Her Point Of View: Mimi Gregor

I deliberately try not to define myself, as I believe that to define is to limit. Both my appearance and my interests undergo a complete overhaul from time to time, and the “me” of five years ago is not the “me” of today… and yet there are constants: I read voraciously, I love the natural world, and have always been particularly enthralled by birds (I am owned by three parrots), and I have always been interested in both the occult and in quantum physics. (Actually, there is surprisingly little difference between the two.)

Tell us about your day-to-day life?

I am a creature of routine, as I believe it helps things run smoothly. My mornings are invariable. I get up at 5:30, although I do not have to. I like my time alone in the morning. I prep breakfast, do some floor exercises, meditate, check out what’s going on the Internet, get dressed, then awaken my husband and my parrots and we have a substantial breakfast (eggs, yogurt with seasonal fruit, and coffee). My mornings vary a little after that. Some days I run errands, or work on projects around the house or yard. On Saturdays, I go garage sailing, and on Sundays, I clean. Lunch is our big meal of the day, and as I am a scratch cook, time must be made to make that. Naps for everyone after lunch. I exercise in the afternoon (strength training three days a week, yoga three days a week, a day off), then I wake my husband up to get ready for work (he works nights). I have tea while my parrots eat their dinner, then I clean their cages and do a quick tidy-up of the house. I take a shower and wash my hair (every other day) after my husband leaves in the late afternoon. I let the birds out and I read for a while. We have a light supper, then I put them to bed. In the evenings, I usually do some food prep. I may bake bread, which I do a few times a week. Once a week, I roast veggies and sauté greens for side dishes for the week. Sometimes I will make a large batch of something, like chilli, soup, meatballs, or a quiche. I like stockpiling items in the freezer for when I don’t have time to cook. Now that it’s summer, and we have a vegetable garden, I sometimes have to pull an “emergency canning session” or pickle something. At bedtime, more reading.

Are you the woman you imagined you would become?

I can never imagine where I’m going with any of this. I don’t have some “life plan.” I may read a book that sets me on an entirely different trajectory than the one I am on — that happens a lot. I rely almost totally on synchronicity and serendipity.

What are the valuable life lessons you have all figured out?

HAHAHAHAHA! I don’t think any of us can ever have anything “all figured out.” And we should be very, very afraid of those who think they do. But a valuable life lesson that I am reasonably sure of is: if it doesn’t bring you joy, don’t do it. And also: keep things simple.

What do you like most about yourself? What do you like the least?

I like that I am able to change things about my appearance and my life without undue angst about it. I dislike that I am easily stressed by trying to multi-task and by trying to hurry. I don’t really think I belong in this century.

What do you like most about getting older? What do you like the least?

I like finally knowing who I am, and what I like, and not worrying about what the neighbours will think. That usually only comes with time, if it comes at all. I don’t like the physical signs of ageing — grey hair, fine lines, sagging at the jowl line, hands that look like a longshoreman’s.

What’s your favourite way to dress? Do you have a signature style?

Classic, neutral and simple. As I’ve grown older, I find myself wearing dresses more often than trousers. And adding feminine touches, like a deeper neckline, a form-fitting line, or a tulip skirt. I find myself buying fewer things, but of better quality.

Do you have a beauty secret to share?

Your skin is your largest organ. If you wouldn’t put something in your stomach, it might not be the best for your skin either. I know that there are some things that only chemicals can perform adequately (hello, hair colour!), but I try to make as many of my products myself as I can (coconut oil as deep conditioner pre-shampoo, rosewater as toner, face mask from clay, milk, and yogurt; grape seed oil as makeup remover and body lotion.) If it’s impractical or inefficient to make myself, I buy hair and skin products from Whole Foods. Certain suspect chemicals are banned from their stores, so I feel better about buying products there. I love Andalou Naturals for hair care products and night creams. I’m hoping that using these gentler products mitigates some of the damage I do to myself by applying chemicals to my scalp once a month.

What’s on the bucket list?

I don’t have a bucket list. Present Mimi is perfectly content. Future Mimi… who knows what she will be into? I never have any idea where my interests will take me, so I try to not plan that far ahead. Just do what brings you joy in the now, because the now is all we have.

If you could change one thing in the past, what would you do differently?

I would have tried to be more patient in a great many circumstances where I lost my temper from impatience and have deeply regretted it.

What age do you feel right now?

It depends. Sometimes I feel six. Usually I feel like I’m in my late thirties. Never older than that.

Who would play you in a movie?

Ooo… I’d like Audrey Tautou.