The Little Details 'They' Forget To Tell Ya .....

Those who know me, know my never ending quest to "GoGreen" and remove all chemicals from my bathing, beauty and cleaning routines at home. Potent chemicals have given way to non-toxic (mostly organic) natural alternatives.

Cleaning and laundry supplies now include Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, vinegar, essential oils, baking soda, borax, and beeswax.

Health and beauty/bathing includes organic homemade soaps for bathing/shampooing, peroxide for mouthwash; flouride free toothpaste; natural oils for moisturizing vs. commercial lotions; cornstarch instead of talc ... well, you get the idea.

Since I don't use conditioners in my hair - I needed something to make it shiny and healthy ... so I checked out the internet for ideas. It was then, an old solution came back to me from decades ago - a suggestion from my Aunt Bea, a hairdresser. BEER !!

I remember using beer to rinse hair and it also made a good styling medium. Off I went to Fresh Market to buy a bottle or two of beer ... ORGANIC, of course.

The next time I washed my hair = I used the beer rinse. As promised, the beer smell disappears when the hair dries. YUP ~ fresh as a daisy... shiny gorgeous hair with volume. Perfect. BUT, and there is usually a BUT ...

The other day I went out in the rain to walk Spike ... and obviously ... the rain wet my hair ... and once wet again ... IT SMELLED LIKE BEER !! So now I have two choices ... never get caught in the rain ... or find a new "green" hair conditioning tonic.

Any ideas ??

Maupin and Mouse and Melancholy

A delightful day today... sewing ... and revisiting an 'old friend.' I have been listening to an audiobook, read by the author, Armistead Maupin. Such talent.

The 'old friend' I am revisiting is one of the author's memorable characters, Michael Tolliver ~ affectionately called "Mouse" in the earlier Tales of the City books.

Armistead Maupin's voice reminds me of Roger .. the dear friend who introduced me to this fascinating series with colorful characters. But Michael is older now, as is Anna Madrigal, and Mona has died. I had loved the youthful and full of life characters in the previous books...through them reliving the carefree 60's and 70's.

I am totally immersed in "Michael Tolliver Lives" ~~ but for some reason, more so than with other books or series of books I've enjoyed, it is a reminder that we are all getting older, my friends, my family, and me. Maybe because this sequel takes place when Michael is 55 years old .. my exact age. For whatever inexplicable reason .. Mr. Maupin has caused me to be very cognisant of the physical and emotional changes of aging.

Here's a toast to Mr. Maupin who had stirred within me the wonderous joy of my youth .. and now has aroused within me the realities of aging. A melancholy day ...

What Ever Happened to Matchbook Dating ...?

Tonight, I should be writing about Swampcat.. or Chloe .. but I am not ready for that yet. Maybe tomorrow. Tonight it will be light-hearted, about a time before Swampcat ...

Are you old enough to remember the days when bars and restaurants all had MATCHBOOKS ? The days before smoking was a criminal offense ?

A dear friend, an art collector, told me about an artist, Todd White. I looked at his pieces online. NICE. But one in particular caught my eye and brought me back to the 1970's .. to Sneaky Pete's; Mickey's Mousetrap; Muddy's Hole; Friar Tuck's Pub; The Purple Pub, The Shaker Inn .... and all the hangouts whose names now escape me.

The days when bars and restaurants had matchbooks ~ the cover being an ad for the establishment. The inside of the cover blank. The perfect place to write down a name and phone number.

That folks .. is matchbook dating. An era gone by. A great era when people connected with people ... not via text ... but via pen to paper. Via matchbooks.

I recently went to my favorite restaurant in Virginia Beach, The Raven. Maybe it is my favorite because they still have a bar ... that allows smoking ... and they have matchbooks. If lucky, one may leave with a matchbook... inscribed with a name and telephone number. The way it was done before 'technology.' The way I remember. The way it should be done.

Matchbook Dating .. try it sometime. Yeah ...Try it.

Here's one way to pay a fine ....

When there is a bogus fine to pay .... you gotta be creative. And I think I was !
Te he he he he, Roger.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT !

Today I heard what sounded like an animal crying behind my house. I saw nothing. Then I let Spike and Duri outside to pee and explore. They found a baby squirrel, but quickly lost interest. I didn't .... I put my hand down near it and it quickly climbed up my arm and snuggled in the crook of my elbow.

My dear dear friend Alice went to PetSmart to buy a tiny bottle and "safe milk".. but the little squirrel preferred drinking the milk out of Alice's hand and off the table.

After sleeping in the pocket most of the day ... she is now in the caring hands of Wildlife Rescue people.

Be well my little one .... you captured my heart. <3<3<3<3

He Got Me !! And it was so worth the laugh ...

Today dear Roger confessed that the "red light camera ticket" was all a ruse.

Good one Roger ... I cannot remember laughing so hard in a long time.

Laughter IS the best medicine ...

I was gonna, but I can't, so instead I will ...

I had started a post earlier today that I was going to "polish & post" this evening. Well that ain't gonna happen because for some reason the draft copy won't "open" ...

TaDa !! Here is plan B:

On Facebook today .. a couple of pieces of music were shared and I gotta say they really 'hit a chord' with me.

Roger .. we're revealing our age with our appreciation of Doo Wop, but it was great. Thanks PBS (and Roger) for showcasing Kenny Vance !



And the next lady needs no introduction ... how did I not hear this song before ??
Cher: Haven't Seen The Last Of Me From the movie: Burlesque

I am a diehard Cher fan ... and this song shows she is still on top ~ even at 64 years old.




This is Casey Kasem signing off for another week. Remember "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

1 - 2 - 3 RED LIGHT !!

Remember the game: 1-2-3 RED LIGHT ? A row of children advancing while given the green light, then being abruptly halted when someone yells, "Red light!" If anyone fails to stop, they are out or must return to the starting line

Several visits to Virginia Beach in recent months has brought back many memories ... one being that I felt like I was once again in a "Big Brother" state. Always being watched, always being monitored.

This was especially true about the "red light runner" cameras. When a motorist runs a red light .. the camera snaps a photo of the license plate .. and a traffic ticket is mailed to the owner of the vehicle.

OK OK .. I have been known to push the envelope and save my brakes by failing to slow down for a stale green light... as it turns yellow ... and race thru the light hoping to "cross the finish line" befores it turns red. Whoo ... yep ... that was a confession !!

While in VA .. my dear beloved friend, Roger, let me borrow his truck to save me the expense of paying for a rental car. THANKS ROGER ... but... after returning to NY, I started having nightmares of Roger - walking to the mailbox - and finding a bill; a fine; a ticket .. for his truck running a red light.

I recently called Roger and casually asked him if he had received any correspondence from the Virginia Beach police asking for money. He said "Nope" .. not yet.

YES YES YES YES YES ... damn I'm good ! I thought sure I had been nailed at the intersection of Independence where Haygood turns into Wishart.

I made 'the cut' this time ... but I still felt very violated that 'big brother' was watching me ... waiting for me to screw up ... waiting to nail me. My life in quiet upstate NY has been devoid of such personal violations ..

Thanks NY

Sunday - April 3rd Note: -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> ->
Keep reading ... below the photo ...




UPDATE: DAMN DAMN DAMN !! About an hour after I posted this entry ... my dear friend Roger posted on FaceBook that he had received a $75 citation from the Va Beach Police for a January violation at the intersection of Independence Blvd. KARMA bit me in the a$$ ~~