Staycation random thoughts and musings

Tim and I have been on a 'staycation' for the past week. We've been off work since July 3rd and just couldn't decide what we wanted to do until we have to go back to work on July 13th. We rented some movies last weekend, like Madea Goes To Jail and Night at the Museum, we went out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We thought about going camping, then the weather got grey and cool for a few days so we decided not to. I really didn't feel like packing up to go camping, and fortunately, Tim didn't push it. Which is fine with me as I am not a huge camping fan. I am more a motel/hotel vacation girl. Anyway, Tim's son Michael got laid off from his job (hopefully he will be hired back soon since it's a job with the city, but he knew that once his year of temporary status ended as a meter reader, he'd be laid off) so he has some time off and he and Tim and another friend of Tim's decided to take our camper and boat and go to Eastern Washington about 5 hours away and go fishing for a few days. He left Wednesday, so it's been just me and dogs. It's lovely as I am a person who enjoys, relishes and craves time to myself! Yesterday, I went to the mall and bought some shoes at Macy's, went to the library to get a few books, took two big bags of clothes and clutter to the Goodwill (and came out with a book by Alexandra Stoddard "Daringto Be Yourself" for $1.99. I think it was written in 1990. )My friend Cindy has mentioned reading some of her books, and I just got one today from the library, something about decorating your home. I have also read some of Alexandra's articles in Victoria magazine. I just started reading "Daring" last night, and really like it so far, she has several different sections about clothing, gift giving, etc. I like her style of writing. Tomorrow I am going to meet some high school friends for lunch, we've reconnected again on Facebook. I am looking forward to that. I saw a few of them three years ago at our 30th reunion. The sun is shining and it's a gorgeous mid-70's. I just got back from Fred Meyer to get some groceries and I noticed a woman probably in her late 20's coming in as I was leaving. She had long dark hair and was wearing a beautiful pink cotton full skirt and an embellished pink tank top, with a pair of nicer flip-flops and long dangly earrings. She looked to be of Indian or Middle East descent. She looked very pretty and ladylike, we smiled at each other. I was wearing a dark denim Talbots knee-length skirt and a yellow peasant-style cotton tee shirt top with a colorful beaded necklace and brown nicer Hush Puppy flipflops with cute flowers on them. I wished now I would have stopped and told her how nice she looked, as I thought about it on the way home, I thought she and I were the only two women of any age I noticed today as I went to the library, McDonalds, optical shop and grocery store, who wore a skirt. I thought about how nice ladies of any age look when they wear a skirt or a dress, from professional like a skirt suit or business dress for office work to a long cotton gauzy skirt or a knee length casual pencil skirt. Women don't dress up anymore, at least not where I live. Clients I see at work, ladies I see while I am out running a few errands, at church, just out and about, so many women I see look bedraggled and tired, with little or no makeup, hair scraped back tight, wearing sweats or leggings or jeans....nothing wrong with jeans, I like darker rinse style blue jeans, bootcut or flared a bit, and have a few pair (and a few pair I am working on fitting back into!) and I wear jeans alot Fridays to work (as we have 'casual jeans' Fridays) and on the weekends. But I felt different today wearing my denim skirt and cute top and necklace, then I would if I just threw on a pair of capris or jeans. I know dresses and skirts aren't always practical, and there's the question of pantyhose...my view on that is that in a business office when you are wearing a skirt suit or nicer skirt, yes, pantyhose are required. I know there's a lot of strong opinions about that. One fun thing I've done this week on my 'staycation' is been able to have time to read some blogs I like, about women over 50 and fashion and I read an interesting piece about pantyhose or no pantyhose with lots of varying comments. I have worn longer skirts that cover most of my legs without pantyhose to work with nicer sandals in the summertime, but only if I have a great pedicure...if my toe polish is chipped forget the sandals. I would love to grab the ladies I see out and about, at church, at work, wherever, that look tired and worn out and colorless and well, not feminine at all, and just help them...be it with putting on a little bit of lipstick or a pretty top or something. I know around the house I tend to slob out in comfy pajama pants or sweats and old comfy sweaters or tank tops...but I feel I need to even step it up at home on the weekends some. My husband sees me mainly on the weekends, since he works swing shift now and I am days, so I should be more mindful about how I take care of my appearance around him. It's easy to get into the too casual, too comfortable rut with appearances, and I know that God doesn't look at the appearance but the heart, but I do think women feel better about themselves if they take a little effort to try to look nice, for their husbands or boyfriends or families or friends, but most of all, for themselves.
Well, that's my ramblings for right now. I am glad I still have three days left of my staycation. It's been so relaxing. Today for lunch I fixed a lovely salad with fresh large shrimp and tonight I am having a Lean Cuisine for dinner. No major cooking all week. Tim will be back tomorrow. I am planning to watch that movie about Jane Austen and her romance tonight (I can't think of the name of the actress who plays Jane but she's the one who was in Devil Wears Prada). A co-worker loaned it to me, and another friend at church loaned me Seven Pounds with Will Smith, so I am watching them both tonight!