Ramblin’ Randoms Secret Messages

Friday arrives too quickly to invent mysterious melodrama.  However, if you read these mundane Ranblin’ Randoms, you may discover, hidden among them, some secret messages about preserving youth.

We had dinner with old friends at an old place we all used to love.

Over the years, the four of us went regularly to a favorite restaurant elegantly decorated in Colonial style.  New owners have stripped the drapes and painted the walls light green.  They added an enormous bar, and we’re told they plan to rip out the carpeting and add all hardwood flooring.  We were stunned and a bit saddened by the new décor, but the people were warm and caring and the food was warm and good.  They say to stay young, you have to tolerate change.  Thus, in the interest of maintaining youth, we decided to return another day for another fine meal in somewhat stark splendor.

Before

Herman’s Produce again.

I returned for the best tasting tomatoes, homegrown garlic, the prettiest eggplant ever, and “donut peaches.”  Wow!  If you haven’t tried these sweet little babies, now is the time. Summertime and the living is easy, especially when you have  farmer’s market resources like in Lexington, Virginia.   Note:  Trying new things will keep you young or at least keep you in a state of shocked adaptation.

Can you find the donut peaches?

Our weather forecasts have been consistently Hot/Muggy/Stormy.

But the local forecast for tomorrow is simply written as “Beautiful.”  That’s nice because Noche (the German Shepherd) and Judy (my niece) are arriving tomorrow for a farewell visit before they move to California.  We have become attached to Noche of course and have always been attached to Judy.  I’m afraid there will be tears at the close of their visit.  But in the interest of preserving youth, we must accept the ravages of change.  And I do plan to go out kicking and screaming, “NO!!!!!”

Judy and Noche on a previous visit

This week featured a trip to the dentist. 

Speaking of kicking and screaming, clean teeth are” in.”

Tooth Selfie

And after a visit to the dentist my teeth are Vogue-cover worthy and no cavities either!  Chancy is the best dental hygienist ever, but she just got married.  That means I worry about her longevity (in the dentist’s office that is).  Babies have a way of changing things.  Of course personal longevity is at stake too, so in the interest of at least looking young via bright white teeth, I continue to take my chances with Chancy.

Replacing the Bathroom Floor

Finally, we are replacing a much abused 26 year old master bathroom floor! Two of our expert handy-person friends are working on it now.  My own preparations included finding a place for everything where there is already no room.  There are now items like the bathroom scale in the clothes closet, extra toilet paper in the kitchen cupboard, shampoo in underwear drawers, and lotions and medicines in the linen closet.  I hope to relocate such items and restore them to their proper places in the bathroom before Judy arrives tomorrow or she may be in for a shock.

All my floors are pristine and germ free of course, because germs are the roots of all evil and the cause of premature death.  Notice that Paranoia is not included (but maybe should be) in the following list.

In case you missed any of the hidden messages though, here’s a summary of how to live a long and happy life:

Get a good dental hygienist.

Avoid germs.

Get a dog.

Don’t let family move far away.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

Get a dog.

Try new things.

Accept change.

“Go with the flow.”

Get a dog,

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How to Stay Young

The Big Black Book

I have a Big Black Book at home, of things that are deemed “important”.

And no, it’s not the “hoarding” book!  That one is brown.  This one is black and holds vital information like old notes from Mom advising me never to leave home without a dime for a phone call.

On rare occasions I look through The Book’s pages to delete what may have become unimportant.

This morning, in the Big Black Book,  I re-discovered a list of Things to Do to Stay Young!

Now that list stays and is worth a periodic review.

And of course I must share it with you too so we can all cling to youth together and blog into the happily-ever-after.

*Note:  Notes in italics are Dor’s current reactions.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

 ~Author Unknown

• Throw out nonessential numbers like Age or Weight.  You should let the doctor worry about those things.   I do love this one.  My doctor is getting old though so he has his own worries.
• Keep only cheerful friends. Grouches will pull you down.  Ahh! And you should also stay cheerful so your friends will not perceive you as a grouch!
• Keep learning. Uh oh!  I have just taken a vow to stop learning!
• Learn about the computer! (Are they kidding? That’s all I do!).
• Never let the brain be idle.  Drat!  I was looking forward to an idle brain with no learning challenges.
• Enjoy all the simple things. Is lounging in a deck chair simple enough?
• Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.  O.K., I do type “LOL” on blogger pals’ very funny blog posts, and my son makes me laugh so hard I cry (and have to change slacks).
• Love yourself.  The only person with you for your entire life is you.  (Me? As my own lifelong companion?).
• Surround yourself with what you love, family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.  Family and pets are good but would chocolate be all right? The doctor could take care of the weight!
• Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it.  If it is unstable, improve it.  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.  I am in the preservation mode verging on unstable and heading toward unimproved so cherishing is a good idea.
• Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. Give me a break!  Guilt has been my ultimate destination since childhood!  
• Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity. I tried that once but Bill began to question all the attention!

Do you have any tips that make sense to add to this list?  I am not quite sure it will work on its own.

Maybe we can create a manual that would substitute for the Fountain of Youth and bury it somewhere to be found in 10,000 years.

We might even be around to verify its authenticity.

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How to Reverse the Aging Process

 

It was long ago when my wise old mother said, “The worst part of getting old is losing things.”

“What do you mean Mom?” I asked.

“You will lose things  important to you like eyesight, hearing, balance, and energy.  Then there is flexibility, memory, resiliency,and  stability.  Add skin tone, teeth, and hair.   But don’t worry now Sugar Plum.  You are still young.  When you turn 60, it’s all downhill from there.”

News Flash Mom: I am already on that slippery downhill slope (but fighting the concept all the way)!

Eyes.  Ha! I can still see straight  (after cataract surgery) and

the Hearing is fine (if there’s not too much background noise).

Never did have good Balance (and no rhythm either) so what else is new?  Remember that Arthur Murray dance instructor who told me to “forgeddabout it?”

Flexibility?  Maybe  a stretching class or yoga would solve that little problem if I can get over muscle cramping during Downward Dog.

As for Energy,  “What’s so wrong with a nap or two during a grueling day?  It’s called Beauty Sleep after all.”

Memory:

They say your brain stores up every little thing until it stores  so much material (and you are so brilliant) that it takes a bit more time to recall what you were doing or why you entered that room in the first place, or even what you wanted to say.  What was that word again?

Aha! “Brilliance!”

Brilliance is the upside of aging!

Resiliency – So I don’t make quick exits from easy chairs  and muscle fever sets in after gardening.  Such things happen at any age.  Perhaps practice would help – or a hip replacement.  There are miracles in modern medicine these days.

Skin tone can be managed with various scraping techniques, concealers and makeup.  A million thanks to Cleopatra who I heard invented cosmetics and foundation.

Hair Loss.  They have special repair kits now with tiny fibers that stick to the one or two remaining living strands (for volume) and coloring kits to dab on the scalp in a superb imitation of existing hair color.  Who knew?

Stability.  A grab bar or two or three in the shower will work.

I suppose Mom was right about the downhill slope but on the way down I am discovering the secret to eternal youth.

Are you ready?

• Bypass any annoying stumbling blocks.
• Ignore negative signs like wrinkles (avoid mirrors, lakes or anything chrome).
• Sleep a lot.
• Utilize  modern technology for positive results.
• Employ the art of self deception. Lie (to others and yourself).
• Keep clawing your way back up.  Agony is synonymous with Cell Renewal.
• I’ll meet you on the way!

 

 

 

 

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Lost and Found Secrets to the Fountain of Youth

I have just received a new book on nutrition.

That makes hundreds of books by different authors I have received over time.   Hope dies slowly.  And I thought this, like all the others, would end up being donated and sadly, forgotten.

But this book is different and here to stay for it finally offers secrets to finding the Fountain of Youth!

It tells the story of vegetables and fruits – not just that we should eat them (boring!), but where they started, how they have been changed with man’s manipulations (notice I did not say “woman’s”), and  what we should look for now to regain lost taste sensations and the most life-giving qualities for optimal nutrition.

I am not good at book reviews, but here is a primitive summary:

Mom never taught me that one apple can have a good side and a bad side less-than-optimal side.  Did you know that?

If one side of the apple grew up in the sun, it built a protective coloring for survival (good side).  And if the other side of that apple was covered by shade, it grew up a little pale (bad side).  Oh, go ahead and eat the whole apple, but look for an evenly colored red one next time! And the darker, the better.  I know this does not make perfect sense, so you will just have to get the book.  Review by Dor.

• But I did learn that color is the standard for buying any almost any vegetable or fruit. Granny Smith apples are an exception because they are the most nutritious but are light green in color. Go figure!
• Have you ever tried a dark brown tomato?  Delicious!
• Did you know that microwaving corn on the cob is better for you than boiling?  You can microwave them right in their husks!
• How about this:  Let chopped garlic rest for ten minutes before cooking to boost its ability to fight cancer and cardiovascular disease!
• Ounce per ounce there is more fiber in raspberries than in bran cereals.

Oh, but I could go on.

No, I am not getting a commission for recommending it.

The real purpose of this post was to share my own fabulous Homeplace Mandarin Salad recipe with you.  This one is guaranteed to impress even the most finicky salad eater.

Oh yes – the name of the book I’ve been raving about is Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing link to Optimum Health, by Jo Robinson.

And

Here is the recipe for:

MANDARIN SALAD

Combine Romaine and Spinach (darkest green please!) in large bowl

Gently mix in 1 can of “Dill Green Beans” (drained) or jar of “3 Bean Salad” (drained).

Sprinkle in sunflower seeds – any amount to taste.

Then on top of the salad add sliced onion rounds (darkest red) and

 A can of drained Mandarin oranges, plus

 Some fresh dill if you have it, and

Good sized dollops of Ranch dressing. 

Serve in pretty glass salad bowl and mix at the table.

This is a real winner that gets rave reviews.

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I Wish

Daily Prompt:  Impossibility

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – the White Queen, Alice in Wonderland.

What are the six impossible things you believe in?

A Skinny Me.  I believe I will magically wake up in the morning weighing what I weighed when I was first married.    Obviously, magic is impossible.

Winning the Lottery!  Ha! I don’t even win at Bingo.

Lollygagging.   That means staying in bed with a good book, a Danish pastry, lotsa crumbs and coffee.  Ha!

Spring in Full Bloom.  O.k., I know it’s on the way and there are signs.  “But I want what I want when I want it.”  I want to wake up to the tulips and the redbuds and the green green grass at home – NOW!

The Fountain of Youth.  Yes, I know that’s truly impossible, but there are the little fountains of youth in skin creams, makeup, hair gels and Spanx.  I am also the supreme tester of every vitamin on the market.  So far, my hair grows greyer and the frown lines deeper but I still believe in the Fountain(s) of Youth.

A Four Pound Lobster Dinner by the Sea.    After all, it’s mostly shell right?  And if I have it by the sea, it means I will be on a superb vacation.  I’m already packed.

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