Category Archives: Musings

Hair!

Musings,

My hair has gone through many changes over my lifetime  which is probably true for everyone — well most women, at least.  Since I first started making decisions about my hair, it’s been long  (to the middle of my back), short (pixie cuts), and permed (short, medium and long). It’s been highlighted and colored (self and professionally). I’ve used electric curlers, blow-dryers, flat-irons, curling irons, and Velcro rollers to style it. I’ve just left it to dry naturally. I’ve pulled it back in a ponytail. I’ve worn it in braids. I’ve had bangs and no bangs.

In the 1980’s I probably changed my hair-style every 6 months. A friend of ours, who we saw a couple times a year, commented that he never saw me with the same hairstyle one time to the next.

Thinking about it, I believe that my hair is a measure of my emotional state (or my emotional state dictates my hairstyle  — or both). In the 1980’s I think I was trying to figure out who I was, and tried on new hairstyles to see if I could discover the real me.

In the 1990’s I think I tried to have easy-to-care-for, but stylish hair because I had young children, but wanted to look fashionable.

In the 2000’s I think I wanted to avoid anything that would make people think I was trying to look younger than I was, so opted for shorter styles, and didn’t go to the stylist as often as I should have gone, especially when I took some years off work and went to part time. The less frequent visits to my stylist and the resulting not-so-nice hair put me in a funk which resulted in me not really “caring” about my appearance which put me in a bigger funk.

A few years ago I tried to grow my hair long again, but didn’t like the look — I felt that the length pulled my features down, so had Doug cut it short again and the funk continued.

Recently I thought I’d try long hair again, and this time learn how to use a flat iron or curling iron properly. Oh, and products. Lots of products. Doug has been very supportive (he has long hair himself) and thinks the long hair looks good on me. I think he’s right. I feel good about my hair and appearance again.

I bought a new curling iron and the first time I used it was wowed by the results. It takes a long time, so I don’t use it that often, but when I want to look glamorous I do take the time. Usually I just blow it dry (if that) and pull it back in a ponytail. Just knowing the glamorous me is possible is all that matters.  It feels good to feel good about my hair again.

Donut holes and circuit breakers

Musings
Senior Services Center Elgin, Illinois Photo by Seth Gaines

As you may or may not know, I paid a visit to my folks in Elgin for a week starting June 15th. I drove there in one day by myself — an act that received exclamations of awe from a few people, but, in reality was pretty simple because there was little traffic and the weather was perfect.

I spent a few days hanging out with my mom — helping her go through some things in her “junk room” so she could donate some of it to her church for a rummage sale. When we weren’t going through old treasures or being ignored at In The Neighborhood Deli we could very well be found at Senior Services in Elgin.

Mom had gotten a phone call from someone at Senior Services suggesting she might qualify for help paying for medications and other things. This is called a Circuit Breaker. She was supposed to bring some documents to the center. When we got there the woman she was supposed to talk to was busy, but another woman was able to help us. Unfortunately mom didn’t bring in the correct documents so we were told to bring them in the next day. Basically they needed to know Mom and Dad’s combined income for the past year. If it was under a certain amount they would qualify for reduced rate on medications, license plate fees and property tax.

When we arrived back home mom located her income tax form and noted she qualified for the circuit breaker, so the next day we went back to the Senior Services Center and the same woman helped us. Mom feels as if she doesn’t deserve this — that someone else, more needy, should get it — but we explained to her that she was not taking it from anyone.

All told we spent a good 3 hours at the lovely art deco building on the corner of Fulton and Grove. Mom’s not ready to participate in the other activities they offer (dance lessons, bingo, celebratory dinners and lunches). I can see her point — doing things for senior citizens makes one admit to being one. Mom’s always felt (and looked) a lot younger than her years suggest.

I did a little research on “circuit breakers” and “donut holes”*, but still need to learn more about those terms as well as the whole Medicare Part D. It is far too complicated and even more-so to the older population to which it applies.

*apparently a donut hole “is the difference of the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold. After a Medicare beneficiary surpasses the prescription drug coverage limit, the Medicare beneficiary is financially responsible for the entire cost of prescription drugs until the expense reaches the catastrophic coverage threshold.” (thanks Wikipedia)

Teatime

Musings, Things

I have too much tea. I’m a little afraid to count how many different kinds of tea I have for fear of embarrassing myself. There was a time when I’d proudly announce to guests that they had 13 different kinds of tea to choose from. This never got the impressed reaction I was hoping for — more of a blank stare than a delighted smile.

I started drinking tea when I was a young teenager — probably much later than some of you — but early for my kind. My folks drank coffee, which I refused to drink, but I loved my tea. I remember my Uncle Bud stopping by my parent’s house one Saturday morning and commenting on my tea drinking, suggesting I was too young.

I almost certainly took up drinking tea because of my Anglophilia. I devoured books about Britain, watched nothing but Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Masterpiece Theatre on telelvision, and dreamed of someday going to the United Kingdom and falling in love with a British man.

When I did visit the UK, tea was a fact of life. Every morning I drank my cup of PG Tips and every evening before bed I drank another with my host family. It was a time to talk and get to know each other a little more.

The year Dean and I moved to Pittsburgh is when I began to hoard tea. I’d always have a box of Lipton in the house as well as Sleepytime tea. I’d also have several different other varieties for a change of pace. After we moved to the DC area I bought more tea and felt that I always needed to have a dozen or so kinds of tea to offer people: Lipton, Assam, Constant Comment, Earl Grey, Jasmine (a favorite of Frances Lide), Sleepytime, Red Zinger, and so on.

Today I cleaned out part of the pantry and I uncovered my tea stash. Some should be tossed — they are a few years old, but some were bought just last week. I’ve decided to fill my wooden tea chest with a variety of teabags and have one type of looseleaf tea always available. I’d say I’ll get through this tea in no time — perhaps by the time Clare’s out of college. I also need to resolve to not buy any more tea until what I have is used up (or at least throw away a box for each new box I purchase).

Remind me to tell you about my teapot collection sometime…