A travel tip that will save your life...

Sometimes...

I kid, but not about your life, my dear...

Seriously,

if you plan to travel great distances

(an what travel isn't great?)

you have to learn to be responsible for yourself.

One of the tidbits I learned 

"on the jumpseat"

in my previous life as a flight attendant,
was that you take care of your legs.

That meant wearing support hose for years before

I even hit the ol' 30 yr mark.

Please don't ask me to explain the 

scientific reasons, (remember, I have a degree in History)

I only know that if you don't take care of your legs,

you will at the very least end up with 

road maps for "gams".

Then if you are super stupid and ignore this advice for
TOO long, you will endanger your life....
because as we age (can you believe I said that?)
our circulatory system becomes....let's just say "tired"
and when you sit in one place for long periods of time
your feet and legs collect all the blood that should
be in your brain helping you to think.....

This brings me to today's tip...
Wear these

I know...
these are men's socks...
(my sweetie just came home from China, so they were handy)
BUT 
most importantly, they are travel socks...
Compression socks to be 
more precise. 
They are like support hose, but are knee socks.
I don't know about you, but I haven't put on a pair of support hose
since I stopped flying for a living. 
But, I will wear travel socks to save my life.


Travel socks help in the prevention of deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.
Blood clots that is.....painful, ugly, even death.
So...
there you have it,
my travel tip of the day... 
smiles...

My sweetie in Shanghai....

No...

I am not foolin' around...

my sweetie,

my love of my life,

my husband,

is in 

Shanghai.

On business,

again......

4th time in less than a year.....

sick of it.....

But 

the good news is that 

I have rubbed off on him.

Whenever I go on a trip,

I keep my eyes open for 

opportunity....

beautiful opportunity....

Weddings,

more specifically.

Check out what he snapped

(snapped as the Queen does)

I couldn't be any more proud.....

smiles.

Sewing Adventures....

Yes!

They are finally finished....

those 3 silk blouses that I agonized over...

and squirmed each time I looked at the folded

fine silk laying on my sewing desk.

I worried,

stewed,

bargained (in my head)

and looked very hard for someone who would take on the task

of transforming the luscious threads into something 

wearable.

then I gave up, or in.....

and sought out patterns to make for myself.

YIPES!

Curtains, yes...

pillows, yes....

handbags, yes....

clothing, Oh *#&# no!

But 

I started slow,

and prayed each and every time 

that I put the presser foot down.

and finally,

I have finished.

And 

I just might start wearing them next week....

This first one was a bear!

I tackled it last,

and I am very glad too,

the "cross-over" neckline had me flummoxed....

I had to take out the two front seams, twice...

this one was a breeze, it is simply

2 squares (front) and one rectangle (back).

but this is my favorite!

I love paisley...

and this fabric is especially yummy,

thick, heavy as cream, silk

that worked very easily.

Not the simplest thing I have ever done, 

but probably the most satisfying.

And because the fabric was so expensive,

I didn't throw one scrap away,

I simple started sewing them all together and made a 

couple of scarfs...crazy quilt style....

smiles.

These are my Christmas gift to me...

More pearls

More pearls, originally uploaded by ellenmr.

I know...
this man must be crazy.
He didn't have to bring me a thing,
just come home to me in good shape.
But ....
he must have eaten the mushrooms
or
something like that....
as he brought me these too....
How lucky am I?

Easter pearls

Easter pearls, originally uploaded by ellenmr.

My life is so good that you would think I would feel guilty for receiving these....I don't (smiles). My sweetie was away in China for entirely too long....and now that I have him back....I am thrilled....and wearing gorgeous pearls!