Fading Away

I am fading away.

My color that is.

Do I get sun bleached as I age?

This fading coincides with the fading of my eyesight.

(and it is somehow linked to an increase in chin hairs).

It seems that eventually I will be invisible (will my chin hairs be invisible, too?).

Until then, I like this:

 

 (Lip stain lasts all day.  Covergirl 435 "Flirty Nude" is my current favorite.)

 To which I add this:

(This keeps my lips just the right amount of slickery throughout the day.)

And then I have a little color and a little softness.  

Add to these my plethora of eyebrow pencil, bronzer, and self-tanner,

and I am a more colorful me.

Are you fading away?

What are you doing to counteract invisibility?

Is there a lipstain you recommend?

I wonder if the robbers liked my Dr. Pepper lip gloss!

Stuff

Why are cottages so appealing?

I grew up in this cottage:

 (Small town Idaho life on my favorite street).

I fantasize a simpler life if I lived in one of these.

 

Where do cottage dwellers put their stuff?

(Two examples of my favorite type of Utah cottage.  I love the curves and slopes.)

What would I do with my stuff?

I would fit comfortably in a McMansion.

Yet that doesn't suit my fantasy.

(Still, it sure would be nice to have the space.)

How about a McCottage?

(I like this one.  It is an original cottage stretched out with new additions).

This one is for sale.

(That's a lot of work).

(The lovely street in Utah where I found these cottages on a morning walk).

I guess I should just do some de-junking.
Can my cottage have a McGarage?

Anyone want to come and get rid of some stuff for me?

If you don't tell me what you've tossed, I probably won't miss it.

Looking Up

The first two nights of our vacation were spent at the DoubleTree.
We enjoyed their famous chocolate chip cookies,
but wished for a better view.
When one family member complained about the ugliness outside,

I pointed out that sometimes you just need to look up.

The metaphor was not appreciated.

Then again, sometimes you need to move on.

Looking up or moving on.

How do you know when it's time?

burgled

I admit I feel a wicked satisfaction when I think of the marauders who burgled my rental car.
I envision them opening up my Trader Joe's bag and finding 

nine peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches on wheat bread, 

seven recycled Diet Coke bottles of water,

a handbag with only a nail file, clippers, gum and lip gloss.

And then the mother lode:  Doug's blue fanny pack.
I like to imagine their expressions as they open the fanny pack.

Jackpot! Finally something of real value...

In it was a kite from a father's day celebration twelve years ago.

They should have chosen richer tourists to rob.
And they should have looked in the console to find

Doug's wallet and our new
Canon Rebel.

Sloppy robbers.

I hope they enjoy the convenience items in my cute green handbag

And a kite rich with memories.

That was close, Jeff.

Letting Go

It seems I will be doing a lot of letting go this summer.

("I didn't know it would go so fast" is not just a trite phrase anymore.)

Today I take my boys to work near Yellowstone for the summer.

(Camp Loll's Lake of the Woods--also known as "God's own lake.")

Tomorrow I take my oldest to the airport for a job in Madrid.

(Madrid city map)

Sometimes doing something good requires doing something hard.

I can do hard things.

What about you?
Share with me your challenge that had good results.
Remind me.

Twirl

I heard a great story.

It's from a friend of a friend.

So it is true.

Laura's friend, Cyndi, went shopping with her mom and aunt when she was a little girl.

She watched as the ladies each took the same skirt into the dressing room.

Cyndi's mom came out and her size 8 self fussed and said 

"Does this make me look fat?  

I don't think it's flattering.

I've GOT to start exercising!" 

Cyndi's aunt came out in her much larger skirt, threw her hands in the air and said, 

"Isn't this skirt wonderful?  

I look great!  

Watch me twirl!"

And Cyndi did just that. 

She watched her aunt twirl.

That's when Cyndi decided that when she grew up, she would twirl.

I've been visualizing myself twirling.

You know, not just about body image, 

but twirling happily through my day,

 instead of spinning my wheels in stress.
Looking for the positive and feeling the joy.
Seeing the beauty and not the flaws.
In everything.

It's a great reminder.

Have you twirled today?

Woo Hoo! Dani won!

Doug has a little toy I found for him, and gave him on a particularly good occasion.

It is Homer Simpson saying,
"WOO HOO!  This is the greatest day of my life!"

The little toy sometimes "speaks" at unexpected moments.

It always makes me smile.

Happy Homer came to mind when I used random.org to draw a winner.

And I smiled.

Congratulations, Dani!

And any guesses on Doug's happy occasion?