Senior Scene
Be careful what standard you set

When we look in our mirrors, few of us are entirely satisfied with what we see. Most of us fall into one of two shapes - we're either an apple, or a pear.

The apple has a "spare tire" around the middle, and the pear carries most of their weight in the hips and buttocks. Considering that, it's odd, don't you think, that the most popular doll, the one most of us buy for our daughters and granddaughters, is the tall, willowy yet amply-endowed Barbie?

Could it be that we are creating unrealistic expectations for our daughters?

I read somewhere recently that if Barbie were translated from doll-size to life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall.

We all can't be slender and svelte, especially as we get older, but we can all find ways to lose a few of those unwanted pounds. Here are a few painless eating changes that will cut 100 calories a day from your diet. By eliminating just one eight ounce Coke, one tablespoon of salad dressing, ten potato chips, two Oreo cookies, ten french fries or two chicken McNuggets from your daily food consumption, you could lose ten pounds in a year, and without any major overhaul in your diet.

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My junior high was a brand new beige brick building three stories high. It was much nicer than the 1890's building I attended until eighth grade, and the best part was, in addition to our required classes, we had optional after-school clubs.

Singing and dancing were two of my favorites - and there were BOYS in the clubs, too! Of course I immediately joined the social dancing club.

Mr. Leaness, my English teacher, was the leader of the boys' dance club and Ms. Patterson headed up the girls' group. We were taught all sorts of dance steps, including waltzes, fox trots and tangoes. We practiced with each other and sometimes with the teachers. They were both tall, and when they danced together, they were an impressive sight.

My first solo dance with Mr. Leanuss stands out in my memory. I was a rather skinny redhead, and he had a very prominent stomach. I must confess I spent the entire dance with my nose pointing straight at his belt buckle. It was quite a relief after that to dance with another student, with whom I exchanged what we considered witty remarks. It was quite a feat to remember the steps and talk at the same time. That's a skill I have maintained all my life - I am seldom at a loss for words, no matter what else is going on!

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The shopping season is here. It pains me to note that Parisian has become Belk. I definitely feel that name has no charm at all. It should be a hardware store or something masculine and rugged, not a store for fashionable apparel. In my day in the fashion industry French names were preferred. Who goes to a store with a such a mundane name to buy Gucci, Dior or Balenciaga fashions? Even spelling the name backward wouldn't help - I would be unlikely to step foot into the doors of the "Kleb" store, too - wouldn't you?

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You Know You are Living in
2007 When...
You accidentally enter your
PIN number on the microwave.
You haven't played solitaire
with real cards in years.
You have a list of 15 phone
numbers to reach your family of
three.
See you next week!