Hidden Magnolias

I needed a BASIC manicure. My cuticles were beginning to look at bit ragged and I am very busy right now, so I thought I would just get a manicure.  Remember those? So I picked the nail salon closest to my office and wandered over. Oh my goodness. What an experience!! First woman handed me a basket of sample nails to look through. It was full of these types of nails pasted on little sticks. YAK!! I declined and then none of the women wanted to do my nails once I declined. I explained I had a work event and needed a simple manicure and neutral polish.   It was obviously unless, I wanted something remotely like this... ...no one wanted to wait on me. Finally, a woman came from the back and started my manicure. She looked somewhat put out, (a little huffing and puffing)  but did a good job.  When it came time for the polish, I had picked an OPI polish in a nice neural shade. She tried to up-sale me ...

As someone facing retirement in the not too far future, I am saddened and dismayed by some of the blogs I read. One senior blogger tells of how many food banks and senior food services near her are closed, moved, or redistributed. She depends on a bus service to get her to the food banks and now it is a long walk for her to get any food at all.   She received grocery gift cards for Christmas but is too afraid to use because she might need later since food prices in her area are going up and up. This made me very sad for her and fearful for me and mine. This is a country where people are spending $300,000 on a car and this woman’s grocery budget is $30. Ouch. Don't get me wrong, I AM NOT ADVOCATING SOCIALISM. But I cannot help but feel we have the least prepared group of people fixin' to retire. I don't want to be one of ill-prepared people. What am I going to do about it?  Pull in the reins.  I have always been...