Oh Where, Oh Where Can She Be.....

I know, I know.  I cannot believe that it has been almost two weeks since I posted anything.  That is really unusual for me.  What am I up to?  Well, I'm still working out and eating healthy.  I did have a one pound gain last week, but I'm comfortable in saying I've lost 15 pounds since November.  I am still working on my needlepoint Matisse, and it is going to be beautiful.  One funny thing though, with all my honking about being age appropriate in fashion and such, I did something that really is fun, but not age appropriate.

I polished my fingernails with an OPI pink and used Shatter top coat on them.  It is so cool.  It dries very quickly and the polish pulls apart from itself, giving a crackle look.  This would look good with a nice red polish or even blue to mimic a natural stone look.  This was my first attempt, but I'm pleased.

I know this is for the young, hip crowd, but at least my ta-ta's aren't showing and I'm not tottering around on six inch heels. My hubby was out of town for 36 hours and I had to keep myself occupied, so the funky manicure and a CSI marathon did the trick.

I also put together a quick pair of earrings.  Using turquoise turtles from my stash and some flat beads I came up with this little design...

There are beads underneath the flat beads, but I was too trifling to take the time to get a better photo.

In the "do you remember when" portion of our program, I will introduce you to (or remind you of) an old first aid potion that was very popular when my sister and I were youngins.  Our parents used this stuff for everything and last week when I was looking for an antiseptic for a painful hangnail, I picked up tea tree oil which has a smell that reminded me so much of that liquid of days gone by...APINOL.

It is a pine oil derivative and you cannot use a band aid with it, so we always got a nice plump gauze bandage with real adhesive tape around it.  Great for show and tell the next day at school.  Well, now that we have the technology to find anything on the web, I did a search and found out that it is still made and still available locally.

It is now available in a spray bottle, but if you order online you can still get the old fashioned glass bottle from our youth.  This is an awesome product and they have a pretty nice little website.  If you don't have time to read all the testimonials and such I will post an interesting little blurb from their page.

Apinol not gone

About 15 years ago, Ms. Sharafi of Botetourt County (which is where we grew up) sat on a hot curling iron after a shower. A few days later, when Sharafi saw her grandmother Pat Kelley, also of Botetourt, Kelley dabbed Apinol on the still-raw wound, but as a precaution took Sharafi to the emergency room at Lewis-Gale Medical Center. Apinol did its magic on Sharafi's sore behind, because, after the usual long wait for care, Sharafi was told by the doctor she had scabbed over and was healing with no further treatment required, Kelley said. 

Apinol is a first-aid antiseptic with a durable Roanoke Valley following. A versatile pine oil-based product, Apinol was rubbed on the sore joints of Norfolk and Western railroad workers from early on. It is still in medicine cabinets in Western Virginia, and still available, though some people mistakenly think the company is out of business.

Kelley's granddaughter, Roanoke native Cindy Simmons, bought the 102-year-old Apinol company in 2002 from its third owner, to prevent its closure, as she tells the story. She does business from Trussville, Ala., and credits bulk orders from Roanoke Valley retailers with 45 percent of her sales.

A slightly sticky clear fluid with a memorable odor, it is reputed to ease pain, repel bugs, prevent infection and soothe burns - even to sensitive areas.
You can buy Apinol at Roanoke retailers including Williamson Road Pharmacy and Crouch's Pharmacy, also of Williamson Road, and online.

So that is a little blast from the past.  We also used Blair red salve and drank Fizzies.  They were little flavored tablets that effervesced in water and had flavors like grape and cherry.  If you are in search of old time products a great site is Vermont Country Store.  Now that's a fun site to browse around on.

So I guess that's all from me for several days, and even though I don't usually spoil surprises, I know my favorite sister is reading this, so yes, I got an extra bottle of Apinol and will be sending it to you later this week. 

Don't be a stranger, let me hear and Y'all come back soon.