The Beauty Parlor
As long as I can remember I have been interested in learning many practical things I could do myself without having to pay maintenance guys to do it. My Dad, early on, kindled my interest in hands-on projects, like helping him close the crop of one of our doves (which he had slit open with a scalpel to remove a blockage). I had to use a four inch long curved needle threaded with cotton yarn, to tug it back and forth through the tough skin of the crop. With that, he was training me for Med School in the future of course; but he instilled an interest in fixing technical things of all kinds. Much later, when we lived in Pasadena, California, I enjoyed many classes: how to fix things under the hood of a car, how to replace a flat tire. After that, on a more personal level, I took classes in massage and acupressure. When I graduated, I thought I could practice on my family members, but they were not interested. The only one who was game was our son, when he was a teenager. Because of the lack of a proper massage table, he would stretch his long body out on the bar in the kitchen, face down, while I worked away on his muscles with fragrant honeysuckle scented massage oil. He liked it, but it did not happen very often. The good thing about that class is that I learned the names and locations of muscle groups, tendons, nerve points and more. I still share acupressure with people who have headaches; I hardly have headaches myself, happy to say.
Still in Pasadena, when I started my own business selling acrylic nail products for a chemist friend, I learned to apply acrylic nails, and of course I have always applied my own nail polish on my own hands and feet. In 1976 I was invited to participate in a Hair Show at the Hilton Hotel. A new cut and color were introduced into my life, just when I embarked on my modeling and acting career. Soon after that I learned to do it myself, color that is, and I have applied my own color ever since. Think how much money that saved me! I leave the hair cutting to a professional. But let me get to the point of the Beauty Parlor.
In Arizona, where we lived after twelve years in Hawai’i, I found a nail tech in the hair salon, who did my nails, and I found another one here, in North Carolina, who took over. What luxury! After I had shoulder surgery in 2018, I needed massage therapy for three months. I found a Massage Parlor within two miles from where I live and the masseuse was so good, that I now have a regular massage once a month! To top it all off, at the same Massage Parlor I found an aesthetician with velvety-soft fingers who treated me to a wonderful first-ever facial. I was sold. I reasoned with myself that I have now reached the wonderful age to be pampered to keep in shape and beautiful. And guess what? I convinced myself that now I can spend all the money that I saved in my earlier years on my beautification and health today. If you figure it out: money saved in the past, spent today and in the near future: +$$$ = -$$$ It equals out to 0. YES!
The little cocoon
For two weeks I have been keeping an eye on the folded leaf in which I saw a little caterpillar encapsulate himself preparing his change into a moth or butterfly. Google said: 5 days to 21 days. Alas! Today, the winds had blown almost all of the yellowing and browning leaves off the tree. I could not find the one I had been watching so closely, and all I could do was hope that the little creature had flown away on the wings of the storm.
It’s a wonderful Life!
Until next time,
Ronny
Ÿes, I, too, am a do it myself person. Good to know how things work, plus no waiting for m&r appointments, not to mention the $’s saved. I love the idea of using those saved $’s now, in my waining years. It tends to alleviate the guilt of paying for something I always did myself. So, I guess you could say we are on the same page here, yes?
You said it well, Anna Konya! Yes, we are on the same page (again 😉).