Friday, March 28, 2014

Turning 52

I turned 52 yesterday, trying to summon up wisdom learned in all those years but all can think of is a line from Will and Grace: "Stay away from capris." Actually I like capris and will keep on wearing them, which shows I've learned nuttin'.

Photoshopping, cheaper than Botox

Apropropos of nothing, I love Tina Fey but don't understand how she insists on always being photoshopped but reviles Botox, which she says produces the "shiny people." What's the difference - both eliminate wrinkles. I say go for it. I may pass comment on those with boobs bigger than their head and their lips permanently in that selfie pose called the "duckface" that we keep seeing from Miley et al.

Real me doing Da Duckface

If you're planning anything huge in the injectable-facelift area please treat yourself first to a visit to the the fruit and vege aisle of Gelsons in the Pacific Palisades, LA. There you will witness The Night of The Living Dead (the people shopping there, not the veges). Don't go that far. Your thoughts?

I sort of postponed my birthday as we have rehearsals for our Platinum dance performance. Here is one of my Platinum sistars, Kathleen, dropping off some goodies whilst scooping up guard dog.

Kathleen with gifts and guard dog.

My three fave things; champers, fleurs and toast

Also card from Tallulah, 12. Will post my other things next week.

Is that 5/5 or 5/10?


Gloria Steinem turned 80 this week.  I heard a while ago that one of my Varsity friends remembered me as a "rabid feminist" telling everyone off about everything including calling women "girls." What happened, said my friend "now she's a mother in suburbia." Like to think I'm still kicking a bit of sexist bum out here.  Of course now I would be thrilled to be called a girl, thought I do get annoyed about people saying "you ladies" and declaring they are not feminists - all feminist means is that you think women should be equal.

Gloria Steinem turned 80

Gloria went undercover as Playboy Bunny to show how women were treated at these clubs

What's this about mere mortals having messy divorces but Gwyneth gets to have a Conscious Uncoupling and a Break-up Moon. Course no one asked me but I could see it coming. Look at this recent photo: she looks posed, thought-through and pristine, a woman on the brink of something new.

Walking on Venice Beach 



On Monday I'll have something more esoteric for you. In the meantime what is one thing you've learned in your how many? years?


69 comments:

  1. In my 66 years I've learned that wrinkles do not really make any difference in the whole scheme of things.

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  2. Ye who goes to bed with itchy butt wakes up with stinky finger. Yeah, that's about all I got...have a sense of humor, helps a ton.

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  3. I love capris, Happy Birthday, looking pretty good there.
    I wish I knew how to photoshop and I loathe that shiny now equates with botox as I am the oiliest skinned woman on the planet, I've been shiny since 1964.

    I've learned my two times table, that's about it, still struggling with the seven times table.

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    1. Ooh I remember struggling with the 7's, was terrified that I'd spend the rest of my life in that classroom with that teacher. Looking back I feel almost as sorry for her as I did for me.

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    2. I love the sevens! So elegant. Twelves however, eugh. Thank goodness I was born in Britain after decimalisation.

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    3. Have not learned times table properly over five, have to do finger counting

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  4. Happy Birthday! The guard dog may need a few lessons lol I've learned how to dress myself, that count? lol

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  5. Oh happy birthday you beautiful gel! I am nipping at your heels all the way! Love the card! I've never been photoshopped but now I want to be! My birthday advice? Wake up every day; otherwise you're pretty much dead weight! You are do fabulous you can wake us all up!

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  6. Learned? Was all of this supposed to be a learning experience? Well, I got that wrong.

    OK, I thought of something I've learned - your high school guidance counselor is/was a person who's reached his full potential.

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    Replies
    1. And happy birthday, dreamgirl!

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    2. Yes better to think we're all just passing through and when a bus comes along just leap on it!

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  7. Happy Birthday Jody.

    52 is just a number.

    It's a BIG number but don't get depressed.

    One thing I've learned in my 62 years?

    Love conquers all (but it is essential to have a cosh handy as well)

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    1. It's a bloody big number! Or just a number as my mother would say. Need the cosh whatever that is

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  8. Happy 52nd Birthday. (Oh, to be 52 again!) I'm 68 and I've discovered that one is expected to be (become) something when one grows up. Which is why I decided, a long time go, not to grow up. Nonetheless, what I have become is a Bear. If you can figure that out, please let me know how it happened.

    Blessings and Bear hugs!

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  9. Happy Birthday lovely Jody! You look closer to 30 than 50 and natural. Love that photoshop myself, especially for my wrinkly neck. In my 48 years I have learned to not take things personally, enjoy each day as much as possible, and don't get hung up on the present and small stuff. I try to look at the bigger picture and remember things like perfect grades, clean floors and what others think won't matter in ten years or ever. Be happy!
    Sending you best wishes and hoping we will get to meet sometime this year as we aren't so far apart!
    xx
    Kim

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    Replies
    1. Yes, letting small stuff slide is key. Sometimes it's hard to know what's small and what's big though...

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  10. Happy birthday Jody, I would not have picked you to be 52, great genes (and capris, if you insist). What have I learnt - stop looking in the mirror for validation and repeat this mantra - "you is smart, you is kind, you is important" x.

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  11. Happy belated birthday, Joanne Mar(r)ie!

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  12. Happy Birthday wishes to you doll, am glad you enjoyed yourself, I hope all your wishes come true :) I checked the Google+ thing & you see the old post because you're not following me on Google+ so it shows the only posts I have 'public' the latest ones are shared to my circles and people who follow me, I didn't realize the settings were on to do that. I looked at my profile as someone not following me on G+ and that's how I figured it out. So, I'll try and remember when I share a blog post to make it public as well :) Have a great weekend doll xx

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    1. Yikes - just realised this is happening when I go to post on loads of people's blogs, has just bought me to the same post from months ago. So I need to be "following" to see the latest post?

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    2. Just did the following and will do with everyone else on Google plus...

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  13. Happy birthday!!!! Hope you have a lovely day.

    It also annoys me when women say they are not feminists. But then I get attacked for being militant?

    I knew there was trouble when GP and her now uncoupled husband were pictured together at one of the awards ceremony being affectionate. That was one of the first times pictured like that. Hello magazine cover curse I say!

    Botox really is one's choice but let's not ingest like as if it were a vitamin.

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  14. Happy Happy birthday!!! Have lots of cake for me!!! By the way, 52 is the new 29 :)

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  15. Hope you had a great birthday, Jody! But I think Tallulah made a typo there.....should be 39, not 40. :)

    You look great, in capris or other pants.

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  16. Happy Birthday, don't think of it as your 52nd birthday, but rather the 22nd anniversary of your 30th. You don't look your age at all.
    What have I learned, if you love someone love them with every particle of your being and damn the consequences.

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  17. Happy Belated! You look much better without the photoshopping, and I dare say botox. I abhor the shiny look, though admit I tried botox recently. I figured my intense objection to it should not be out of fear, so I did a bit around my eyes. No crows feet was nice, but I did think it took some of the character out of my face as well. I prefer the character I've decided.

    I suppose in my 43 years I've learned that everyone deserves to be comfortable in her own skin . . . whatever that means to you! If it takes botox or plastic surgery to make someone feel good, who am I to judge.

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    1. My crows feet I am fine with, its the black lines under the eyes that bug me. The photog mentioned my laugh lines (or clown lines I think they call them) around my mouth...did aI want them gone...I hadn't noticed them

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  18. Happy Birthday! You look FAB!

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  19. Happy birthday gorgeous! Even the duck face is divine. I'm 42 and sometimes feel I've learned nothing except always wash off your makeup before bed and never make life-altering decisions when overtired.

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  20. Well happy birthday! I love the duckface photo. I don't know where this trend came from, but one day all those girls posting selfies will one day look back on those photos and laugh the way 80s girls today laugh at their big hair.

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    1. Wish big hair would come back in though, mine is like King Tut.

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  21. Happy Birthday gorgeous!! Wish I knew how to photoshop myself, IRL. Botox has its benefits as do fillers. It's the going overboard that frightens. Most all things in moderation, works for me. What I've learned in my 57 years is that I should have appreciated how I looked at 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 56. You'd think I knew to appreciate how I look now...working on that! :-D

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    1. Same. I have friends that photoshop their photos before they even put them on facebook - who can be bothered?

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    2. Jennifer just realised as above am coming to your Google Plus and just seeing that one post back in Jan

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  22. Happy Birthday Jody! Photo shopping can back fire. I was feeling very depressed when I looked at photos of me, only 3 and a bit years ago cradling my last baby. The ones I'd put on Facebook. I was wrinkle free, no bags under the eyes and looked so young. What on earth had happened in just 3 years I wondered? Then I remembered.... I had indulged in a little big of photoshopping. I probably looked wrinkled and with suitcases under the eyes before I did a little touching up.

    Gwenneth conciously uncoupling has been a little much for me. But the comments on how easy working mothers have it compared to her (because she seems to believe being paid millions to work on a film set occasionally is much harder than doing a 'normal' 9-5 job) have slightly tipped me over the edge. xx

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    1. I know! She is going to get in some deep doodoo here for that! There is no such thing as a "normal" 9-5 job and the fact she doesn't know that says it all.

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  23. Happy Birthday Jodie, a bit late! I love the card from Tallulah, we spend far too much time driving those little darlings around don't we?!
    I feel I need to be photoshopped in real life, either that or have some serious work done. I did take part in the Facebook make up free photo but I carefully took a pic whilst looking up (to avoid the double chin) and cleverly had a towel turban on my head to give a tightly pulled facelift effect!
    As for what I have learned in my ahem, 48 years - nothing! I know less now than I did at the start!
    ps Happy UK Mother's Day to you.

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    1. I notice one of the photos I just posted today featured me in a Jabba The Hutt neck!

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  24. I've learned in almost 50 years that "Uncoupling" means "Divorce". They are the same thing no matter what "goop" Gywneth dishes up....

    "C"

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  25. Happy birthday!! I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and wish you an even better year!

    I am 31. I have learnt that nothing gets easier as you get older, but dealing with things does. Exciting eh?

    I think you look fabulous in capris. Please keep wearing them.

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    1. Think that is so true, nothing changes just the attitude. Think I care less about many more things as I get older so don't have to worry about them anymore. My friend who has four kids said the other day she couldn't believe how worried she was about "enrichment" (spanish dancing etc) in pre-school and how annoyed she got about it...

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  26. Happy Birthday, young lady!!
    You are utterly gorgeous!
    Personally, I'm not a fan of the injected face - it's very popular here and looks odd to me. I far prefer a face that has not been messed with. Watching Scandanavian TV is a bit of a revelation: No botoxed and plumped faces to speak of.... so refreshing and far more beautiful, I think!
    In my 46 years I've learnt that I really don't know much at all, but that I have much to learn!

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    1. I know! Well for actresses, they need to move their foreheads you would think..not sure how Nicole Kidman does it

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  27. Happy belated birthday! Will and Grace might be wrong. Well, probably not except on your birthday. Great Duckface. You had me fooled ;)

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  28. Happy belated birthday wishes Jodie :) Keep wearing capris!!

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  29. Happy birthday!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  30. I can't use Photoshop so try to ask only people with shaking hands to take pictures of me to produce a soft-focus-out-of-focus effect.

    You look great Photoshopped or not! Lovely letter from your daughter. I just goes to show they do appreciate you really...

    What have I learned? Um... things happen when they want to, I suppose.

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    1. I am so useless I cannot even try photoshop, this was a photo by a friend

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  31. Belated Happy Birthday. Is 27th still Pisces?
    I can barely remember my fifties - it all flies. What a precious note from your daughter.

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    1. Aries, bull in a china shop that's me! And Happy Mother's Day to you! Is the card you are featured on, the first one or the second?

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  32. happy birthday jody! and you looked beautiful in person when i met you that day.

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  33. I've learned there's no way I will ever be a know-it-all. And it's OK.

    Happy birthday, toots! That card from Tutti Frutti is the best.

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    1. Yes I wonder where she got the "bloody kids" expression from?

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  34. AUGURI as they say in the land of ITALY!!!!
    You do not look 52 at all and that LETTER………FRAME IT!
    "What have I learned in the last 53 years?" you asked………..TIME FLYS. I still feel 18.How on earth did I become 53??ENJOY THOSE KIDS……..Thats all I can say!!!ENJOY the noise,mess,driving, etc………...

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  35. Apologies, I missed your birthday! Happy birthday!
    I sometimes use mess around on my iPad in Photohop... I love the 'reduce noise' button... it works like an iron!
    I have learnt to accept that I can be a ratty old bat and that sometimes, on occasion I need to take a step back and get things into perspective.
    Sx

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  36. Just found your blog and loving your sense of humor. Looking fab, dear!

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  37. Happy belated birthday lovely blogging friend. A 5 star mum what more can you ask for better than any present. I'm going to be the big 50 this year bits of me are already falling off (only joking). I think what I have learned is you are as young as you feel. There are 20 year old bores acting like grannies and 80 year old grannies enjoying every moment. I know which one I want to be.

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  38. Late I know but happy birthday from your friends in Liverpool.

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