WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS…..

I AM BACK! I want to thank all the well wishers and those of you who sent prayers my way after the surgery. I also want to thank all of you who inquired as to my healing progress and provided needed encouragement. That first week was like Hell on earth because I couldn’t take pain medication but each day after that week brought a little bit of hope that things would get better. I especially want to thank my sister who is not only my photographer/proof reader for this blog but became a full time care taker for me, my dog, my house and my flowers for 6 weeks. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I think the title of this blog is so appropriate considering what I have just been through but on the bright side, if there was ever a summer to have major surgery this was the summer. Between the virus and the extremely hot, humid weather, I would not have ventured out much anyway. I read, did jigsaw puzzles, watched movies and napped. I once read on a poster “When I was a child I thought nap time was punishment. Now it’s like a mini vacation”. I was sorry that I couldn’t get a blog out earlier this summer because I have so many cute summer clothes. I decided that I would still show some of them in this blog and the next. If you recall from a past blog, I do not adhere to the “NO WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY” rule.

The saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. However, because of my sulfite allergy, I cannot have any foods or drinks that contain lemons, limes or grapes. So I prefer the saying by Ron White, “When life gives you lemons make lemonade then try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka and have a party”. Vodka I can do. I decided to do a blog on fashionably fruity clothing. I recently read a women’s magazine that pictured a two page spread on citrus infused outfits and accessories. The title was “Chic and cheerful in citrus” and I loved it all. Every year designers inject zing into summer styles with reinventions of fruit inspired fashions which are always on trend. I started thinking, what is it about looking at fruit that makes us cheerful? Renoir, Picasso and especially Cezanne painted famous stills of fruit in bowls or on a table. What made them so popular? I think it is because anything in nature related to spring and summer create feelings of renewal, refreshment, and hope springs eternal. Summer fruits are emotional reminders that happiness lies in simple pleasures. We find summer outfits with fruity patterns to be refreshing.

Before we go on with the topic of todays blog, I have a bone to pick. Every once in a while I read a description about a fashion piece and I say to myself, “The writer clearly does not consider the age range of it his/her readers”. For example, there was a picture of a medium length, olive colored blazer worn by model Cindy Crawford. In the description of the blazer, the writer states “….the lapels act like an arrow that points to and showcases the smallest part of the torso”, meaning the bottom of the lapels point to her little waistline. Clearly this article was not meant to appeal to me. I am no Cindy Crawford but I remember reading that inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate. My inner Cindy Crawford has been well sedated. My belly certainly does not need to be highlighted. I once read a poster that perfectly describes my belly, “I learned how to belly dance today, I didn’t have to do much. I just gave it a little shake and the darn thing started dancing all on its own”.

The fruit I will be highlighting today will be lemons and pineapple. The color yellow is my favorite color because it reminds me of sunshine and it is a color that goes with just about any other color. I took a picture of my yellow bicycle yard decoration below.

Sorry about the neighbors cars in the picture. I didn’t have the nerve to ask them to move them. Anyway, when I put flowers in a container or with a specific yard decoration, I always consider how all the colors look together. The nice thing about the yellow bike is that every color goes with it so I could put any plant I wanted to into the back basket. In the small front basket I put a multicolored solar light. I usually have summer flower baskets hanging from the Shepard hooks but between the heat and looking less than appealing from maturing at the end of the summer I put these wall decorations up until I buy my fall flowers.

So let’s get started with my fruit enhanced clothing. There is one thing to remember. Too much fruit is neither good for your digestive system nor for a fashion statement. Carmen Miranda (hopefully some of you know who this is) wore a lot of fruit on her head but it looked OK because she kept it isolated to one part of her body. Be careful not to have too many competing fruits or you will look like a fruit salad.

Well, that is it for this blog. As far as my weight, I am not doing badly considering I was home bound for so long. I did not gain the quarantine 15 because my diet these days is limited. I cannot do sulfites which means pretty much nothing made with preservatives, no herbs, no spices, etc. I am having some breathing problems and dairy seems to make it worse so I gave up dairy.

Now for a recommendation on something other than fashion. If you haven’t already seen it you should go to YouTube and watch KD French, a gospel singer who sings both lead and backup vocals in a song called “ The Fridge Again”. It is so funny! So let me leave you with these wise words, DON’T LET AGING GET YOU DOWN. IT’S TOO HARD TO GET BACK UP!

Remember, God loves you and so do I!