The Easter Holiday

Easter is this Sunday ... and not a moment too soon. Old Man Winter begone! On the Western Hemisphere, it's symbolic how Easter arrives as spring begins. In the west, we have persevered through another cold, harsh winter when nothing grows, and now can look forward to sunny days as a new cycle of life begins.

Christianity recognizes that not all is right in the world. Both good and evil exist. There is much suffering and injustice on earth. In fact, history is a solemn record of hard times marked by hunger, disease, death, natural disasters and political unrest, etc. But Easter reminds us to look at the big picture. Find the light at the end of the tunnel. With perseverance, good can ... and will overcome evil.

Explaining why evil exists is difficult, and yet without strife, there is often no growth. I have heard it said, we learn as much from our hardships and failures as we do from our successes. Easter reminds us to look on the bright side of life! Be positive. Have hope. Opt to do good. Keep striving, and never give up! 

A Happy Easter! Likewise, a Blessed Passover. 🌷🌻🌺

River Jordan 

The Secret Sisters

'Go to the river Jordan', said the prophet to the king

'Wash in that murky water seven times and you'll be clean'

Yeah, that deep rollin' river's gonna make you new and whole

And the faith acquired of you will save your soul

Let's go down to the river, raise our voices in prayer

And get ourselves a snow white robe to wear

Take away the earthly stains, remove each and every one

In the name of the Father and the Son

Jesus said to John the Baptist, bury me in that cold grave

Made of Jordan's icy water, I will show you all the way

And a light came down from Heaven saying this is My Own Son

And I sure am please with what has just been done

Let's go down to the river, raise our voices in prayer

And get ourselves a snow white robe to wear

Take away the earthly stains, remove each and every one

In the name of the Father and the Son

I'm looking for the river Jordan, that old life giving stream
Within its waves of mercy sweet forgiveness ever teamed
I'm a weary broken soul living in a house of clay
And that river's gonna wash my sins away

Let's go down to the river, raise our voices in prayer

And get ourselves a snow white robe to wear

Take away the earthly stains, remove each and every one

In the name of the Father and the Son ... Bury me, river Jordan

Songwriters: Laura Elizabeth Rogers / Lydia Lane Rogers
River Jordan lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Inge Christopher Makes Cute Party Bags

To be honest, I only own 3 party bags. One was a gift, the second a hand-me-down from my mother and and the third one, I bought for under $50. And ... I can't claim to personally own a costly clutch purse, made of silk, or decorated with glittery Swarovski crystals. But that doesn't stop me from recognizing beauty when I see it. 

Inge Christopher makes some fine party purses! You will pay 3 to 6 times more than what I paid for mine, but will get upscale silk, snakeskin, leather, metal or wood, as well as, eye catching embellishments. If you're always partying, you can justify the greater expense as an investment. 

Many of the clutches are designed to hold an iphone, and there is a wide selection of materials, shapes and styles. I picked a few of my favorites. As you can see, I tend to stick with a classic style, but you might like something more unique like the Luma Mini Tote.

When putting on the Ritz, most of us want to look our swanky best, which just might include a quality, durable clutch! Let's take away some style tips from Inge Christopher. We can either search for a budget-friendly knockoff, or better yet, catch a sale on one of these lovely bags!

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Unshrinkit Sweater Restorer

Have you ever wished you could unshrink a wool sweater that got ruined in the wash? Now you can by hand washing it in a liquid solution called, Unshrinkit.

Unskrinkit was invented by Harvard Business School graduate, Desiree Stolar. She teamed up with a chemical engineer and fellow graduates to develop a product that interacts with shrunken, bunched up wool, cashmere or angora yarns, straightening and lengthening the clumps of yarn back to their original size.

It's safe, fast and easy. You pour a bottle of unshrinkit into a a tub, add water and your shrunken sweater. Soak it in the solution for 30 minutes. Raise, stretch and lay flat to dry. Voilà ... back to its original size! 

The Unshrinkit restorer works on fabric that is at least 10% wool. Wow, like a miracle!

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Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll Kiss & Blush Duo Sticks

Photo: Yves Saint Laurent

YSL is launching a new spring collection of creamy muti-tasking lip/cheek colors that the company calls Babydoll Kiss & Blush Duo Sticks. At $34 for 5 ounces, they are not cheap, but you get rich lasting pigments in two hues. Apply it sheer with one application, or heavy with two strokes. The mult-purpose color comes in a sleek and compact case, which makes it convenient to take on overnight trips. There are 6 duo color sticks ... all fresh with a smooth matte finish. Bring lips and cheeks to life with a swipe of flattering color! 

New makeup is eye candy for grown women. 👸🏻

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My Bucket List For 2017

Photo: visionaustralia.org

Eventbrite, a platform that lets event organizers plan, organize and post events and conferences across social media, asked me to produce a bucket list of experiences I'd like to accomplish in 2017. Here are 5 goals I have in mind: 

1) I'd like to get back into Pitates. - A few years ago, my limbs were flexible and my core was strong, but after losing several excellent Pilates' teachers, I stopped going to classes. Recently a classical Pilates studio opened near my home, giving me the motivation to go again.

2) Host an authentic English High Tea - A delightful way to ring in the spring. Certainly, a few friends will want to come. What fun!

3) Brush-up on the German language - If you don't speak a language, you forget it. I can't let that happen with a language I once had a good grasp of; so I must find time to listen to some German language audio. Plus, practice speaking with anyone who will speak to me in German.

4) See the Secret Sisters live in concert - Laura and Lydia Rogers are a duo who sing a gorgeous harmony and will be wildly famous in the future. I must see them when they come to Manhattan, which they do about twice a year!

5) Tour Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia - where I can meet up with out-of-town friends for company. I have neglected my travels lately ... but fortunately, not before visiting California, Los Vegas, around the US, Europe and Egypt. So I have to get back into going oversees! But first, I'll plan a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, meeting up with old friends. None of us have ever been to Williamsburg!

These 5 doings all seem very doable in a year! Thank you, Eventbrite, for the prod in making the list. Now that I've written my aspirations down, I need to get busy! 

What's on your bucket list for 2017?

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Easy Homemade Lemonade

Photo: Healthful Pursuit

As my regular readers know, I stopped drinking soft drinks, a/k/a soda or pop, after my teeth became sensitive because a daily soda habit (which coats our teeth in acid) was eating away my enamel. Yikes! Tooth enamel does not grow back!

Now I drink plenty of cold water; ice tea; and kombucha. When I crave a burst of flavor, I make a simple lemonade using 3 ingredients:

Cold water
ReaLemon concentrate (The store brand is ok too.)
Stevia

At first, I used store bought lemons, which is fine, but the ReaLemon concentrate is easier, faster and (I believe) tastier. But, if you have a lemon tree in your yard, use your fresh lemons! You can't beat the freshness of picking fruit off the tree!

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients into a big, tall glass -- everything to taste, stir and add ice cubes.

As easy and quick as opening a can of soda ... but better. Bottoms up!

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