There are lots of discussions these days about reinventing yourself. What the heck does that mean? Is there something wrong with me the way I am? Am I boring? Is my life dull? Madonna reinvents herself all the time and has since the beginning of her career. Is she different upon each reinvention, or is it a marketing ploy? Jlo reinvents herself. She's always the good 'ole gal from down the street, but she's a mogul with multiple images. Is she reinvented or marketed? Both, I suspect.

With the publication of the book I've written, I've reinvented myself. I'm still my old self, but there is a side coming out of me that has been left unattended for quite some time. TJ Corman, the author, is more the way I used to be when I was a younger woman. She's a bit cheeky. She pushes the limit a bit. She dresses in sexy clothes and feels hot (literally and figuratively). She is having fun.

These days, I apply red lipstick with utter abandon, something I used to wear all the time. It was part of my signature look. Then I stopped wearing it for years. Ginny, the main character in my book, is concerned that red lipstick makes her look older. I thought that for a long time too, but I'm over it now. I'm back to wearing red lipstick, and I love it. It doesn't make me look old. It looks great, and I feel vibrant with it on. I had forgotten how red lipstick made me feel – sexy, confident, beautiful. So I'm slapping it on daily now and reinventing myself.

I've also found my closet again. I love clothes, bold looks and bling. Black and red and white are my signature colours. I've often said that my entire world is like that old joke from when we were kids, "What's black and white and red (read) all over?" A newspaper is the answer. But really, it's my world. My dog is black and white, and my car is black and white, with red seat covers. Almost all my clothes are those three colours. I've strayed to other colours, but I've reunited with my standards, and I'm happy about it.

I've also started to "shop my closet." It's a jungle in there. I've recently been reorganizing it, transitioning from summer to winter clothes, changing hangers to those skinny velvet ones that use up less space. So, now there is more room for more clothes. NO. Not for me. I'm shopping in my closet. I have clothes in there that I've never worn. Embarrassing. 

As I confessed to you earlier, I've been caught wearing my pyjamas all day long, so some days I get dressed up just for the fun of it. I do my hair and apply that red lipstick. I'm becoming that young lady who used to live in the city (I live in the country now). I was horrified one day when I realized things had changed for me. I wore something to the grocery store that I wouldn't have worn gardening when I lived in the city. And, of course, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a long time. I felt slovenly and unstylish. I'm over that now. I'm definitely reinvented or rediscovered and on my way to something new. What once was old is new again.

Remember to check out "Mama Cooked Today," my recipe blog, and let me know if you try it. I invite you to follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
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That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again next Sunday.

I have a love-hate relationship with the brassiere. I think a bra can be pretty and sexy, but I can't wait to take it off at the end of the day. Sometimes my bras are strewn around my living room. Not because Husband finds me irresistible (although he does), but because I often take my bra off while watching TV. I fling it in his direction so he can have a sniff. He loves that part. My bras lay around my living room because I often go braless. So, if I tore one off yesterday and left it on the couch, it is probably still there today. The one I wore the day before might be there too. Because I'm inherently lazy and probably didn't pick it up or put it back on.

I have a whole drawer full of bras in various colours, styles, and purposes. I even have matching panties for some of them. A bra can make you feel so good – sexy to the point that you can hardly wait for your partner to touch it and rip it off you, especially if it's one of those bra's that let your nipples peek out. I love those! They drive men mad, and that sort of reaction can make a woman feel powerful. 

The bra-see-ay can be sexy, ordinary, a workhorse, strapless, cupless, shiny, cotton, silk, underwire, trainer, medical, bold. I could go on and on with the modifiers. The thing is, they hold the most defining part of a woman's body – the breasts.

Breasts are so beautiful. I get why men like them. When I was a little girl, I liked to draw pictures of women with barbie doll bodies. Those women always had long hair flipped up at the ends, red lips, tiny waists and huge boobs. It's no wonder I grew up to write erotica. The suggestion of how a woman's body should look was planted firmly in my mind by pop culture. I don't have that kind of body, but I sure appreciate one. I've accepted that my body will never look like that. It's okay. It's less maintenance.

Panties are another marvel of the modern world. They keep us clean and protected. They have almost the same properties as the bra – they can be pretty, sexy, functional, modest, minuscule. I'm not sure that panties have the same effect on Husband as the bra does, but he likes my butt, so maybe they do.

I can't think of many cons for panties, outside of the riding up that sometimes happens when wearing an ill-fitting pair. Going commando is pleasant under the right circumstances, but sexy panties can be a thrill. The first time Husband got close enough to me to investigate my panties, he exclaimed, "You've got on frilly knickers!" (He's Australian – he talks funny!). He was delighted, and so was I. Similarly to Ginny, as she was dressing for that first date with Mike, I was glad that I had thought to wear my pink lace panties and matching bra. I felt confident at that moment.

Even though I think the thong looks incredible, I can't embrace it. Some women swear by it, claiming it's the most comfortable thing they've ever worn. NO. Other than the apparent benefit of no panty line, I don't see the attraction. To me, a thong is not comfortable until my bottom becomes so numb from the friction that I can't feel anything anymore. Further to that, sniffing them is out of the question. Sorry. I default to the old standard panty. It's practical, comfortable and looks good on me. Then again, maybe a pearl thong would be nice.

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again next Sunday.​

I took these photos when Husband and I travelled to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is sometimes referred to as the holiest place on earth, as three significant religions reside there, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. More than eight and a half million people live there in approximately 125 square kilometres of space. It's crowded - and hot.

Once in a while, you get to visit a place where you can feel it's power. Uluru, Australia, is one of those places. The air vibrates with an inexplicable energy. That's the way it was for us as we walked down the streets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We walked the same path, the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus pulled his cross along his final steps toward his crucifixion. We touched the marble slab where his body was anointed after his death. To stand at the places where Jesus was born and then resurrected was incredible.

The pictures show the juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern. Western commercial and economic influences are evident. Cobblestone walkways polished shiny from billions of footsteps over millennia—the Roman Empire's impact in architecture amid the cities modern-day inhabitants. It was a wonderland there - a truly magical place.

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman

                                                                                                                                                Photo by Nick Fewings

I've shared some of my unforgettable memories—the reasons why family and friends are at the heart of Christmas for me. The people we love make up such an essential part of our Christmas memories.

My mom died of breast cancer when I was a teenager. Her death has defined my life in so many ways I can't describe them all, at least not in this short blog. But this note is not about death and sadness. It is about love and friendship. My mother's best friend was her sister, and her sister became my surrogate mother after my mom died. I have always been close to my auntie and her daughters. My auntie called me her fourth daughter, and my cousins have treated me like a sister. 

I've spent most of my Christmas' with my auntie and her family. Years ago, the house was full of people. Relatives had come from Manitoba, which made Christmas especially exciting that year. I got to snuggle into bed with one of my older cousins, whom I adored (still do), and getting to sleep with her, was a treat. But she sleeps with her eyes partly open, and that was disconcerting when Santa was on his way, and I had to get to sleep! Many years later, after I had my own home, sometimes Husband and I would pick my auntie up on Christmas Eve. We'd bring her to our house so that we could enjoy Christmas morning together. We would go out of our way to spoil her with lots of presents to open and delicious food to devour. That's what she did for us for all those years in between. Once breakfast was over, we would pile into our car and join the rest of the family to play games and eat turkey and fritter the day away. When my auntie became elderly, we reverted to staying at her house. And, even though Husband and I had an uncomfortable sleep on the sofa bed, that did not matter. We weren't spring chickens anymore ourselves, and our backs hurt after a bleary-eyed sleep, but what mattered was our togetherness.

Small memories like that are what makes Christmas great. The effort people put into being together. The thoughtful things we do for one another and the kind ways we treat each other. Being included and being part of something greater than ourselves helps us to feel love. This year might be a time to start a new tradition for you. Create more small memories. Treat yourself if you are alone. Do something different that you've always wanted to do but haven't yet. You'll look back and say, "Remember that year that we...." This year has certainly made us think differently about how to live and what we want from life. The compilation of small memories is what makes life worth remembering.

That's it for now. Remember to get your entry in for the Book Club Give Away Challenge by tomorrow at midnight. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you tomorrow.

TJCorman

I took this classic Christmas poem and turned it into an irreverent parody. These are only the first two verses. I'm not game to post the whole thing on my blog. You will have to wait for an in-person meeting at a book club dinner or some such event where we meet in person. Please accept my most sincere apologies if I offend you in any way. And I hope that Clement Clarke Moore pardons me for making his Christmas classic into a sexy joke. Gone now for over two hundred years, I hope he is not turning in his grave.​

T'was the Night Before Christmas Parody


T’was the night before Christmas and all through the abode,
Not a creature was stirring, not even the dog,
The bras and panties were hung on the Christmas tree with care,
In hopes that Saint Husband, soon would be there;
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The adults were nestled all snug in their bed,
While visions of orgasms filled up their heads.
Mama in her negligee and I in my skivvies,
Had just settled down for a long night of jiggy.

                That's it for now. Have yourself the best day - and speculate on what the rest of my poem says!
                                                                     I'll speak to you tomorrow.

TJCorman

                                                                                                                                                    Photo by Katya Austin


T.J. Corman's List of Five Favourite Things in 2020

1. Chocolate - sorry husband - he made number one on the other list
2. Sex - I reiterate - sorry husband - chocolate is chocolate after all
3. Vodka - speaks for itself. I've discovered vodka late in life, but say no more, it made number three
4. Sunglasses - of course - goes without saying
5. Black hair dye - Obviously

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman