A MEMORABLE MEMORIAL DAY...

Snatum Kaur

I am in the middle of a memorable Memorial Day Weekend….so perfect I have even caught a glimpse of God…

Friday night a dear friend picked me up and took me to a concert. There is simply something about Friday night that creates excitement…and especially when it’s the start of a long holiday weekend. And, there is something about Snatum Kaur (the singer we were going to see) that sets her apart from other artists. Since I have all of her recordings, and listen to her in my Kundalini Yoga class, I knew I was in for an extraordinary show. Snatum is a young, radiant woman who has a voice that is a profound and compelling talent. Anyone who sits and listens to her will be moved. She wraps you in a warm lavender scented, clean, and cozy blanket, and sings devotional lullaby-byes to you. Well, they may not be lullaby’s’ but she has an innocence that opens your heart. She sings and chants with grace, eloquence, and pure bliss. You will be moved. Her connection to the divine is palpable.

As I sat and listened, my heart just blossomed. When I closed my eyes, the light within shined so brightly…I caught a glimpse of God….

What a better way to start a weekend called Memorial Day …It was only Friday, and my high-spiritedness was already off the Richter scale.

I had another glorious day on Saturday. I found myself surrounded by my family. The reunion was remarkable because we don’t get together often enough, and everyone was there. We laughed, danced and hugged all day long. I felt like I was reaping the blessings bestowed upon me the night before.

On Sunday, as I drove around with another friend, she watched in wonder how our Ageless Aunty chanted every word to one of Snatum’s Kaur’s CD’s…Ong Namo, Guru Dev Namo. After witnessing Aunty in all her glory with all her wits about her, humming happily in the back seat, my friend said with glee… “Aunty plays cards, does yoga, sings, and dances. You make her so happy she is going to live to 102.” And with that, we pulled over to the ocean. I poured some ice, mint green tea and we un-wrapped home made sweet potato pie, reveling in Aunty’s amazing youthfulness (the rewards of my hard work and devotion). I may not be famous yet, but, I will not call myself a failure, because I have made, and am keeping, another person genuinely happy.

Today, I get to write to you about all the joy, love, and peace.

What was re-affirmed for me this weekend (with Snatum Kaur as the soundtrack all along) is: when you open your heart in the name of love, anything is possible. Good comes to you. You don’t have to go looking for it…you don’t even have to ask. If you don’t recognize that it’s already there, you will.

For more on the amazing Snatum Kaur go to http://www.snatumkaur.com/

TURNING JAPANESE...

This could easily be me...

When I say “I think I’m turning Japanese,” I mean it…

The first thing I see in the morning (after a good night sleep on my Japanese buckwheat pillow) is a picture of a Japanese Garden hanging on my wall. I walk into the bathroom and wash my face, hair, and body with everything Shiseido. After breakfast I brew a pot of Gyokuro green tea. During my writing ritual, I sip more green tea, and burn Shoyeido’s Lisn, Sound on Wave, incense…the best in all the world! Later, I get into my Honda Accord and take Aunty to buy Hello Kitty items.

When we get home we watch Miyazaki films. My Neighbor Totoro, is one of my all time favorites. Aunty and I enjoy organic ice green tea. We often eat Udon and Soba noodles for dinner.

We bow before bed (and this is not a joke)… prayer and meditation are two ways we stay young and healthy, and we often genuflect in the practice. One of these days I am going to acquire my own kimono… I have my eye on one that is simply sublime (and way out of my price range).

Friday, I went to a concert to hear Elizabeth Bennett play the Shakuhachi. She is the First American woman to master the Shakahachi in the US. This is a Japanese end-blown flute traditionally made of bamboo. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suzien (blowing meditation). Its soulful sound made it popular in 1980s pop music in the English-speaking world. Her playing transported me into a deep, sonic spiritual journey. That night I dreamed I was in Japan, sipping sake under the cherry blossoms…

I can’t wait to actually go to. The people there seem to smile a lot. I will fit right in. They might even mistake me for a native. I have got the grin, the bangs, and a kimono on lay-away. I’ve even got the bow down pat. I love temples, gardens, and tea parties. I am really on a roll here…Make that a California roll…with extra ginger.

Arigato…
Sushi all around

I hope I am by no means politically incorrect here. I am simply paying tribute to a fantastic culture that has captured my heart and pocket book.~

For more go to:
http://www.shakuhachi.com/
http://www.howtojapan.blogspot.com/
http://www.japan-guide.com/
http://www.miyazaki.com/
And, check out the song Rainy Night in Tokyo, by Michael Franks ~

Save the Date: The 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival -- March 26 - April 10, with the Parade on April 9, right here in Washington D.C.

BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE...

Steve Winwood with Renee Gold and Entourage

My passion in this life, in addition to writing and taking care of my precious Aunty, is music. If it’s a good live concert, I am there. When I am driving in my car, I play the radio or listen to one of my thousand and one CD’s. At home, Aunty and I dance around to all kinds of great music.

Music moves me like nothing else. And, my answer to the question, “If you were on a desert island, and could only bring three things....  is, “My tapes, my CD’s and my I-Pod.”

Two of my (many) favorite rock songs are Low Spark of High Heel Boys, And Can’t Find My Way Home, both written and performed by Steve Winwood, while he was with Traffic and Blind Faith. The songs were a bit before my time, but, I found my way to them none-the-less. They remind me of a time in my life when I was a young girl and so many things were taboo…even songs like that because they were a bit mysterious and so alluring. I get a profound feeling of nostalgia when I hear them. Some of Rock and Roll’s finest moments…

You might be wondering how I met the legendary Steve Winwood. Well, my friends’ fiance was playing in Steve’s band, and placed me on the guest list. I brought my four sisters along. They were so gorgeous,  no one in the band minded at all. They even posed for pictures with us. At the end of the show when the group played an encore of Gimmie Some Loving, which Steve Winwood also wrote, I was dancing all over the aisles and on the seats. I thought I might get thrown own. But, that was in the eighties and things were a bit more lose. However, that high-voltage charge of fun I felt then, I still feel at most live concerts. That is why I keep going. I seem to de-age with every beat. They say Botox is addictive, but for me, it’s the music. And, aside from the fact that these days, I might have to take a hot bath the next morning if I am a little sore from dancing too much, when you use rock and roll to preserve your youth, there is usually no recovery time, or possible complications. Although, beware…concert tickets today probably cost more then Botox!

For more info go to http://www.stevewinwood.com/

FABULOUS FACEBOOK...

~Friends~

I am so excited that my blog is aligned with Facebook…

We both represent Agelessness. When I am not telling you all about how I met Prince Albert, or posed as a Rock Star in Vermont, I write about ways to bring more fun into your life. And, Facebook helps you to do just that.

To think that in the push of one button, I can be talking to my old teachers, my sister’s ex-boyfriends, my high-school girlfriends, aunty’s old neighbors, and even a few local celebrities. They are all on Facebook. I find this so exciting. You can never have too many friends...

It’s good for my social life too. Already, Aunty and I have been invited to three parties, one reunion, and a beer festival.

The experts continue to tell us that staying connected is a key component to health and well being. Facebook keeps us connected to as many people as we want. I believe you can have up to 5,000 friends! And if you have more then five thousand friends, you can start your own social network, or run for office. And, speaking of the latter our President uses Facebook too.

Stop complaining there is nothing to do, or you have no one to hang out with. Just turn on Facebook and connect with everyone you have ever known, while making new friends too. It’s free, and it is so much fun. And having fun will help you to stay young. Just look at Aunty. One of her many friends took this picture.

Now she wants her own Facebook page too… sharing this blog with me is not enough. At this rate she’ll never get old…

Making friends at 86 is one great way to live…. Thanks Facebook! And thanks to all our friends, from Facebook, and right here at home….

BEHIND THE BLOG...

I Just Keep Rolling Along...

My life is not easy at all. Yet, I continue to get emails, calls, and people coming up to me saying… “What an amazing life you and aunty have… What fun!” Well, yes we do. And, I appreciate those comments and compliments a lot. But, behind the blog, it’s not all one big wild ride…

Aunty has Alzheimer’s (or so they say). She does get forgetful, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, she can not be alone. Since I am the only one caring for her, this can put enormous pressure on me. It’s just me all the time (for several years now). When you care deeply for someone, or some cause, there is usually a lot of work associated with that caring. Who knew devotion had a price? But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. That devotion is what’s keeping Aunty vibrant and glowing in her 86th year of life.

So, …in between yoga gongs, pageants, meeting royalty, hanging out with Senators, and sneaking into sold out shows, I am putting on/in various eye-drops and medications, ordering pills, making doctors appointments (by now Aunty has a doctor for each part of her body, including her toenails). I am following many, absolutely crazy, and unfair, rules and regulations because at this point we are getting some outside help. I answer the same question one million times a day. I search an entire neighborhood and house, at least once a month, for aunty’s lost tooth (she has one little tooth that comes out, I guess you call it a partial) and she always loses it. The piece cost $1,700! We can not afford to have another one made. Which leads to our big stress> Money… We have none. Yes, we fooled you too… We live by the skin of that one take-out tooth. But, through our dearly beloved blog (the one you are reading right now) we focus on the positive (that fun, zesty gumption we both posses) and sure enough, more good keeps coming our way. It’s not always easy, but I found out, things turn out better when you stay positive.

My dear mother always says, “Life is what you make it.” I have packed in a lot of chutzpah, a cup full of spirit, a dash of sass, and a sprinkle of spunk to make mine more fun…no matter what is going on behind the blog.

AGELESS QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What ingredients are you putting into your life to make it better?

A PLUG FOR POETRY...

                                Aunty and I with a real live poet

When was the last time you read, or wrote poetry, or had someone read a poem to you?

That’s what I thought.

Many of us are too busy, and the last thing we might think of is picking up a poem to read, or taking the time to read aloud to someone we love. We are missing out on an enriching simple joy.

Aunty and I had the distinct pleasure of attending a poetry reading recently and we enjoyed every verse. Our dear friend Meg Kearney is a poet. She read from her latest book of poems called Home by Now. Sitting there listening to the words eloquently flowing off her lips was just a little slice of wonder. Poetry asks you to listen, reflect, and when you are writing, to dig deeper.

I was so inspired I am reading more poetry (including Meg’s poems of course).

Dabble in a few poems if it’s been a while. Read aloud to someone. It’s as simple as packing a lunch, grabbing a blanket, and putting a few poems in your pocket to go sit by the lake. Now that’s Ageless if you ask me. Or, stay right where you are, just grab a pen and paper and go with the flow…

Poetry can bring you to the most amazing places and make you feel alive. It creates enriching conversation when you discuss poems with others. But, most of all, poetry is to be enjoyed. Raindrops on roses might be one of Julie Andrew’s favorite things, but having someone read to me (poetry included) is one of mine. How utterly romantic…I swoon at the thought.

Further reading:
Sound and Sense (and introduction to understanding poetry) by L. Perrine.

For more on the brilliant Meg Kearney, and her poems, go to http://www.megkearney.com/.
Meg is the embodiment of a good poem…stunning, smart, and good company. Oh yes, and she moves you.

THE AGELESS J. GEILS BAND...

"#1 fanny"

My afffinty for the J. Geils Band started back in the seventies! Yes, I may be Ageless, but, never-the-less, that was the decade my boyfriend Paul Sek, brought a J. Geils Album over to my house, and it blew my mind! There was this funky, bluesy song called Homework, and he would sing it to me. The way you love me, you love me so, I can’t do my homework, anymore….. I was hooked.

What followed was a lifetime love affair with their music. My sisters and I went wild for the J. Geils Band. We made it to every show in the area, and even got to meet the band on a few occasions. Till this day, anyone who knew me then, associates me with these guys from Boston. I still wear what was probably the first J. Geils Tee Shirt ever made. I have guitar picks from Jerome himself (he’s the “J” in J Geils). I caught a towel that lead singer Peter Wolf, threw into the audience, and for my sweet-sixteen birthday, my mother had a sterling silver guitar charm made, engraved with the bands name for my charm bracelet! But, my favorite association to these funky guys (who, by the way, had a hit-single with their song Angel is a Centerfold) is in my high-school year book. Someone took a picture of me when I was wearing black pants with the band’s name written across my butt in rhinestones. That photo (above) ended up in the yearbook. Underneath they wrote, “Number One Fanny.” That may have been a long time ago, but, the band is still playing, and I am still following… I saw the J. Geils Band last year, (I managed to get into their sold out show two minutes before it started) and I have to say, the band is still incredible. My friends and I stood and screamed for the entire gig.

As a die-hard music lover, I predict the concert event of the summer will be the J. Geils Band and Aerosmith playing together at Fenway Park, in Boston. Tickets sold out in fourteen minutes. I don’t have mine yet….but, by now most of you following this blog know> Where There’s’ a Will There’s Renee. I will get my hands on some tickets, somehow! There may not be any seats left, but what about the stage? Do you think the band would really mind me (one of their most loyal fans) dancing in the wings wearing that vintage tee-shirt and jingling my charm bracelet with their names on it, for old time sake. I will even dig up those rhinestone pants if it helps.

Follow this blog for more on how I had breakfast with front man Peter Wolf. This blog only gets better. And then there's my books. One of the stories in my second book is about how I got Peter Wolf to introduce me to Van Morrison (and what I did from there). The funny part is, I don’t really know Peter Wolf! But, here he is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone... back in the day.
For your listening pleasure…may I recommend some of my favorite J. Geil songs…. Diddyboppin, Homework, Cruising for a Love, and First I look at the Purse!
These songs are so upbeat it’s easy to get hooked! You’ll see…

Renee’s Ageless Tip of the Week:
Treat yourself to live concerts. ADDED BONUS: If it’s music you grew up on, you’ll de-age like a sterling silver guitar charm! Bon Jovi or Botox, you decide.

"WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO NEXT?"

I have been known to crash a party or two. I have managed to sneak into sold-out concerts, maneuver myself into front row seats, and have even made my way into the MTV awards by hitching myself on to another’s posse (including the late Rick James’). But, until recently, I had never crashed a famous person’s bathroom.

On a recent tour of historic New England homes, my family and I went gaga over a particular house. We were in awe over how Boston’s Celebrity Chef, Lydia Shire, decorated her amazing and whimsical home. See her dinner table below.

At one point I left the tour, and snuck into one of the many bathrooms to snap a picture. Wow… the red Japanese wall paper was exotic, and really stood out. Graced on the all glass, see-through sink was a tall lily plant coming out of a shimmery fairy planter. Miss Shire showcased more creativity and flair in that small bathroom than many people do in an entire home.

At the end of the day, I felt like I had satisfied my daily chutzpah quota. If I am not pushing the envelope, even if it’s just secretly snapping a picture of an illustrious chef’s bathroom in Boston, then I don’t feel right. Everyone who knows me always asks…. “What are you going to do next?” That’s what this blog is all about (aside from staying Ageless with Aunty) nothing plain and simple here. My life is one madcap adventure…and from now on, I am taking my readers over-the-top and along for the ride. Strap yourself in. Renee’s Big Surf’s up. There is endless virtual summer fun on the horizon.

TAKE TEN YEARS OFF YOUR FACE...

Aunty Did...

We promised to let all our readers in on our Ageless tips. Here you can see Ageless Aunty glowing at 86 years young! All she did was, sip a little champagne, smell some roses, and put on a pair of designer aviator glasses, and viola.... Ageless

It's those little things that add up. And, always be consistent. Doing anything in moderation is also a beauty enhancer. Recent research states that two six ounce drinks a week is fine. Any more than that could increase your risk of breast cancer. So, enjoy a little bit at a time, and stay young in the process. Red wine is good for your heart. Champagne just makes you feel good! Don't forget to be nice too, so someone will want to send you lovely roses to relish.

BEAUTY SECRET #1, Always be looking at someone who loves you!

MY MOTHER THE GODDESS...

Mom in the middle


While recently creating my Facebook Wall, and re-connecting with old friends from grammar and high-school, and even my sister’s still cool, ex-boyfriends, I have been bombarded with the same question… “How is your mother?” I never realized how much everyone admired her.

She has always lived the high-life on low income. She may have raised us in a tough working-class city, but we lived as if docked on a yacht in the South of France. At times there may have been motorcycles gangs congregating outside our front door, yet inside there was a European flair. She sat us girls down to a candlelight dinner every night at eight. In a Hamburger Helper neighborhood, we dined on fillet mignon. While the other mothers were playing cards, and reading those outrageous tabloids, the ones that printed things like The President is an Alien, my mother listened to Middle Eastern music and read books with titles like A Salute to Cheese.


When I was a baby, she was a belly dancer. Looking back at pictures, I see she possessed the look of a movie star, goddess, and enchantress. As a young girl, I remember always being in awe of her beauty. She had long black hair. She painted her eyes in a Cleopatra style, and traveled several nights a week to premier Boston nightclubs carrying her round, white, satin-lined suitcase. She would draw you in with the scent of her rare elixir of amber and sandalwood. Everything about her was unique and exotic. But, what I remember most was, she did it all for her girls. I have four sisters, and even though we essentially had very little money, my mother made sure we ate well (even if it meant she had to make friends with the butcher). She signed us up for dance classes with the money she made as a dancer, and we may have resided in an apartment, but she made sure it was spacious, and across the street from the unlimited benefits of a well-stocked library. She took various jobs, from booking talent, interior designer, floral arranger, to a sought-after psychic, in order to give us what she believed we needed. To this day I genuflect before her for that. I literally would be nothing without her.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there… there is no one I can praise more than you! And for those of us who have not had that privilege of being a parent, I am sure there is someone you care for, and nurture deeply, like I do with Aunty. Happy Mother’s Day to you too…Most women are mothers in one way or another. This weekend is for you…

AGELESS TIP OF THE WEEK: HONOR YOUR MOTHER

A BETTER BONNET, A BETTER BOURBON...

Ageless Aunty Day After Derby

The most famous and respected horse race in the world, Kentucky Derby, held its 136th event a few days ago, on Saturday, May 01, 2010, ...Run For The Roses at Churchill Downs.

I am still not sure if Aunty realized she had missed it.

When she put this hat on Sunday morning, I asked her where she thought we were going, and she said... "For a real Mint Julep,"(which of course is the official drink of the race). She had seen me drink one in a tall glass with slushy ice, not a sterling silver Julep cup with powdery shaved ice, which some connoisseur mixologists say is the only way to drink one. I changed the subject, and threw some mint into her tea with a dash of bourbon for good measure... She seemed happy enough, as you can see. She did not mention anything about going to the races after that. Although I think I heard her humming Neil Diamond's Kentucky Woman.

I have always dreamed of going to the Kentucky Derby..... those drinks, those, hats, those horses. I am planning to go next year with Aunty. She has a year to pick out a better bonnet. This one doesn't do her justice. And I will sip a better bourbon concoction too. This time with a straw, shaved ice, frosty sterling cup and all.

Mint Julep

3-4 oz of bourbon

1 oz mint-infused simple syrup

fresh mint leaves

copious amounts of shaved ice

Muddle 1/2 oz of syrup with mint leaves in the bottom of the cup

CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY...

Ever since the ninth grade, I have worn a pin that says, Celebrate Life! With that in mind, you know when it comes to my birthday, May 3rd, I am going to be extra merry, and find ways to have even more fun than I usually do. Over the years, on my birthday, I have done everything from pretending to be a rock star in Vermont, and renting a tour bus for the day, indulging in tea at one of the Mansions in Newport Rhode Island, to setting up a soulful sojourn at the Abbey, where I shared my homemade cake with the brothers, monks, and priests, after prayers.

Some of my friends call the month of May, Renee-A-Palooza. One likes to say, Rah-May-A-Palooza! They say that because, I take my enjoy life, glad to be alive way of being up a notch or two. Pretty much the entire month is relished in some way, and why not? Quite simply, I am elated to be alive and healthy, and able to write to you. Right now, I have a tall French Vanilla-Hazelnut Godiva Ice-Coffee beside me, and my 86 year-old Great Aunty, who I adore, is content in the next room looking at fashion magazines while I fan her in between paragraphs.

This year, I started celebrating my birthday a week early, with a Tickled Pink Party. A few days later, a friend took me out to a French Bistro for al fresco dining. We sipped champagne and enjoyed escargot, under enormous, fully opened umbrellas…

Then, I kicked off the month on May 1st by spending the weekend at a writer’s conference. Can you imagine the sheer delight I felt when Anita Shreve (International Best-selling author, including penning Oprah’s Pick, The Pilot’s Wife) used the words “well-written,” when referring to part of my memoir which was read during what they call, Literary Idol. This event is when several writers agree to have the first page of their manuscript read aloud before agents, or in this case, famous writers. They warn you, it is not for the faint of heart. Her comment alone was probably the best birthday gift I could receive. Miss Shreve then posed for a picture with me. I put it next to the other photos of myself with famous writers (see my post me talk pretty to Dave). Using the laws of attraction, I believe that one day someone will want a picture with me, once my books come out.

Birthday Bonus: If you continue to follow this blog, filled with simple ways on how to live well, have fun, and keep yourself ageless, you will continue to have plenty of reasons to enjoy celebrating the day you were born. Happy Birthday to all the May Babies….

Ageless Tip of the Week: BE THANKFUL FOR SOMETHING EVERY DAY. WHEN YOU DO THAT, MORE AND MORE THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR SHOW UP IN YOUR LIFE.

How about sharing some ways you celebrate your birthday…. I would love to hear from you…