THE BUSINESS ABOUT TELEVISION NEWS

*The entertainment, humorous image has nothing to do with the news. This is how I feel watching the news when their small talk and giggling, laughter, has nothing to do with the news!

I think that humor finds a home in all our hearts! 'Laughter is the best medicine, 'I often hear said. Remember propriety and do not misuse the 'right time as to' when to laugh as opposed to being spontaneous. Why should one have restrictions to laughter? Would you laugh while you sit during a funeral or when your president or prime minister delivers a speech, or when a teacher is giving a lecture?

Tonight my husband watched the national evening news. Moments before the national broadcast started, I watched the local news and was disappointed, again. In my day serious, fahsionable men delivered the news as well-dressed, ‘suit and tie anchors,’ and they smiled when it was appropriate to do so. The ladies used to wear blazers/jackets and were pleasantly charming.

Tonight several newscasters joined the evening anchor and there were two very young ladies, a reporter and an anchor, I believe. These young ladies giggled as they announced their news show due Monday morning. The clothes they wore looked more like beach clothes, too informal, too colorful for serious news during the evening hour. Furthermore, their childish giggling outburst was out of place, undignified ... I thought I was back in grammar school, yes, that childish. These days I see that very young anchors and reporters who report dress down, some dress too casual, there is something missing in the newsroom today and that 'something' is class, accompanied by good taste and professionalism.

The news is serious and now they attempt to add glamour, sex-appeal and entertainment. I like to feel that I am being informed, and not merely entertained by class clowns! I used to watch consumer investigative reporters. I do not see those specializing and working on behalf of the consumer as I used to watch during the local news. I see 'entertainment' and not a serious, trusted news production. Folks, it's the news, and not the comedy hour mixed in with a fashion show that knows very little about TV news reporting and presentation. Dress- up accordingly, be serious and informative and offer your audience respect.

FROM LUXURIOUS TO RAGS AND HAPPY ABOUT IT

PHOTO: google.com fascinating photographs. Let's dine
I do not know if this has ever happened to you ... All I can say is that I grow up setting the dinner table beautifully. Mother prepared meals and my father set the table, made swans and flowers out of white or pink napkins and the table looked lovely. This year I noticed that I was changing my ways drastically and I cannot explain it other than my fascination for 1970s Retro-everything! Indeed, my ways are changing and I feel great joy. When family comes over to dinner I set the table beautifully for my nieces and nephews. My husband helps me. Yet, these days, when I enjoy meals with deliciously prepared home meals made from scratch, I have developed a fascination for old, simple dinnerware, browns, and nothing fancy, not a folded napkin, not a fancy dessert or fruit salad bowl. I accept this humility lovingly and willingly. I create a 'fancy' ambiance for the family, but like my husband, I like it simple, very simple. I have changed and I am glad that I did. Although, on occasions, let's say ... once a month, I go along with fancy, but the rest of the time I enjoy the simple, old,down-to-earth dinnerware and table settings. Congratulations to ME.

HAPPY GATHERINGS: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LOVED ONES.

There was a time when families shared thoughts and the news of the day at the dinner table. In today’s busy world this token of affection and communication is often set aside into obscurity. In America we are having Memorial Day weekend. Share the dinner table with friends and family at home or on a picnic. We need to converse and share ideas. We text and do so skipping words, hurrying to send the next text … Chew your food well and digest the words that family members share at the dinner table. Sharing at the dinner table, akin to the old days when families gathered together,ate and talked! It’s called communication. We have lost that special ability of sharing thoughts at home. It is never too late to set the foundation for new traditions such as the gathering of family and friends at home the dinner table as opposed to restaurants where there are many distractions.

TIS' THE SEASON!

I was writing a story about winter and the 'feeling' dawned on me. I miss autumn! I mean it, the crisp autumn cool, cold and refreshing and gray sky, too. The colors and hues of fall are precious to me. I have a board dedicated to autumn on Pinterest, I Fall for Autumn. Oh, it is precious and I hope you visit.

Find the season that makes you happiest and enjoy it even during the off-season. The planet Saturn has many seasons. I would be happy just having two seasons, autumn and summer!

If you Google Saturn on the link I will post alone you will notice that one of its seasons, 'summer,' last nearly 8 earth years! Each season has a special motif for us to appreciate. I miss fall and when the mood happens and the 'season' calls, I use the brown set of dishes, dark brown and lovely, and I dress up wearing browns, take cover with my brown blanket, and wear cayenne-brown or cinnamon-brown lipstick to color my lips.

My husband is fond of spring. He likes the green grass and all that grows and sunny, warmer days! I understand his fascination for spring because I feel that autumn is just as special!

Enjoy your day and if you have time and are curious about one of our most beautiful planets, Saturn, google-the-facts:

50 Interesting Facts about Saturn - Random Facts - Random History
facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-facts-about-saturn.html‎

google.com
May 3, 2010 – Saturn facts, including comparisons to Earth, recent Cassini discoveries, ... Many astronomers consider Saturn the most beautiful planet in the solar .... Saturn is at its farthest.b; Because Saturn spins on a tilt, it has seasons.

RETRO DINING

I enjoy using either of my two Retro eating trays, Retro Tupperware, Retro Corning/Corelle, anything Retro. Today I had a special breakfast: A broth with vegetables to lower my carb intake. There were delicious vegetables, and that included ginger root and garlic and I added low-fat cheese and a bit of Parm, had a buttermilk biscuit and it was all homemade! I did have applesauce, however, and this was purchased at the store. It is unsweetened, I do not like sugary sweets, and it was delicious served cold for breakfast.

It was an early breakfast, not brunch. I also had some of the vitamin supplies of the day. I used to have a sort of English/British breakfast with my half-cup of baked beans. I am a cheese-eating vegetarian and never tasted their black pudding, eggs, bacon, or any of that, but I still enjoy that kind of breakfast, baked beans, buttermilk biscuit, and a few extras that qualify such a breakfast as an Irish breakfast, but I still serve with Retro dishes, and not Irish dinnerware. I have fancier dinnerware, but I am forever and happily hooked on retro.

PS One of the other bloggers, a very nice and qualified homemaker and retro cook, posted on the tornadoes affecting her area in Oklahoma. I hope that tornadoes cease and I pray that all will be well. I like Oklahoma. It is a state that unlike some of the other states, Florida and Texas, seems different from most. I felt mystery and old-fashioned campfire in oil country as we drove along. Route 66 is a good memory for me. Oklahoma is a wonderful state and its people are very friendly.

YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE.

All I have to say has been said in this image that I found long ago and have continuously shared. Never give up. Move on and try, try again. Remember that situations do not reflect your good points. All of us fail and recover. Enjoy the wisdom!

Living with Asthma: My World of Flowers

This is a lovely photograph for those of you who enjoy gardening, shabby chic, the country look, and yes, for those of you who like me have a fascination with flowers, moreover, with daisies! I like all kinds of flowers, including wild flowers. As a child I had first loves in the holy flower kingdom: My first love was a certain large purple orchid. Later, I discovered jasmines, Chinese honeysuckle at my maternal Grandmother's house, near the house where my grandparents lived at a time there was a small front garden with pink and white carnations, and I fell in love with those, too.

I was inspired by a flower I called the Carolina, a myrtle, a puff duster myrtle, and this flower is native to the tropics, and is very famous in Australia. The red myrtle such as the hairbrush myrtle came along later on. There was the grand plumeria and for those living in the tropics, such as in Hawaii, you are familiar with it. I had the pink plumeria in the front lawn at my maternal grandparents' house. I used to 'pick' all pink flowers. Violets are special in my life, and there is the Tenerife Teide violet, a unique violet and one of fragrance. One finds the Parma violet in Italy and in the south of France, and its perfume is very costly.

I am in love with flowers, but now flowers are not my friends, for so many of them produce asthma in me: jasmines, hibisci, myrtle, and I sneeze and freeze ... I feel the itching of skin rash that reproduce, and I sneeze and wheeze at the site of a mango tree, tomato plants, and eucalyptus plant, myrtle, hibisci, and so forth. I ask, is this allergic reaction fair to one who adores the world of nature? I enjoy paper flowers such as paper lilies dearly, and the tissue paper flowers that I used to purchase in Mexico. There are alternatives in life and I settle for second best in regard to the emotional ordeal of having to distance myself from certain flowers. I cannot consume herbal teas due to a particular ingredient, hibiscus. This brings about severity in asthma which I recently discovered, as recent as one year ago.

I enjoy flowers that produce massive reactions in me, but I enjoy these flowers through varied sources: botany books, flora books, paper flowers, soft tissue flowers, printed flowers in dishes, and through the memories of a young girl who enjoyed the world of flowers, a gift she inherited through her father who always brought flowers home to her and through the genetic prime of her paternal grandmother who adored the flowers of her native North Africa. Thank you for passing on to me the beauty of the world of flowers despite allergens that affect me. I have learned to stay away from certain flowers, but in my heart, like my gardenia loving father used to say, 'All flowers are beautiful.' Thank you for such a fine gift from nature's own 'imperfetion.' Thank you, Julia. Today, your great-grandaughter, Julie, also inherited the gift you passed on to me, a fascination with all flowers!

SCRAPBOOK JOURNALS ARE FOR ME

Scrapbook journal
indulgy.com
I enjoy old-fashioned, simple, plain scrapbooking! I also write and keep a journal. But my journals were too plain and lacked personal creativity. I found this on google.com and this idea is inspiring, 'scrapbook journals' are perfect for my personality. Oh, I will enjoy a project such as the masterpiece shown on the photo. I plan to decorate the journal, leave ample space for writing and create a personalized book where I will record my thoughts and bring in the art!

WOMEN: TRUST YOURSELVES AND PRACTICE SAFETY

I search for illustrations on google.com and think of their beauty. There are lovely images and I am partial to Retro. I was thinking about the woman in this image and the ideals women have in marriage. In life we make choices by thought or impulse and we are held accountable. Yet, as we watched the news we are finding mental torture and abuse and this is not the case of animals or children being victims that we watch on the evening news these days. Now we see women who are kidnapped by family members, boyfriends, strangers, and the men become possessive and abusive with their hostages. This is sick.

I wonder, what motivates a man to be so cruel? Is the fear of God not in men today? Do we delegate blame to parents or the family unit? Must we blame parents who failed their sons?
Perhaps these are men who do evil and were the product of stable, decent families and yet, they failed society. The abuse has to stop. Children, the elderly, animals, and women, the abuse has to stop. I am not a feminist.

I wonder if those who are characterized as worldly, modern feminists, if they escape the cruel hands of men who destroy character and spirit. Or might they, too, be victims? The stories that are presented in the evening news are horrible real life stories of a sick society.
How can the clergy, teachers, and government help? What are the social resources to focus on the needs of women of all ages to learn how to protect themselves against predators -- strangers in their lives ... and those trusted beaus and husbands they once trusted.

A child is born innocent and develops in stages. When do critical changes happen to affect the minds and morals of such wicked men? How can society educate and help women avoid such perils? How can society teach men values? Do unto others as you would like done to you ... Not a bad start, but what happens when men become monsters who my intimidation and mental abuse hurt others. There are many shelters for abused women. I am grateful for the news networks that inform us. Let your children beware! Not every clown who smiles is a trusted friend!

I am a product of a stable home, attended finishing school and learned etiquette and personal development. However, I think that young girls and young women today are better off being taught judo, karate, any self-defense class and self awareness. They have to be taught to look behind their backs when they walk, not to drink from their glass/cup that is brought to them and that might contain one of those drug-mickies one hears about it on the news, by word of mouth, and so forth. Parents, teach your children not to trust with ease.

Love does not hurt and any man who hurts them and see them as the wicked of the genders is not a righteous man! I am tired of all the violence the news reports every day. How will it ever stop? This is a universal problem that must be addressed every day. I think that a girl, a woman, should learn how to defend herself, how to scream, how not to fear, rather then learning etiquette, the social graces, for such is the world we live in today, a jungle of ready creatures rushing to inflict pain on the innocent!

RETRO HOME AND VINTAGE DELIGHT

As I age, I feel that I have a greater need of being surrounded by old familiar objects. I miss old china, stoneware and Fire King lead the way. I think of Tupperware and that is a winner. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I hardly like anything mod! I enjoy modern art, pop music by Celine Dion, but I add the oldies music from Neil Diamond and classical music, especially Tchaikovsky and Chopin. Yes, I feel that I am deprived from my era. I like a 1970s living room and kitchen which blend with Depression Era values. I used to be hooked on the 1960s until approximately two years ago. Other than modern art and a 'limited' repertoire of modern music, I decline on fads, modernity, and trends of a sort, and as for Home life, I live retro. An old-fashioned apron, 1940s style or one that is Shabby Chic rules my heart. It is important to enjoy what you wear and what surrounds you at home, your castle, your comfort zone, and in terms of chores, it is as important to wear what you enjoy. Remember the old Donna Reed show (reruns for me, I do not go that far back in age), Donna wore pearls and an apron. Of course, that is television, but I am not on TV and I used to wear any of my white pearls and an apron a few years ago. Whatever works for you is ideal!

Goodbye, Joyce Brother: There was 'joy' in your smile.

Remembering Retro game shows such as my favorite show as a teen, Match Game, and you see a member of the panel, Dr. Joyce Brothers. Her daughter, Lisa, stated that she died. Rest in peace, Dr. Brothers. She was a kind lady, author, and a fun panelist. As I sit and blog on Retro times and the passing of this lady, I think how much her presence will be missed, and how much of Retro seems to make a comeback and I like it ... But it's not the same. We live Retro and yet we move on with life, and despite enjoying all the retro memories at home such as classic Tupperware, classic Corelle, and many other wonderful products of the past, the CULTURE is not the same today, so we have a little bit of both worlds to enjoy, but it is just not the same. I miss the culture of the 1970s. It was groovy. I am glad that we can share our RETRO enjoyments, share vintage photos online, and have a way to purchasing such products secondhand from sellers. I visited a thrift shop one month ago and I did not see any vintage treasure. Others write that they find treasures all the time, Fire King, and many other brands and pieces. Pyrex is what I have seem most of the time. I guess it depends where one lives. An era has passed away and with that passing, Dr. Brothers expired and I thank her for all the research and media explanations she offered. She made psychology cool and I think that's far-out!

IT'S ALL IN THE GENE!

Me Thinks Retro. Me Lives Retro. Seriously, I have always asked Retro gals what are the eras they most like and I have heard all eras, from the Victorian era to the more modern areas, the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s ... I used to adore the 1960s but I put that book back in the bookshelf and moved on. I like the car models of the 1950s, the Chevy 56' being my favorite but liking all the models. I am a Depression Era and 1970s' Retro Wife! Yes, those are the eras I like the most and identify with all the loveliness they offer. I asked my husband today as to what he 'observed' my fashion style was and he said, 'a bygone era and very French.' Husbands may be quiet, but they are very observant!

My parents never liked Retro, antiques, or any furniture of a past era that they had lived through. They were modern, consumed flesh in their meals, and were not charmed by Retro. I am the opposite. I have never consumed flesh, limit dairy, am devoted to Retro and antiques thrill me. I have concluded that I have inherited much from generations that are far from the modern era, from ancestors who lived many generations ago despite being compared to my paternal grandfather in terms of personality and personal likes. He liked rocking chairs and trunks and listening to radio talk. Well, the apple does not fall far from the tree, eh?

I used to think that my paternal grandfather had wonderful taste decorating. I also liked the poems that he wrote, his style in fashion, and ... He always wore a hat. He was fascinated by ancestral lands, was nearly a vegetarian. Had he not enjoyed pork so much, he would have been a vegetarian. He lived on vegetables, primarily root vegetables and vegetable salads and fresh fruit. Grandfather introduced me to Little House on the Prairie on television, and was always very kind to me. So I thought he had good taste in decorating and furnishing his homes, in literature, in his choice of a diet abundant in fresh fruits and vegetables, and in the fact that like me he was an avid reader. Ah, well, I guess that I do take after him despite the fact that he was a man! I have four loving grandparents and was closest to this man, my paternal grandfather and to my maternal grandmother. So I guess it's all in the gene!

The Berber and the Romany come out in my love for camels, for the old vardo; the Mexican comes out in the foods that I like, the Portuguese and the French are prevalent in most of what I do and in terms of literature, wholesome and sweet, as I am loyal to "Little Women," but I also like realism, Russian realism and in the arts I qualify for both French and Russian. Yes, it is all in the genes. Grandfather was always writing, typing, reading, and so am I. He learned chords and played guitar, sang a little, and was a good businessman. I am not good in business --in sales, and I am not one to like music as much as I like books, but I believe in having a budget and have control ... in a world of overspending!

PS - My favorite 1960s stove! Do you remember it? I liked Samantha's kitchen so much. What is your favorite era? Most women I ask always answer as I did, two eras. And you?

Retro Calendars: I Need Quality Calendars. Do You Know?

If Romance had a color would it be defined as gentle pink, poetic book, passionate scarlet, or perhaps even royal purple? I like to add a touch of Retro to this blog. I purchase Retro calendars each year and I do this for the beauty of the Retro Wife illustrations. I do not like the sarcasm in the words 'spoken' by the wives on the photographs! I do not like it when it mocks old-fashioned values and the family. Does anyone know of a calendar that offers Retro which includes Retro wives, Retro Kitchens, Retro everything and does not put down homemaking? If you do, please let me know and I will purchase it when it is marketed for the year 2014. I do not like the sarcastic humor on the calendars that I purchase. I like the colors, the illustrations, the era. Clean, wholesome publications are always best. -Retro 1970s Wife hoping you enjoy the loveliness and charm of Retro values. Housework is not tedious or primitive. Those of us who also enjoy cooking are not to be reprimanded by those who refuse to clean house, cook meals from scratch, and enjoy the art of doing laundry and folding laundry. I need a good calendar and cannot find one.

Good Luck to Me: I want to read this book cover to cover

The Super-Charged Hormone Diet: This book works for someone like me! This is the reason I ordered the book written by Dr. Natasha Turner. Having a hormonal imbalance affects the way we fail to lose weight! I am glad that I purchased it. ‘A 30-Day Accelerated Plan to Lose Weight, Restore Metabolism and Feel Younger Longer.’ I was happy with today’s purchase which was a necessity and not a want! I do not like all those sites that offer home remedies. I think that we should discuss any attempt in a diet or exercise program with our doctors at all times and practice the routine of eating small portions, you know, in moderation. Boosting metabolism and feeling healthy is the goal for anyone in search of an abundance of quality in their lives today. I will read this book from page one to the end, take notes on my diet section of my home living book binder journal and focus on the purpose and goals I have set. I will observe and record progress made between now and December in my seven month journey to boosting my metabolic rate not simply with plenty of water and aerobic exercise but through the hormonal diet. I always insist to discuss diets with your doctors before experimenting on your own.

Why do I write this blog?

The reason I started writing this blog on home economics, thrift, consumer economics, and related topics was due to the number of individuals experiencing 'hard times.' I have read and heard so many individuals and families having problems making ends meet. Many have asked for ideas on thrift and how to stretch the food budget, do projects at home instead of purchasing gifts such as scrapbooks, journals and things for the children as well as wanting to know how to better their complexion, ideas for a budget and maintaining a record of expenses, and so forth. I have created this blog because I feel the pain of those suffering. While the economy recovers -- persevere, think positive, and record expenses, needs and desires; also, make thrift, healthy choices. Humor, patience, and keeping records of your expenses are good sources. Know what your immediate needs are and work out a plan that works out for you -- and your family. I am not a financial manager and in extreme cases, that might be the best solution for families in need of counsel. This is a fun blog. I do my own research in matters that I consider of interest. I read several very informative magazines as well.

This is a beautiful apron! I am wishing everyone a happy cinco de mayo. There are those who celebrate and there are others who do not celebrate, yet enjoy delicious TexMex cuisine. Regardless of what you celebrate or do not celebrate, enjoy the beauty and sunshine of this day. -Enjoy!