Growing Old Gracefully (or Dis-)

Get the workmen in and order a french door opening onto your "back yard" fill with loads and loads of lovely pots in bloom and start imagining all over again. Wish we could do the same but if we opened our windows up we would fall into the garden as we live on first floor

OUr new flat french windows have a view of 3 gift shops and a bit of sea. When i came in earlier the frenzy of activity and machinery around the two holes in the road outside gave me a flavour of what it was like to be in a castle under siege. Closed all windows to repel noise and dust. Could do with something to recline on myself while watching fit young people on the Tv accomplish feats of athletic wonder.

Due to my imminent retirement [hurrah] and also the hot weather, I bought a maxi dress yesterday. I'd been looking for a cotton one [they all seemed to be synthetic, which defeated the object of having a dress for hot days] and I found one on a little trip to a local village that has lots of nice shops. I have visions of me sitting in the garden wearing my dress with a glass of wine on the table [actually it'll be fizzy water as I don't drink very often, but you get my drift]. I've no intention of wearing the dress in public [too much flabby arm on display for that and it's a bit low round the non existent cleavage]. The reason for the trip was that I wanted to go a lingerie shop there that sold a bra that I wanted. They didn't have one but it was also one of those shops where I had an Oprah Winfrey moment [you know, the feeling that the shop is so posh that the assistants are thinking to themselves 'what on earth is she doing here, we're far too expensive']. Anyway, since yesterday it hasn't stopped raining and I've also been bitten many times by the dreaded mozzies [first time this year] so I have big red lumps everywhere [which match my frock but look horrid ].

So you bought it just to prove to the shop assistants that you were posh enough to afford it tegan And it doesn't fit Do you actually like it? If not why not return it and cash it in for a cleavage inducing bra?

Get them to order you the bra even.

have to say, (having a disgraceful you-know-who-type multiple posts moment) that Oprah looks more dis-graceful (as in totally lacking in grace) than posh in her present incarnation with crazy hair and generally OTT look. I wouldn't have recognised her either.

It is a cleavage inducing bra and they didn't have it [but there's another shop that does so I'm going there tomorrow]. The shop that sold the frock was much more 'me'. Got the frock and a pair of shoes [red ones; how Wizard of Oz is that!] for 25 quid. I feel an Abigails Party coming on [or I need an invite to one] Couldn't go to other bra shop today as dosed up with antihistamine to take the lumps down and even non drowsy ones send me to sleep.

Annoying thing is that my daughter tells me [now] that TK Max were selling these bras for £6 not long ago.

Some shop person saw Gabby Logan coming when they sold her that awful white top she was wearing today. Extraordinary. More like a cake decoration of the more elaborate kind than a top. Bet it cost a fortune. I feel rather sorry for her having to share the screen all week with Paula and Denise who have fantastic dress sense.

Went to second bra shop and bought a replacement bra for 'old faithful' along with a sports bra and another bra in orange [orange !!] cause it was half price with some matching knickers. Nearly bought another one with matching knickers till realised that the knickers cost £25 [not in the sale y'see]. I mean, who pays £25 for knickers? I bet even The Queen doesn't pay that much. Now I know what make and style I like I shall go back to the 'posh shop' and walz in to purchase another one [in a colour that I can match up with some good old M&S pants ie black, white or skin colour]. As I said many years ago when I bought some new undiies, I can now have an accident or an affair.

Daisy if I had a chaise longue, and reclined on it, I would be bound to fall asleep for the afternoon. And then be awake for half the night. Which is exactly what I have just done anyway, but on a common-or-garden sofa.

Hey ho!

You could chop the end of the aformentioned sofa, j then it would be a chaise longue and you could have a posh nap.

...if you nod off on a chaise longue I bet one doesn't snore or dribble [like me when I nod off].

Actually the sofa is probably more comfy than a chaise longue. They always seem a bit hard. Perhaps that would help to keep me awake.

I don't think I've dribbled - this time!

When we go anywhere on the train I always have to tell the S.O. to nudge me if I nod off and start snoring [or dribbling]. Not sure what would happen if we both nodded off .

Wish we had decent bra shop. Don't want to have to go to London to visit where I used to shop.(R&B) they don't have a branch near me and no one else seems to be able to measure correctly.
Apart from Sloggi sports bra, haven't had a comfy bra since last visit to R&P!
That was 20 years ago!

The lady at the shop I went to today is wonderful; a brilliant salesperson as well [I could easily have spent a fortune]. The shop is close to where my daughter used to live; I went there and had myself properly measured for the first time in my late fifties. One of those things that you wonder why you never did so before [thought I was so flat it didn't really matter ]. She also showed me a petticoat thing that you put on and it gives you a wonderful shape [it's what famous people wear]. Trouble with me is my legs are so fat that they just bulged out underneath [wish I could draw a diagram]. And I couldn't breathe, either .

Daisy - you need a mural! Someone I know hated their job and they papered a beautiful scene onto mtheir wall - it covered the entire wall - and they would gaze at it and dream when times got tough.

Yes, Mishap, a trompe l'oeuil mural of lawns, trees, water, distant mountains - it is an idea. It would have to be in my bedroom. I would love that. I'll start looking through wallpaper books.

Yes, have a trompe-l'oeuil. I've got one of an open window with a view of what would be there if I really had a window in that wall. Looks real and the view is always perfect!

Are "muriels" back in fashion? I must get one for my living room. Or one of those "green lady" pictures!

I would like a good view though, perhaps over the sea or a lake and mountains. Other people's front gardens just don't have the same charm.

There are some wonderful images available on line these days of course. My DH cleverly linked his computer to the flat screen telly so we could look at old holiday photos etc on the TV. Maybe I should hire him out. but those electronic photo frames are quite good.
I do like a nice helpful sales person tegan. Always good to see them in action. There used to be a woman with a lingerie shop in swansea like that. I remember her saying she looked like a sumo wrestler in a thong.