Good Luck

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Last Friday was one of my favorite days… Friday the 13th. It’s the 2nd of 3 this year, the last occurring in November, my birthday month. (Of course, a whole month, don’t you?)

As a child, I was told Friday the 13th was unlucky, so, contrarian that I am, I decided it would be “my lucky day.” All of my life it’s proved true. I awaken with the idea that something good is going to happen, and voilà, something good alway does.

First off, I’m writing again. I participated in Flash February – a month-long short-story workshop with an assignment each time. I’ve wanted to sharpen these skills for a long time and out-of-the-blue this class showed up. Lucky me.

The second good thing is that my dear friend Carole just called and we had an uplifting talk about the state (shambles) of the union. Fretted, vented, looked for the good… sisterhood. She told me that she is dealing with vertigo and she’s got a physical therapist treating her. We talked about the shifts that happen as we get older; most manageable, especially with exercise, a healthy diet and a great sense of humor. Now we’re both “dizzy broads.”

In my last post I mentioned “old age and treachery” and after looking around I found a vendor on Etsy who will custom-print that on a t-shirt (I’ll get one for you, Denise). And, icing on the cake, I’m having it printed in cursive as an inside joke.

Speaking of cake, I had a few of my neighbors over for chai and my whole-tangerine cake. It makes me so happy to invite people to share great food they’ve never tasted before. I did a blog post on this cake before called Tangerine Dream. I can’t find the link, but you can search for it and it should pop right up. Needless to say, everyone loved it. Gluten-free, dairy free, rich and delicious!

More good: my new medicine has finally been adjusted to a dose I can handle. It’s a targeted therapy – known as a JAK2 inhibitor which stops the signaling chain that causes abnormal gene expression. The only two side-effects I’m experiencing are mild dizziness (I feel ya, Carole) and I am hungry all the time because the drug blocks the fullness signal, causing weight gain and fluid retention, even if dieting. I’m feeling as voluptuous as a Botero painting. Not-so-good newsI’m one of the few people I know who hate clothes shopping.

I am grateful that my meds are shipped right to my door, and insurance continues to pay for them because they cost close to what Pete Hegseth is spending on lobster tails and crab legs each month!

I have seen some excellent movies and the best series -SHRINKING- on Apple TV. It stands out as one of the best series I’ve ever watched! A brilliant ensemble cast with Harrison Ford at his best.

The writing is current and witty as hell. Shrinking is a double-entendre. Costuming and sets are all amazing. You will not be disappointed! It’s on AppleTV, and if you don’t have it, it’d be worth getting it for a month to binge the series then cancel. It’s that good. Really. Really.

That’s all, loves. Next time some books for you, written by dear friends. And I’m thinking of coloring my hair. Don’t worry, I’m a professional.

XO Donna

Good Things

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Oh, gosh, I’ve been thinking of changing the name of my blog… or something.

The renewal for both my domain name (Sexy Past 60) and for WordPress – they host my blog – have come due and I seriously thought about not renewing either of them. I’m way past 60. And not feeling very sexy, and I haven’t written anything in months. Why not drop them and save the worry, and a couple hundred dollars?
Upon discussion with my sweetie, he convinced me to keep it another year and see what happens. I might feel like writing again soon. Inspiration could strike…

To use a British expression, I feel that I’ve “been made redundant.” I no longer need to give advice on hair, makeup, or clothing styles because it can easily be found anywhere these days with a quick computer search. There’s even technology where you can try-on a haircut, makeup, and even clothing before you buy them. Online, of course. But really, that is only part of the reason I haven’t been writing.

The truth is, I haven’t been writing because I’ve had a spectacularly lousy last couple of months.

Define lousy, you say. I had 4 emergency room visits to two different hospitals, another “stroke-like” event which turned out not to be a stroke, and a 5-day hospital stay… all in one month.
I’m on a first name basis with a couple of E.R. docs and nurses now. I’ve been CT’d, MRI’d, radio-activated, stress-tested and spinal tapped.

And that was before I went to MD Anderson Cancer in Houston for a week.


In my book, Sick and Tired & Sexy… Living Beautifully with Chronic Illness, I focused on the auto-immune illnesses I live with, since so many other women have them, too. What was helping me would probably help them also.

I didn’t include the rare bone-marrow disorder I’ve had since 1998. My body produces way too many platelets – the opposite of Leukemia. I’ve been on meds that have kept it well-controlled forever. It was just something humming in the background which would occasionally remind me of its presence with an astonishingly psychedelic migraine.

Suddenly, it was not under control and causing me a lot of seemingly unrelated problems.

By going to MD Anderson, I have an updated diagnosis, and a brand new treatment plan going forward. It’s a week, today, since I started a new drug, Jakafi, and other than feeling a bit dizzy, I’m doing very well. Better living through modern chemistry, indeed!

Two other good things that have made my life much better have been mail-order subscription services.

The first is with Brodo, which means “broth” in Italian. It’s delicious bone-broth which is low-sodium and high-flavor. It has as much protein as an egg in each one-cup serving. And look at the cute cups they sent me as a gift with my second order!
I struggle to get enough protein since I dislike eggs in the morning, and I can’t eat dairy products. A cup of steamy broth and a gluten-free goodie works just fine for me. I order both individual serving packs in my fave flavor (Tuscan Sun) and a few bigger (3-cup) packages to use a base for other meals. It’s been a game-changer for me to have them in my pantry.

* I am not receiving compensation of any kind for sharing these great products. They’ve become staples, and I am just passing along the deliciousness.

The other subscription is to Wildgrain – a bakery service where I can order gluten-free sourdough breads, delicious “Everything” bagels (my favorites) below, and other goodies that make my wheat-free, dairy-free, low-sodium life much easier. With cold weather on its way, I’m all set. Soup!

Doesn’t that bagel look delish? It’s a bit less chewy than a wheat flour bagel, but it’s certainly a tasty substitute. I’ve even found a non-dairy cream cheese by Kite Hill that has a creamy texture and a tangy flavor. I’m thrilled!

And I have more good things to look forward to: Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos are both this week. They are my favorite holidays! I need to pick up some pumpkins today and put them in the yard with my black cat cut-outs. We love to decorate, even though we don’t have trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, sadly.

The other good thing is my birthday, next week. I usually don’t make a fuss over it, but this year I’m going to. I’m going to be 74… and I’m very grateful to be here to celebrate it!

I’m going to buy myself some new baking pans and cookie sheets at Sur la Table. (Since I’m still studying French, I now know that means “on the table.”) Which I where I’m going to park a small decadent chocolate cake that I’m making for myself.

Pictures in the next post, promise.

Wishing you all good things, thanks for being here!
XO. Donna

TOGETHER

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I really have not had anything to say, nothing earth-shattering to share, and like you, probably, I’m on overload with the glut of info and weirdness coming my way each day.

I hope everything is well for each of you and your families. And I want to wish you a
Happy Valentine’s Day – a day to celebrate Love. Love of all kinds… starting with yourself, and radiating out into the world from there. We’re all in this together.

Thank you for being here. I’m encouraged and grateful for your support! I’ll write soon,

XO Donna

Photo by Gerd Altman

No Resolutions

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New Year’s resolutions have always had a negative connotation to them, at least to me. Something must change… and it’s something that needs discipline, willpower, and maybe a bit of punishment to accomplish.
In reality, the origin of resolution is Latin: resolvere – loosen, release. Let go. I like the shift I feel inside when I think of what I can let go of. It feels doable. What do you think?

There is one thing in particular I want to give up this year… My outrage. I refuse to spend the next four years in a perpetual state of outrage over the politics, oppression, hatred, and unjustness I see.


I going to focus myself on what/where/and how I can help. How can I be a good example? And be of service? We can all do this by looking at what is within our “Sphere of Influence?” Our neighborhood and neighbors. Our family and friends. Our spiritual community. Local charities and foundations that actually help the people they’re supposed to. (You’d be surprised how many charities use the majority of donations on administrative costs and nice salaries.)
I am going to shop locally more often by buying from independently-owned or franchised stores, (Shout-out to Penzey’s Spices ) and independent bookstores. Especially those that let me know they are LGBTQ+ friendly. And I’m going to get a library card.

I felt that 2024 was a particularly hard year for me, both as a woman, and in my personal life. I am not sad to see it in the rear-view mirror. And I look forward to a more stable year doing the things I love, that fill me up, and that are good for me!

I’m going to take a short-story writing class through MasterClass. I was a bit afraid, but it’s time to release the fear and “just do it.” It has been a goal to write articles for magazines and online… or to ghost write for others, and get paid to do so. I love researching and writing.

I’m also learning French now after studying Spanish all through the pandemic. My son and I work on my French lessons together during our visits. He has a facility for languages that is amazing, and a mind like a steel trap!

And I’ve been meeting with a group of women to expand my creativity through art. I tend to be paralyzed when confronted with a blank page and the thought of “messing it up.” But letting that go has turned out to be some of the most relaxing time I spend, other than having my nose buried in a great book. I have begun an art journal and am using pen and watercolor to illustrate diary entries and dreams.

I’m also working on the next level of gluten-free baking: raised breads and pastries. Another thing I was afraid I couldn’t do… but I’m ready to tackle that now because “cheating” – eating some bread here, and some cheese there, is leaving me feeling worse than ever.
Or maybe it’s because of that last birthday? LOL.

If you want to view my fave website for all things delish and gluten-free go here: The Loopy Whisk.

So, seven days into the new year, I wish you everything wonderful: self-care and good health, success at new things, great companionship, and lots of good books!

Oh, the one I’m reading right now is called, “The Hypocrite” by Jo Hamya. It’s on lots of Must Read lists, and I’m engrossed. But the afternoon has flown by and it’s time to prepare dinner right now, so my book will have to wait!

Here’s to 2025, and to all of you. Merci beaucoup!
XO Donna

I’ve Been Everywhere

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To me, learning new things is the best part of travel. I usually plan a trip down to the most minute detail… but this time, for the first time, I left room for lots of other things to happen, and great things did!

71BB1856-40BA-467F-906F-29C0B90230C0I couldn’t find an RV “resort” in Jackson, MS, but there was a state park on the route and the price was good, or should I say, cheap? As we drove deep into the park along swampy ponds, we both got a little nervous. Things were getting closer, smaller, more jungle-like… were we going to be able to fit? As we slowly, slowly snaked our way in, we began to wonder why we even wanted to.

“If I hear banjos, we’re outta here,” my sweetie mumbled.

Having already unhooked the truck, we decided to see the Capital and the State Supreme Court buildings. Then we drove to the Fondren Neighborhood where parts of the movie “The Help” was filmed. Being sure to return before dark, I got to see my first alligator. The realization that there were alligators in that lake made me almost faint!  I couldn’t wait to leave in the morning.

A572B947-758C-4CEC-929E-5E85B9FE0150We headed to Florence, AL, hoping to have work done on our coach. Since there was a five-week wait at the Tiffin factory, that didn’t happen, but we did get to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright house, which was very close to our RV park (above) on the banks of the spectacular Tennessee River. We’ve always wanted to see one. I loved it, he didn’t like the small rooms. But the exterior, wow!

8764E0B5-7F97-4470-9C24-1C568BA02A96From there we went to Nashville, TN, and what a revelation! While Austin, where we live, is supposed to be the “coolest” city around, I disagree. Nashville is everything Austin could have grown-up to be, if we’d had leadership with that kind of vision. There are so many ways to get around Nashville that traffic isn’t the horrific experience we are used to at home… everything moved easily here. 218F7482-7209-4203-9E39-C5963F01AD3C

Staying at a spectacular park SE of town on Percy Priest Lake, we had our first taste of autumn, and the pleasant surprise of running into friends we’d made back in Natchez! We were excited to sit in their sleek Airstream and visit with them again. EC1206ED-32F3-4378-80CA-9B6DB404C9F2

We’d planned to visit with our dear friend Juliet, also a motorcycle rider. She came out to the lake to see our “casa,” one afternoon, and then we met her in East Nashville, where she lives, for a fabulous Sunday brunch at Marche. Having also eaten at Biscuit Love, I contend that we had our two best meals of the trip in Nashville!

From Nashville, we originally planned to go to Chattanooga… but headed to Memphis instead. Everyone told us to see The Ducks at The Peabody Hotel, which we thought was kind of corny… but we planned a whole day around it: lunch at a bbq joint, then explore the town, planning to be at the hotel by 4:00 to have a cocktail and see the ducks perform.

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Lunch was good, more so for the people-watching than the old rooster I’d been served. Afterwards, my sweetie suggested going to “the museum” across the street to see why tour buses were bringing people there. We saw a sign… The Lorraine Motel. It rang a bell, but it wasn’t until we got closer that I realized why:

We were facing the balcony where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had stood and shared his dream. Where he had died. I felt my heart break all over again, and I stood and wept.

B0B5FBF1-9692-4E50-B668-96106BCB49B1The next day, we ate at Beauty Shop Lunch, in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. An actual beauty salon with dryers, booths, and sinks that is now a chic cafe, how could I NOT go there? Priscilla Presley used to get her hair done here!

Getting to see the ducks at the beautiful old Peabody Hotel, the riverfront along the Mississippi, with its trolleys, and the MLK Memorial Park I’m so glad we visited Memphis. And to think, we had originally planned to skip it!

Our final stop was Little Rock, AR, and the RV park is right downtown, on the beautiful Arkansas River. It’s nestled between two pedestrian bridges, and blocks from their trolley system. The closest bridge leads to The Clinton Presidential Library. 2AFDC78F-3D8B-4B9F-B80C-C84A984093B0

The riverfront is beautiful. The city is small, elegant, and there seemed to be lots of cultural things to do other than just bars and music. However, the very best thing, in our opinion, is the fact that the Clinton Pedestrian Bridge lights up each night! We saw LED lights on it during our walk, but were disappointed when it never lit-up before we went to bed. 50221EEA-36C3-422A-B39A-19571DC1D900

One sleepless night, I peeked out of our living-room shade and to my amazement, there was a light-show on the bridge! Even though it was 2:30 a.m. I woke my better-half up… we were both as excited as kids at Christmas. What a great finale for a wonderful trip!

XO Donna

 

AWOL

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I know it probably seems like I’ve been “absent without leave,” but the last three weeks have been crazy-busy, stressful, and exhilarating, as if I’ve been riding a giant roller-coaster… and, mind you, I hate riding roller-coasters. I’m always afraid I’ll be that person… you know, the one who gets sick!

Long story, short: On July 15th we moved again,  and downsized even further. On July 20th, up to our ears in boxes, we finally found our dream motor-home just up the road in Georgetown, TX.  The owners have been a dream to deal with, too.  Talk about getting lucky!

imageThen, on July 31st, the book I’ve been writing (for a couple of years) – Sick and Tired… & Sexy: Living Beautifully with Chronic Illness became available on Amazon. If you (or anyone you know) are dealing with chronic illness, I’m sure you will find this book to be both helpful, and a fun read.

I hope you all enjoy it. If you do, please tell your friends, and please write and tell me. I’d love to hear from you!
Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Tired-Sexy-Beautifully/dp/1943658110

XO Donna

P.S. – I also wrote a new article for the online women’s magazine: 1010ParkPlace.com