Kathy's Corner

Heels and Bicycles?

I am amazed at the Italian people.  They have different ways of getting around that most of us would not consider.  For example, during our visit to Italy we had one female tour guide that gave us a historical walking tour of Florence.  When she came to our hotel to start the tour I noticed that she was wearing a very beautiful dress and 4 inch heels.  I on the other hand was wearing comfortable pants and flats.  So I wondered how she was going to handle walking around for 2 hours in those heels.  Then I discovered that she rode her bicycle over to the hotel.  Really?!!  I did not see a change of clothes anywhere.  I had to ask.  She explained that driving her car in Florence was not very practical as the streets are very narrow and there are many one way streets.  She further explained that if you were not careful with where you parked you could be subject to fines.  On top of that gas is around $12 a gallon.

She never answered my question about how she managed a bicycle with a dress and heels.  Maybe that is a secret that only Italian women know.  I am thinking of trying it just to see how it works.  But believe me it will be in the privacy of my driveway! 

Living with a Fashionista

Earlier this year Chuck and I took our grandson to the beach for a few days.  I was quite surprised to see that he was careful about his clothes.  He wore his ball cap everyday in a different position.  He also made sure his tee shirts matched his shorts.  And of course the sun glasses were the final touch.  So I wondered where he got his fashion sense.  Then it hit me, his grandfather!

As most of you know, Chuck has been entertaining us with his blogs about his fashion sense.  Believe it or not, it actually takes him longer to get ready in the morning then it does me!  Living with a fashionista means that I can never go out of the house without a full appraisal of my outfit and accessories.  And believe me that can be exhausting!  The up side is that I always feel my best which is a great boost to my confidence.  The down side is that my wallet suffers.  But I really can’t complain too much as it just means more shopping!

The End of Summer Vacation

 When I was young I remember that getting out of school at the beginning of summer was exciting.  I knew that there would be long lazy days filled with soft ball games, catching tadpoles at the creek and playing with all of my friends.  Most of all there would be no homework!  And I remember that it was three long months to have fun.  So when did all of that change?  Now the school session ends late in May and starts back the first of August.  That only leaves two months.  Admittedly there do seem to be more breaks in the school year but I am not sure that makes up for the full three months that we used to have. 

Of course I am recalling times when I was a child and not looking at it from the viewpoint of the parents.  To be honest I can remember whining to my Mom how bored I was and fighting with my brother and sister just for something to do.  So from my Mom’s viewpoint I am sure she was counting down the days for school to start just to get a breather.  Still, it does seem that we are continuing to shorten the summer vacation time each year.  It is like the holiday season when the stores put out the Christmas decorations in October sometimes before Halloween.  But that is another blog…….

The Joy of Believing in the Tooth Fairy

 Recently on a beach trip with my grandkids, I discovered the sheer joy of the tooth fairy.  We were sitting around the dinner table when all of a sudden I heard a cry of surprise from my granddaughter.  She had lost a tooth!  Now mind you this is not the first tooth she has lost.  So she knew all about the tooth fairy.  She became quite excited about losing her tooth as she just knew that the tooth fairy would be leaving money under her pillow.  Then she got a concerned look on her face and said, “I am not at my house so how will the tooth fairy find me?”  I assured her that the tooth fairy knew where she was and could travel to the beach to give her money.

The next morning there was 85 cents under her pillow.  My granddaughter was not concerned about the odd amount left overnight (which just happened to be all that her Grams had in her wallet).  She was happy that the tooth fairy had remembered her and honored her losing a tooth.  Watching her joy and faith in the tooth fairy made me realize that we all lose a very precious part of ourselves when we stop believing.  So I challenge all of you to start believing in the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny or any other mystical creature.  Maybe we will just start believing in ourselves and what we can accomplish.

I can’t believe my Mom wants a Facebook account

 I was talking to my Mom the other day about how technology has completely changed our way of communicating to each other.  I was telling her that I had started a Facebook account but had not really started posting much on it yet.  I told her that I was slowly easing into the whole social networking idea and how amazed I was at the people that seem to use Facebook with ease.  She was silent for a moment and then said that she had heard all about Facebook and thought she might want to have an account.  At first I was stunned.  After all she is turning 85 and has just recently upgraded her computer to receive pictures attachments with e-mails that her friends and family send her.    Then I stopped and realized that my Mom actually has an e-mail account and converses with family and friends all the time.  She has connections all over the country.  So what a great way to connect with people since she does not get to travel anymore.

So……if my Mom can do it then what am I waiting for?