thefouramigosblog

I watch my granddaughter, a well-balanced, polite, smart and pretty young lady appear very confident in herself. My daughter is the same way with a little more hesitation.

I still have insecurities into my 70s which can still hold me back. My mother was fraught with insecurities. She was talented, beautiful, and kind. Yet all her life her insecurities held her back.

So it appears every generation has matured in this area but I still wish at my age I had conquered my insecurities.

I’ve worked on positive affirmations, pushed through insecurities and done things anyway, and even spent time in therapy. But again, I’m still not where I want to be with this.

I own my insecurities. I don’t deny them, as I did when I was younger. This had little effect on my insecurities except to leave me in a state of rage.

I’m not angry anymore. I can be kind and also be happy for those who seem to go through life comfortably in their own skin.

But for today my insecurities are my nemesis that I will probably work on for the rest of my life.

Ok – let me start with my feet. I live in Florida so I mostly wear sandals. My favorites are Oofos. I like them so much that I have them in many colors. My feet are happy in Oofos.

I also spend a lot of time by the water and have a cover-up that I can wear anywhere. It’s starting to fade a bit but I still love it!

I always entertain at my house on Thanksgiving. My family loves all the traditional foods which were passed down from my mother and grandmother.

I make a sausage stuffing with apples that I put in the bird right before it goes in the oven.

I make creamed cauliflower and creamed onions. The cream sauce recipe is from my grandmother—mostly butter, flour, and milk with spices and white pepper.

Mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes. This year we are mashing red potatoes.

I make cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries.

I used to make the famous green bean casserole but decided a few years ago that fresh green beans lightly buttered with some pepper were fewer calories.

I bake sweet potatoes. Just plain. Not the sweet potato casserole I used to make with sugar and butter which was too many calories.

And a pumpkin and apple pie. I make a crumb crust apple pie.

My granddaughter did the leaves around the pie! She is so creative!

I have difficulty dealing with people who are chronically late. To me the message is “my time is more important than yours.” but I’ve learned to deal with this by knowing who those people are. Now I just show up a little late.

I cruise a lot and it’s a petri dish for all kinds of illnesses. I use the stairs as much as possible or try to ride in an uncrowded elevator. I find people who apparently are still wearing masks, and not the ones that really work, push into the elevator even though it’s crowded. It’s almost silly, especially when the mask is below their noses.

I also find it trying to be around people who think they are the smartest kid on the block. If it’s a legal issue, they are now lawyers. If it’s a medical issue, they are doctors. I’ve learned to limit my time with these brilliant people and hang out with people who have some humility.

My husband is my best friend. We do a lot together and he is always ready to follow me in our travels around the world.

My daughter is funny, charming but also has the practicalities that make her successful. My granddaughter is amazing, achieving goals like playing varsity football at age 17.

I have a kid sister who is high-energy and fun to be around. She’s on the left next to me and my sister who was my bff and died two years ago is on the right.

I have good friends who I love dearly but when I think of the friend who knows me best, it’s my childhood friend. We’ve known each other for 70 years!

My life is enriched by the many people in my life who bring me joy.

If I had to do my life over again, I would live with the mountain gorillas.

I know it wasn’t a great thing for Dian Fossey who was murdered in the mountains of Rwanda, but I admired her life.

I once had the opportunity to get up close and personal with these majestic beauties on the mountain range in Uganda.

But I love all primates. Even the Barbary apes on Gibralter.

I just find them all fascinating to watch. They are so much like us.

When I think of the beach, I think of the warm, clear waters we have in Florida or the aqua waters of the Caribbean.

I think of the soft sand and walks along the coastline looking for sea glass, shells, and sharks’ teeth.

Now when I think of the mountains, I think of the cool crisp air with the fragrance of pine and firewood intermingled.

I can almost feel the cool waters of a mountain lake as I watch children frolicking about!

So very different – the beach and the mountains. Both have their charms, making it hard to choose.

I think my mood determines which I like better on any given day!