wedding

She is married.

May 20, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. on a lovely pier, my beloved daughter walked on the arm of her daddy into the arms of the man who loves her dearly.

It was a beautiful and brief ceremony.

The reception was under a tent on the water. Bride and groom danced magnificently to Moon River and bride and daddy danced to Forever Young by Rod Stewart.

The newlyweds departed on a boat provided by the groom's brother.

They did the whole wedding.

I hosted a small bridal brunch Sunday morning. We had a fun time. She was so happy and relaxed all day.

She had made a lovely headpiece out of vintage netting and beads. It was to sit on top of her head and the veil would just come beneath her nose. She said she wanted me to sweep some hair over the crown area of the headpiece. I had my doubts, but started working with it as directed!

I wasn't feeling it. . . but it wasn't my wedding! I kept encouraging her that when the hairdo was complete, she would love it.

She finally said, "Mom, the headpiece looks like a cake topper and the hair on top looks like a cinnabun!!" I was relieved!

She took apart the headpiece so I would have the netting only to work with. At that point, it started working. I could see the netting nestled into her nape under the big flower she wanted to wear. "I should know Mom, to just tell you how I am feeling and let you create. Those are always the best 'does!"

When I finished, she literally jumped up and down, thrilled with her hair. "It is perfect, just perfect, I just LOVE it!"

The photographer was not there to catch the moment. But we will never forget it.

six months

Yesterday was Isabella's six month birthday! Even as I write, she is on my lap, watching me type!

We are just goofy-in-love with this dog!

She seems to have recovered from her bad haircut and is enjoying life again, prancing around like the princess she is!

I am gonna take her to Central Bark Bakery for a healthy treat and to see some dog art. They just added an espresso bar for the humans, and Yappy Hour for the canines! Should be a fun treat for her.

I have six more months to plan her Birthday Party!!! Wanna come to it?

prom

I LOVE hair!! Redid the feathered fauxhawk style on H for her prom. What a beauty! She will have the tallest hair at prom, most likely. She has a black and white color blocked dress, black gloves and dreamy Nina black heels.

Hopefully, I will get the after photos, too!

Please pray for the mother of our god-children. She has a rather serious heart condition that a procedure yesterday was supposed to fix, but she has to go back in 30 days for them to do it again. Apparently, she has had the condition her whole life and it worsened with the stress of her pending divorce.

Started construction on our cosmetic remake of our family room. Yea! I have decided that the room will be a mess for the entire summer. That way, I won't be irritated and angry at our contractor, who is very nice, but
v e r y s l o w!!!

Gonna do Mexican Paver tiles if I can find labor I can afford for installation. I LOVE them. We had them in our Orlando salon. Warm, earthy, lots of texture and variations of color.

Have a fabby weekend!

scalped

I was so excited. It was Isabella's first appointment to get her hair cut. Okay, to be groomed! I had been carefully combing her hair every other day so she would not get matted.

I chose a groomer that two of my clients use. She was very nice and kind. Isabella really liked her.

I had cut Isabella's hair a bit when she was a couple months old, because it had gotten matted from the collar she had to wear after her surgery. I did a pretty bad job. . . hard to cut such a wiggly client!

I was looking forward to her having a professional cut that would correct the flaws from my attempt.

I showed the groomer this photo in a Shit Tzu magazine. I wanted Isabella to grow into this cut. I am a hairdresser. I like HAIR! There is a reason I did not get a short haired teacup Chihuahua!

Listening. What an art. No wonder I have the success I do as a stylist. I know I miss it sometimes. But I must hit the mark most the time, as thankfully, my book stays slammed.

Can you imagine my shock, when out from the groomer's van comes THIS haircut????

She is nearly bald. She was pathetic for twenty-four hours. Very clingy and sad. Sat on TT's feet today when he was trying to paint our ceilings.

It took five months to grow her to the top photo. It will take a YEAR to get her hair to the long look on the model.

I know, I know, she is still cute and it is gonna be nice in the summer and all that. But she doesn't even look like her own breed.

Arrrgh. Does anyone know a local groomer that specializes in TeaCup Shih Tzu hair cuts?! Help!

I think it was a roaring success! We were voted Best of Show Booth! The massage girl worked non-stop on models, teaching the benefits of Thai Yoga Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Pregnancy Massage. She brought a lot of positive attention to our booth, which was located at entrance!

No photos yet of me, maybe I can post one later! I felt so goofy, 'cause my hair was curly and I was in a DRESS and HOSE!!!!! Eewwww. I am simply more of a Kat Hepburn type!

TT was our awesome chauffeur, patiently running workers and models to and from salon and Civic Center. Everyone loves him!

I am skipping church this morning, rejoicing over the first day since Tuesday that I could sleep in and stay in my jammies!!

Model

I love doing Dot's hair. She is so trusting.

"What do you feel like for your hair, Dot?"

"Whatever you want to do, Mom. I just want some green in it."

So, I did a faux-hawk-chignon style. Ran outside and found some palms and voila, there she is!

Isn't she incredible?!

Day One of the Expo is complete. Tomorrow, I entrust my hair to a fellow stylist. I will be at Expo from 9 a.m. til 8 p.m. Then we break it all down, set salon up and collapse in bed.

TT was chauffeure all day. Ran models from salon to Civic Center and back. He made their hard day a bit easier!

Everyone said our booth was the best of show! Hopefully, we will be better known for all our effort.

Expo

Tomorrow starts the Gulf Coast Women's Expo. I begged our salon owner, R and J, to be in the Expo. We need the exposure. We are the best kept secret in Pcola.

Here I am an Introvert. Do you know what it means to me to be in the midst of five thousand women in the Civic Center for 12 hours? That is like Hell on earth for me. Plus, we are going to wear cocktail attire. So, not only do I have to be contained in a noisy, cold, crowded place, but I have to be uncomfortable in dressy, stiff, scratchy clothes too!!

TT is going to be the driver. Escorting models and workers from the Civic Center to the salon. Parking at the CC is a nightmare. So, we can all park at salon and TT will drive us to the door at CC.

I quit smoking ( AGAIN) last Friday. It lasted until tonight. Just the thought of it all. . . okay, I am a whimp. . . I smoked tonight.

TT got a job. He is working for his best friend. Selling sheds. Not just any sheds, but sheds that stand up to 140 mph winds. Hurricane proof. Just when I was going to do some house renovations and painting. Shut up HG!!!!! This is so AWESOME for TT!! He could make some really great money$$!!

mercy

Trees used to be some of my best friends. They stood tall, shading me from the sun, fanning me with a cooling breeze. Their only danger was the lightning rod potential!

That was until Ivan the Terrible and Dennis the Menace struck our area. Dennis was a bad hit for us, because a huge branch from one of our neighbor's trees flew over and nearly pierced our family room roof. We still have leaks. Fortunately, we did not file an insurance claim because no one would write us if we had made two claims in two years. TT has tried to fix the leak about twenty times. . . I don't know what is going wrong up there, but I will say I am so OVER having buckets out for every rain storm.

Judging by the care of their home and yard, our neighbors have the appearance of being quite financially undernourished. They have about six trees that in a bad storm would be a threat to both their home and ours. It is all about which way the wind is blowing. Though they cannot pay, they have given us permission to have the trees and tree tops removed.

I got a quote a few months after Dennis of over $4000 to remove the four tree tops in the back. Oi. Since then, their two humongous pine trees that are right next to our carport have died. They would be like Rice Crispies in a storm, snap-crackle-pop.

Dot was over last Monday. I got to telling her all my woes about how I hate our back yard. As we walked out there, I got this urging to take care of those trees NOW!

I started polling my clients, "Do you know any reasonable tree services?"

You guessed it. Today a man came by who was a referral from a client, looked at the whole job, said he would take the four trees in the back, the two dead pines and a very high limb out of the tree in front of our house for $1,375. OMG! Now, this is still a stretch for me, but it is doable. I won't have to take out a loan to do it. I am SO grateful.

I would love to have a neighbor like me. One that would pay for preventing potential damage to my home. But I have to say, that with such an overly reasonable price like that, I feel like God Himself is helping me to love my neighbor as myself.

As soon as the man left, I said to TT, "I am writing my tithe check NOW!!!!!" Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, running over, shall men give unto you. He is so faithful and caring.

Jennifer Hudson on the Oscars Feb 2007

Winner

Here we are world, the next American Idol winner, Lakisha Jones. This girl ROCKS!!!!

Singing Jennifer Hudson's winning song from Dream Girls as good, if not better than Jen, she took the contest by storm. Even Simon said, "I am tempted to say to the other twenty-three contestants to get their airline tickets home. . "

She sings from the depth of a heart that we have never experienced before on AI. With tears streaming our faces, TT and I began dialing to vote for her, but only reached a busy signal.

Her comment, "After years of singing in the church, I may finally get to do what I love", reflects her devotion to Christ ("If I win, I will first thank God Almighty"). In addition, her love for her four year old daughter, whose 4th birthday was tonight and her magnificent, powerful, soul stirring talent catapulted her to the top of the contenders.

I felt for the other girls in the competition. Their faces fell as they witnessed the audience's thundering explosion at the end of Lakisha's compelling performance of "You Will Love Me".

We already do and can't wait to hear more. Sing, beautiful Lakisha, sing on!

Forty-eleven

February 16 was my forty-eleventh birthday!!! I learned to count from 4D. My friends threw me the funnest party. My beloved family, bestest friends, their children and pets! Food, beverages, fire-pit, pinata, gifts. . . what more could I want?

Dot gave me the fabby leather jacket pictured above. I love three-quarter length sleeves and very open necklines on jackets. She is so generous. TT continues to spoil me daily. He gave me a rather unlimited Starbucks card. How FUN will that be?!

Isabella had major eye surgery two weeks ago. (Her second surgery.) She had an ulcer in her eye, so it was emergency surgery (another word for very expensive!!) to save her eye. She has been in a lampshade collar for two weeks.

I hope I am not being foolish. I could not stand her misery any more today. I took the collar off, bathed her, groomed her and got her hair out of her eyes. She is not scratching at her eyes. She seems so happy to be free from her mobile prison.

She is still under two pounds though 15 weeks old. I tried to get her to be still on TT's shoulder for a photos shoot so I could compare her from week 7. I do believe she has grown a good bit.

Sorry to be so busy and such a bad blogger friend. I keep thinking I will get time to visit. . . Oi! 

promises

My friend asked me and TT to be god-parents to her two children B (7 yr old boy) and D (4 yr old girl). She is a new friend, sister to S, who has been a major part of my life for the past year. Sister just moved here in December.

I love her and adore her children. They all love God and are true blue people. I don't want to disappoint them. I have a habit of that. I seem to make promises and then forget I have made them.

Like I have another friend and when she and her son were confirmed, I know he had picked another couple to be his god-parents, but cannot remember if he also had picked us, too. I know we love him dearly.

TT and I got busy with buying a house, remodeling, moving, etc, etc, etc. . . and slowly, we let them drift out of our lives.

Then there are all the kids that used to live next to us in the country. The two older ones call me about twice a year for me to do their hair (at special friend's rate!). I love hearing from them. They don't have a phone at home, no cell phone, no way for me to stay in touch.

The little kids have a more tragic story. Their parents divorced and their mother has been running with an ex-con with a violent record. The kids have lived in about five different places and of course, no phone numbers. Why am I not hunting them down? My own life gets so crowded. What a pathetic excuse.

Then there is my newest child commitment, my god-daughter, child of my best friend from high school. They used to live in England. This fall they moved to North Carolina. How many cards, notes or letters have I sent her? Oi. I am embarrassed.

Now, we do chat on phone every so often. Thankfully, she just got her own email address. I do well with email. She just told me what a good god-mother I am. For what?

So, now, there are two more lives looking to me/us. Right now, I am present with them. How do I know I will do this one differently and stay present?

All I know is this, I am very thankful that God is not as forgetful or preoccuppied as I am, that He never forgets me or forgets His promises to me. I pray He helps me be more like Him.

january

A year ago, I began blogging. I wrote nearly every day. I spent a lot of time reading blogs, making new friends in Cyberspace. What has changed?

WORK: The move to the new salon has been so positive. However, it has taken loads of time. I think this coming weekend may be the first weekend I will not be doing something work-related since before Thanksgiving. My room is nearly complete with the exception of my tortoise shell bamboo blinds arriving and being hung. I will be posting photos later!
I actually went in last Monday and had a Raindrop massage, which means she used the Young Living Essential oils on my spine. It detoxifies at a very deep level. She incorporates a lot of reflexology. It was a fabby experience.
The owner and I have been spending a lot of time planning advertising for print and in special events. I love how proactive he is. He seems to be a talent magnent. Our staff is continuing to grow with top-notch professionals.
I have slept the whole night undisturbed since December 22 when I moved out of old salon. Does that make the prior place bad? No. It was just time for me to move on.

TT: He has been working painting the new salon. That is, when he is not being Mr. Mom running our household and caring for Isabella. He is a very good "dad"!

DAUGHTER: As of Christmas morning, Dot and Boyfriend are engaged. I can now use the "F" word when referring to him. (Fiance!!) I was over the boyfriend thing. They were meant for each other. She is so happy. So is he. So are we!
She is nurturing a huge crop of wildflowers for their May 20 wedding. Their kitchen looks like a green house with boxes and boxes of tender shoots stretching towards the window for sustanance from Mr. Sun!
She told me this wedding was not mine to spend a dime at. I appreciate that response. My only sorrow is F has never been married and it would have been so nice to have him be the recipient of my splashy generosity on the last wedding. Drat. . .

ISABELLA: How is it we could be so silly in love with such a tiny package? She weighed a big 1.5 pounds at her ten week checkup. She is now twelve weeks and is about 75% housebroken. She is very smart and very dear.
She had to have her eyelids tacked up because the lashes were poking her eyes. She may have to wear this horrid collar to keep her from scratching the stitches out until she has matured enough to have actual surgery to reform her deformed eyelids. What misery for her. She has already knocked one stitch out. . .
Isabella now sleeps with me (TT sleeps in his chair). I confused her for my little travel alarm clock this morning and woke up to realize I was tapping her on the head as though she was the snooze button!

FAMILY: One of my sisters had a health emergency that was a dreadful scare, but ended up not life-threatening. As my eldest, I think of her a lot like my mom. . . she has always been there. I am grateful she is okay.

FRIENDS: Our friend with the lung cancer who had the double lung transplant slipped into eternity Friday, January 12. What a sad, sad loss. They all fought hard. She is a remarkably brave woman. She is strong and fragile.
Our friends F and S had her sister move in with her two children, 7 and 4. They asked us last night to be the childrens' god-parents. We love these kids. Help them with homework, take them to church, play and pray with them. I said yes. Made me feel very badly what a rotten god-mother I am to KE's daughter. I have a hard time with long distance relationships. KE and her dot are in NC now. I must work on this weakness.

FAITH: We continue to love our Catholic Church and are now considering our response to the Lenten season. F and S will be confirmed at Easter Vigil Mass. That is exciting.

TV: Yes, we are American Idol junkies! There goes two nights a week. Then there are the football games, which take us over to F and S's house. Great b/c I can play with the children. But, bad for blogging.

So, there is the catch up on why I do not spend much time in cyber-space! I am hoping for a lull in the action so I can return to visiting my friends. Love you all!

devotion

I had to post this. I need this message every day. God help me to be this honest with myself.


The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword . . . it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

What a pleasure it is to use a set of sharp, new kitchen knives! At first you may fear accidentally cutting yourself, but you soon discover that the right instrument makes it much easier to prepare the evening meal. You don’t have to exert your strength to tear apart meat or vegetables, so you’re less tempted to put your fingers in harm’s way.

How many of us make use of the Word of God in this way? Do we read its stories reflectively, placing ourselves into the situation and testing our reactions?

For example, with whom do we honestly identify in today’s gospel (Mark 2:13-17): the sinners who flocked to Jesus’ table, or the religious critics who found them embarrassing and inconvenient? Would we be able unhesitatingly to lay aside our work in response to an invitation like the one Jesus gave Levi?

What motivates our actions? Dare we allow the Spirit to penetrate our hearts, exposing roots of greed, glory-seeking, envy, or cold duty where we would prefer to see ourselves as motivated by prudence, self-esteem, truthfulness, or love?

It can be frightening to realize that we can hide nothing from God. But it can also be very liberating. We don’t have to waste energy pretending to be someone we are not. God knows us through and through, and he still loves us unconditionally. He offers us forgiveness for sin and the power to be transformed.

The same Word of God that reveals our deepest thoughts and intentions also reveals to us the face of the Son of God, who was fully aware of what he was doing when he called Levi and sat down at table with other sinners. He is a powerful and sympathetic high priest who understands our every burden and temptation.

So put aside fear, and tap into God’s great mercy. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Jesus, Word of God, I invite you to search my heart and know my thoughts. I come to You just as I am, eager to encounter You just as You are, full of compassion and life-changing power.

Psalm 19:8-10,15; Mark 2:13-17

wierd

Six Wierd Things About Me


(THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the "six weird things about you" blog post. People who get tagged need to write their own six weird things post and state the rules clearly. At the end of the post tag six more people and don’t forget to leave a comment on their blog to tell them they have been tagged and tell them to read your blog.)

1.My forearms and calves are VERY short even though I am 5'8". Always have to hem jacket sleeves and pull my seat forward in car.

2. I have to have five small pillows to be able to sleep. Tempurpedic curved one for neck/head. One between my knees and one under my waist to keep my back aligned. One at chest between my arms to keep my back comfy. And finally, one under my right wrist/hand so the carpal tunnel does not flare up.

3. I have to sleep in pitch dark. I wear a black velvet tempurpedic sleep mask. Makes for a lot of peace in a well-lit world!

4. My childhood was wierd - my maiden name was Ralph, my parents were atheists, my knees are knock, my teeth were buck, I wore tortoise shell rimmed glasses and my mother made my clothes (when minis were in style, my homemade dresses were to my knees- eeewwwwwe) they were into healthfood, so I had carrot strips and pumpkin seeds when all my friends had Fritos and Hostess Twinkies!

5. I get really paniced and smothered feeling if I don't get time alone, but give me a glass of wine and I want to be with all my friends!

6. I hate clutter, but I make it every where I go. I am constantly picking up after myself. WHY do I have so much STUFF?????

I tag:

TT
Gardenia
Pup
Jada's Gigi
David T
Sandi

almost!

I have moved in and worked there for one week.

I could load you down with endless details. Like decorating slowdowns and such. I wanted to move in and have my room all perfect. You know, so I could have the big "TaDaaaaaaaaaaaa" and beam with pride.

But, we are still painting trim, waiting for bamboo shades, shelves, my aromatherapy timer. The new shampoo room chairs have not arrived, the washer/drier is not yet installed. . . oi!

For one week, I have slept through the night each night. Slept like a baby. For one week, even though I work nearly as hard as the holidays, I am not worn to a frazzle at the end of the day.

It is a happy place. Not perfect. But happy and respectful. I feel it. My assistant feels it. Dot has felt it for the four months she had been there. And most importantly, my clients feel it.

Truly, HAPPY New Year!

Holiday Party

First time Dot held her and Boyfriend got to see her.
She was the hit of the party.
Interesting how grown-ups melt
at the sight of this teeny, beautiful puppy!
She is still waking 2 -3 times a night.
TT said he has heard her actually bark twice!
She is going to have a very yappy bark.
We will just have to do a really
good job with training her.

Whatcha doing for New Year's Eve?

 

Isabella

December 26, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. our lives changed forever!!!! OMG, we were both petrified when we arrived near Baton Rouge, Louisiana (a mere 250 mile drive!) to behold our Bella.

She is so tiny, it is staggering to think of caring for her. When she barks, she sounds like a squeaky toy. She nearly mews. When she bends in her food dish to get a bite, her hind end comes up in the air; she looks like she is performing in a circus doing a handstand! She is very expressive with her paws. Tim was certain last night he had already taught her to shake hands!

We have been watching the Dog Whisperer's DVD so we will know how to properly train her. Sad to see how we have done it all wrong with every dog we had.

She has definitely bonded to both of us. She loves being curled up in our necks. She finds TT's unshaved holiday face very interesting to lick. Her tongue is as smooth as a baby's bottom, so I am sure he feels like sandpaper to her! Fun to hear him giggle!

I made the little papoose today, because I had errands to run and she cannot bear to be in a basket, cage or bag (Dot got me a fancy designer doggie carrier purse for Christmas!). As soon as I pop her in the papoose, she snuggles in and stops squeaking/mewing!

While I was getting my manicure, she curled up in the papoose, stuck her head inside and slept!

Puppy love. . . she definitely has grabbed our heartstrings!

So, did you all have a Merry Christmas? More on that later!

P.S. After having her for a couple of days, I have decided she is too fancy for a simple name, so am calling her by her full given name, Isabella! She likes it better, too!

food

Traditions can anchor us to the joyful memories of past family gatherings. I shared our tree trimmings. Tomorrow we will all have stockings. Yes, that's right, the four of us adults have to have stockings hung by the armoire with care. . . filled to overflowing! TT and I since becoming Catholic have been going to the 4:00p.m. Mass. Our Bishop is officiates that service and we would not miss being in his nurturing presence.

My Christmas brunch is a tradition. Every year, I may add something new, but there are certain foods that must be on the table.

Tonight, the table is set and much has been prepared for tomorrow's feast. The traditional dishes are:

Holiday Strata- a breakfast casserole of french bread cubes, milk, eggs, cheese, sausage and spices. Baked it becomes a crusty, cheesy delight, the breakfast version of a great macaroni and cheese. I hope my family does not notice the veggie/soy sausage! I am making exception to my vegetarian, no-dairy lifestyle for Christmas Day, but I just cannot eat dead rotting animal. My eldest sister actually introduced our family to the Breakfast Strata. Over the years, we had many happy gatherings at her home. So this anchors me to my childhood.

Cranberry Kuchen with fresh Whipped Cream- An orange flavored single layer "cake" topped with cranberries cooked in sugar and orange juice, then baked. Oh my, it is a tangy, delicious morning sweet.

Texas Caviar- moving to the lunch side of brunch is this great salsa type dip for tortilla chips made of black eyed peas, chopped tomatoes, avocados, green onions, white corn, cilantra, red wine vinegar and more.

Fresh Fruit Tray- lovely assortment of fruits. This year, I am adding Devonshire Cream as a slightly sweet dip. I'll let you know if that makes it to the "Traditions" list or not. Devonshire Cream is something else my eldest sister made for me, served with scones and tea, of course.

Veggie Tray- I may be the only one who eats brocoli, cauliflower, carrots and celery on Christmas Day, but I have to have something out of the garden daily. I am adding red, yellow, orange and green peppers for color and a store-bought (horrors!) Ranch Dip to the platter tomorrow. Maybe the Ranch will help more of the veggies to be eaten.

Mimosas- A client gave me a lovely bottle of champagne and I have freshy, pulpy orange juice or cranberry juice to top off the stemmed glass of sparkly.

Asssorted homebaked cookies, fudges and candies- Ha! This year, they are all from my caring friends/clients. With "The Move Out of Salon", I hardly have had time to sleep, much less bake.

Pumpkin Pie with fresh Whipped Cream- usually a mere leftover from Christmas Eve dinner, this year I baked the pie just for Brunch. I made one for Thanksgiving and Boyfriend loved it. TT has always bragged on my Pumpkin Pie so when Boy loved it, TT and I decided he was a keeper! More later on his other attributes.

Assorted crackers, cheese balls, dips- again a cheese ball and homemade pepper jelly over creamed cheese were gifts.

Hot Coffee with fresh whipped cream- that is a yummy, fun tradition. Feels so luxurious to plop that cream into the steamy cup and watch it slowly melt.

Hot Tea- my sister has been a tea drinker for years. I have just begun to love the ritual of tea. I usually have a pot both morning and evening. Herbal only, as I am caffeine intolerant.

Lemon Water- Nothing can be plain on Christmas morning, not even the water!

The Kids will arrive at 11:00. We will probably take four hours (or more) to leisurely eat, talk, laugh, and open gifts. We open everything ONE AT A TIME! Every gift has a story.

That is another tradition. . .

Merry Christmas to all! 

out

Last night, with the help of TT, Dot, Boyfriend, Assistant and Friend, I am moved out of the old salon. All my "stuff" is at the new salon, waiting for me to organize. I start work again January 2.

The last few weeks were so tough that I felt no sadness moving out. I will miss my close friends a lot. And I will miss the general comraderie I felt with the whole staff. Sadly enough, I am thankful to be away from Owner. He made sure he was as unloveable as possible. Funny, he had said, "You want to leave hating me." I didn't want to.

I still don't. I just feel very, very sorry for him. Always the victim. And always the hero. In his eyes. For the sake of Christian ethic, I won't put into print how he is seen. His hold over his staff is fear. He really showed his colors with my co-worker who got kicked out because after offering him a five-week notice, he demanded she sign a nine-week contract or leave.

That move lost him five weeks of rent and his respect level plummeted into sub-zero.

I don't give up on people very easily. Most of the time, I could see the good in him and even focus on it. I don't believe he premeditatively injures people. He just does. His acid, sarcastic, sexist remarks sting deeply. He laughs and thinks he is so funny. He only amuses himself.

After ten years, I had to admit that he just is not going to change. And the environment was just too toxic. I have to work hard. And I am going to have to work for many years. So why set myself up for unneccessary stress?

Onward to New Salon! New Owner (R from now on!) took all of his staff, including Assistant and me and our spice (plural for spouse??)to a resort. We stayed in elegant condos, had a beautiful "Evening in Tuscany" themed dinner and open bar and brunch the following morning. Our cost? Tipping the valet attendants!!

On top of that, R read the most touching meditation to us from the Old Testament and a devotional about knowing the Blessings that are from God. Dot, Assistant and I were very teary. R knows how to nurture. He understands his power as the owner, that he is like a father and his troups need his affirmations, his blessing, his enthusiasm, his compassion, his leadership.

He still loves doing hair. The salon is a huge part of his life, like it is for the rest of us. He even says, when he has been able to solve a problem for us, "Who's your daddy???" What love.

I know who my Daddy is. He has undergirded me all my life. He led me to Old Salon and blessed my socks off there. And now, He has led me on to New Salon. I feel like my weary and very lonely soul will be healed by being in the company of this caring leadership.

Hope burns very bright in my heart.

I read tomorrow Hebrews 10:5-10. Thanks be to God for all.

clown

I want my mommy and daddy to come pick me up.
I am tired of waiting.
So, I am going to be as cute as I know
how so they won't be able to resist me.
Besides, this wire cage is hard on my
teeny teacup feet.

 

Puppy

I had to take a photo of a photo 'cause I do not know how to transfer a photo from an email to Picaso, but here she is. We pick her up a couple days after Christmas. Hopefully, we will have most the salon work/painting/move complete so I will have a few days with her before I have to return to work.

We are so excited to have a new baby in our family. She is a Teacup Shih Tzu. As of this photo, she is about 7 weeks old. She will weigh 5 pounds at full adult.

We are naming her Isabella Antoinette.

Isabella is Spanish for consecrated to God.

Antoinette is Latin for priceless.

We are calling her "Bella".

Can you believe it? Hehehehe. She is just too cute.

keepsakes

Decorating the tree is always a time of reflection for me. We do not have a "designer" tree! Nearly every ornament has a story.

The angel is from my parent's collection. My favorite Christmas carol was "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and I loved this little tutu clad angel. (Now my favorite is "O Holy Night".)

My eldest sister gave me the egg manger scene when she was in college and I was a single digit! I loved everything she did for me. Not only did she give me really cool gifts, but she always wrote me letters. Can you imagine how special that made me feel? I am in awe that forty some years later, I still have this fragile treasure.

Someone close to our Dot nicknamed her "Peanut", so when we saw this little guy at a craft show, we added him to her ornament collection. I love that she lets us keep him and his brother. When Dot was taking care of Mother, we all learned that Mother's first husband called her "Peanut", too. That made these little guys even more dear!

When Dot was four, I was trying to tough it out in my miserable first marriage. We were so poor, it was stupid. Of course, he could drink every night. . . Anyway, we made these clothspin soldiers and angels to adorn our straggly tree. Remember, Dot and I both love a craft project, so it was a fun endeavor. I look at them with gratitude for how God has bountifully provided for us compared to those meager days.

The snowman and angel were made by Mother's industrious hands. The craft is called "rug hooking", kind of using fabric to "paint" a picture. Mother loved sewing and handling fabrics (see where Dot and I get it?), so this was a delight for her. She used to love telling me she had become the "Happy Hooker"! It was funny because she was a very moral and proper woman. I don't think I ever heard her say a cuss word.

The skinny Santa and Mrs. Santa were also from my parent's ornaments. I always loved them because both my parents were slender and they acted jovial about Christmas!

The beautiful cross is from my middle sister. She and I share in Catholic faith. As our priest said last week, Christmas is really more about welcoming Him everyday into our lives and rejoicing that one day, He will return. So we celebrate not only His birth, but the joy of His life in and around us.

One of my Dot's many talents is playing the piano. She also is a fabby ballet dancer, ballroom dancer, knits, sews, cooks and gives the best natural manicure in town. I stand at the tree and remember her recitals and the times she would bounce into my room, "Mommy, come here, I want to dance for you." Her beauty would make me cry.

Do you love the fishy hairdresser?!! And next to her, the paintbrush teddy bear? How thankful we have been for the simple service talents God gave us to provide for us and our family. Through our clients, our lives have been full of the kindest, smartest, most helpful people. Hard for Tim to have the door closed to his profession. He was one heck of a painter and hard worker. What he does today, he still does with all his heart. That's just who he is.

When we lived in Michigan (until I was 14), we had a oil furnace with the registers in the floor. Mother would set these angel chimes so that every time the furnace turned on, we would hear the sweet chimes.

Mother loved beautiful china, glassware, table linens. She just did not like to cook!! On some vacation, she found these Christmas dishes. Apparently they were quite costly. Always an at-home mom, she was extremely thrifty and respectful of my father's hard work as an accountant. So, she passed the dishes up. Daddy was forever telling her, "If you like it, just buy it because I don't want to hear you kicking yourself for months because you didn't!!" Like Tim, he was very generous. Seems Daddy bought them on the sly! It was a glorious production bringing these beauties to the table each year.

When the wrapping paper is tossed and the dishes are in the dishwasher, Christmas is about love. The love of the Father for His children and the love of His children for each other. And so, the dressing of our tree anchors my heart to that love.

Merry Christmas, dear blogger friends! 

running

No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth! I am a horrible blogger friend as I have not visited anyone for a month.

What have I been doing?

1) Working a million hours a week. We are so slammed, it is wonderful, but I am tired at night.

2) Getting ready for Christmas, tree, shopping, wrapping, and all.

3) Trying to put together my decor for the new salon room, which I will be there working on January 2!!

4) Making a place and plans for our new puppy who will arrive December 27!!! (More on her later!)

5) Still going to spinal decompression appointments every morning around 7:45. The good news is, it is working!

6) Eating vegetarian and no dairy or eggs. Lost nine pounds in the nine weeks since I stopped smoking and stopped abusing alcohol!!!!

7) Enjoying feeling HAPPY since I listened to Tim and got on this hormone lotion from the health food store!!

8) Thankful for the privaledge to be a reader at our church once a month! I still shake before I go up there!

So, dear friends, I have not forgotten you. I just am a bit out of fuel by the time I get home! I hope you all are happy and healthy!

Clean

You just never know what will set me off these days! Got up Friday morning after Thanksgiving and it was a beaut of a day. Clear, blue skies, breezy and balmy. I was planning on knitting and resting. . .

TT likes the house all closed up. I hate it. I love the curtains OPEN and the windows OPEN. Well, when I started slinging curtains and windows, I saw. . . I mean I really saw. . . IT.

Where does dirt come from? I mean, black nasty dirt? I was so shocked to really see how dirty my window treatments were. My white curtains looked like they had gone for a ten mile trek over the Pensacola News Journal. They were disgusting.

Now, in our back room, the Family Room, we only have twenty-two windows and a sliding glass door. Yeah, so with the white shears and the red burlappy over curtains, there is fabric for twenty four windows. (The math is not working because half the windows are in the library wing of the room and they have bamboo blinds that I painted barnyard red!)

Add to that pile of fabric the curtains in TT's den, in the front parlor and my bathroom. . . as you can imagine, I washed all day long.

TT vacuumed. The kind of move-all-the-furniture vacuuming. The water from our Rainbow vacuum looked like a furry mud puddle!

Amazing how good the house feels and how clean the window treatments are. They are nearly sparkling.

The other part of "clean" is sad. I had to give Biscuit back to Daughter. I love that cat and have had the joy of taking care of her for a year. But my lungs/sinuses have been letting me know loud and clear that her dander and hair are toxic to them. After coughing all night since letting her back inside, I had to concede.

I am fifty years old and I cried over losing the daily pleasure of her company. My heart just hurt. TT was so good to her. He would sit with her out on the porch on the nights when the neighbor's (demon) cats came into our yard and attacked her. I mean, he would sit there a couple of HOURS!

So, our house is clean. And frightfully quiet.

P.S. I am already researching teacup dogs that do not shed. I just don't like life without a pet. (And we cannot have an outside cat because of the demon cats across the street.) Any suggestions?

Jax

I am making red beans and rice, collard greens and salad for our friends after church today.

Read newspaper. Full of bad news for Florida between insurance and taxes. We all are concerned.

My daughter has a saying that if your troubles can be solved with more money, you don't really have any problems.

Haven't been blogging much. Checked out Dollface, Pup and then 4D's. I haven't stopped crying.

I have only been blogging eleven months. Sometime's 4D's content was over the top for me, but I could never get past his heart. He is a good, good man. Gifted writer and story teller. Simply silly sense of humor that sends me into shoulder shaking giggles!

It wasn't til Jax took over his blog for a bit that the picture came together. This is not a man that hopes his daughter loves and respects him. She carries him in her heart, she adores him. Caz adores him. They all get each other, love each other, fight for each other. It is a beautiful portrait.

Now I have them in my own heart. TT and I sit around and talk (all good!!) about the three of them, laugh over their quips and quotes and quirks. They are our friends. Just haven't gotten to break bread together yet.

How would I be feeling if my baby was facing such a major surgery and if the result of it meant she had to put her passion on the shelf? I am sure 4D would take her place on that surgery table if he could.

Love. As his heart burst with joy and pride in her magnificent victories, it now breaks in agony as she faces this operation.

He does not weep alone.

But I have a place to take my tears. To the throne of grace and mercy. And the Father of all Fathers will be present, He will protect Jax, He will comfort 4D and Caz, He will guide the hands of the surgeons, He will heal and she will rise again.

And our mourning will be turned to rejoicing.

Phooey

I must be so hormonal. Or have a huge sinus infection.

Have had a dull headache for two weeks. Poor TT. He can't say anything right. Everything gets under my skin.

I have a painful corn 'tween my baby and next toe. Now, before you fall off your chair laughing at me, take a thumbtack and stick it 'tween your toes and walk like that for a month and see if you don't get a bit pissy over it!

TT was supposed to buy me corn removers last week. . . they never made it home. Limp, limp, limp. I am sure that helps my back heal.

My homeowner's insurance went from $800 a year to $4900 a year. No typo. That is nearly five THOUSAND dollars. No, we do not live in a mansion. Honestly, we are in a borderline neighborhood. . . could slide into the dumps or could continue fixing up. Nice our present governor urged us to vote in tomorrow's elections so our next governor would continue preventing insurance fraud. Grrrrrrr, I have HAD it with shrubbery in the capitols.

In shopping for a new insurance company, the first question they ask, "Do you have a swimming pool?"

You know where this is going. I feel like a moron. Invited all of you to our initiating pool party next summer. I don't have egg on my face (now that I am vegan), I have dirt on my face!!! From digging a hole so I can hide my embarrassed self.

This whole money thing is getting me down. I just can't make it fast enough.

So, today, I went shopping! Seriously, I don't know what happened to any tops with sleeves but my closet is full of tank tops. Ah-hem, it is getting cold here! So, I found a few things. TT, my ever present enabler, "Hattigrace, clothing is an investment to you, it is absolutely a tool for your profession."

WHAT did I do to deserve someone so sweet? Of course, he has always been like that, so no small wonder we have no retirement. My part is coming up with the latest HAVE TO to spend money on. Like that horrible above ground swimming pool that TT just hauled out to the road to be picked up by the trash so it would not count against us when the new insurance inspector pays us a visit.

And the thing I am struggling with the most is for ten years I have worked at this salon. For ten years the owner has been an arrogant, sarcastic, money-grubbing short-man's-personality. We have butted heads a million times. So I accept he is who he is and I do not want to be subjected to his ways any longer.

In preparing to move, I pray for the new salon and for the old one. Last week, the owner of the old one went on a retreat with his daughter. He came home changed. Have actually had two conversations with him that he did not utter one sarcastic, caustic, demeaning word.

Now I am leaving. And he begins a beautiful change. The place will never be the same. His effect on those girls lives will be amazing. I wish I could be there to see it. Too bad. I have given my word.

And of course, the move is costing me. Way more than I imagined. The new people are great, don't get me wrong. But see, I have created another HAVE TO cause. Another place to pour out a few thousand dollars.

I did not want to be poor and old. Old is bad enough, but poor, too?

So, phooey. That is just how I feel. Man, I need an endorphin high. And a prayer high. I am just in this miserable faithless low. I will come out. Because the Father's hand will pull me out. At least I am sipping tea and not smoking. Sober. Sometimes it hurts.

I bet you bloggers are lined up for miles to read this encouraging post!

Party

TT and I were supposed to go to a party on Saturday night. We got our favorite punk threads on and we get a knock at the door. Drat, there she was, the old bat. Why does his granny always show up at the wrong time?

To make matters worse, TT drops me and takes HER to the party. My friends called me the next day, said how she was bragging on him being a Gulf Power executive (!!!!) and that he always shows up the "first of the month to CHECK up on me." Yea, right.
What really made me mad is they said they thought I looked a little like her. Good thing we were on the phone. I don't usually get violent, but them's fighting words.

So, what did you all do on Saturday night?! 

Mountains

My daughter says I am a mountain climber, that I am not happy unless I am tackling a huge task. Hmmmmm, is she right?

Let's see.

I am moving my business during the holidays. I haven't moved salons for ten years.

I am in the middle of twenty back decompression therapy treatments. I go at 7:45 a.m. five days a week. (It seems to be working, thank God- literally!)

Five and one half weeks ago, I stopped smoking. I also stopped abusing alcohol. I have a couple a couple times a week, at the very most. I am not coughing as much and my wino tummy is significantly reduced!

I have reconnected with my first love, my Lord and Savior and am learning to live from a loving Christ-centered perspective, instead of wandering around aimlessly and fearfully.

I just found out our homeowner's insurance will increase to $4900 a year. Two years ago, it was $795 a year. I will begin the fight to find a more reasonable rate.

So, doesn't it seem about time for me to take on a new project? Why not go VEGAN right before the holidays?!

Okay, this is what happened. I go into the breakroom and one of my friends is reading the SKINNY BITCH book. She and I share enthusiasm for eating like Peter Rabbit. I read a couple of lines and chortle over the sarcastic humor of the authors and decide some more such amusement would help my stress level.

Oi. I was not prepared. Chapter Four, "The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet" shook me up. Chapter Six, "You Are What You Eat" knocked the air out of me. And Chapter Nine, "Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don't Give a Shit About Your Health" finished me off. (BTW, for those in Europe, you don't have the same issues. You don't have the animal cruelty and pesticide and preservative problems we have in our "progressive" U. S. society!)
So, the cover was simply a front. Using my vanity, the authors hoodwinked me into the true intent of their book, which was to save my life.

"Hey, TT, I am reading this great, funny book. Wanna read it after me?"

"Sure HG. I always love to read what you read."

I love my husband. Next day.

"I stayed up half the night reading. HG, I have to tell you, I cried over Chapter Six, 'You Are What You Eat.' I feel so bad I ever ate one hamburger or one chicken wing. We live in a barbaric country and I have been a part of it."

He has been a beef addict. Any time he came up missing, all I had to do was drive to Wendy's and there he was, salivating over his ninety-nine cent piece of a dead cow.

See why I love him? What a heart. This is as big as me quitting smoking and not getting loopy every night.

So, I went to the health food store today and bought every soy and veggie meat substitute I could find. Y'all please pray for his taste buds. He is really being a great sport.

And we have both been cheese addicts, ice cream nuts, eggies, the whole dairy bit. (Chapter Five, "The Dairy Disaster")

I have eaten vegan before. I got really thin. Not sick looking. Yeah, I was the Bitch, the Skinny Bitch!! It was fun. I could eat mountains of the approved foods and not gain an ounce and felt GREAT!!!

But this was a lot to throw at TT, right before the holidays. Hey, I get tired of climbing mountains alone! 

Punk

This one is for you 4D!!

We had so much fun doing the whole punk/goth thing. First of all, TT amazed me he would let me cut him in a mohawk!

He said shopping at WalMart was quite the experience with that style. Apparently, men, women and children LOVE the mohawk action!

Dot was a go-go gal. She made her own dress. She has in ingenious design sense, just like my mother.

What made the night so much fun was that TT was a total HIT!! I love costume parties. I only hope the birthday girl ha as much fun as we did!

celebrations

Saturday night was a wedding. TT and I had so much fun. Here I am, smoke free, only having a drink (or three!) at times of celebration! This was such a special night. The wedding was one of the most touching ceremonies ever. They wrote their vows. I doubt there was one dry eye.

Then, they broke lose at the reception. Major rock, rap, metal music. Lotsa love and laughter as all the stylists partied together.
We spent much of Sunday afternoon talking about how much fun we had. Doesn't he look handsome?
This is the new salon owner. He is the kindest man, next to TT of course. TT is not breathing fire, just the lights/flash issue! Dot was her usual dazzling self.

Okay, I am having a problem. This coming Saturday, TT and I are going to a friend's 30th birthday celebration. It is a ROCKER costume party! Help!! I am not a rocker. I like punk more. I was thinking about doing TT's hair into a fauxhawk and maybe black eyeliner on him, heavy cross necklace, jeans and his Doc Martins and his usual black tshirt with the sleeves rolled up. . . whatcha think?

Me, I have black lace mit/gloves, lots of black chokers/heavy crosses. Black tank, tight ripped jeans, black Doc Martin-like shoes. . . hair spiked on top, close on sides a la Rod Stewart.

I don't want to spend money on costuming. Very tight right now.

Help!!!! 

Pink

(Photo looks coral, but in real life, it is PINK!!)


Pink has never been my favorite color. It is my daughter's, my assistant's, and Breast Cancer Awareness'!!

So much in this world is pink. Chi Blowdriers and Flat Irons and Wahl Clippers. . . now if Chi would just come out with pink brushes. The red brush next to the pink drier is a bit much.

Pink and brown, pink and grey (our next salon!), pink and black, pink and white. . . all nice soothing combinations. But pink and RED? Where are my sunglasses?!

I wish someone out there would come out with limey green or aqua for the color of their cause. Or what about a lovely copper brown? But somehow, those colors don't have the same punch as PINK!

So, this is one of my cool clients. She has had me cut her hair in every imaginable shape and has sported just about every color, too. I have to say, the above look tops the list.

What sort of pink things have you bought lately? Can't wait to hear from 4D and Pup on this one!! 

P.S.

Front Row: TT and Boyfriend Back Row: Dot, Hattigrace, TT's brother and TT's mom

This is the last photo for TT's birthday post. Our friend M was standing on the counter entertaining us. . . ah, it was one fun night.

TT is the eldest of twelve children. One died shortly after birth. Brother that attended party is 45. So, TT's mom had twelve babies in fifteen years!! And look how great she looks, at 78! She loves God, always has. She laughs a lot, and gives even more. She is forever cooking and taking it to lonely people.

We all thanked her for having TT!!