Keeping It Real

Last week I read an article about a 14 year old girl who wrote to Seventeen Magazine and asked for the models to be “real” girls. In this day and age it’s sometimes difficult to recognize what’s real and what’s not.

Take a photo for instance. Any photo can be tweaked. Want your teeth whiter? Want to be 10 pounds or maybe 20 pounds thinner? No problem. We can just photoshop the pounds away. Easier than liposuction. No pain. Want to erase the old boyfriend from that stunning photo of the two of you in Mexico? Easy.

Flipping through the pages of fashion mags gets me to wondering. There is NO way these women have completely flawless skin, zero tan lines, no wrinkles in sight and perfect teeth. I decided to do a little detective work and asked my expert photographer husband (yes, that’s his job) to show me how extreme beauty is created on a less than perfect subject. Voila. And not only does it work on people pics, but I applied this knowledge to other subjects as well. Make the sky bluer. Make the entire pic vintage looking. What you see is not what you get.

Want real? Sit at an outdoor café and watch people. Study people. The young man over there with a cigarette and a coffee checking his cell phone every five seconds. The woman walking past pushing a stroller with a crying toddler strapped in it. This is real.

Listening to live music is real. Or is it? In large stadium venues many pop singers are syncing it to a track. It’s almost expected. Who can sing live with all that running around? I’d be screaming oxygen.

The best places to hear live sound are in small intimate venues. OK…I am a bit biased. I really love performing in small intimate venues where I can make eye contact with the cute guy nursing his beer. That’s keeping it real. My band behind me is as real as it gets.

And what about recordings? Is it live or is it Memorex? Some of you may remember that ad. Used to be you’d stand in front of the mics and record. You screw up, you do it again. Nowadays it’s all about the mixing. I’ll admit I love that process. But even for those “singers” who can’t quite carry a tune, a little tweaking and look at that…a new pop singer is born. That to me is major scary. I’ll bet if you asked a few of those one hit wonder pop stars to sing something live they would run screaming.

Go find real. Go to a little club and listen to an outstanding jazz band. Or a rock band. Or a folk artist. Acoustic. Go to a museum and look at art. Real art created by hand and not by a computer. Sit somewhere and have a coffee and watch the world stroll by.

Keep it real people and have a great week!!

Retail 24/7

When I was a kid (actually I still am at heart) stores were closed on Sundays. Mostly everything was closed on Sundays. Restaurants were open. Bakeries were open. The bagel place was open. But supermarkets were closed. Sunday was family time.

Of course, being Jewish, we went to Hebrew school on Sunday mornings. Only for a few hours. After that, the day was open. Sometimes we drove into the city to visit my grandparents. Sundays were for reading the papers. Sprawled on the floor with the funny pages. My parents lingering over second cups of coffee.

Then the laws changed and stores started opening on Sundays. Malls became the place to be on a Sunday (Saturday too). It was so exciting to be able to shop on a Sunday. The stores closed on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day etc.

Then the laws changed again and stores started to open on holidays as well. Retail extravaganza. Holiday specials. Sales galore. As I grew up and joined the work force I was thrilled that I could shop on a holiday when I wasn’t actually working. Shopping on a Sunday after a Saturday evening gig was amazing to me. Sleep in, have coffee in LARGE cups and then go shopping. I love to shop. And contrary to what my mother says, I don’t ALWAYS buy something each time I go into a store. Just sometimes. OK, a lot of the time. But not ALWAYS!

So now, I work in retail. There are no weekends. And being in the airport there are no holidays. We are open 365 days a year. 5 AM to when the last flight boards. Yes, we are open on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Yom Kippur and all the other days as well. I can’t complain. I really like my schedule and although I work on the weekends, I have two other days off together. MY weekend. Better actually. I can make appointments.

Still, I miss the days when stores actually closed for a day each week. A little time off. An extra cup of coffee and the funny pages. Or these days, the crossword puzzle.

 Whatever happened to Sunday?

 Have a great week…this is day one of MY weekend!

Color Me Summer

We all know that wearing black makes you look slimmer, trimmer and somewhat elegant. Black is great. I have a lot of black in my closet. Shirts, pants, shoes, boots, bags. A lot of black.

This summer I’ve decided it’s time to shake it up a bit. My keyboard player Sammy reminded me that summer is for color. I agree. Bright, bold, beautiful color. The man has purple pants (only in Italy…can’t imagine a Boston man wearing purple pants unless he’s in a rock band). And so, last week I purchased a pair of orange cropped pants. Kind of coral like orange. It was on a whim and I am very happy I did it. So happy that two days later I purchased the same pair in a fuchsia purplish shade.

Not stopping there, I found a lime green beaded necklace which looks GREAT with a black top. I’m not giving up my black just because it’s summer. But adding color to it makes it oh so summer. And of course I have a bold orange/tan cross body bag.

Last winter, while I was in Trieste, I did some shopping as always. I noticed the intense color forecast for spring. Bright yellows, blues, greens and oranges. It was ALL about orange. Shoes, bags and clothing. Nail polish and lipsticks and glosses. Back in the USA we were still in winter blacks, beiges and greys. Sliding into spring and summer I saw in Boston what Italy predicted last winter. It was amazing. Color everywhere. I’m not a slave to fashion but hey…color is awesome.

Color makes us smile. Color brightens up a hazy, humid day. Color reminds us that we are alive. I have purple flowers growing in my front yard. My favorite color.

Black isn’t going anywhere but it’s kind of taking a little nap in my closet. Autumn will be here soon enough. That’s fine. I’m still planning on wearing my new lime green beaded necklace right into winter!

Add a little color! See you next week.

The Elusive Search For the Fountain of Youth

So how exactly DO we stay young and healthy?? Look at any fashion magazine. Look at any weekly magazine. Look on the bookshelves. We are bombarded with how to and how not to. What to do and what not to do. Let me break it down for you in Ellen’s 10 Easy Fountain of Youth Steps:

• Diet and Exercise. OK, we all know that sucks but you gotta do what you gotta do. You wanna be healthy? Just do it. You don’t NEED to necessarily be on a diet. Just think about what you are consuming. Michael Pollan’s Food Rules is a handy little book. One page chapters. Things like, look at the ingredients. If a third grader can’t pronounce the ingredients opt for something healthier (sorry Cathy, sorry Juan). As for exercise, yes, it’s necessary. But you don’t need to join a gym. Put on those sneakers and hit the pavement. 

 

• Drink water. Not soda. Not juice. Not martinis. Drink water. Makes your skin look great. Drink lots. OK…I KNOW it has side effects. So take out stock in toilet paper. What can I say? It’s so good for you. And an added bonus is that it is a great weight loss aid. ‘Nuff said.

• SPF. In other words, if you’re going to be worshipping the sun, for goodness sake, slather on sunscreen. I wear a moisturizer with a fairly high SPF (50) 365 days a year. Even on overcast days those UV rays have a nasty habit of peeking through. Sun is nice. A light golden tan makes you look healthy. Sun causes skin damage and cancer. Wanna look like old shoe leather? Bake in the sun for 10 summers with no sunscreen.

• Smoke free zone. Don’t smoke. Period. Don’t smoke.

• Moisturize. Not just in the daytime with an SPF. Before going to bed as well. Your skin loses moisture as you sleep. After bathing or showering moisturize while your skin is still damp. Not just your face. After that morning shower slather on a great smelling body lotion. And don’t forget to wash and moisturize your face before you go to sleep.

• Zzzzz’z. It’s not always easy is our crazy, hectic, work filled week. But try. This is the hardest rule of mine to follow. I know that there are days when I can barely get 6 hours due to late gigs and early work days. I feel cranky and old and terrible the next day. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

• Less is more. As women age, we need less in the way of cosmetics. Time to toss the thick foundation. Lose the blue eye shadow. If you plan on being a drag queen, then fine. Do what you want. Your face is the first thing people see when they look at you. Unless you’re in Italy. We can talk about that another time. Mascara, a little blush, a lipstick or gloss. Great for daytime. Save the liner for evenings out. You want to use a bit of cover up? Go right ahead, but don’t slab it on so thick that it looks like cake frosting.

• 50 shades of grey should not be on your head. If you’re going to go all grey then do it. Don’t have long strands of grey or grey roots. It makes you look old and tired. Don’t want to spend hours at a salon for a touch up? Root touch up is available in stores everywhere. And there are coupons too.

• Join a gang. No…not really. Hang out with people younger than you. They give out amazing energy. Hang out with people older than you. You give them energy which makes them AND you feel good. Good, good, good, good vibrations…

• And finally. Read, read, read. Enrich your mind. It keeps you young. It keeps your brain working. It doesn’t matter what you read. Just read. READ.

And those are my rules. I try to do these rules 24/7 but as always, sometimes rules will be broken. Except washing my face before bedtime. That’s sacred.

And by the way…these aren’t my rules alone. I just like to makes lists and try to accomplish every item. Hey…I’m really 105 years old! Don’t I look great for my age???

See you on Monday…new blog post day.

Skinny Jeans Here I Come

 Motivation and self-control are key factors when it comes to dieting. Without motivation there IS no self-control. I’ve learned this the hard way for most of my life.

So what motivates me? Well, I really like food. Good food. We’re not talking junk food here. I want to be able to incorporate good foods into my life. Foods that are healthy. Foods that are even decadent (think dark chocolate). At the moment, the majority of the “food” I am ingesting is not really food. It’s kind of like fake food. As I’ve said before-it’s super convenient and filling, but not really satisfying. 5 fake meals and 1 real meal a day. It’ll do for now. But I am looking towards the future.

This is for ONE person. Mamma mia!

I’m extremely motivated to lose another 60 pounds. Not only do I want to buy some skinny jeans but I also want to add back into my diet the foods I love. Fruit, yogurt, brussel sprouts (yes, they ARE good) and a bit of dark chocolate. And yes, every now and then a slice of pizza. A slice. Not an entire Triestin pizza.

I have not had real fruit since last year. For sure, this program I am on is making me crave all the right things. I can’t wait to bite into a nice crunchy apple. Or top some plain non fat Greek yogurt with blueberries.

Clothing motivates me. I like clothes. Right now I have no clothes. Ok…I have a few things because last I heard it’s illegal to walk the streets naked. I have a list of clothing pieces that I want to buy come October. Not a lot really. Just a few basic pieces. I know that I won’t be at goal weight by October but I will need some things to take me through the winter. I am sure I’ll be at goal weight by next spring and then the serious shopping will begin. First purchase? A bathing suit. Haven’t owned one of those in years.

My friends motivate me. They encourage me to keep going. They tell me I look great. As tempting as those french fries look and smell, I know that eating one would never work for me. So I smell them and think about the skinny jeans that will hang in my closet once the autumn leaves start to fall. And that works for me.

MOTIVATION!!

I have had people tell me that I’ll gain every pound back once I start eating real food again. I have had a person tell me that I will look terrible because my skin will be all flabby and loose. I have had people tell me that I’ll start to cheat and go off my plan. These people are not friends. They are rodents.

I am motivated because I want my blood pressure issues to go away. I am motivated because I have no intention of ever being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease. I am motivated because I want to be able to walk up 5 flights of stairs without screaming for oxygen.

It’s a good feeling to be in control. I like it. Now if I could just get my husband to empty the dishwasher I’d be all set!

Shopping anyone?? Let’s meet the first week in October and hit the mall. And then let’s do it again in Italy. As of today I am down 56 pounds (25.4 kg) BOOYA!!!

Dedicated to my dear friends who are standing on the sidelines and cheering with pompoms: Cathy, Saory, Lorri, Juan, Maddi, Raffa, Chiara, Krizia, Becky S. AND my sweet Babboo Larry. You are all the BEST!!!

L’dor Va Dor-From Generation to Generation

They came from Europe. From Poland and Russia and Lithuania. And other places as well. They landed at Ellis Island and most stayed in New York. My family.

My family tree is intricate and fascinating and it would take years of blog posts to tell the story of the Rosenoff clan. So I will share the memories of my childhood family gatherings. Go get something to eat. You’re gonna be hungry. The Rosenoffs knew how to entertain with food. Oh boy.

Several times a year we would gather at someone’s home for the cousin’s club, or as we called it- the RR Club or family circle. It started out in the Bronx and eventually migrated to the Island. Er…Long Island for those of you who are not native New Yorkers. It was exciting to see our cousins, aunts and uncles and our great aunts and uncles. And our grandparents. The grandparents were the matriarchs and patriarchs. They were the brothers and sisters who came from Europe when they were small children. They were our heritage.

The meetings were called to order. There was a president, treasurer and secretary who kept handwritten minutes (copies of the original minutes are floating around the East coast somewhere). There may have been a vp at one time but I don’t remember. The treasurer collected dues from all the families and those dues were put into a bank account which was later used for trips to Atlantic City and the Catskills. The minutes from the last meeting were read, there was a finance report and good and welfare. The kids loved that part. Who was born, who was having a Bar Mitzvah, who was getting married, who got a new job. Good and welfare was the most interesting by far!

But wait…before the meeting it was time to eat. Buffet style. There were deli platters piled high with corned beef, pastrami, salami, tongue and roast beef. All kinds breads and hard rolls. Sometimes we had sweet and sour meatballs. Potato salad, cole slaw, sauerkraut. Pickles-sour and half sour, olives and celery sticks in special serving trays. And chopped liver. We always had chopped liver. It was a tradition. Served with cocktail breads- little slices of rye and pumpernickel. There were bowls of mixed nuts, mixed nuts and raisins, pretzels and potato chips. After the meeting there was dessert. For dessert there was fruit salad. That was another tradition. We HAD to have fruit salad. I remember one occasion when someone forgot the fruit salad and one of my cousins hollered “where’s the fruit salad” while everyone shook their heads in disbelief. There were home made cakes and Entenmann’s of course. Seltzer water and ginger ale. I don’t remember coke being part of the drinks option. Of course there was always a bar. Whiskey, rye, scotch and all the stuff we kids thought was vile.

Everyone smoked back then. Except my father and my grandmother. And the men smoked cigars. It’s funny. As much as I despise cigarette smoke, I love the smell of a cigar. I think it brings back family circle memories.

These days, our family is spread out all over the place. Many are no longer with us. We’ve talked about reviving the RR Club but it never seemed to materialize. The grandchildren are married with families of their own. And so the generations continue.

In loving memory of my grandparents, Julius and Clara Rosenoff.

50 Shoes Of Green--A Midweek Parody with Cathleen Cole

GREEN!

 It's all about the visuals.

My friend Cathy and I get kind of punchy at work sometimes. We make up new titles.

 Right now the biggest selling book is 50 Shades of Grey. I read it. Actually I read all 3. It’s a trilogy. It’s fun. It’s sexually explicit. It’s psychological. It’s definitely not for those who are faint of heart. In fact I was kind of surprised to learn some of those things. Whoa. People really DO that?? Well now.

So today Cathy said we should write a book called 50 Shoes of Green. Well, truthfully, I don’t have the patience or motivation to actually write a BOOK. Blogs are ok. But a book requires skill. Ok, there are some writers who have no skill at all. Just saying.

I’m a very visual person. I like pictures. For instance-cookbooks with no pictures are useless to me. I need to see what my gastronomic creation is SUPPOSED to look like.

Here is my take on 50 Shoes of Green. Don’t count. I didn’t. See you on Friday.