OK, here we go. Something a bit off the usual track for me.
I've been feeling like making a change for quite some time, and my recent birthday kicked it into higher gear. I'm not happy with the way I dress or look. I'm trying to find a look that is appropriate for someone my age (i.e., old) and dumpy, but that still reflects who I am. I want to look nice, but still be myself and be comfortable in my clothes and shoes.
My daughter and I were at the mall recently (the first time in history that I bought something and she got nothing). I bought a summery skirt in bright colors, a long red top to wear with capris, a 3/4-sleeve top, and a brightly colored short-sleeve top, as well as some new perfume. I'm thinking of letting my hair grow as well (it helps that I don't yet have a local hairdresser!).
I've been a comfort-over-style sort of person for a long time. I dressed appropriately for work, but the other day, I realized that I was tired of dressing like a teenage boy in baggy shorts and oversize T-shirt since we moved. Since we are starting a new life in New Mexico, I decided to include a new way of dressing as part of my new life. Hence the new clothes and perfume. Besides, if I'm ever to find a new guy to share my life with, I need to look attractive.
Although I enjoy watching "What Not To Wear" on television, I don't agree with the hosts' belief that women should always be decked out in fancy clothes for a trip to the grocery store or to take the kids to the park. I believe there is a middle ground; I just need to find mine.
I had lunch today with my Albuquerque Realtor, and I decided to wear the new skirt. I'm short and, while not overweight, I frequently feel as though I'm shaped like a jar of peanut butter, with no real waist. But I put the skirt on, added a white summer top, turquoise jewelry and white sandals, and I looked pretty darn good.
So I'm trying to find a new look that's right for me. That isn't easy, given the fashion world's emphasis on the young, tall, skinny crowd. I'm not even sure what 'look' will look best on me. I don't want to dress like an eccentric old lady, but I want to look nice and appropriately dressed, and without a lot of fuss.
Maybe I'm seeking the impossible. Are my choices limited to 'frumpy', 'eccentric' or 'too young'? Stay tuned as my efforts continue.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Practicing Appreciation
Last week, I received an e-mail from Sunflower Farmers Market, a chain of grocery stores in six western states that sells wonderful produce (and other food, too) at great prices. 'Practicing Appreciation' was the title of a piece about the wonders of good food. The message was that we should stop and think about all the people who work to produce the wonderful food and drinks we take for granted.
That started me thinking. I'm not at all a 'foodie,' and haute cuisine is lost on me. But the idea of practicing appreciation is one that hits home. I'd bet that most people are like me: we seldom give a thought to where our food comes from and who produced it. I do read labels for ingredients and country of origin, and I won't buy products produced by or grown in certain countries. But I am pretty much oblivious to those who work to bring us the bountiful food we enjoy.
In addition to appreciating those who produce our food, I also was reminded of the value of appreciation recently, as I spent my birthday with my daughter. She set her alarm for 4:30 a.m., got up, woke our dogs up, fed them and let them outside. When I woke up at 5:30, one dog was asleep in her bed in my room, while the other was in my daughter's room as usual. I couldn't figure out why they were in no hurry to get up. Only later did I realize what she had done. As I lay in bed reflecting on her gift, I felt a great sense of appreciation. Later, she cooked breakfast for me, and we then spent the day together, exploring some new places not too far from home in New Mexico. I consciously appreciated the time we spent together, knowing that what I chose to do that day wasn't something that interested her. But she spent the day without complaint. And I appreciated that.
It is so easy to overlook the little things, such as a thoughtful act or time spent with a loved one. Knowing that my daughter made a special effort to do something for my birthday by getting up extra early (as a teenager, she loves to sleep late) made me truly appreciate her act of kindness.
Like any habit, appreciation can be fostered through practice. The more we practice appreciating something or someone, the more likely we are to find more things to appreciate. Eventually it should become second nature to actively appreciate those around us. I try to tell my daughter when she does something that I appreciate, such as washing the smoothie maker one night so I didn't have to clean it the next morning. I did appreciate her effort, but if I didn't tell her, how would she know?
It is so easy to let our feelings of appreciation go unspoken, or not to even realize that we should appreciate something. Yet the simple act of practicing appreciation can change both the recipient and the giver of appreciation. Think how good it feels when you know that someone appreciates something you have done or said. Today, my daughter was busy when it was time to feed the dogs their evening meal (this is one of my daughter's daily responsibilities). So I fed them. In a few minutes, she came in to feed them, realized I had taken care of this, and thanked me for feeding the pups. What I did by feeding the dogs wasn't a big thing, and it took only a few seconds. But knowing that my daughter appreciated my help made me feel good.
Being more appreciative, and showing my appreciation, is a habit that I will work on. So many things, and people in our lives, are taken for granted. Think how much nicer our world would be if we all told others how we appreciate them.
That started me thinking. I'm not at all a 'foodie,' and haute cuisine is lost on me. But the idea of practicing appreciation is one that hits home. I'd bet that most people are like me: we seldom give a thought to where our food comes from and who produced it. I do read labels for ingredients and country of origin, and I won't buy products produced by or grown in certain countries. But I am pretty much oblivious to those who work to bring us the bountiful food we enjoy.
In addition to appreciating those who produce our food, I also was reminded of the value of appreciation recently, as I spent my birthday with my daughter. She set her alarm for 4:30 a.m., got up, woke our dogs up, fed them and let them outside. When I woke up at 5:30, one dog was asleep in her bed in my room, while the other was in my daughter's room as usual. I couldn't figure out why they were in no hurry to get up. Only later did I realize what she had done. As I lay in bed reflecting on her gift, I felt a great sense of appreciation. Later, she cooked breakfast for me, and we then spent the day together, exploring some new places not too far from home in New Mexico. I consciously appreciated the time we spent together, knowing that what I chose to do that day wasn't something that interested her. But she spent the day without complaint. And I appreciated that.
It is so easy to overlook the little things, such as a thoughtful act or time spent with a loved one. Knowing that my daughter made a special effort to do something for my birthday by getting up extra early (as a teenager, she loves to sleep late) made me truly appreciate her act of kindness.
Like any habit, appreciation can be fostered through practice. The more we practice appreciating something or someone, the more likely we are to find more things to appreciate. Eventually it should become second nature to actively appreciate those around us. I try to tell my daughter when she does something that I appreciate, such as washing the smoothie maker one night so I didn't have to clean it the next morning. I did appreciate her effort, but if I didn't tell her, how would she know?
It is so easy to let our feelings of appreciation go unspoken, or not to even realize that we should appreciate something. Yet the simple act of practicing appreciation can change both the recipient and the giver of appreciation. Think how good it feels when you know that someone appreciates something you have done or said. Today, my daughter was busy when it was time to feed the dogs their evening meal (this is one of my daughter's daily responsibilities). So I fed them. In a few minutes, she came in to feed them, realized I had taken care of this, and thanked me for feeding the pups. What I did by feeding the dogs wasn't a big thing, and it took only a few seconds. But knowing that my daughter appreciated my help made me feel good.
Being more appreciative, and showing my appreciation, is a habit that I will work on. So many things, and people in our lives, are taken for granted. Think how much nicer our world would be if we all told others how we appreciate them.
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