Oftentimes my Aunt Sheila comes to visit for Memorial or July 4 weekend and sometimes both. This year, nothing is normal. I called her this evening to catch up. She’s been doing jigsaw puzzles, watching Netflix, reading, and walking around the block for a mile or mile and a half. I feel bad that she is on her own most of the time, though her son and granddaughter come by to say hello from time to time.
I am lucky that Jeff is here for the weekend. Other than getting Double Fudge Brownie ice cream from Captain Dusty’s (ordering by app with contactless pickup), it doesn’t seem very holidayish. I got a quart because it doesn’t make sense to get ice cream cones. No one is allowed to hangout in the parking lot and eat them.
But tonight Jeff and I went out for a drive, just after sunset, to look for Venus and Mercury in a rare dusk conjunction in the western sky. We had a hard time finding a western view that didn’t have tall trees obscuring the planets. Both were low to the horizon. Finally I had an idea. We drove away from the Atlantic Ocean, toward the west, and I suggested going to my old elementary school, the Cove School, now in its new iteration. Just over one of the low roofs, we saw Venus – hard to miss because it’s so bright. Fifteen minutes later when the sky darkened, we got a glimpse of Mercury. Not nearly as bright, but visible to the left and slightly higher than Venus.
As time went on, Venus dipped below the school roof, and we couldn’t see it any more. But it was a lovely sight. Back at my yard, we saw Castor and Pollux, the two main stars in the constellation Gemini. And I swear I saw the Milky Way because the sky was so clear.
I hope you have a pleasant and thoughtful Memorial weekend. When it gets hard staying home, I think about those who sacrificed their lives in the armed services. So I guess what we’re doing isn’t so hard after all.
If you have some time, take a look at this week’s posts from the members of the Beauty Spotlight Team!
Baby Foot Exfoliant Foot Peel is an all-natural, foot exfoliant that removes dead skin and callouses unlike anything that you have experienced. Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog highly recommends it if you want baby-soft, summer-ready feet!
What’s your comfort level with using face masks? Beauty Info Zone shares a mask that doesn’t feel like a mask yet does the work. Learn all about this gem and enjoy the feeling.
What are some of the products that were in Birchboxes this month? Cassie from Southeast by Midwest is sharing her May Birchbox Unboxing so we can find out.
Stacie found some new foundation products that work well with her mature skin. Have a look at The Makeup Obsessed Mom blog and see if one of them may work for you too.
Never Say Die Beauty has returned to her favorite super gentle, brightening cleansers, Glyderm Gentle Face Cleanser. Find out why its such a hit!
There is no question about it, life is different now than it was a year ago. The days may seem endless, and this inspired Jen from Laugh, Love, Contour to create a nail art look using shades from Zoya’s Calm Collection with an endless knot touch.
Thanks for sharing. So beautiful to see! I always loved looking at the night sky whenever we stayed in a beach house. The sky was usually so clear and it was fun to see things we were unable to see in the city.
There’s a cool app that I found called, Skyview Lite, Sandy. You point your phone at a star, and the app tells you what it is. And if it’s part of a constellation, it draws it out for you. Fun to try! I hope you are having a good weekend visiting with your family either virtually or in person, Sandy xo