Who Made These Decisions?

World Decision Number One: I've recently wondered who in the world decided that it would be women who would shave their legs and underarms. Not that I find it attractive for women to be ape-like. Do we really believe that it was the woman who came up with the idea to spend the rest of her life keeping her legs & underarms smooth? Why didn't this person also think that the whole arms would look more attractive smooth? I wonder if the creator of this trend ever regretted starting this. I have to wonder -- was it even a woman who came up with this activity?

World Decision Number Two: Who came up with the idea that women would carry purses? When it came to making pants for men with pockets, why weren't dresses also made with these handy-dandy inventions? Was it a woman who first thought up the necessity of a purse? Did this woman look at everything she wanted to take with her and say "I think it is time for me to carry a small suitcase whenever I leave the house"? Think about what is kept in our purses today -- what do you think would have been in the purse of a woman from the 1700s & 1800s?

I don't know whether it was male or female who started these trends in America. I just know that these trends were started and I don't believe they will ever stop in my lifetime. Darn.

The Stress of Getting Older

I recently visited my favorite kind of doctor. I didn't even realize that 4 years have passed since I last experienced the joy that only comes from this type of visit. It certainly seems like only yesterday! What I discovered was that as I get older I have more and more stress about these visits. I remember going to the doctor 20 years ago just being mildly irritated about these appointments. It is definitely different now that I am (gasp) 45 years old.

Now, I don't just see my friendly gynecologist...now I get to see the mammogram technician, the ultrasound technician, and the technician who gets to draw enough blood to make any mosquito envious. My doctor's orders for blood work had so many check marks on the page that I was tempted to put checks in the other boxes just to be able to scream "BINGO".

When did this happen? When did I get old enough to need every test under the sun to see if I am likely to live another year? I don't know - I sure as heck don't feel old enough to need to see every Tom, Dick & Harry to get a clean bill of health. This shouldn't be necessary for someone as young as me - it is for old people!

Stressful? Yep. Likely to get even more stressful every year? Yep. So what runs through Kim's thoughts? It's stressful getting older!

Books vs. Movies

This past weekend I purchased a few novels. My husband & I had a discussion about the pros & cons of paying $7 for a book. I feel that even though $7 is pricey, it is money well spent. I don't read the book and then just toss it in the trash. No, the book goes on a journey as a donation to my library, to the Friends of the Library booksale, or a used bookstore where others may then enjoy it. It is recycling at its finest!

Compare the cost of a book to a trip to the movie theater. It costs between $6.50 and $9.00 to see a movie that is usually 90 minutes to 2 hours long. What happens when the movie is over? Do others benefit from your purchase? Nope - only Hollywood.

So my thought is this...paying $7 for a book is difficult; however, paying $7 for a movie is even more difficult. What is your opinion?

My Man in the Twilight Zone

As time goes on, I am more certain than ever that men exist in some Twilight Zone...or at least my husband does. Let me share some examples with you -

• I have worked the same schedule for months (if not years). My schedule is taped on our calendar at home with my hours brightly highlighted with a highlighter. I rarely go a week without my husband asking me about my work schedule. I got so frustrated with him that I decided it was necessary to give him a "pop quiz" and ask him what time I get off of work on a certain day. You can see smoke billowing from his ears as he tries to remember my schedule and pretend that he remembers!
  
  
• I went for an eye exam last week and told him that my prescription had changed for both close up & distance. The love of my life had the audacity to say "oh, I guess you need bifocals now?" I couldn't believe it - I have had bifocals for 2 years already!

Is my husband the only male with this brain pattern or is he just like any other man in the world? I guess I'm going to believe that all men are the same way and be thankful that he even remembers that I wear glasses! If I'm lucky, maybe he'll also forget that I'm not perfect either!

What Happens When We Learn?

You're never too old to learn. That's what everybody says. I wonder about that sometimes. Just how full does the brain get? Do we get more confused as we get older because there are just too many facts jammed into our brain? Does it make sense that for every new thing we learn, we must forget something to make room for the new fact? It is obvious to me that we cannot choose what little tidbit will be drained from our brain. Do I remember only the good things? Nope. How about you?

April Weekend Getaway

This past weekend my husband and I went to see a new grand-nephew in Jackson, Michigan. We left on Saturday and meandered over to Auburn taking back roads and discovering parts of Indiana we haven't visited before. We stopped at a few antique malls and I found a siamese cat figurine that I just had to have. Sunday morning we drove up to Jackson, again taking back roads. We used to live in Hillsdale, Michigan and were going to drive by our old apartment complex. Our eyes were caught by another antique mall that we just couldn't pass by and ran out of time to go to our old stomping grounds in Hillsdale. After seeing the baby and visiting awhile, we left and came home. Of course, we had to stop in Kalamazoo to pick up a submarine sandwich at "The Galley" -- no go -- the restaurant closed in December. So we decided to drive past the home we lived in for 3 years early in our marriage - a 1971 mobile home that was still there! We couldn't believe it! The shrubbery in front of the mobile home towered over the trailer! Wow! That curiousity satisfied, we got back on the highway and drove home! Beautiful weather and blue, blue skies were bonuses to the weekend! It felt great to get away for a weekend!

First Post

This is my first post.