Phyllis,

How kind of you to ask. Mom has done it all. Abstract, impressionism, expressionism, collage, en plein air, portrait work, figurative work. Large canvas and small. I think her abstracts and collage are where she shines. Lately she has been working on portraits and most recently, she has moved more toward the Figurative - in the Impressionistic style. Perhaps I can post a link of some of her work, and maybe even a photo of her, over the weekend. I’ll hit your "reply" button so you’ll know. Best,           

In person … I’ll start with someone we are all familiar with:

Catherine Deneuve. It was 1986. It was the launch of her perfume, Deneuve. It was a chypre scent - earthy, green, sensual. Really nice. Anyway, I just happened to be at Nordstrom in South Coast Plaza. All of a sudden there was a "buzz" in the air. I turned, and there was Catherine Deneuve, walking down the aisle (in my direction), male escorts on either side. She was dressed in a black ensemble, wearing pumps with a stacked heel, and carrying a very smart looking handbag. She was beautifully "done" - hair, makeup, the works. She looked so elegant. I was just stunned.

Now on a personal note - it would be my mother. Especially when she is painting. I love to watch her as she mixes her lush palette of oils, then as she works on the canvas. She is so passionate in her painting; I find her especially beautiful at those moments. She gets so involved in her painting that she forgets to eat until hours later. (She is Spanish and Apache. She has the personality of Sally Field, Shirley Maclaine, Ann Bancroft, and the dark flashing eyes of Natalie Wood.) I’ll call her and ask her, "Mom, have you eaten?" And she says, "No, I’ve been painting for hours. I’ll take a break and eat now." And I know she’s very happy.                  

Carol,

One more thing to add to my initial reply: Surround yourself with people who support you in your endeavor. You don’t need anyone discouraging you.   

Carol,

May I share a few things that I have found helpful:

First, once you decide on your new business idea, replace those thoughts that you hear ("You’re too old, it’ll never work, etc.") with new ones: "I am becoming an interior designer" (or whatever it is you are pursuing). "Today I will spend at least thirty minutes (or an hour or whatever) doing something that will further myself in my new career." Things like that. Tell yourself that you are an interior designer (or whatever it is) in the making. Read everything you can on the subject, attend lectures, read articles, magazines, attend school, surround yourself with people in the business, etc., etc. Just move in that direction, spending maybe thirty mintues a day at first, then an hour a day, then two hours a day, etc. and one day you will become the dream. Live it each day. Do what you have to do to get there. Tell yourself each day that you are become a graphic designer, a paralegal, an attorney, a website designer - whatever it is you want to be, and believe it, and live it! One day you will be there.

Also, the SBA has lots of resources. They have a program called SCORE which is a counseling and assistance program. They will pair you with one or two retired professionals who worked in your field. It is a wonderful program. They can help you make a plan, and stay on track. Just look up SBA or call 800-827-5722. They really are concerned with helping people reach their goals.

I hope this helps. You can do it. Believe, and don’t stop. Best,       

Phyllis,

Your post had me laughing out loud. I swear - I’m alone in a room, laughing out loud. I so needed that.

I was born in Indiana, and I can only image. But what got me was "We got lost in New York and ended up in Harlem … " Too funny. I would love to know what the "neither of us knew it at the time" part was. Perhaps it will surface sometime. As always, part of your charm. Best,  

C jay,

Thank you for your two posts here. Very kind and so generous of you. I really appreciate it.

I’m on the hunt for olive oil now! I know I’ll enjoy it - both the hunt and using it. Best,   

Hi C jay,

Perhaps you’ve already checked, but Amazon has a nice selection of Jean Louis Scherrer perfumes available. I have purchased perfumes from Amazon (when there was a fragrance I could not get in the states), and was very pleased with the transactions. Hope this helps. By the way, any special olive oil you would suggest? - I’m intrigued with the idea of trying it out as a moisturizer. Love that idea. Best,  

S.J.

I’m not buying it, but we’ll see.

Yvonna,

Which news report do you have that says she is NOT under investigation by the FBI?!

Patty,

This is exactly what I was referring to. Thank you for the link. Thank you for putting it out there for all to see. 

Here is the reason Sarah Palin is resigning: Sarah Palin is under investigation by the FBI, for corruption.

A company that has a contract from Alaska for a pipeline - this company did a lot of work on Sarah’s house for her.You’ll be hearing a lot about this in the near future. That’s all I have to say for now.  

Hi Nancy,

When I was in my 20’s, "sense of humor" was not one of the qualities on my potential boyfriend "must have" list. How was I to know what would be important to me 30 years later. Further, how was I to even guess that I would be with the same guy 30 years later. But I guess I just got lucky. If I were "looking" now, a sense of humor would certainly be on my checklist. Way up on top!

I hope you have a pleasant day tomorrow, the 4th. And that you can find a way to stay out of the heat. I myself can’t wait for Meryl Streep’s movie to come out - the one where she plays Julia Child.

Best,    

Phyllis,

I so appreciate this post. Thank you for sharing what Joe said. That (he) said it all. Anyway, your words came at just the right time for me. I always want to appreciate this in my man, and never want to take it for granted (his ability to make me laugh) - or him for that matter. It’s nice to have a gem come, seemingly out of nowhere, to remind us of how fortunate we are. Thank you.

Tomorrow I will spend the 4th with my man and my mom. The three of us. We are going to Laguna Beach. We’ll see some art, take some photos, have dinner, a glass (or two) of champagne! and watch the fireworks. Should be a nice day. I’ll toast to you and Joe, and hope that you are having a wonderful day together. Best,         

Phyllis,

" … but in the end it’s this exceptional creature … what more could you ask for?"

You packed quite a punch in those lines. A man who makes you laugh like that. How wonderful is that. (Mine does too!) Yours must must be a gem. And I’m sure he says the same of you.

Best,

Hi, Frannie,

That’s what I’m afraid of: " … and then it will be business as usual … "

I think Obama knows what needs to be done. This is off the subject of Bernie, but take health care, for example. I think Obama is afraid he can’t get it through Congress. So he compromises a bill for the sake of getting it done. I guess that’s better than nothing. At least it’s something. But then, it depends on what the "something" is. Anyway, I share your views about Bernie M.

Good to see you. Hope you have a nice 4th.