Face paste - Women’s Makeup - Lips to die for……

Well, that isn’t really what this is all about. It is about how to AFFORD all the “stuff” that is advertised because we NEED
it to be beautiful (Choke!).

One of the things I really protest is the cost of these items: lipstick, face makeup, blemish cover, eyeliner, mascara, etc.etc.etc. YOUNG women have been convinced that in order to be beautiful one must indulge in these expensive items. NOT!

Youth itself is beautiful naturally. The pheromones that attract the opposite sex will still be present without makeup. What is really attractive and sexy (I’ve learned over the years) is a beautiful smile and CONFIDENCE. Not conceited behavior, but a confident woman exudes sex appeal all over the place - or so I’ve been told!

Youth does not end at 29. I know women who are in their late forties who wear very little to enhance their look and they are still stunning. Good health, a vibrant personality, a great sense of humor - these things are all very sexy too.

I won’t lie. I’ve worn mascara, eyeliner and various types of lipstick and glosses for a long time. I have also used blemish cover on occasion. I do know that some women really do benefit from wearing face makeup, particularly if they have had complexion problems or scarring of some sort. That can be a blessing for self-confidence.

Just remember it is YOUR DEMEANOR that is attractive; your smile. A woman could be drop dead beautiful and have a scowl on her face, or be bitchy, and that woman will get uglier by the minute. You’ve seen it happen. With guys too.

Use makeup moderately and then when you go snorkeling or swimming you won’t have it smeared all over your face.
Or if you take it off you won’t shock someone by the different (not less attractive) but different look. Here’s a tip too.
Waterproof mascara does often work, but after years of useage, it will pull your eye lashes out permanently…one by one.

Back to the jest of this post. Did an experiment and got some “free samples” of some VERY expensive makeup. Enough to use for several months. This makeup, after using it for over three months did exactly what other cheap makeup did for me. Practically nothing. Couldn’t see a difference in any way at all. Interesting, eh?

Look at the photo again. I am a stickler for not wasting because of the expense of these items. When I get to the bottom of a tube I cut it and put the remainder in a small container. You would be surprised how much is wasted just because you can’t get to it.

I dig out lipsticks and combine some. I have actually come up with colors that I can’t find at the stores, and they are great.
These days I use a light face makeup to even out my skin tone, but I mix that too. I buy a cheap brand of makeup, a color that is a bit darker than I like. Then I grab one of my containers and start the mix. I add sunscreen and a moisturizer I like. (Ponds is inexpensive and I swear it is a wonderful moisturizer. )

I met a woman with it in her hand and asked her how long she had been using it. She looked lovely. She told me for years and then shocked me. She was in her 80’s. I would NEVER have guessed. She said she mixes just a bit of lanolin with it.
I now do the same and I love it. Mama also used it and so the fragrance brings a memory that is precious to me.

Anyway, if I know I am going to be out in the woods or where a mosquito might be, I also put in a bit of Avon’s mosquito repellent. Lovely light fragrance. The result is no waste, inexpensive and mixed to my skin tones.

I do throw away mascara and eyeliner. Important to be careful with the eyes. As far as lipstick and glosses, I usually add a bit of lip conditioner or balm to the mix of color. Makes it creamy and almost delicious!

So if you are on a budget, or if you want to really wear colors mixed especially for you, wash out some old small containers and become your own makeup artist. More expensive is NOT ALWAYS better!

To touch one living soul

After contemplation I have come to this conclusion about blogging. I will continue to blog. It’s not that I am such a genius, or the very best writer on the block. It’s just that for me, to touch one living soul, with a word, a photo, a thought…..whatever…..is to love!

In my heart of hearts I believe we are supposed to love one another. I have over my lifetime been through an actual living hell. Much more than once. On a list of the 50 greatest causes of stress, I have only NOT experienced two of them.

I’ve never been fired and I’ve never killed anyone. Well, I’ve killed mosquitos and flies, but they are nasty to me. Mosquitos suck your blood and can inject you with a death sentence. Sometimes I wonder if they carry blood from an HIV person and a drop could infect another person that they bite?. Flies throw up on you. I’ve heard worse but don’t know if it’s true so I won’t write about it.

Back to the decision. I believe over my lifetime I have “learned lessons” and have a bit of wisdom. I am also not done learning! So to blog offers me the chance to perhaps touch one living soul with a bit of wisdom, therein loving; it also
allows me to read and learn and share with others.

Can’t get rid of me that easy. (hee hee). It also allows me to release my innermost thoughts about life and all it’s joys
and sorrows. As a stress management specialist, I know when a person writes (or speaks) about things, it allows those
thoughts to be released and shared. Good or bad, they are out in the open. Out in the open means the beginning of healing.

So remember - if someone reads this, for me, mission accomplished..I’ve honestly loved! If no one does, and I’ve released my feelings, mission accomplished. Looks like a win-win scenario to me

A senior moment

Someone who knows I write, asked me to post a short piece that she wrote. It is my pleasure to do so, and an eye opener for us all. I was happy to type it. Her handwriting was lovely. That is almost a lost art these days.
——————————————

It seems that the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck are always painful these days.
The doctor says it’s because they are “doing their job” - whatever that is. I don’t mind.

My left shoulder does ache after almost any work like weeding, shoveling, vacuuming or sweeping. Probably due to the dislocated shoulder from so many years ago. The one pounding my former husband bestowed on me. Or perhaps it’s from the near head
on collision when the old man crossed over on my side of the road. I was lucky then.
I don’t mind that much either.

Some days the ringing in my ears is so loud I can hear it over any other noise. Doesn’t
bother me too much except when it’s quiet and I am trying to sleep. It isn’t the kind of ringing that is conducive to lulling one to sleep. It’s a nuisance, but I don’t mind that too much either.

The floaters in my left eye might be increasing. I am fortunate to see quite well, except of course, I need my glasses to read. That condition happens to lots of people over 40, a majority statistically. But the floaters are strange more than anything. Little black spots that move when I look quickly up or down. I don’t see them all the time, but when I am looking at a blue sky they are obvious to me. I don’t mind very much.

Every once in a while that ankle I sprained while teaching physical education swells up and hurts like crazy. I probably did some extensive damage to it as I didn’t have any substitute teachers that year and I had to teach the same classes all day on that sprain. Now I just try to ice it and usually grab the ankle support to wear for the day. I really don’t like the pain, but it’s just one of many that are on the horizon, it seems.

The pain I am not very comfortable with is the chest pain. It’s been pretty consistent over the past months. My doctor says it’s acid reflex. I don’t think so. It’s a dull, but definite
pain. I don’t have “heartburn” as I used to have in the past. This is different.

I am experiencing other things that may be in conjunction with that pain. Often I can actually feel the pulsing of the blood in my hand and arm. My head pulses and it hurts on one side and then the other. I think it’s the blood passing by. I don’t know for sure, but I have lived in this body all my life, and am savvy to the way it feels.

The headaches have been consistent too. My husband says it’s almost every day.
I don’t think so, but more often than I like. Not being comfortable with these things is normal, I think.

This morning when I awoke my ellbow hurt. Didn’t hit it. Probably a bit of arthritis coming on. I noticed last week a bony knob on my index finger. I don’t remember it being there before. I can see the changes in my hands. The bones are become somewhat deformed, but not much yet. My veins have suddenly become the focus of a first glance, and not the long nails I still have when I haven’t broken them from working without gloves. These things don’t bother me too much either.

Oh, I almost forgot, I’ve turned up with the shingles! Pretty strange as I never had the chicken pox, but my children did. The doctor told me the virus lays dormant until after 40 and then starts raising hell. I am lucky as I don’t get them very often, though they are very irritating and itch at first. Then they break into an actual pox and as they heal (which takes a couple of weeks) there is a residual pain that is terrible. I’m told it gets worse with each year that passes. Still, I can deal with that.

Changes are what I can expect for the rest of my life. Not particularly good physical changes, but my mind is still sharp and I hope to keep it that way. I am working to keep the physical aspect as good as possible, but after all, this body has been around a while now.

Some folks are better than me. Others are not nearly as fortunate to have my good health.
I think the thing that is the hardest to accept is the careless attitude younger people have towards those of us who have lived long enough to have aged! It’s almost as if we are
guilty of some horrible crime. Hard to look at too. The worst of it is this group (and it can span from teens to early forties) often think because we are now considered “seniors”,
we have lost our intellect, our sense of humor, our sensual desires and our desire for child like play. We haven’t! So please don’t judge us for our age. You are looking at yourselves in the future !

contemplation about blogging

It struck me several days ago and “it” has been nagging me ever since. Why do I blog. I am not asking you. I am asking myself.

On the positive side:
It is a podium to speak my peace.
It is a way to share what I believe will help others.
It is a form of recreation. I love to write.
It is a way to communicate with others.
It is fun to get comments (and give them too).
It is fun to read other blogs.

On the negative side:
I am sure sitting on my ass isn’t as healthy as a walk.
I wonder if I would even be missed if I quit writing. Maybe I should find a gig writing for cash.
I think perhaps I should be out there actually doing something for a real live human as opposed
to writing for my invisible audience…which could amount to a few regulars and some passer-bys.
I think my writing may not be controversial enough or nasty enough to attract lots of people.
I haven’t sold one CD or book - projects I TRULY believe in (at least NOT on the internet.)

So now I ponder. Similar to Shakespeare - “To write, or not to write…that is the question!

A WEEKEND TALE FOR YOUR PLEASURE “2″

We laughed and jumped in the VW van to begin the trek cross country. My husband, two small children, and a pile of stuff to pack. It wasn’t totally pleasure that inspired us. My husband was a musician. He was booked to play some clubs cross country. With high anticipation I pledged to “make it work” - and make it work I did! Along with working to make it!

When we reached Ogallala, Nebraska we had a bit of time between gigs. The kids were happy to have a bit of time to quit driving and actually get out and play. My husband, brilliant, but not having an ounce of common sense, decided to drive out on the beach at Lake Ogallala.

I winced at where he parked the van and said, “Don’t you think this is a bit too close to the water?”

“Nay,” he said sharply. “I know how and where to park.” Ok. I wasn’t liberated then, so I
just shut up and started fixing lunch.

The children were laughing and running on the beach so I decided to turn to a radio station with
music. While fixing the tuna sandwiches I heard an interruption of regular programming.

“A storm is approaching and winds will be 70-85 miles per hour. This is unexpected, so prepare.”
(Or close to that!). I gulped and noticed dark clouds approaching from the southwest, and fast!

“John”, I yelled, “There is a severe storm approaching and the winds are going to be, etc…….”

He yelled back, “Oh, you must have heard wrong. They probably said 7-8 miles an hour.”

Again, I was still in chains, so I just put lunch on the table and called everyone in to eat.

Out of nowhere wind began beating the VW. The waves whipped up and the children screamed.
“Stay put”, John said. “We are safer in here than outside.”

I wasn’t sure, but found myself just holding the children and saying prayers.

When it was over, we were surrounded by water. Thank God the tires had sunk sufficiently so as not to turn us over….or take us out to the middle of the lake!

I thanked God for saving us. John paid someone for towing us out, and of course, we never spoke of it again! Oh my gosh, had it not been for my beautiful children…..those were NOT the DAYS to recall!

Okay - I may be addicted to your love!

A photo for your pleasure!Create a beautiful day NO MATTER WHAT!
It’s still a choice.

Urgent for all parents!

I didn’t think I would post for a couple of days, but in case you haven’t heard - Mattel is recalling millions of toys made in China with lead paint and/or magnets. The toys could be deadly.

Check on the web or get the information to protect your babies and little ones! Here is just one site to check: www.ToyRecall.biz - there are plenty of sites to check.

God bless and protect the children!

Swim emergency information

I know summer is almost over, but here is some information that could save lives if stranded in the water….

If you are far from help and need to sustain yourself DON’T try to swim to shore. Swimming accelerates heat loss….which can cause hypothermia (dangerously low body temperature). Try to
stay still, with legs together, and arms as close to your sides as possible.

Hopefully if you find yourself in this position you will have a life jacket on! This is a great time to have extra body weight as larger people cool down slower, which could help save your life.

Learn to float on your back. Learn to swim and dog paddle. Learn to keep that life jacket on!
Be SAFE and at least keep your children with life saving gear on at all times if you are boating.

I won’t be posting again until Friday or Saturday as I am a bit buried with paperwork that needs to be done one day, and my “kayak urge” which needs to be filled the other:). In the meantime, take a breath, enjoy the moments of your life. They pass quickly. Hug someone!

Some VERY interesting facts!

I recently came across these facts and found them quite interesting…was familiar with some
of them, but not “specific” numbers. Hope you enjoy!

Did you know…..
1. Your heart beat about 2,649,024,000 times in your life if you live until 70?

2. Your vascular system pumps 50,000,000 of blood and oxygen in you live
until you are seventy.

3. People own over 75 million handguns in the USA alone.

4. The Bible is still the best selling book. Has sold 2,500,000,000 since
1815! That’s a lot of books.

5. Each person in the USA (in 1996) ate approximately 145.2 pounds of potatoes.

6. There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in a human being.

7. An adult heart weighs only about 11 ounces and has the capacity to
work effectively for over 100 years.

8. In 1995 there were 960,592 people who died from cardiovascular disease. A huge portion of this number was from “preventable” causes.

9.We are a species wired for survival, yet a large percentage of us get in the habit of getting hooked on things that can literally kill us.

10. There are over 18 million people in the USA alone who have an addiction to alcohol.

Make someone you love MOVE!

Even if it’s you! (Of course this isn’t me.) It is my darling husband who sometimes doesn’t want
to kayak because the boat has no motor - it’s a guy thing:)…..but after he gets out there he regenerates and is ALWAYS glad he made the effort.

We were meant to move and when I stop, I will be dead! Have a wonderful weekend and move that body. You also create what is known as endorphins. They are a natural high by using your oxygen and moving…honest! You can’t overdose, it’s not illegal, but ask anyone who knows about endorphins-they rock!