

Adrianna Papell Floral Embroidered Sheath Dress & Reviews - Dresses - Women - Macy's (macys.com)

 

This is described as champagne and silver. I am not really seeing silver, but it must be there.  It's even more expensive than the others, with no discount.

 

Lauren Ralph Lauren Sequined Floral Cocktail Dress & Reviews - Dresses - Women - Macy's (macys.com)

 

 

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I was coloring my Auburn every two weeks & could’ve done it every week. When I pulled the plug on coloring I low lighted all over. Colored auburn, little lighter than usual & highlighted & low lighted all over. It took 4 months & 2 sessions of the low lighting & a short cut at the end. 
 

this was taken today with family & cousins from Boston. Melody

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Reading the discussion on hair coloring almost makes me glad I never started. I am gracefully going from red to strawberry to gray. As my hairdresser said last time "at least it's a good gray". Huh? She just meant it was soft, not coarse. I'm at about 50-75%. Instead of salt and pepper like my mother, I'm calling my hair cinnamon and sugar.

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I tell my girls all the time that this is a tough process, so they will need to think about what they want to do in the future. Sometimes, it is good to learn from watching someone else go through it.

 

Like I keep saying, I like the gray, so no problem there!  I just don't like the colored section.  

 

Your hair sounds wonderful to me.   The process of hair changing naturally is a pretty one.   A friend at work spends a ton of money at the hair salon every 5 weeks.  It is interesting, really...she gets the mani, pedi, eyebrow wax, hair cut, hair color, etc.  I've always been amazed at the cost.

 

At least I can say that I  colored my own, so it was $7.99.  The funny thing is, I had been thinking that it is okay to do something for yourself once in a while, and I was considering having my hair professionally colored, and maybe going along with the idea of highlights and all so that I could make the switchover when I was ready. Oh well.  

 

One of those dresses I posted a link to wasn't available when I looked yesterday.  Those colors are really too light for me.  To make matters worse, those Covid pounds are being stubborn, and even with everything I am doing, it isn't coming off.  My husband seems to think that will change over the summer.  He feels we will be able to get out more and just have more activity on a day to day basis, not just at the gym.  

 

I get the steroid shot in my foot next week, finally.  Good timing too, as I am on vacation the week after and will spend some time in Boston.  We ae really looking forward to it. We do a ton of walking there, so I am very hopeful that the shot works right away.   It will be the first time back to Boston since I ended up in the hospital there in 2019...

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On 5/27/2021 at 6:19 PM, PurpleHays said:

Reading the discussion on hair coloring almost makes me glad I never started. I am gracefully going from red to strawberry to gray. As my hairdresser said last time "at least it's a good gray". Huh? She just meant it was soft, not coarse. I'm at about 50-75%. Instead of salt and pepper like my mother, I'm calling my hair cinnamon and sugar.

I like cinnamon & sugar. That’s what mine was

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On 5/29/2021 at 8:06 AM, awhfy said:

Laurie, have a great time in Boston, go Sox!!

Our grandson is going to the Red Sox games at the Royals in Kansas City, it’s his 21st bday present to himself. He & 5 friends are driving down from Omaha for the weekend. He wanted to go to Fenway but didn’t have the extra time. Melody

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Thanks, Melody!  We are leaving Monday morning, and will return on Friday.  It's supposed to be pretty hot, so we will be bringing along a lot of sunscreen.  Both games (we are going to 2) are at 7 so that helps too.  

 

We will plan out our days better between tomorrow and arriving on Monday.  Thursday we plan to go visit the USS Constitution and that area through there.  Tuesday and Wednesday, we have the earlier part of the day to wander and check out some new things.  We also wouldn't mind going back to some of the areas from our first visit.  There is a lot to see.  We pretty much look to see what we can get to by walking or the train.

 

I got the shot in my Thursday.  As expected, that hurt a lot, lol.  But the relief that the shot brings is worth a day or two of pain from the shot.  I bruised more this time, but I wasn't very good about putting it up and icing it like they told me to.  As a matter of fact, I went to work after so...

 

I will be packing in a while.  Since we will be out and about on foot the whole time, my wardrobe won't be based on style, but on function.  I have some ideas and just need to get everything out and packed.  The game attire is easy, but I don't plan to wear Red Sox attire 24/7.  

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I hope Laurie is having fun. We are having a hot spell, several days in the 90s and an afternoon shower here and there. Do a little work, do a little play. Maybe a swim, or read on the patio, or jetski. So nice.

 

No plans to travel this summer though I may go see family in the fall. I just don't feel like flying at all, so we'll see.

 

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I’m home from Maine back into our heat furnace. 98 yesterday. My poor plants are suffering. Maine was strange weather wise, 96 the day I arrived, next couple of days in mid 90s then overnight it dropped to 40s!, rest of time was mid 60s.

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Edited by awhfy
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So Laurie, how was Boston?  
 

We’re having a really hot spell here, everyday over 90. 
 

Starting to get excited about our October cruise on Royal’s Liberty out of Galveston. Bought a couple of new tops. Here’s my Tropicana rose, the fuzz on the bush is actually cotton from our neighbor’s nasty cottonwood tree. Melody

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Our trip was great!!!  We had mid to upper 90s for a day, then mid 90s the next.  The following day, the temp dropped a lot, and it was around 70.  It is so weird when the weather is like that!

 

I really didn't take many pictures. We did a lot of fun things, such as explore the Freedom Trail a bit more, went to the Quincy Market area, went to the aquarium, and the Museum of Science.  Of course, there were two games in there too.

 

I think i may have mentioned this before, but my husband is a trained EMT, and a first responder at SU.  Sometimes, he has a way of being where he is needed.  A few months ago, we were at a local hot dog place that has these huge long lines.  While we were waiting, we noticed a commotion at the entrance.  Immediately my husband was there, and a lady had fallen and had a compound fracture.  He took care of the bleeding and stayed with her until the ambulance came.

 

At the first baseball game, a foul ball landed right near us, but someone grabbed it before we could.  Sadly, it hit someone first, and the poor lady...it was awful.  But there was my husband, administering first aid.  I'm so thankful that he knows what to do.

 

Anyway, we did have a really good vacation, and it was much needed.

 

I'm excited about my cruise in November too!  I am already wishing we booked something longer than a 5 night, but it will be so good to be back on a ship again.  

 

I'm already thinking about clothes to bring and what we will do.

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Laurie, thank your husband for stepping in. I’m a former paramedic I think we & military are just more aware of their surroundings & are willing to assist. Freedom Trail & Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. My favorite places (outside of Fenway) in Boston

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On 6/24/2021 at 9:11 PM, laurspag said:

Anita and Sally, how is the heat in Florida right now?

I’m having such problems with cc right now…I can’t sign on with my MacBook…probably because it’s so old…I’m having problems with several sites *sigh*. It’s just weird to post with my phone… ANYWAY…

 

Over here on the Space Coast we’ve finally settled into what I think is more typical Florida summer weather. The rainy season has started…finally. My poor garden…it was rough there for so long…but now we have moderate highs in upper 80s/lower 90s…lots of humidity…heavier, sticky air which gives way to decent afternoon and evenings when the rain cools everything a bit…and if there’s a nice coastal breeze…we’ll…it’s nice weather for most water related activities but the typical interruptions if you are trying to do something and you’re bothered by rain.

 

DH had to fly to DC for work last week…going over to Orlando, I hit up Trader Joe’s for the pantry staples I like from there…and I was so close to Disney Springs…I thought it’d be nice to be there for a bit, grab some food. I had just gotten settled outside at Earl of Sandwich when the skies open up and poured down. By the time I was done with my meal, the rain had passed…so if your day is ordered in such a way, the rain isn’t a big deal…just wear proper shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and clothing that deals well with the rain, early afternoon sticky, post rain relief and all is well.

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