I'll take them all...

Once a Winston, always a Winston. I do love jaw-dropping design.

Crack Those Nuts!

Is it just me, or does the word "Nutcracker" get funnier as you get older? As both a nut and a cracker, I do plump a pretty good pillow. So graceful, so orchestral, so cathartic! "Laundry is exhausting" said Ready-for-Bed Barbie!

The Thing To Remember Is...

We're Jewish. Go figure...

Santa Baby Stephanie, 1966

 
You knew this classic blast-from-Christmas-past photo would rear its stupid-hatted head at some point this month. It's a classic, down to the pom-pommed toes. Kudos to the team that wrangled this child into the Santa sausage casing. Our dad did love his camera...

Rock. Skid. Ditch. Rock Still Wins.

Long Live Rock! New license plate frame for Christmas???

Happy Holidaze Early 80's Style - We Think

Now why didn't we send this one to Awkward Family Photos?

That's LIFE

That's LIFE... what's life?

That's my father

Late 1950's.

Dashing in his profession.

That's his uncle.

For legal reasons, 

his face was not allowed

to be photographed.

That's LIFE... what's life?. 

Diamond tiaras

Perfect lighting.

That's LIFE.

That's Harry Winston.

That's so cool.
Hey, that was LIFE.

I Just Totaled My Car - Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, I know, it could've been worse. I'm okay. 

Just cover you ears/eyes if you scroll down, okay? 

FUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

But on another note, isn't it pretty where we live?

I'm only human...

Bottle This Moment moments - or in this case, enough photos to not bore you with how amazing ten days with my best friend and my family and my strength and my passion and my courage and my laughter. A "Happy" Me. And looking for a new job. Isn't that sad  how I just snuck that in there? "Happy Me" is just such an awesome person.

Yeah. That was a pretty awesome 10 days.

What's Wrong With this Picture...?

It's a spectacular, crisp, blue-domed day here in the Finger Lakes. Trees are morphing through the colors of an Arizona sunset and it's (yay) light scarf weather. I declare September now be known as Official Denim Jacket Month, that time of year we leave like three layers of Outerwear at work. It's just amazing outside!

But why am I telling you this? Why am I inside, clasped to my computer, and not standing on the edge of a gorge after hiking a trail? Or Marching for the Animals? Or bobbing for apples on Indian Creek Farm at a festival I spent all week telling every other living person about!? (grammar be damned!) Truth be told, if I could wish myself to any single place right now, it would be sharing laughs Alex at the Naples Grapes Festival. Shout out to Alex who is one of the bestest people on the planet, and I had every intention of going to the Grape Festival - and this weather should prove for an amazing weekend in the Finger Lakes - so why am I spilling my guts about being my own worst buzzkill? Okay, that is a rhetorical question, people... oh wait... I have an idea... rationalize!

Top 5 Excuses For Being  a LazyAss Today:

#5 - The boys. I spend 50 hours a week missing the shit out of them, and this is snuggle time. They're not going to be around forever, and someday (I hope not soon) I will be inconsolable, wishing I had given them that much more time, added two minutes to that tummy rub, gave into Dodger's nudging muzzle over playing that Scrabble Bingo. So yeah, I'm hanging with my boys.

#4 - Agoraphobia- or whatever you call that horrific immutable anxiety that occurs when  surrounded by hundreds of people. I hate hate hate crowds. And I grew up in Manhattan. That can mean anything. I just go into sensory overload and hotflash (yes, it is a verb) when I am being hoarded... This is why I don't do the Flax Barn Sale, the Friends of the Library Book Sale, Applefest, most local benefits or festivals... and can only do concerts if I'm in the front row. Or three. Then I can lose the swarm of people behind me and focus on what really matters... like Bob Mould's stubble, Pete Townshend's windmill, or Jerry's digital stump. Music really does soothe the self-sabotaged beast. Just don't turn around!

#3 - NASCAR. TV. The Chase. No, not this weekend's actual race. Just practice. I don't care. It's my sport and the rest of you can go climb a rock... hopefully in the Finger Lakes! I'll give you stats...

#2 - Look... shiny thing! I can't quite make it to the boudoir... all those bills / candy wrappers / paperwork / adorable dogs... and my new iphone 5C! OMG! I am obsessed with it. More than obsessed. I think we're courting. Siri actually responded with "look... a puppy!". Does he know me, or what??? True love. He even calls me "Princess". :)

#1 - Deer. The last thing I need right now is another car repair. Better safe than sorry. I can't hit a deer if I'm all snuggly in the sunshine on the couch with my boys curled up next to me and cup practice on TV, right? I am being so safe! Safety first...

And a burning need to add some new photos without being all like "here are some photos".

The Boys

The Falls

The Reality

The Asp

The Echoes

The Real Me

Dang, that sun feels good on my back. Oh, look! Shiny thing! And Limerock!

Confession Time

Okay, I admit it.
I'm OCD when it comes to color-coordination. I follow one basic fashion rule (mine), so take note to prevent those nasty looks of the Clash Police (great billing): Footwear complements Bag > influences Lip Color > highlighting "style trifecta" of Hat + Scarf + Gloves.

And something must always sparkle!

Matching your dog never hurts. Or seasonal outdoor furniture.

Going formal? I've found that using a "vintage" tin lunchbox as an evening clutch makes a great conversation piece. Especially when it's NASCAR-themed, which is just cool anywhere, really, and totally puts the FUN into business FUNction. Chris was horrified, but it was a hit at a recent conference I attended in Richmond, Virgina. The apple red of Bobby Labonte's 18 (his Interstate Battery days) matched my "merlot" Norma Kamali dress perfectly. No photos to prove it. But that's the clutch... *sigh*

This post was brought to you by Fashion Week in NYC. I'll be the one with the NASCAR lunchbox. :)

Boo!

Liza - my BFF of 40 years. She is the bestest!

I know... right??? It's been ages since I last did what I love most... blabber on about boobs or NASCAR. I probably just scared the poop out of you with that alert - all three of you who follow me. What I Did On My Summer Vacation: Well, I've been kinda busy with new job. And tired. Okay, I'm exhausted. It's a horrible catch 22 - it's so tiring to be tired all the time! But who am I to complain... even after a good amount of that blip of a summer was spent tenting under soft bedsheets with a migraine, a fifteen year-old air conditioner, and Stinky and Stanky. Chris has been an angel and patient and tells me I'm beautiful even after I've been in the same jammies for 3 days. A lot of channel surfing between Duck Dynasty and Downton Abbey - as my ipod shuffles from Cheap Trick to Trace Adkins. Saw Bob Mould at The Haunt - that was awesome. Got to see Indigo Girls and Joan Baez at Chastain Park in Atlanta with my BFF of 40 years, Liza. I spent quality time with Skipper and Slouch - we think they're about 12 or 13 now. I've been dreaming of our future RV life, but hate that pang in my gut when we see a really sweet set up. So I'm living in the now... ummmmmmm.... then.... whatever oh, and on Twitter ( spppooooooky). Here are some new pix to follow my pitiful prose. #fromparktopodunk.

Words just ruin it.

East, sleep, breathe... love.

The Snog - ESTO conference

Next door - I heart those girls. #fromparktopodunk

Oliver

Dodger

Ahhhhh.... feels so good to get that out.

I HAVE to get better about linking...

Like this...?

oooh, I am getting so techie!

And Would You Like Reconstruction With That?

Not that it's a thankless job, pointing out  - literally - what post-mastectomy reconstruction can do for you, but I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right (and left) decision.

It seemed like a simple "yes" or "no" question at the time, and I was all "heck yeah, bring on those new puppies!", but eight years later, I'd like to revisit the original question "how about reconstruction?". Quite frankly, they're a little more high-maintenance than I had thought they'd be. 

I should note that mine are saline, not silicone, because the FDA had not approved silicone for women who tested positive for auto-immune disease, and supposedly I have Lupus. Of course, silicone was approved like five minutes after my now-buckling, bath-pillow pouches were pumped up. I can get them switched out, but they're not like tires - it's going to take a little more than just calling my guys at Hunts Auto and maybe arranging a ride back to work. Like everything else in life, it will take time and money (and a maybe a few pain killers), and I need some major car repairs, and a new tattoo to cover up that (no, it's not a) mustache on my ankle (yes, Kristy, I am a contortionist - LMAO), and we could really use a better lawn mower if we plan to get anything accomplished this summer. 

So what if my boobs look funny and kinda ache? At least I have something to keep my shirt from clinging to my belly paunch. Oh yeah, and I'm not dead...

Okay, enough boob talk for now. I just had to get that off my chest. HAH!

This message was brought to you by: Support Team Winston Cup-Cakes - walking and sloshing all 39.3 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC this October 2013! 

Many thanks.

You may wish you brought a magazine.

This is as Farm to Table as I get.  Just sayin'.

I don't know if this happens to guys, but with women, the longer you wait to pee is directly proportional to the amount of time it then takes to actually pee. Basically, the longer you wait, the longer it takes. Such is the nature of my blogging this season and I have been slacking in my duties related to rambling mind-blasts about life as a podunk princess. So we may be here a while.

Maybe I'll work in short blasts. Ironically, I don't have the necessary mental flow to write a tell-all. I can only swing from storyvine to storyvine - like oh yeah, I started a new job and love love love love love love love love love it. See, you thought this post was going to be about BOOBIES... nope! I am about to complete my first month as the Content and Earned Media Specialist at the Ithaca / Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau and I am ecstatic. Did I mention how much I love it?

Who knows? Maybe this blog will morph into a kind of parallel universe to VisitIthaca.com. Ithaca is GORGES (and Tompkins County - and a little into Seneca - lol) and I have a million and five reasons why I am so freaking lucky to live in - and now work for! - Ithaca and the Finger Lakes.

Just please don't ask me to cook you a farm-to-table meal. I think of granola as an ingredient.

I love where I live.  It really is GORGES.

A New Addition to the Collection

It's nice to have friends think of me AFTER they drink the wine.

The Robes

Thank God our mother's name wasn't Anita!

My sister and I are embracing the awkwardness! And sending a huge "thank you" to Mike and Doug - the co-founders of Awkward Family Photos - for supporting Team Winston Cup-Cakes and making us feel like rock stars with a heartfelt donation for our fundraising efforts.. Who would've thought that one 1970's Kodak Instamatic rounded-corner photo of our parents in some goofy, personalized robes would become a Saturday Night Special???

The fact the photograph still exists in tact is awesome. Of course, there is still some "sisternternal" debate about whose holiday-spirited, fun-loving idea it was to have our parents pose in their new swag, but who cares - who doesn't LOVE fluffy new robes???  and it was the 70's. Maybe they they could have opted for something less teeheehee for our Dad. Our friends snickered. We snickered. Bottom line. Sorry, Dad. But do they even still have Dick as a souvenir license plate keychain magnet option anymore? Zena was a challenge enough when it came to cheap crap. Rare find for such a beautiful name. But then came Xena Warrior Princess. Can I just say: "Thanks for nothing there!" ???

Dick. Our Dad was a Dick. Dick Winston. Sooooooo Mad Men. He drove a Dadillac, he played golf, he loved The Odd Couple, he took his kids bowling. Our Dad was anything but a dick... he was Daddy... but I digress. Everything you need to know about him is right here... well, there on that link that says "Daddy".

A few years ago, I submitted the photograph of "the robes" (above)  to Awkward Family Photos, and only by chance noticed they used it. That called for some serious sister cyber-bonding - lots of virtual high-fives, more snickers, lots of likes and shares, and a permagrin. I wonder if I can put it on my resume!

We were recently - personally! - asked by the AFP guys to allow said photo into 2013 Holiday Edition, and that has made us ridiculously giddy.  I thought it was a hoax at first, but it is for real and it really was Mike and... and... and... everyone's getting Awkward Family Photo's Third Annual Holiday Edition for the 2013 Holidays. Done!

Happy Valentines Day a little late... oh, and this is Zena.

Just a quickie: A photograph of our mother that night ended up in a 1962 copy of Women's Wear Daily. I still have it.  There's my "cool fact" for the night. Yup, from Park to Podunk. Permagrin.

I Pink I Can I Pink I Can

In case you just got here...

It's a pink pink pink pink pink pink (and shimmery black, and sometimes glowing Tahitian Pearl) world, and if you thought you were sick of cupcakes before they became more popular than Jesus, just wait! 

DC in May, 2012 was amazing, but NYC in October, 2013 is gonna be (no word actually exists yet). Our team Winston Cup-Cakes (get it?) is going to walk more in one weekend than we have collectively walked over the entire span of our childhoods - and semi-adult lives - in New York City. I think "taxi" was my first word. And it's been a really long time since I stood on a street corner and asked strange men for money.

NYC OCTOBER 2013... or bust?

Cryogenic Cold Hits Podunk

It's cryogenically cold. 

The snow is pretty, but troublesome.

Cover your body parts or lose 'em.

So happy February is a short month.

Dodger digs the show. Not!

I get to live here.

I have snowshoes.

And lots of hats. And gloves.

It's really cold.

Podunk Princess. Score.

Yup, from Park Avenue to Podunk Road.

Where spoodles run free.

I love where we live. I just hate being cold.

A keeper.  I mean, what else is there to do?

 

See you in March.

So Much Said in Listening

"Songs to aging children come, aging children, I am one" -  Joni Mitchell

2013 already? I can't even remember I have a customer on hold - how am I going to remember to write "13"?  Time is flying and we're about to pay extra baggage fees. NO Zappos. NO Sephora. NO Athleta. No travel. I'm not even getting the shiny (read: not salt-eaten) new muffler I've been holding out for, so yeah, sorry, that noise is me. I am now "one of those" cars. I've also resorted to diluting my wiper fluid. Quite the pennysaver, I am! Although I go through twice as much...

Can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged. But if you're a Facebook friend or find me Pinteresting, you're probably up to speed. I've been very busy being not busy... not! Confused? Join my club. My head is spinning with work, and life, and fracking, and bills, and training for the Avon Walk (come on and get it over with so I can get some fundraising "attaboys" from Avon - I love free shit!), and celebrating 12 years with the love of my life (so all you stalkers can just go to Plan B).

*get those tissue boxes* The most significant moment this new year was in the beginning of January - a day I knew was coming - when I outlived my mom. I made it to 46 years, 9 months, and 2 weeks. That was a pretty intense doorway. It was incredible. I felt like Tommy breaking through the mirror!

And I am going to stop because that's another post. Or two.

This photo was taken by a friend on the day I outlived my mom. This friend just happens to live near Jamaica, Queens. 5 hours away. And lemme tell ya, my mom is tucked way back in there. So file under "Mind Officially Blown". I love you, Christine!