Motorized Mascara?

Elbows leaning on the Lancôme counter with a huge grin on my face, I asked the blonde pixie sales rep with big brown eyes, “What? Vibrating Mascara? Are you kidding?” I giggled and she smiled widely in return, “You must try it. It’s fabulous. I wear it all the time.”

Press a button on the wand and you get 7,000 oscillations per minute. Powermascara! How ludicrous.

I kindly told her I didn’t need mascara, especially the kind that costs $34, and that I’d browse a little more. I really wanted to spend just $29.50 to get the free gift which included a large black sack to carry my walking shoes and socks, bottled water, food, and other junk to work. So I circled the shiny counters about three or four times but didn’t see anything I needed or wanted besides a $95 jar of night cream for old skin which is completely out of the question. I could have purchased pressed powder…

That mascara tube with a mysterious little motor inside really intrigued me but I am a sensible person. Maybelline is just fine. For $6.99, it works. I lingered at the Oscillation Mascara display and for an instant, considered buying that new, high-tech mascara that reminded me of an electric toothbrush. Push a button and it does all the work for you! No sweat!

What happened next was an out-of-body/mind experience. From somewhere above, I watched myself hold the silver box in my hand and heard myself ask the pixie chick in a mechanical tone, “Can you ring me up, please?”

Who can drop $34 plus tax for mascara? A lady who drives a Mercedes SUV and wears sandals lined with colorful gemstones to her weekly spa and pedicure, that’s who. Not someone like Mary, who drives a 4-cylinder Honda, wears tennis shoes, loves sweatshirts, and sings loudly to Lou Bega’s Mambo No. 5 on her way to Wild Birds Unlimited, with precious coupons in her pocket.

I must be nuts. And, my oscillating, vibrating, mechanical, motorized mascara didn’t make a bit of difference. I do NOT look like that Lancôme model – yet. I’ll keep practicing. :-)

I’ll end this silly story with the last of autumn color. With a good breeze, it’s raining leaves here, post-peak.

Morning view at work.

Dusk, at the home of the lonely Muscovy duck.

Because of the recent drought conditions in the Carolinas, I haven’t seen color like this in at least four years!

On the other side of my street, there are Maples on the easement. My favorite color is red but Maples wear shades of red much better than I do.

We have Pin Oaks on our side of the street. They turned from green to brown this year. Ugh.

I still love the Oaks



and the sun beginning to set in early November.