old men and age defying make-up (for my Leah Maria!)

The other day I was at the grocery store minding my own business when I hear an old man's voice say, "sweetie, excuse me!" I naturally assumed he was talking to me and turned around. (I guess I hear the endearing term "sweetie" and think everyone is talking to me!) This cute, squishy old man was struggling to get out of his car and he said, "Yes, you! Can I ask you a question? Come over here!" (he is a New Yorker so it's in his blood to be harsh and blunt!) I slowly strolled over to his car and he said, "Honey, are you 14?" What?! was my first thought. I got a huge smile on my face (mostly because more often than not people think I am significantly younger than I really am) and said, "No sir, I am actually 25 years old!" The look on this cute old man's face was absolutely hilarious and it took everything inside of me to not bust out laughing right there. He stared at me for a few seconds as if to say, "I don't understand what you just said to me. It's not registering in my brain!" I think he realized he was dumbfounded by my response and he quickly said, "I was just telling my wife, I bet that little girl is 14 and he is going into the store to meet her mother!" I politely told him I had driven myself there and my mother was not even in the same state. To which he replied, "are you married?" I told him I was not but I was engaged to me married in May. He, again, blankly stared at me and said, "Well God bless you little girl and your upcoming marriage!" Meanwhile, his wife was rolling her eyes at him and quickly walking away from him to get a cart for their groceries.

The moral of this story: I look 11 years younger than I actually am! Now, as I said, I ALWAYS have people thinking I am quite a bit younger than I really am, but I would hope I at least look a little older than 14! The most common age range I get these days (usually) is 18-20! Most people think I am in my early years of college. I am thinking at this rate when I am 50 I will look like 25!

I guess my Mary Kay age defying make-up is really paying off! :)

New York Fall

I love fall in New York! It's like nothing I have ever seen before. The colors are soooo vibrant and beautiful! These pictures I am posting on here do not even do the colors justice. But I am going to post them anyway so you can get an idea of what life is like for me this time of year. All the flowers and plants in this post are from around my house.

With the change of seasons comes a change of landscape at 79 Brookby Road! I guess that's what you get when you pay $8,000 to have someone come change your landscape every season! The previous pictures and the ones to come are the newest addition! The summer flowers were gorgeous ... I guess I should have taken a picture of those to show everyone, but I didn't think about that and it's too late now. Anyway, apparently cabbage looking plants are very fall-ish because that's what is mostly around my house. Along with the potted yellow, purple, and orange flowers.

There is a tree/bush looking thing to the side of my house that is absolutely gorgeous! The pictures I have of this tree/bush do not, AT ALL, do the tree justice. The leaves on this tree/bush are a color of red I have never seen in my entire life. It's a bright, deep red color that is ... well ... AMAZING! I wish you could all come visit me at this time to see these colors for yourself. FABULOUS!

Well, I hope you enjoy these fall pictures! I am hoping to make it up/over/down/around to Vermont in November and hopefully the colors will still be vibrant. I hear there is a foliage drive you can take to Vermont that takes you on the back roads to show the amazing change of color. I would love to do that. Since my mom (and as a result, so do I) has family in Vermont, I am hoping to make it there before I leave this great state of New York! Enjoy the colors!

Pit Bulls, Lipstick, and Bridges to Nowhere

Last night was the vice presidential debate and I was once again reminded of how much I hate politics. I hate the labeling of democrats and republicans. It's almost like humans have the inability to see past those labels, therefore judging people based on those labels. It's sad, really. We can't have relationships or we refuse to have relationships with people just because they are a republican and you are a democrat, or the other way around. We have conditioned ourselves to these labels and we miss out on great relationships with people and having different experiences in our lives.

I wish we could just forget about democrats and republicans and be humans. We need to start being nice to each other and refusing to like people ONLY because they don't have the same political affiliation as we do. I like to give everyone a chance and believe they are good people until they give me reason to think otherwise.

Now, to be clear, just because I am saying these things doesn't mean I am completely throwing my values, beliefs, etc out the window. I know (only because I am forcing myself to watch the political debates) that republicans and democrats have different views on moral issues and, of course, other issues but does that mean that EVERY republican or democrat thinks the way their party typically thinks/believes? I don't think we have to be defined by these labels society has thrust upon us. I personally refuse to be defined by a republican/democrat label.

I have decided for myself that I am no longer going to be defined as a republican or democrat but rather just Laura ... the end. Maybe this officially makes me an independent or 'other' political party affiliate but I think I would rather that than have people not like me or refuse to be my friend or accept me as a human simply because I am a republican or democrat.

I am not so sure this is the way we were intended to live in this world. God didn't want us running around talking about "reaching across the aisle" like it's something noble to get along with another human because you are a republican and the other person "across the aisle" is a democrat. We should just get along because that's what we are called to do.

I refuse to let labels effect the relationships I could have or the people I could meet because I am too stubborn or judgemental to give someone a chance because they are affiliated with the wrong political party. I am getting rid of the political labels in my life and working on accepting everyone and their views ... even if I do not agree with them! Because there is a huge difference between accepting people's views and agreeing with their views ... but that's another blog for a rainy day! :)

Hurricane Laura

It has been brought to my attention that there is a hurricane Laura stirring up some trouble in the mid atlantic. Just to be clear for all of you seeing NATIONAL headlines saying things like, "Laura stirs up trouble in mid-atlantic" it's NOT ME! I am minding my own little business here in Scarsdale and have NOTHING to do with the trouble going on in the mid atlantic! :) Although, as many of you may agree, I do have hurricane like tendencies every now and again! Of course these tendencies seem to get larger and more frequent when cousin Jill comes for a visit to New York City. Even though I am sure cousin Ben would say we have hurricane tendencies ANYTIME we get together! On a lighter note, I decided to google Hurricane Laura just to be certain these headlines weren't about me (one can never be too cautious!) and found there is an alcoholic beverage called Hurricane Laura ... hmmmm ... I'm am beginning to wonder if there is more to this Hurricane Laura than meets the eye! Just a thought ... I am more famous than I ever imagined! I am attaching a picture of tropical storm Laura for the added proof I am causing no trouble here in New York! :)



note: for those of you who don't know me well or cannot tell from this blog ... I am totally kidding! My auntie sent me an email today b/c she saw a headline on her email homepage that said "Laura stirs up trouble in mid atlantic" and she emailed me teasing me about stirring up trouble ... which prompted the writing of this blog!

Twisted Sister

Oh We're Not Gonna Take It

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

oh We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

we've Got The Right To Choose And

there Ain't No Way We'll Lose It

this Is Our Life, This Is Our Song

we'll Fight The Powers That Be Just

don't Pick Our Destiny 'cause

you Don't Know Us, You Don't Belong

oh We're Not Gonna Take It

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

oh We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

oh You're So Condescending

your Gall Is Never Ending

we Don't Want Nothin', Not A Thing From You

your Life Is Trite And Jaded

boring And Confiscated

if That's Your Best, Your Best Won't Do

oh.....................

oh.....................

we're Right/yeah

we're Free/yeah

we'll Fight/yeah

you'll See/yeah

oh We're Not Gonna Take It

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

oh We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

oh We're Not Gonna Take I

tno, We Ain't Gonna Take It

oh We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

no Way!

oh.....................

oh.....................

we're Right/yeah

we're Free/yeah

we'll Fight/yeah

you'll See/yeah

we're Not Gonna Take It

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

we're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

we're Not Gonna Take It, No!

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

we're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

just You Try And Make Us

we're Not Gonna Take It

come On

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

you're All Worthless And Weak

we're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

now Drop And Give Me Twenty

we're Not Gonna Take It

oh Crinch Pin

no, We Ain't Gonna Take It

oh You And Your Uniform

we're Not Gonna Take It Anymore

--- Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It" ---

I love this song! I recently heard it and feel like it could really be a good fight song for us Christians. So I officially made it my fight song! :) I'm NOT going to take it anymore ... whatever "it" may be! I refuse to let "it" consume my life and I'm going to fight because I'm free ... free in Jesus! God has such a sense of humor ... who would have thought Twisted Sister was so inspiring? hmmmmm ...

Cave Crickets

About a month ago I was soundly sleeping and felt something moving around in my hair. I thought maybe my scalp was just itchy so I went up to itch it and it went away. Then a few seconds later I felt the same itchy feeling. So I, again, scratched my head but this time felt something a little different on my fingers. I jumped up out of bed, put my glasses on and turned the light on and THIS is what I found on my pillow ... right next to where my head was laying.

EEEWWWWW! It totally freaked me out. It was 2am and I started screaming my little heart out. I tried killing it but this little bugger jumps feet in the air and was ALL over the place. Which of course made me scream all the more because I thought it was going to start jumping all over me. I was wearing little shorts and a tank top and I decided to put my doc marten boots on to try and stomp on the nasty little guy and then I thought a golf club would be another great weapong to have. So imagine me in little shorts, a tank, doc marten boots, and a golf club running around my room and basement trying to kill this guy! Even I thought I looked ridiculous. Finally, I cornered him and smashed him against the wall with the golf club and I went to scoop him up with a magazine to flush him down the toilet and HE STARTED HOPPING ALL OVER THE PLACE AGAIN! I think it was a bionic cricket!

Needless to say this experience TOTALLY freaked me out and I asked the family I work for if I could sleep upstairs in the guest room until the exterminator came. I think Stuart thought I was ridiculous for wanting to sleep upstairs but Marcy was MORE than understanding and said she would not sleep down here either if it were her in my shoes. I thank God for Marcy not liking bugs either! :)

Lately, I have been finding little baby cave crickets in my bathroom and I think they have it out for me. Makes me wonder if I had their mama exterminated and now they are coming back for their final revenge. Well, unfortunately for them, I have gotten quite tough with killing them so I just go get my doc marten boots on and smoosh them into the tile floor in my bathroom. Plus, since they are little guys they don't have quite the hop their elders do so they are easier to handle. Annnnd, since the exterminator has come they never make it very far anyway because they end up dying soon after they try to get their revenge on me!

Ugh! I hate bugs that want to sleep in my bed with me!

Bernie

This is my job! This is what I get paid VEEEERRRRY good money to walk, take to the vet and groomer, take out to go to the bathroom, and just hang out with everyday. It's a good thing he is cute because he is the MOST stubborn dog (yes, Mom, probably even more than Roxy!) in the world. He is definitely a Scarsdale, NY dog. He gets treated better than the kids sometimes. It's very ridiculous and sometimes I get very fed up with Bernie and want to throw him in the trash, shut the lid tight and never turn back. Buuut he is too darn cute so I keep him around! This particular picture is of Bernie right after he has been groomed and I absolutely love Bernie right after he has been groomed. He is so soft and he doesn't smell! Bernie just got groomed yesterday so that's what prompted me to put this picture up. Most days I do not think I will miss Bernie when I am gone but then he looks at me with his wide brown eyes, cocks his head and comes to sit on my lap and I realize that I will probably miss him terribly when I leave here. Oh Bernie! As annoying as he is he keeps me company during the day when I am the only one home and he is ALWAYS good for a laugh!