Sunday

It is Sunday.  It is early.  I woke to the song of the mockingbird that has taken up residence in the recently planted oak tree on the other side of the fence.  He is definitely a song bird and he has quite a medley.  What a great way to wake up.  The day isn't fully awake yet and the garden is quiet -- except for -- what shall I name him?  Bennett -- for Tony Bennett.  Another great singer.

A wonderful day planned for us.  Church first, then just a light lunch at home and then DD and her husband and our granddaughter -- Bean -- will be over to swim in the paddling pool.  By that time, it will be hot outside and the cool water will feel good -- hope she doesn't mind sharing with my feet!

This evening will be filled with sewing and needlework --  getting a jump start on Christmas and I have a birthday gift to complete for the Sweet Bean who will be turning one soon.

All in all it looks like the day is shaping up nicely -- I wish the same for everyone here! Happy Sunday.

hair

Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair, shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there momma, everywhere daddy, daddy
Haaaaaaiiiiiiiirrrrrrr!  

Hair -- a woman's crowing glory, to be covered, to never be cut.  Somebody should definitely hammer this into little girls heads so the idea of cutting hair into a trendy, cute, easy care style will be shunned with their entire beings.  I grew up with long hair and a fair amount of it.  I went blissfully along with hair half up/half down with bangs until I hit 15 and had a bad case of split ends.  Off to the beauty shop to deal with the split ends and returned home with a "bubble".  Did I mourn the loss of my shoulder length, brunette, hopelessly split tresses?  No.  I liked the new "do" -- I was in style, it was easy and cute and I could put little clippies with bows of all colors and designs in it.  It was great.  Plus, my mother said that if I got the "long, stringy hair cut" she would let me get my ears pierced and trust me, she was banking on me not cutting the hair because she was the worlds loudest protester of the 1960's ear piercing craze.  Can I say "winner"!!!! Me -- not her.  I scored the cute hair cut AND the pierced ears -- the summer of '65 was great!

Well, long story short (no pun intended), the short hair stayed.  I missed the long hair and even tried numerous times to  regrow it -- I mean, what was Mom going to do -- UNpierce my ears?  But, every time I got to the stage where it was a decision whether to cut the hair or cut my throat I opted for the hair so, for the last 46 years, I have worn my hair essentially the same way.  About eight years ago I decided to abandon the "helmet head", quit teasing it and opted for a less structured effect  -- much better for the North Texas wind -- but it was essentially the same.  It was about that time that I noticed a marked thinning of my locks -- mostly on the top.  I tried blaming it on my "thyroid" -- my scape goat for lots of things -- then I figured it was all the teasing for years -- distinct possibility.  Since my aunt has exactly the same hair I GUESS heredity could have something to do with it and -----my age. I don't want to go there, though.  I would say that the genetics part is what scares me the most -- can't do much about it and my dad's hair got really, really -- gone. 

So, I started worrying about the thinning hair which is probably not doing much for it but I was still being "mean" to my hair with styling appliances and all.  Yesterday, while curling my dry, product-full hair with a very hot curling iron, I noticed a significant amount of hair stuck to my iron.  It scared the #%$ out of me.  So, when I went shopping at Central Market I decided to check out some new products, re-do my hair with gentler methods and see if I could go out in public with the results.

I have been using this off and on for a while now.  It is so much different than regular shampoo and it feels good but every now and then I have to go back to shampoo but my hubby loves this bar shampoo all the time -- he even shaves with it now. It doesn't strip all the natural oil out of the hair and it makes my "greys" (actually, "whites" much more manageable.

 Then I decided that I needed something a little less industrial than my Matrix products that I have been using for years and years.  So, I decided to try this

 I used it just like I use my Salon Basics gel, it felt pretty much the same and I had the added joy of it costing about 50% of the stuff I had been using.  I was happy.
So, I preceded to dry my hair with my blow dryer on cold -- yep, cold.  It took a long time even though I went to warm for a little bit and even high for a couple of minutes but I am thinking that all the heat isn't grand for my lame locks.  


I was thinking of rolling it up on regular velco rollers -- the ones I had purchased brand new just a couple of months ago -- which I cannot find.  Of course.  I probably threw them away.  Or hid them.  Whatever, I can't find them so I went back to my curling iron and put it on the lowest setting -- I mean it was so low you couldn't even iron a wrinkle out of a ribbon with it but it did seem to add a bit of a boost to the limp, mouse like stuff on the top of my head.


I was reasonably pleased and figured I could be seen by people in the current state but I decided to try another product that I purchased.

Lavender and coconut should smell fabulous, right?  Yeah, not so much.  However, the product promises to add shine and luster.  I read the list of ingredients and I could pronounce them all, they all seemed pretty benign except for the chamomile that I seem to be allergic to but I decided to give it ago so I put some -- a little -- on my hands, rubbed them together and then just ran them through the hair and finger styled it again and went on my way -- I was really bored by then and needed to move on.  


Fast forwarding to this morning.  I am not a daily shampooer -- never have been and never will be.  So, I fell out of bed, walked to the mirror, ran my fingers through my hair and was shocked -- it went back perfectly, was puffy, shiny and looked like I had just "done" it.  I couldn't believe it.  Now, trust me, I will never, ever win any hair awards -- just not in my DNA -- but I was completely impressed that it did what it did and I think I will keep my new products for a while -- at least while I am still looking for those lost curlers!

Booking Through Thursday -- and the question is--


All things being equal (money, space, etc) would you rather own copies of the books you read?  Or borrow them?

Since we have bookcases literally all over our house and we sometimes list our local Barnes and Noble as our second address, I think it safe to say that we have a problem and probably need an intervention.  However, all things being equal, I would rather own my own books than borrow them.  The way I have solved the problem is that I bought an e-reader and I purchase books for that which means I still do own them but I don't need to put them on a shelf.  Then, if I really like the book and want a hard copy for my library, I go buy it, preferably on sale or at Half Price Books, or ebay, or even our local antique store.  I feel that having books is a privilege and a necessity to my very existence.  I guess that is a by-product of being an only child.  

Franny and Zooey

Upon my finish of Aunt Dimity's Death, I decided to sandwich something different in between installments of the Dimity collection so I chose a short read by J.D. Salinger entitled Franny and Zooey.  This book has been on my shelves for a long time and when my cousin, MLHalldotcom wrote about Salinger a little while ago, I thought I should read it.  So, here is my teaser taken from page 11.

"Lacks what?"  Franny said.  She had had to clear her throat before speaking, it had been so long since she had said anything at all.  Lane hesitated.  "masculinity,"  he said.  "I heard you the first time."

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton

A while back, while browsing the sale table at B&N, I noticed a rather small book with an interesting cover.  The title was "Aunt Dimity:  Snowbound".  Since I am notoriously bad for choosing books for their covers, I didn't even realize that this book fell somewhere in the middle of a rather lengthy series.  Of course, the book was entirely readable with enough back information to not leave you lost but all it made me do was want to read the whole series starting with the first episode.

I searched for the series on B&N but it wasn't there so I went to my next go-to place -- ebay!  I found a bundle of various titles in the series, including the first one and the one that I had bought for my nook.   I got a good deal, five books in the series for $9.95 so I went for it.

The day they arrived I opened the first book in the series "Aunt Dimity's Death".  Sounds a bit grisly, doesn't it?  Well, it isn't in the least but a very charming intro into what I hope will be an enjoyable investment of my time. 

The first book opens with the lead character, Lori Shepard in deplorable straights.  Divorced, broke, virtually homeless and grieving for her newly deceased mother -- what a state.  She received a letter from what is described as a "Dickensian" solicitor and the adventure begins.  I can't say much more because it would a huge spoiler but over the course of the book, Lori finds out the truth about her mother and  Aunt Dimity, she finds a home and a love, solves a great mystery and ends up very happy.

Both of these books have been fast, light reads.  They are sort of modern day Nancy Drew with a bit of romance thrown in.   Oh, and a little bit of ghost story as well.    A little something for everybody.  So, if you are looking for a read that is a total escape this would be a good choice.  A cup of tea , a cozy throw and a rainy night would make the perfect environment for these books.  I recommend -- enjoy!

6 June 2011


The question of the day is "where do you do your reading?"  Well, I have pretty much always read anywhere I am because I tend to carry a book with me all the time -- comes in handy while waiting for the Hubs to browse the camera store, the woodworking store, the DIY store -- you get the picture. I used to read a lot in the car while waiting for kids to get out of school but that isn't applicable anymore. I have to say, though, that the place I read most is in my family room, in my favorite chair.  I can't read in bed anymore for some reason but almost any place else is fair game. 

The Joy of Shoe Shopping Returns

When you are cursed blessed with short, wide feet shoe shopping in regular venues is difficult at best, grueling more commonly.  So, I have learned to shop online.  It took me a long time to get into the online shopping arena but my first visit to zappos.com convinced me.  As I did more looking, I found that lots of shoe sellers had short, wide shoes online but you would never find them in the stores so I was thrilled. 


One of my favorite line shopping spots is zappos.com.  It was here that I found a nice pair of plain flats. Since I have arthritis in my knees and feet I have long since given up heels except on very special occasions so I need some plain flats that could be dressed up or down.  This is what I chose from Clarks--

They are so comfortable and have worn so well that I ordered two more pair, another black and a nice tan.  With free shipping how could I not? And you know what? When they didn't have the tan in stock, they even searched their competitors for me and helped me locate them on another site! Who does that anymore.  The tan pair was found at onlineshoes.com.  They have the same perks like free shipping both ways and were very helpful.  The person I talked to on the phone while placing the order was very nice and we had a lovely conversation about the weather.  He even sent me a thank you note for my business and he drew me a cartoon of a tornado -- I think he was twelve.

It is summer here in Texas and the one thing I can't stand is to have hot feet so I wear lots of sandals when I am forced to wear shoes at all.  So, I visited the Lands End site after receiving a catalogue and purchased these -- again in wides -- and I am very pleased with them -- so pleased in fact, that I bought them in three colors -- tan, tomato red and true navy.  I will be wearing the tomato red today.

I know it sounds like an overkill, but when I find something that works I need to scoop it up because who knows if I will ever find it again, especially in shoes whose proportions match the box more than feet.

Summer sandals require cute toes -- cute colorful toes.  Two weeks ago I gave myself a really nice pedicure which isn't easy with arthritic knees -- not bendy  at all -- but I managed and I thought the toesies looks great in this.

It looked lovely and wore quite well.  However, it was time to change things up as I didn't want my toes to clash with my tomato red sandals so I have now changed it to this.

Much calmer choice, I would say and, hopefully, not as difficult to remove as the brighter stuff. 

So, that was my shopping adventure of late.  I am so glad to be able to find shoes that work for me because hurting feet aren't very attractive when you are forced to walk like Yoda.  So, I am looking forward  to enjoying a comfortable, free-footed summer.

Like a Bolt out of the Blue

It came to me suddenly -- like a bolt out of the blue -- a dream in the night if you will -- the reason why I am such an unsuccessful blogger.  I am "too" -- too random, too slow, too lazy, too unorganized -- to sum up, too boring.

I read lots of blogs and add to (and subtract from) my blogroll on a regular basis.  I have lots of interests so I am always looking for blogs to read that mirror those interests.  I love quilting and needlework, I read constantly, I have not gotten into bird watching/feeding, I am sort of becoming interested in gardening and I like taking photos.  The only thing is that my  blog doesn't concentrate on one thing, it is a hodge podge of all sorts of things with no real direction.  The photo taking is another issue -- taking them is fine, getting them on the computer is another.  I don't seem to be able to remember how to download them from the card so I have a little cheat sheet that the Hubs gave me to help.  It just seems to be an effort.

Most of the blogs I read are usually focused on one subject with lots of photos.  I guess I could start a blog for every subject but then I would have to deal with the "too lazy" aspect of my personality.  It seems that I have sunk into the "meme-a-day" sort of approach which does help with the consistency aspect but, come one, who really cares which I think about all those things and what word or group of words I can come up with to complete a thought.  Blah.

So, I guess I am going to have to re-think the whole blog thing.  I really enjoy reading them, I do enjoy writing them, but I think I need to get out of this box to do my thinking and make more of an effort to take more photos....ah.

Friday Fill-ins and Heaven is for Real:  A Little Boy's Astounding Story of his Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo.


First -- Friday Fill-ins

1.  Hey! You, get off my cloud!
2.  That statement doesn't contain one kernel of truth.
3.  eat healthy
4.  the oldest, the youngest and the one in the middle
5.  First thing to note:  list making is a virtue
6.  Facebook is an unnecessary distraction
7And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pizza and a movie, tomorrow my plans include nothing special and Sunday, I want to celebrate the Hubs b/d with the family.


Book Review

First off -- I don't make a habit of reading stuff about sick/dying/hurt/murdered/kidnapped/ or in any way harmed children -- I just don't find it entertaining and, unless I am reading for knowledge, reading is sheer entertainment for me.  So, I held on to the book  about Colton Burpo for a long time.  It wanted to read it because it discussed his near death experience but for him to have had a NDE, he  would have had to be in harms way and I just wasn't ready for that sort of reading.  However, because I am part of a reading challenge and because I wanted to chisel away at my ever growing Nook library, I decided to give it a go knowing I could stop if it became too much for me to handle. 

I was hooked from the first page.  It is a lovely story of the faith of a child, which we should all have, the faith of his parents in the midst of all their human frailities and the love of God.  It is a story of modern day miracles.  I was particularly interested in this book because of my own mother's NDE.  She told us that something "happened" to her during one of her hospitalizations and she didn't want to talk about it but she just knew that she would never be afraid of dying.  I was reading this book to get a glimpse of what she  might have experienced.  If this is what happened then it was a glorious experience for her to have.

I would recommend this book to anyone -- anybody who has had any involvement with a near death experience would enjoy reading of a little boy who took his experience into stride and explained it in the simpliest, most beautiful words. A believer will just shake his/her head saying "yes, that is what I believe" and a non-believer might start questioning his stand on things.  Wherever you are, it is definitely a beautiful story.

Wordless Wednesday 1 June 2011