I just enjoyed another birthday a few days ago and as I look into the mirror I see so many changes in my exterior.
My interior feels just as it did in my twenties and thirties, except for the skeletal parts as the bones may feel some wear and tear.
My eyes have crinkles at the corners, my lips are not as full as they used to be, my forehead has scowl lines, my eyebrows are thinner and, yes, my once firm skin somewhat sags.
The lines around my eyes are from the zillion smiles I have enjoyed, the grimace lines in my forehead, I am sure are caused from the surprised looks I have been granted at seeing something delightful or maybe just maybe from something my children or grandchildren have said.
As for the diminished size of my lips, it could be from biting them trying to keep regretful words inside my mouth.
As for the remainder of the maladies, I just cannot explain.
My husband says when I get in bed at night I nearly slip off the sheets as I have primed, prepared and greased my face to the max. I have a niece who sells one of the best beauty products on the market and I believe I probably spend my entire enhancing allowance on her products. Thanks, Amanda!
I realize that this nightly ritual probably does not help in the wrinkle department as much as I believe, but we mellowed, ripened women need to feel as if we are doing all we can to eradicate wrinkles short of using an iron, face steamer or dryer sheets!
I surely do not try to “make-up out” the lines as they just fill with the face paint and I look as if the train went off the tracks!
Do I enjoy looking my age?
What do you think?
I spend too much on enhancers to really love the crinkles. However, I am satisfied with them.
The laugh lines, the surprise wrinkles, the thin lips prove I have lived and loved with a passion. I have laughed until I have cried over some silly quirky jokes. I have made my surprise lines disappear into my hair as one of my grandsons tried to stuff his trike inside my refrigerator to cool the seat. I have bitten back many words that would have broken a good friendship.
I have earned these facial landscapes.
I am blessed that my insides feel the springtime of my youth and that I continue to live just as passionately as ever!
Crinkle Lemon Cookies
1 box lemon cake mix
1/3 cup of oil
2 eggs
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon extract
¼ cup crushed lemon drops
1 cup of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, lemon juice, lemon extract, and crushed lemon drops until well blended.
Roll into balls about the size of a golf ball and roll in powdered sugar.
Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes.
