Halloween is in the Air

It’s beginning to feel a lot like fall. The only difference is we are in the Midwest for a few days visiting with friends and colleagues. We haven’t been back for three years - the longest stretch since we moved to DC thirteen years ago. It is the first time that we are staying for more than a long weekend. I originally thought a month might be a better idea, but my husband thought two weeks would be the limit. The time is just flying by. So we drove around a bit yesterday to pick up some groceries at Sendik’s, and the Halloween decorations are already out. One house along the north shore was so packed with junk it was hard to see the lawn. The display in front of the grocery store was pretty with mums, real and fake  pumpkins. There were a couple of Skelton’s waving and a pumpkin patch set up in front of the Methodist church. In our old familiar neighborhood there was a light display and a graveyard with “cute” head stones. My parents always came for a two week visit from Florida to see us in October - my dad’s favorite time of year. So far it’s been a treat. 

Sendik’s in Whitefish Bay

We needed to do a bit of grocery shopping after stopping for lunch at one of our favorites - Harry’s Bar and Grill. I can’t remember where we did our grocery shopping when we lived in Milwaukee. The only name that comes to mind is Sendik’s. The names of the streets are fuzzy to me - luckily we have google maps now. There were Sendik’s in several locations - so we decided to go to Whitefish Bay because we thought the parking might be easier. It sort of was. The store was very busy for a Friday afternoon. For some reason it felt more like Saturday. What I remember most is the meat counter, and the huge variety of brats. In front of the store were pumpkins and mums - the prettiest season here in the Midwest. We are going to be in town for the next ten days or so and wanted to get some fruit, bread, cheese, orange juice, pistachios, cookies, water, diet ginger ale.... we probably won’t be cooking and I’ll probably put on a few pounds since our daily regimen has changed. We are hoping to see some old friends and relax! It’s nice to be in a routine - I always prefer that to last minute activities. So far so good. But we couldn’t live without a few familiar treats. 

Rutherford B Hayes Presidential Home, Library & Museum

We like to visit presidential libraries and homes. We have been to a few - Roosevelt in New York, Kennedy in Massachusetts, Truman in Missouri, Hoover in Iowa, Eisenhower in Kansas, Nixon in California, Ford in Michigan, Clinton in Arkansas, and the Lincoln home in Illinois, the Wilson home in DC, and the Eisenhower home in Gettysburg to mention a few. We have passed through Ohio many times driving back and forth from the Midwest to the east coast. Every time we pass by the Hayes Presidential Library and Museum in Fremont. So this time we decided it was time to stop. So we did. It was probably one of the most nicely put together place we have ever seen. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take photos inside the home. The guide was wonderful and the house was full of authentic family pieces. It did put us behind schedule so we didn’t have time to walk through the gardens and trails. Oftentimes it is the lesser known places that leave the biggest impression. This was one of them. One of these days we need to get to Texas and visit Johnson, Bush and Bush. 

Estee Lauder Makeover at Bloomingdales

When I was in high school senior I was my schools’ Maas Brothers representative. That meant fashion shows, TV commercials, photo shoots, a fall gaucho outfit with boots, a spring maxi roushed dress with espadrilles, parades, and a part time job. It was also the time I learned how to use and apply makeup. Ever since that time I’ve updated my makeup line exclusively with Estee Lauder products. First it was Boston Store, then Neiman Marcus. It’s been a while since I’ve done the makeover route. In my younger days it was almost every spring and fall. So today we took a ride to Bloomingdales to see what could be done for my aging and sun damaged face. My husband has been telling me I was looking “faded” - and I have. I’ve been using almost neutral everything and it was showing. When you have grey hair, something needs to stand out. Since I had most of my hair cut off last week in a new pixie style, it would be good idea to get a “new look.” The next big thing will be new eye wear. Ever since I stopped wearing contacts almost twenty years ago I always thought I would update my glasses every so often and so often has arrived. So the “beauty advisor” did her thing and I got a couple of items. But the best part is always the “free gift” Estée Lauder seasonally has. It’s good for some skin care products, lipstick and eye shadow. I suppose as long as I think about it I’ll go to see what’s new and exciting. These days it’s hiding all the bad stuff and hopefully looking okay in the end. 

There’s Something in My Eye

My eyes have been feeling a bit dry lately. Sometimes it’s even difficult to just open them in the morning. With a fan blowing on me all night it probably makes them even more dry. Since both my husband and I have eye pressure problems, we both take the same prescription eye drops. What that means is even more visits to the eye doctor. This morning it felt like something was in my eye and I couldn’t get it out. So I put in a couple of drops of Visine. It felt better, but got gritty again. It so happens we had another eye doctor appointment scheduled today. Luckily the pressures have gone down, but our doctor said my eyes are really very dry. So much so that it was like sandpaper on the eye that was bothering me today. So to get me back to somewhat normal, she said to start taking eye drops/tears four times a day for two weeks, and then cut back to twice a day. Between those drops and the prescription drops I’ll be taking a lot of drops. So we stopped at the CVS on the way home and got a two bottle Visine deal. The bottle I had at home was dated 2015 and the sample bottle I got from the office a long time ago was also long overdue. It seems to have been the year of cataract surgery in my family - my sister just had one eye done, and two cousins earlier this year. My husband may be the next one up. It’s just something else to think about. Now we have to schedule another visit in three months. 

Cookie Monsters Everywhere

My husband is a Cookie Monster. The drawer is filled with Milano and other treats - he loves the chocolate chip ones. In fact, he likes anything chocolate. The cookie jar is replenished regularly. We oftentimes get Persian cookies at Yas in Vienna or Yekta in Rockville. Yesterday we got an assortment for our sister in law’s birthday, along with tea and sour cherry jam. Our handy man renovator once brought a package of Pizzelle cookies. He routinely brought treats from Viet Nam whenever he had a job to do, but these cookies had nothing to do with Viet Nam. They were just delicious. They are very light, round, and taste of vanilla - like sugar cones but much thinner. After that we searched for Pizzelle cookies but couldn’t find them anywhere so ended up ordering some through Amazon. We asked our friend where he got the cookies and he said Costco. We no longer have our Costco card, so that was a no go. Then last week out of the blue we got a call from our friend asking if we were home. Unfortunately we weren’t. He said he was going to drop something by the house and we told him he could leave it with the front desk. Guess what it was? Two big boxes of Pizelle cookies plus another coconut type to try. We had a feeling he might do something like that - and he did. My husband was thrilled. 

All Things Persian

Since we moved to northern Virginia almost six months ago we are starting to wean ourselves away from the appointments that require us to still go in to town. So I figured a new hair salon/stylist would be a good place to start. The goal is to have whatever it is close to our new address, walking distance preferred. I found Dolce Vita literally just down the street and searched the hair stylists. I picked the Persian name and liked what she did - a very short cut and a very interesting person. Today we went to Bloomingdales to find an updated pants and shirt that might be nice for travel/dinner with friends. We specifically went to Chevy Chase because we like the store better, but also the sales rep. She’s Persian too and has the patience of a saint. And for my sister in law’s birthday we thought Persian cookies and treats would be nice so we went to Yas in Vienna. It’s a place we’ve been going to for a few years now. They have the best desserts and such. Both my husband and I have a Persian cardiologist, and there is a Persian dentist just a block away. That may be the next change. All I know is that we are always treated with such kindness regardless of who we encounter. I should know - I’m married to one. 

DSW Walking Shoes

It takes my husband a while to decide when he should buy things. He talks about it and I’ll say “let’s go get it.” His response is “it can wait.” Then he will mention it about every week and we have the same exchange for awhile. So finally yesterday when he asked what we might be doing today I mentioned maybe he would like to get a pair of walking shoes. He finally agreed since his old ones are pretty beat up. The shoes must be four years old and have outlasted their usefulness since we take at least a two mile walk every day. So we went out for lunch - which was a big disappointment. The reason we went to that place was because it was near the DSW in Rockville. I forgot that there was a store near our new condo in northern Virginia. So after lunch we walked over to DSW and wandered through the men’s casual sports walking shoes. I thought my husband wanted something waterproof, but he decided on a pair of every day Skechers Outdoors after trying on a couple of pairs. He knows what he likes when he sees it - that goes for almost everything including women’s clothes and furniture. Even on a Friday after lunch the store was relatively busy. But Friday is always busier, as is the freeway getting back home. At least now these excursions are half the distance since we moved from Capitol Hill. But getting my husband to finally get something he needs hasn’t changed.