BABY G and ZEV

Since Aunty passed I have been making some new friends. What could be better than forming bonds and bringing new people into your life? And, here at Ageless we don’t discriminate. No one is too old or too young to be my friend. Take Baby G for instance. At six months old she is my youngest friend. Baby G is absolutely perfect and looks (at least in this picture) like a Baby Buddha.

As it turns out, she is as wise as Buddha too. She taught me to be more calm and quiet without saying a word. One day when I was meeting Baby G and her parents, I was in a gleeful rush to see her. When they arrived at the restaurant I ran over to the baby and started gushing and almost screaming with delight. I was just so happy to see this precious child. However, I may have been a little too happy. I was so excited I must have been talking in a loud tone and she started crying! When I stepped back, took a deep breath, and paused for a moment, she stopped crying. I realized this was little Baby G’s way of teaching me to calm down. It’s as simple as that. But, I still jump up and down with glee when I know I am going to see my G. Then I walk up to her calmly as if it’s no big deal that I am about to hold the world’s cutest baby!

The other new friend I have is the highly creative, talented, and utterly amazing Zev.

He’s what I call a master photographer. He sees things in a different perspective. You can view his OUTSTANDING work on Flickr www.flickr.com

 under Fiddle Oak, and see for yourself.

Zev at work

  I promised I wouldn’t rave too much about him because I certainly don’t want to embarrass him. But, I personally believe he is a creative genius! There is nothing he can’t do. I learn so much when I am around him and he’s only 13 years old! Whether he is solving some complicated mathematical equation, quoting Shakespeare, or pointing out a distant star, my brain grows simply by association. He is also a lot of fun to hang out with. Sometimes we just sit in the back seat while the grown-ups drive and he shares his mother’s delectable chocolate cookies with me. A playful child and a brilliant man all in one! Zev will go very far in life (maybe even to another galaxy) and he will do great things. His is one email address I am holding on to. In the meantime, next time I see him I will be sure to ask him if the theory of cosmic inflation is correct?

Zev, Baby G, and a couple of other new friends that I have not written about yet are enriching my life in profound and wonderful ways.  I feel as if my late Aunty is reaching down from heaven and handing me precious gifts in the form of new pals! Since this blog was inspired by Aunty, she is just keeping it real. Now I have ageless and priceless friends for my ageless blog. They are wise, beautiful, smart, loving and kind just like the woman who placed them on my path.

Thanks Aunty…..

DE-AGE and DELIGHT WITH TEA....

The fountain of youth?

What does tea have to do with Memorial Day Weekend? Well, there’s iced lavender tea when relaxing on your hammock. Hibiscus berry ice-tea on the deck with friends, iced mint green tea for those Zen moments, and good old fashioned sweet ice-tea for front porch and backyard sipping!

I simply don’t picture myself doing anything anymore that doesn’t involve some type of tea. As I write this sitting at my computer, I am drinking an earthy Pu-erh (ancient tea)…and wow, what a kick. This beverage is so fine. The color is lovely, the taste, the smell, and even the tea cup. They all come together perfectly and these simple tea moments carry me a long way. These simple tea moments enhance the quality of my day to day life.

                                           iced matcha

Part of the fun of getting together with my friends is selecting which tea to serve. And, I am honored when my friend Carroll says “Tea taste better with you.”

a healthy six pack and then some

I am often asked what I use on my skin to stay young looking. The truth is I attribute white tea (known for anti-aging) to any glow that my skin might have. Drinking White and Oolong Tea have been a daily ritual for the last ten years.

Have you tried any new teas lately? I could suggest you try anything by Rishi Tea. They are an outstanding tea company with integrity towards tea. I did a little research and Dr. Oz and Dr. Weil both seem to like genmaicha, one of my new favorites. I discovered the pretty little bag (it’s like brown rice popcorn) in one of those tiny Asian markets.  This delicious green tea is highly drinkable. In Japan they call it “popcorn tea.”

A tea blog that you might enjoy is the Half Dipper. There is also Samavar Tea Lounge. And, I believe Upton Tea Company has close to EVERY tea on earth! I read their catalog like a novel.
They proably even have the tea to the right>!

Even Aunty (featured above) who had a lifetime love affair with coffee…..during the last seven years of her life (and some of her best), cherished our teas for two!

A high quality organic loose tea is suggested whenever possible for what I believe to be the healthiest brew under the sun.

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary~ Chinese Proverb~

www.uptontea.com

www.rishitea.com

                                                                      Cheers~

BEATLEMANIA IS ALIVE AND WELL...

Two nights ago, just as I did decades ago, for the premier of A Hard Day’s Night, I stood in line again for the Beatles. Just like with A Hard Day’s Night, it was rainy, as I stood elated in a long line with a lot of happy Beatle fans. This time it was all about George. The film, called Living in the Material World, was directed by Martin Scorsese.

As I watched this deeply mesmerizing film that same feeling came over me… I'm still crazy about the Beatles all these years later! The film was exceptional, extraordinary, and something I believe George himself would've been proud of. It was also the longest amount of time I've ever spent in a movie theater in my life, four hours total. But they were four sublime hours. My girlfriend and I danced joyfully in our seats, singing every word from the first note forward.

I still can't get over how much anything Beatles still gets to me. And I mean get to me. The Beatles are certainly the soundtrack to my life. They represent my entire world! I have cherished memories of Aunty and Uncle D taking me to see the Beatles in person when I was a little girl many years ago. And now, its great having this tie-in linking Aunty and Uncle D to all my Beatles memories. It's really very cool. And even better, they loved the Beatles too!

I remember a few summers ago when I went to see Paul McCartney at Fenway Park. I screamed so loud for so long that I actually got TMJ. My jaw hurt for three weeks following the concert. I mean imagine a perfect summer night deep in the middle of Fenway and Paul McCartney takes center stage and starts singing Baby you can drive my car! It was really so over-the-top for my soul and psyche I thought I was flying. I wanted to leap out of my seat and just fly across Fenway. And, that's exactly what it felt like with every single note, and groove, and move, that Sir Paul made. He always amazes! When he sang The Night Before, and Band on the Run I actually gushed and swooned. How often does anything make you gush and swoon?

On a trip to New York City recently I loved looking up seeing the enormous Beatles Ads for Apple. I get this eternal jolt like I will live forever when I get any brush with the Beatles. They represent so much more than just the music. They still matter. And something tells me they always will.          

 I'm off for now… A friend is calling and I think it’s about getting tickets to Ringo Starr's upcoming concert. And tomorrow night they're showing Yellow Submarine at a nearby theater. I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night than in a Yellow Submarine with a million Beatles fans. Okay, so there may not be a million people in the movie theater, but I know in my heart that's what it will feel like for me. The Beatles still excite me like nothing else. From their music, their movies, and all the stories about them I am smitten to the highest degree every single time. So, this is Renee Gold reporting from Boston….Beatlemania is alive and well… and quite frankly, it’s stronger than ever. The magic in the air that surrounds every song they have ever sung (collectively and as individual artists)has somehow made its way into my DNA. The Beatles are a part of me now. They represent my youth, and of all my years with my Aunty and Uncle. Why would I ever want to let go of that? 

If you haven't seen A Hard Day’s Night in a while, do yourself a favor and turn it on. I promise you you will not be disappointed. Like everything else having to do with the Beatles, your expectations will be exceeded. They are Still exciting and entertaining….and yes, their music is fab too.

Renee Gold May 10^th 2012

COUNTING MY BIRTH WEEK BLESSINGS...

 Birthday Ballet

As I look around it seems that adults are having less and less fun. One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my (as well as my late Aunty’s) exuberance and zest for life. I am still grieving the loss of Aunty. I have a serious financial loss on my hands, and I just grew one year older. However, being true to the message of Ageless with Aunty…. I am in the middle of an amazing birthday week! My birthday was Thursday May 3^rd. Yet, here I am still celebrating and basking in the joy of being alive! I made sure with a little planning and help from my friends and family, that I would HAVE FUN! And, I can share with the readers of Ageless, celebrating the joy of your own life is awesome. Embracing your birthday for the mere fact of being alive, and that you were born in the first place, is one quick way to feel fantastic.

 So if you have a birthday coming up, don’t fret. Do the opposite. Embrace it, celebrate it, cherish it, and look for the miracles and small surprises that are sure to come your way when you have your mind set to look for the good that the day is meant to bring. If you are reading this blog you are off to a good start. Here at Ageless with Aunty we always focus on the positive. And, I can say for certain now (having watched Aunty live and die) it DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Aunty never got old (and there is proof of that throughout this blog) and she died fully loved and happy! So, If you make it a happy birth day now, you are increasing your chances for a happily ever after!

setting up tea for three

My Birth Week Blessings

Monday: My dear friend Carroll hosted tea for three. Later, Star gazing. The teacher’s name is Steve Martin. He’s a friend, an author, and super cool astronomer.

Tuesday: Banquet at my church following a comforting women’s faith sharing. And, I do mean banquet. Everything is homemade including the desserts.

Wednesday: Friends took me to the simulcast of the Metropolitan Opera’s La Traviata. I fell in love with everything French Soprano, Natalie Dessay, represents (beauty, grace, and an immaculate voice).

Thursday (actual birthday) a well-planned day with Gracie, placing lilacs on Aunty’s grave, and an unexpected little birthday party at my mom’s. Father Kumar sang Happy Birthday to me when I stopped by my old church to pray.

Friday: another friend took me to the ballet (where her son danced the lead) oh my!

Saturday: (tonight) my friends are joining me at the Ashram (one of Aunty’s old stomping grounds) for a super full moon gong meditation, and, a Big Cake. Sat Nam… I am so excited.

Sunday: my nephew Brayden makes his First Holy Communion. That’s on my Birthday Week list because; I fully enjoy spending time with my family. And I love anything with the word “Holy” in it. Amen...

my mother made a homemade rose cake!

If you read between the lines (as I just did) you can see that by studying the stars, praying in church, listening to the opera, and keeping an open heart full of LOVE…My higher power is what truly keeps me ageless! No beauty bar can beat the Holy Spirit! And, if I can sit here and write to you in the aftermath of losing Aunty, the least you can do is have a Happy Birthday Week tooJ

Ageless Aunty says: Start making some FUN plans for your birthday week. And, for those who have lost touch, consider re-connecting with your higher power…

 ~HAPPY BIRTH-WEEK TO YOU~

I had to get Aunty into the picture too. So, I went by the house we used to live...
The birds and the trees are still out back...and so too are the cherished memories.

                                        last year's birthday toasting with angels

IT'S ALL FOR YOU...

"Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of achievement;
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!"

-- KaliDasa, a great Sanskrit poet of ancient India