Sparkle Hair, Freckles and Firecrackers

So, I've always said that when I started going gray I was going to dye my hair red. Then, when I was working as a chemotherapy nurse, I tried on a redhead wig. It was a beautiful wig, but not on me! I guess I should have realized I didn't have the right skin for red hair but it really was a bit of a disappointment. Maria, however, looks great with red hair! That's a consolation to me. I enjoy seeing it on her.

I was then planning on coloring my hair at least my normal dark brown color. However, my hair grows very, very quickly.  I think it took about a year to go from hair just below my ears to hair this long.  That may not seem like a problem but when you are a Chia Pet, you are going to have roots growing out so very quickly! I do NOT like the idea of roots showing. So, what to do? Well, I'm thinking I should just let it happen. I decided I will just gray gracefully. Truthfully, I only have about 4 of them but they are actually kind of pretty... so far.

I've decided to think of my new hairs as my "sparkle hair".  Doesn't that put a better spin on it? I also have a lot of freckles on my hands. I INSIST on calling them freckles, not age spots!  I always wanted freckles.  Now, I just need to think of a positive sounding name for wrinkles.  I always wanted dimples?  Maybe if I get enough sagging in my cheeks, some of it will sink inward. 

A little aside here... I recently met a patient with a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l dimple. When I complimented her on it she told me it was fake. I thought she'd had consmetic surgery to get it but that wasn't it. She'd been hit in the face with a firecracker as a child and it left behind nothing more than a deep and delightful dimple. When she told me that story I exclaimed, "Why couldn't I have been hit in the face with a firecracker?!"

Anyway, I'm not really fretting all that much about this aging process. I've not really claimed it yet. It doesn't seem possible that I am closer to 60 than 50 when I'm not even quite used to being in my 40s!  Does anyone else feel this way?

When I was young, I guess I figured older people felt like that was just who they were...an old person. I had no idea that inside that older person was someone wondering what happened to themselves? 

OK, I'm done rambling about aging. I don't have time for that business anyway.

On Getting Old

A friend of our's, who turned 90 this year, sent this cartoon with her Christmas card.  It cracked me up! 

In case you can't read it the words are:

I'm getting so old that all my friends in heaven will think I didn't make it.

Date Night Fright

So here's a funny horrible story.

Last night Mike & I went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had a very lovely time visiting and eating tasty food. Our waiter even talked us into a triple chocolate dessert, even though we were really too full for that. We ordered one to share. Romantic, huh?

A friend of our's happened by our table. She stopped and chatted and, knowing it was our anniversary, asked how many years we'd been married. It was a pleasant little visit. She went back to her own table shortly after our chocolate whatever dessert arrived. I know, I know this does not seem like a horrible story.  Just wait for it, though.

When we were all sweetened up on chocolate, our waiter returned with our check. He said he'd overheard it was our anniversary so he'd "taken care of" the cost of our chocolatey dessert. That was sweet, don't you think? I'm sure he didn't actually have it taken out of his paycheck or anything. I know the waiters get to do stuff like that sometimes. It is meant to build up grateful and faithful clientele. This still doesn't seem like a horrible story, does it? Well, horrible things usually happen when you least expect them.

Our waiter then said something about the anniversary he thought we were celebrating.

He thought it was our 55th anniversary!

55!

I truly hope Mike and I get to celebrate our 55th anniversary, but not until we are 75 years old!

Mike and I were likely looking a bit tired, but did we really look to be 75 years old?!

The dumbest part of the story is this.

I worried that he would feel so embarrassed and bad about his blunder...

...I gave him a big tip.

This is a very sweet photo of an unknown couple.

It is NOT us.

(Photo from Google Images via homesforheroes.wordpress.com) 

Odd Old Stuff

So, what is the weirdest thing you have ever saved?  I have saved a lot of odd items but here is my weirdest...

Do you even know what that is?








If you do, you might be as old as am I.






It is an old gym uniform.









It comes complete with built-in bloomers! 

This was my P.E. uniform when I lived in Minnesota in Junior High. Actually, I should call it a Phy (pronounced Fi) Ed uniform. Gym class is called P.E. here in the West but when we moved to Minnesota when I was in 6th grade I had to learn a new way to talk. P.E. was Phy Ed. and they kept talking about some weird place called the lavatory. I didn't know what that meant. 

Anyway, we were required to buy and wear these funny little things. I did not feel beautiful in it. So, when we moved away, why did I save it? I HAVE NO IDEA! Maybe I liked the color? Maybe I thought I would make it into something else? I don't remember. Now, I am just waiting for it to come back into vogue.

This is what I do know, though. Once you have saved something for over 40 years, you can't get rid of it. After all, what if some museum calls and wants it for a display? Wowsa, I feel kind of old.