Worry

To be a true Jewish Princess one must master more than kvelling, kvetching and spending large sums of gelt. The sine qua non of true JAPness is Worry. This is one area of JAPness that I excel in, although my dear mother had me beat by a mile.

Some of today's princess wanna-be's actually think one should not be sweating the small stuff and strive to forgo Worry altogether! A slap in the face of our proud Tradition!

Who knows what horrible things would come to pass if I stop worrying? I do not plan to find out...

:-)

Tropical Acres Update

I wrote a few days ago how special Tropical Acres, a true "Old South Florida" landmark for 62 years, is to me.  My place of choice for all dinners I want to remember. 

Yesterday there was a fire at Tropical Acres which damaged part of the 62 year old restaurant.   How sad for the 65 employees and the family that has owned the restaurant for its entire existence. 

And for us, its customers.

Please be back soon!

Miami Herald - Great Story

On a scale

This is my friend who always tells me the truth no matter how unpleasant. I bought my friend from a garage sale about 25 years ago for 25 bucks and it has served me fantastically well. I visit it every day even though sometimes I wish I could forget it. What it tells me directs my day a bit, sort of like checking my horoscope in the paper.


Thank you friend for keeping me on the straight and narrow!

Family Tree

I will always be grateful for finding Geni, the online family tree maker.  With the help of my family, we managed to trace our lineage back to Rashi and even further.  It was great fun, a family project, and set me on a "spiritual journey" of sorts. 

This is only a portion of the entire tree.  I'm the tiny white box in the lower right corner. 
I was very sad that I had no relatives on my mother's side going beyond her parents.  But I knew the name of one of her relatives, a Rabbi Stanley Halpern, and after googling him, I FOUND HIM!  Here's what he wrote:

Hi Evelyn -- We are indeed cousins, and I remember your visit -- which I guess is the joy of getting older -- I can remember things 45 years ago, but cannot remember where I parked my car. If I remember correctly, your grandfather (Sam) and my grandmother (Doris Halpern) were (half?) brother/sister. I vaguely remember your mother, Lee, but, unfortunately, not your father. And I do remember that you lived in Chicago. Am I right that you were an only child? Now that we are in the same area, it would wonderful if we could get together to fill in family ties. I am particularly interested in updating genealogy. I will also let my brother Marvin know that we have made contact. He now lives in San Francisco. I am looking forward to hearing back from you soon. B'Shalom Stanley

 

The Quest continues!

The Joy of Yiddish

What can I say about the joy of Yiddish? It is truly a pleasure to intersperse a word or phrase that only Yiddish can express correctly. It's a link to my ancestors and never fails to bring a smile to my face and everyone else's (even if I'm using one of the many expressive Yiddish curses).

You don't like my stuff???

KISH MER EN TUCHAS!!!
;-)

Supergirl

I'm definitely not Supergirl but I'm very happy that I don't need to take a single prescription drug.   So many of my fellow Boomers are starting to have health problems...

But I do take an assortment of vitamins.  I think of them as compensation for my somewhat erratic eating habits.  When I remember that is. 

I've been doing this for a long time and so far, so good.  I'll also give a shout out to my late Mom and Dad - thanks for the great genes that gave you long and healthy lives!

Life is good.

As Seen On TV

I'm sure everyone believes (or WANTS to believe) those too-good-to-be-true Infomercials on TV at least some of the time.  To help you out, I will share my Hits and Misses in the As-Seen-On-TV department.  Just a disclaimer, I have not actually bought any of these from the Infomercials, I either tried a friend's or got them from Big Lots or the discount As-Seen-On-TV store at the Festival Flea Market.

HIT
Spray On Hair.  Don't laugh, this product may not help a bald guy look like he has hair but it works GREAT for boosting thinning hair if you're truly in dire straits.  A girlfriend with brain cancer and severe hair loss used it and it worked wonders for her hair and her confidence.

MISS
The Buxton Purse.  Touted as being able to carry "everything" it did not even hold a fraction of my necessities without danger of exploding.

HIT
Snap On Pants Shorteners.  These actually stay on and work nicely on fallen pants hems.  Have yet to try them to shorten pants completely. 

MISS
Magic Mender Goo.  Oy! You can see the glue line through any fabric. 

HIT
Green Food Preservation Baggies.  Well, the lettuce did stay fresh longer but eventually it got old and yucky anyway.

MISS
Make Spaghetti by having it sit in boiling water.  I forgot what the thing was called but all you have to do is stick spaghetti in a bowl and microwave it for 12 minutes.

HIT
HD Lenses Sunglasses.  Definitely worth the $5.00 you can get them for at the Flea Market. I wear mine every day.

:-)

Altered States



Victorian Ev



These are me in altered states thanks to various photo editing and fun applications.

Wouldn't it be super cool to have an alternate life to go with each?

Would I trade my Reality for one of them?



Sophisticated Ev






Hot Young Thang Ev

 

Egyptian Princess Ev

Shabbat Shalom

I've been attending Friday night services at Temple "religiously" for the last 8 months, since New Year's Eve 2010.  In some ways this is a departure from my previous lifestyle, but in a more profound way, it is a "coming home", like I belong there and never really left. 

A translation of today's title is "the Peace of the Sabbath" and it is both a greeting and a wish. 

Attending services separates the frenetic pace of the workday week from the relatively slower pace of the weekend.  It's a time to pause, reflect, pray for sick friends, honor our departed loved ones, the victims of the Holocaust & the martyrs of the State of Israel, and be filled with gratitude for all our incredible blessings. 

It does indeed bring me Peace.

Shabbat Shalom!

Taste of Chicago

The kids sent a huge carton of frozen treats from Lou Malnati's. What a surprise!  They know I have a soft spot for deep dish Chicago pizza and Long Grove apple pie and carmel-cheese corn from downtown and Vienna all-beef SuperDawgs. I could not imagine more thoughtful and loving kids and I would hate it if they knew The Truth.

Its not the food I miss (and Lord knows no matter how carefully I follow the directions the stuff never tastes exactly right).   Because if I'm not actually IN Chicago it's just not the same.

The yummy part of the carmel-cheese corn is smelling it wafting down Randolph and Wabash. The delectable joy of the deep dish is eating it in the dark cave of Gino's East off Michigan Avenue and knowing I am in the coolest place on Earth.  And the SuperDawg will never, ever be as good unless I'm looking up at Mr. and Mrs. Dawg on Milwaukee Avenue.

But don't tell the kids!

My Tunes

I am a complex, multi-faceted individualist with a wide variety of eclectic tastes.  If you don't believe me, you have only to visit the iPod app on my phone for irrefutable proof  ;-) 

I own 13 tunes that I actually paid real dinero for (99 cents to $1.39) and 4 more I keep bookmarked on youtube for free. 

Reggae
Can't Help Falling in Love - UB40
Girl I Want To Make You Sweat - Inner Circle
It Wasn't Me - Shaggy (oh my goodness!)

Pop/Rock
The Game of Love - Santana
I'm Easy - Keith Carradine
I'm Easy - Teresa Carpio (I bought the wrong version accidentally)
Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry
Let's Groove Tonight - Funk Classics

Rythm and Blues
The Long and Winding Road - Paul McCartney
Someday Soon - Judy Collins
Key Largo - Bertie Higgins

Country
Good Old Boys Like Me - Don Williams
That's What I Love About Sundays - Craig Morgan

Soul/Gospel
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Show Tunes
Bring Him Home - David "Dudu" Fisher from Les Miserables

Unable to be Classified
Lake Shore Drive - Aliotta, Haynes & Jeremiah

 - - -

HaHaHa! I'm all over the place!

Hurricane Season

Mother Nature reminds us that we pay a price for living in Paradise - hurricane season.

As I wait for the updates from NOAA that are tracking Hurricane Irene's march to South Florida, I'm remembering the 1948 classic Key Largo  starring Bogie and Bacall about falling in love and having big scary adventure in the midst of a hurricane. 

Of course that leads me to think of that 1982 tune of the same name Key Largo about falling in love in a cold climate (probably  Chicago!)

Back to reality, the 5 am advisory is out.  Irene may miss us by a short hair! 

Life is good.

Sundays

 Great Country Song - That's what I love about Sundays
Alternate link

I don't go to Church (though I appreciate those who do) but I certainly share Craig Morgan's sentiments about Sundays.  Sundays are for sleeping a little later, getting my nails done, Popeyes Fried Chicken or maybe BBQ, watching Da Bears, a swim or a nap, seeing the snowbird cousins, calling the kids, going out for ice cream.

Yep, it's my day for guilty pleasures. 

That's what I love about Sundays ;-)

Compatibility Test

A friend sent me a fun FaceBook app to see which of my friends I'm most compatible with. Although I might question the percentages, the 21 friends it returned are high on my list of choices to hold my hand if I am being wheeled into surgery or to be stranded with on Gilligan's island.


My BFF died five years ago and while giving her eulogy I mentioned that we were dissimilar in many ways. She shopped at Fields while I frequented thrift shops. Her house was a mess (think health hazard) while mine was always neat and clean. She loved to camp out and scuba dive and I love soft sheets and bubble baths. She cleaned out her 401K to buy a big screen TV while I faithfully socked away the maximum every year. Yet we were true kindred spirits, compatible in every way that counts.


I think you know immediately or really soon when you have met a new friend. And if you're truly compatible, that friend will be here to stay.

Me and My Blue Jeans

Today is Friday (yay!) and not just any Friday - it's One-Month-Limited-Time-Offer-From-My-Employer-To-Wear-Blue-Jeans Friday!  This is a small but happy treat for us employees who have a dress code policy to look professional every day.

I once read a ad from the Levi Strauss company that asked "Have you ever had a bad time in Levi's?"  Silly ad but they kind of had a point - if I'm wearing jeans I can't be at work so where would the "bad time" come from?  Just kidding of course, one can have a bad time wearing anything - or nothing at all ;-)

Guess what?  I do feel better in blue jeans.  It does make the day happier.  Even though I am no spring chicken, there are no "Mom" jeans for me and no imitation jeans with elastic waists.  Also no three-digit-price-tag jeans (preposterous!) and in fact, no jeans over say $15. 

TGIF!

Friend Matrix

This is my Friend Matrix:

It consists of my 100 or so Facebook friends, a geat number of whom I (sadly) have never actually met IRL (in real life) or have not seen in years (we're talking decades here).  Yet they are indeed part of the matrix that is my life and I do so love their news, opinions, pictures, links, causes, and any other meaningful or meaningless trivia they chose to share. 

Ok you have to be careful out there in the virtual world.  But Facebook has been very very good to me ;-)

Life is Good.

My Ride

I replaced my 2006 Hyundai Sonata with a new 2011 Hyundai Sonata about a month ago.  I love my new car!

It ocurred to me that the reason I like it so much is that it is a lot like me.  It's basically a simple, easy-to-maintain model spiffed up with a slightly sporty exterior.  It's Gold (actually "camel pearl") like my name and comes with a few nice features but not too many gizmos.  It has a great warranty and I am pretty sure it will be around for the long haul. 

It makes a statement about its owner too - I don't need a lot to make me happy but I want to be proud of what I do have. 

The fact that it comes from Korea has nothing to do with it!  I think my second choice would have been that spiffy looking Chrysler 200. 

Tropical Acres

It's our anniversary (42) and I hope to visit Tropical Acres tonight aka "the land that time forgot".  It's truly a throwback to another era - white tablecloths, a guy playing the piano, waiters and waitresses dressed in black and white uniforms.  It's as old as me, started in 1949 and it is super fun to see their collection of menus (and prices!) evolve through the years.

There is only one Tropical Acres, thank goodness.  I would hate to see one in every mall.   It's remarkably similar to some of the restaurants shown in the old (I'm talking black and white here) 1940s and 50s movies, the kind of place you go to after a graduation or to meet the mechutonim  for the first time. 

When I was a little girl, I would imagine well-to-do couples dining at a place like Tropical Acres.   I knew that if I were very lucky, someday my doting husband would take me there for our anniversary  :-) 

Tropical Acres Website

PS  Did I mention the food is fantastic, the prices very reasonable and they have the two Maine Lobsters (pre-cracked of course) special in August?

Wrinkles

I read a funny post on FaceBook from a new "friend" I don't know.  It said "My mind thinks it's young but my body knows it's lying".  Cute, huh? 

I (like everyone else in the world) think I look fantastic (for my age of course) but this weekend I caught a glimpse of myself in an unflattering pose.  (Tip: only look in the mirror if you are standing up straight and looking right at it.)

Don't you hate those little glimpses of Reality? 

;-)

Fran and Me

I really like Fran Drescher's new show "Happily Divorced".  Surprising to me because I can't say I really cared for "The Nanny".  I like the idea that love, even romantic love, comes in many shapes and sizes and everyone's idea of "happy together" can be different.

That said, I still wish the Nanny would have married a nice Jewish boy
;-)

Real Life Fran talks about her gay ex

Caffeine and Me

Well, actually it's Coffee and Me.  I've been drinking it, black (no fancy schmancy stuff), since I was 13 and it is such a ubiquitous part of my life I scarcely notice it.  Unless of course, I don't get it.  That would be bad.  Weekends I drink about 3 cups a day and on work days it's at least 8 cups (a whole pot spread throughout the day).  Do I crave the caffeine (I must 'cause I get a headache if I don't get it) or the ritual or the warm stuff circulating through my bloodstream?  In any case, it's my "drug of choice".

;-)

Curve Ball

Sometimes Life throws you a curve, something you never saw coming, something you never dreamed of, something that makes you see the world differently and something that lets you know your life will never be exactly as it was before...

Change

Five and a half weeks without a haircut prompted me to do something risky - try a new hair stylist.  I've been going to the same one, Laura, for years, even when she transferred miles away to Coconut Creek.  Every four weeks, on Saturday, I would drive out for my haircut.  But with so much to do, I missed my regular cut last week. 

So I tried my nearby SuperCuts ($15 bucks + $4 for a shampoo, not bad) and guess what?  I LOVE my new cut!  

A tiny little risk, I know, but hey, Big Adventure for me.  I am proud of myself ;-)

Life is Good.

Blog-O-Sphere

Do you think it might have been beneficial to have visited a blog or two before starting my own?  Would you believe I had never seen one before today?

But now I have discovered the "next blog" button on the top of the screen  and have been around the world via OPB (Other People's Blogs).  The posts are about the same size as mine and it seems that none of the bloggers are leading TOO exciting of lives.  So I can feel good, I am just one of the bunch ;-)

Many bloggers write about their babies.  It seems to be the most popular topic.  I will continue exploring...

Life is Good.

I'm back

Ok so I deleted you for a day or two.  I was suffering from writer's block.  Actually the only things I could think to write about were kind of yucky.  Too much watching the news.  Losing the 30 Navy Seals was especially heartbreaking. 

The news is depressing but anyone who lives long enough (61 will do) knows that this too shall pass.

Life is Good.

Tea Party

I am definitely an independent (with conservative leanings) but I must admit I was super impressed with Tea Party activist Jennifer Stefano after seeing her on the news today.  Such a beautiful, accomplished lady, very articulate and well informed.  Belies any "blond" joke, not that I believed them anyway.


Not that I'm joining the Tea Party activists any time soon, but I plan to keep an eye on this lady. 


Shopping today!  Have 25% off coupon at the Penney's Outlet.


Life is Good.

TGIF

Yay!  The Dow looks like it's maybe rebounding a little from the 513 point plunge of yesterday.  The country certainly could use a small confidence boost and I know the folks here at work could also.  The 10% paycut and proposed changes to the pension plan and  benefits have really changed the atmosphere here at my Dream Job. 

I try to pretend I am just applying for my job with the current state of affairs.  I must admit it is still great to work on projects I care about, with people I like (a lot) and with great "fringe" benefits.  Still my Dream Job.

Life is Good.

The Great Depression

My Dad, who lived through the Great Depression, told me it was a scary time - people's homes were foreclosed, cities went bankrupt and people could not find work no matter what.  Scared the heck out of me!  He told me it would never happen again because the government put in controls to prevent it from recurring.  I am pretty sure we are seeing at least a glimpse of what he saw...

Today's mission - install Outlook at Public Utilities. 

Life is Good.

Dear Diary 2011 Version

I kept a diary from 1964 through 1967 when I was a teenager.  It had all my adventures, friends, feelings and best of all - it chronicled my "love life" from first kiss to becoming engaged.  


I didn't even sneak a peek at it for 42 years, but when I did, it made me smile!  I see the girl I was and even more amazing, I see that the woman I am now is not so different from that girl.


Life is Good.