Travel, makeup and home renovations

Seniors have been advised all their lives to “arrive early” for symphony and concert performances.

I had to learn this lesson yet again when Mike and I were disappointed not to be able to find a seat at the recent La Traviata performance. La Traviata is the world’s most popular opera, yet neither of us had ever seen it. Next time, we will arrive early and settle in for hours of New York entertainment. What we did was get a refund for our tickets and we immediately headed out for an early brunch and a Bloody Mary.

Turned out the unexpected free time was a bonus we both enjoyed. A Saturday with no schedule or appointments. We rarely, if ever, spend time at the mall. Of course we browsed at the book store and found lots of current periodicals to peruse over the weekend.

I picked up the recent Zoomer and laughed out loud at the directions to achieve the AnnMargret look featured on the cover. She was quoted as saying, “People of a certain age don’t stop having a good time. There’s so much more to life!”

That beautiful face, the beautiful red hair, the beautiful skin and perfect teeth would dazzle at any age, although I did notice tiny lines in her lips. It is the eyes that stop you in your tracks, especially if you are a typical senior with only three eyelashes (all on the left eyelid) and mascara clumps that dissolve onto your cheeks.

To get the Ann-Margret look, Zoomer suggests we try Grandiose Extreme Mascara, Drama Liqui-Perfect Pencil in Noir Intense, Audacity in Paris eyeshadow palette for the eyes and Absolu Rouge in Beige Mirage for the lips, all by Lancome.

To add to the humour, this 75-year-old iconic star has thick brows that match her hair colour. Honestly, all this looks extremely labour intensive to me, and few of us have the time or energy required to look like a Las Vegas showgirl at any age, let alone in our senior years.

Just show me a simple cream or lotion to apply at bedtime to my poor, old, wrinkled skin with guaranteed results for a teenage complexion and I would be first in line. Truth is, my arms and legs need cover and only five hairs remain (all on my right leg). But according to Ann-Margret, ”Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” If this is the case, why am I and all my friends wanting to smash every mirror we pass?

I have complained for some time about the lack of a sink in our miniature laundry room, which is accessed from the kitchen and opens directly onto the garden and garage. I refer to this aspect of our home design as the tunnel. The tiny space holds pet supplies, kitty litter and a tiny closet for Mike’s jackets and boots. I would like to squeeze a utility sink in beside the washer so we could rid ourselves (and our pets) of outdoor mud and mess before we step into the house and kitchen.

We knew the measurement to be about two feet by three and stopped at Home Hardware to purchase a laundry tub to fit our requirements. Even though the instructions declare the tub easy to handle, assemble and install (lightweight and no special tools required), we plan to call our plumber first of next week and give him the go-ahead to break down the existing wall and install the proper pipes and materials to ensure our new laundry tub is up and running soon. Would he consider this project while we are away at Easter visiting in Vancouver?

Suspended light fixtures over our kitchen island would add a nice finish and eliminate the constant glare the recessed lights currently provide. We stopped at a show home in the University Way area and were amazed at the development in that UBCO neighbourhood. We were told the first unit sold went to a senior who wanted to be near the hiking and biking opportunities that the new trail system will provide. Lights in the display suite were exactly like the ones we already have so I have to decided to put new kitchen fixtures on hold.

The good news is Don Burnett is coming to help us get a start on spring gardening. Our past efforts have been topsy-turvy and we need help getting a plan on paper. Our space is small but where to start? The hose (you can’t get away from hand watering) is always in the wrong place, the trees shed needles and leaves, leaving the flower beds in shade, and it turns out our perfect poodle, Coco, loves to dig. Our forsythia has never been pruned properly, but I can see it is ready for spring. Thin shoots, tiny buds covered in raindrops, the yellow flowers will bloom overnight and we know it’s time to put away the snow shovels and bring out the rakes and brooms. Hooray!

So we were late for the opera but we got an unexpected start on home improvements and Verdi’s high-class prostitute would have been well advised to have spent more time outdoors in the fresh air. We will have to wait until next time to hear Violetta sing Addio del passato, an aria even I recognize.

Meanwhile I will need help putting the heavy winter coats away.

Jeanette Dunagan is an Okanagan artist who has lived in Kelowna for more than 40 years. Her column appears every second week in the Okanagan Saturday. Email: jd2399@telus.net.