Remember ...

If not now, when?

Friday 20 April 2018

Remembering


Hi my dahlinks, I'm so pleased you stopped by, so pleased you've spared me some of your precious time to pop in and see what I've been up to, for we're all busy, even in retirement. 
What have I been busying myself with? I hear you ask.

Well, I've been crying.  When the GB netball team won gold in the Commonwealth Games last weekend.  I'm an ex netball player, so it was great to  see them win their tight game by one goal in the last few seconds.  Squish squish, the tears rolled down my cheek.  It's OK, I wasn't wearing mascara,


so no Alice Cooper eyes on me, no panda eyes.  On that occasion at least.  Read on.
What else have I been doing?  I've been looking after my convalescing patient, who's doing really well.  I've been cooking him lots of tasty and nourishing little meals and picking up his normal quota of the household tasks.

During the time he was in hospital I was with him all day, every day and housework was reduced to the bare minimum.  So I've been playing catch-up in the last couple of weeks.  Not one to do things by halves, I've been on my deep cleaning programme.  If it's hard surface, it's been vacuumed, washed or polished.  If it's soft it's been laundered, so my whirlygig has been groaning under the weight of the house's entire complement of bedding, pillows and duvets, slip covers and curtains, cushions and throws. 
Yadda yadda ... You get the picture.  Deep cleaning.

Yup, that's what I've been up to, some pretty hard graft.  And as of this evening, Chez Pout is now ready for summer, and I'm ready for bed!

(You do need to know this, BTW, this isn't just mindless rambling)


What about you, readers?  Do you go through a marathon clean and launder period at this time of year?  Deep cleaning?  Spring cleaning?


So there's been no time for outings.  Except for one morning last week.
To create this.


Two cousins and I re-created the photo on the right.   Same place, same day, same time - just 63 years in between (I'm the 5 year old on the right).  I still remember vividly a few moments of this day .

I was surprised that without liaising, all three of us decided to wear the current-day equivalent of what we wore back then, right down to a three buttoned jacket - now that's attention to detail!  Did I say detail?  My cousin who's idea this was had even put yellow stickers on the slabs to guide us to our exact same spaces.  Except that we no longer fitted them. Hmmnnn.  63 years on and we'd grown a bit too big for our younger-self spaces so we had to spread out a bit!

Anyway, space issues aside, it was a super way to spend a Monday morning.

Have you ever recreated an old photo? I'd love to hear.


 So where are these ramblings heading?
Well, from the point when TP went into hospital I didn't wear make up.  Other things on my mind.  Then when he was discharged a few weeks later, I busied myself with his care and catching up with housework and spring cleaning.  Still no make up.  I went the longest period without make up in history  since I was 16.
But for this very special photoshoot, I decided I would wear make up.

Now, I've discovered that I'm not the sort of lady who looks at herself in the mirror too much.  Briefly first thing in the morning when applying moisturiser.  And if I remember,  even more briefly last thing at night just to check I've not got toothpaste on my cheek before getting into bed (oh yes, this has happened, what can I say, I'm a messy brusher).  But not much mirror checking in between.
(Trust me, you do need to know all of this too.)


 So the day after the photoshoot, around mid-afternoon, after having greeted the postman, updated the neighbour on TP's progress, gone grocery shopping, etc etc., I chanced to look in the bathroom mirror whilst washing my hands.

(Google image)

I had huge panda eyes.  And I had shown them to the world.

Then the penny dropped.  I'd gone to bed without removing my make up.  I'd totally got out of the habit of make-up removal at night.  And my aging brain had forgotten that I'd worn it for the special photoshoot.  Funny that I can remember vividly moments from a day 63 years ago but not what I did a few hours earlier ... note to self: up your blueberry intake, Pout (READ HERE).


 I wore make up again a few days later, but with the proviso that if TP saw me in bed drinking my Ovaltine nightcap and looking like Zsa Zsa Gabor, then he must vow to shove me right back into the bathroom again!


"Oh dahlink, I completely forgot I wore make up today!"


Now that I've got to the stage that I forget I'm still wearing make up at the end of the day, then maybe it's time to end the make up!


Now, your turn, sweet readers, has this happened to YOU?!


A la perchoine.

16 comments:

  1. I'm impressed with your deep cleaning and need to do the same. Glad to hear my favorite patient is getting better each day. That photo of you and your cousins is just precious, I love that you all re-created it! And of course your wit is always so entertaining!
    Hugs to you and TP!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. It was a real cleaning programme, I can tell you, exhausting! Though I'm sure your house doesn't need as much work as mine did! Yup, TP's surgeon gave him the go-ahead to drive on Wednesday and yesterday we got The Big Car out and he drove like billy-o! So flattered about the wit thing, thanks for liking the re-cre and my wit! Hugs, x

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  2. Sending lots of love to your household - don't overdo! You have more important things to worry about than cleaning house, like giving your patient lots of love...
    I quit wearing makeup, except for lip gloss, years ago, because anything I put behind my glasses was wasted, and I always felt like I was in jail because my eyelashes would leave stripes on my lenses... Not a good thing for my vision!
    hugs,
    Janice

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    1. Aw thanks, Janice, thanks for your love and your concerns! Oh I love the bit about striped lenses, I so get it. I'm a fellow jailbird! I've stuck with the mascara, though it's off-putting when the lashes bash on the lens. Hugs for the weekend, x.

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  3. Hi Mary, thanks for joining the #linkup. I too loved and played netball. Oh to be young enough to still play, I'd be worn out though! Have a happy weekend my friend. x Jacqui Mummabstylish

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    1. Thanks for hosting, Jacqui. Ahhh netball. A knee injury stopped me playing in my 40s, I played again ONCE in my 50s, and I WAS shattered but in my defence it was a very hot summer's evening. We'll have to form a slo-mo team! Happy weekend hugs, x.

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  4. Oh Mary how you make me smile! I feel so much better when the house is tip top clean. I have no doubt you are a natural beauty who does not need a bit of face paint and panda eyes do add character, like maybe Alice Coopers secret sista!!! I wanna play netball!! Love ya babe and love the picture Re-create!

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    1. So sweet, Andrea. I'm feeling pretty smug with my clean house too. Liking the secret sista bit! Oh sweetie, I can just see you on the netball pitch, dashing around in a short pineapple print skirt and looking so cute. The game SO needs you! Happy weekend hugs, x

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  5. Mary, I loved your cousin photo recreation! Great job. Hope your photographer is healing well. I know he has a good nurse.

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    1. Hi Susan, so glad you enjoyed the re-cre, I'm so pleased my cousin spotted the date on the back of the old photo. Thanks, the patient is doing well now - in hospital when he was being "bossed" by the nurses up said "You think THIS is bad? JUST yet wait till you get home!". Happy weekend hugs, sweetie, x.

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  6. Good to hear that TP is doing so well but don't overdo the cleaning there are much more important things in life. Love that photo of you and your cousins both the past and present. We have to grab these moments otherwise they are gone in a flash. When my father died a few years ago I had a photo taken of me and all my cousins as it was one of the rare opportunities for us all to be together. So glad I did.

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    1. Hi Christy, and thanks, TP still tires but is doin well. Oh believe me, the house needed a deep clean and it made TP happy to see the results, so it was a sort of therapy for him! Yes, you are so right about grabbing the opportunity, it's so easy to get caught up in the moment then only afterwards realise that the get-together would have made a fantastic photo for posterity. Happy weekend hugs my dear, x.

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  7. Oh dear I haven't laughed so much in days. I too have been guilty of panda eyes in public. I hardly wear mascara these days as it seems to irritate my eyes no matter what the brand. So nice to hear that your dear man is feeling better. By the way I'm not guilty of deep cleaning even though it needs doing. So please GB won the netball. The Aussies needed to share some gold around.

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    1. I am so pleased that I gave you such a good chuckle, Pieta. Perhaps because it brought back the memory of YOUR public panda eyes! I have sensitive eyes too but YSL false lash effect works for me, maybe give it a go? Oh Pieta, deep cleaning starts with a good motivator and mine was to create a dust-free home this time round and then I was like a little roadrunner in a pinni, picture that! Yes, you're right, the Aussies could afford to go without this one gold! Happy weekend hugs, m'dear, x

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  8. I've been doing deep gardening. You know even weeding a corner under the trees. Still masses to do but its an area that didn't get done last year. A friend told me on Saturday that she doesnt wear eyeliner now because of panda eyes. I just looked at her nodding, with my panda eyes as it was 10.30 pm. The worst is train track cheeks though and yes that happens to me by 7.45 am after I have arrived at the station and the cold air has set my eyes watering. I now put make up on on the train. Oh and what an organised photoshoot. I would love to reconstruct a pic. Maybe Ill do that with my brother one day.

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    1. I am most impressed, AM! Deep gardening is my next task ... delegating to a gardening firm! Oh so funny about all the eye smudgy stuff, love your train tracks story. Have you tried putting eye drops in first thing? You may be entering dry eyes territory. Yes, please do a recre-photo with your bro! Hugs my sweet twin, x.

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