Beauty

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

Australian Kelpie, really?  I'm impressed.  They're gorgeous.  I've always thought they looked a little like a large fox, or a cleaned-up version of one of the original dog species.  I don't think I've ever actually seen one in person, though.  You're right--no need for a Rottie to keep you in shape, I'm sure he/she already does that sufficiently.  That is, unless you have some sheep to keep him/her occupied.

I was doing my nursing assistant clinicals in a dismal nursing home -- a truly awful place.  We had lost our Boxermatians (Boxer/Dalmatian brother and sister) to diabetes and bladder cancer and I promised after the crushing expense (after our boy was diagnosed with diabetes, he went blind -- so we had new lenses implanted so he could see his sister) that I would not actively pursue adoption of a new puppy.  I went two years without a dog.  Every day I'd drive home from the horrid nursing home and pray for a dog.

One day I opened the garage door to go to work and there was a dog.  We searched for his owner, yet no one claimed him.  He had a peculiar habit of herding me.  Clearly, he mistook me for livestock.  He began nipping the insides of my forearms.  I had to take the state exam to get certified as a nursing assistant and I was afraid they would see my arms and assume I was a heroin addict.  It was grim.  Would he have to go?

We worked with him and he stopped perforating me.  He has turned out to be the most wonderful dog.  I'd move to Australia just to be around kelpies.

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Here we go again with our life similarities, as my situation sounds much like yours, although our outcomes are different.  A couple of years ago a beautiful big black Lab followed my husband home from his walk one day.   The dog of my dreams.  She was perfect, aside from being thin and full of parasites, inside and out.  She was superbly trained too, except that she chased cars (we figured that’s how she ended up lost).  We kept her for several weeks trying to find her owner because clearly she must belong to someone.  No dice.  We contemplated keeping her since she fit in well—except for the fact that she was young, big and wanted to play and our dog was old, little and sick.  And she also wanted to kill our cat, which he did not appreciate.  It was a heart wrenching decision to give her up, but I felt that I just couldn’t handle all three of them at the time.  If I had had just the dog or just the cat, with time I could have trained her to deal with them, but the triad was too much for me.  This may sound odd, but I believe that The Powers That Be had sent her to us to be there when our old dog passed away and when I gave her up I lost my chance at ever having that “perfect dog” again.  That seems to be what happened.

Even before our dog passed on, she had been ill for so long that I kept saying I didn’t want another dog, period.  I had neither the desire nor energy.  But as the months without her went on, I started to think that maybe I had one more dog in me.  But I wanted to rescue an older, senior dog (calm and quiet).  My husband said if we got another dog he wanted a pure-bred puppy.  Initially I stubbornly said that if I couldn’t rescue an older dog I didn’t want one at all—I didn’t want a puppy, and I didn’t want to buy a dog with so many out there that needed homes.  Since we ended up with a purebred Rottweiler pup from a breeder, you can see who won that argument.

But despite her lovable nature, she’s a handful and a half.  I do see improvement, but she’s going to take a lot of work for quite a while.  I can’t help but remember that big calm Labrador Retriever and think to myself, “What if…”.

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I have a Christmas gift for you and for all who have loved Labs.  This is an essay about Chester.  Another favorite...

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,457373,00.html

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I've seen this and love it, it always brings a tear or two to my eyes.

I think I love the last paragraph the best:

"Some will protest that in a world with so much human suffering, it is something between eccentric and obscene to mourn a dog. I think not. After all, it is perfectly normal, indeed, deeply human to be moved when nature presents us with a vision of great beauty. Should we not be moved when it produces a vision — a creature — of the purest sweetness?"

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

So as soon as Magic 99.5 starts playing Christmas music, I tune in.  I'll start the favorites list (in no particular order).

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Judy Garland

2. The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole

3. White Christmas -- Bing Crosby (I've always liked the album and most of the songs on it are favorites, including Silver Bells, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Christmas in Killarney, and -- guilty pleasure -- Mele Kalikimaka.)

4. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy -- Bing Crosby & David Bowie

5. Winter Wonderland -- Eurythmics (Annie Lennox makes it special)

I'll list favorite traditional carols (like Carol of the Bells) later...

YOUR TURN!

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Little Drummer Boy is one of my absolute favorites, and strangely, Toby Keith does a killer version, but I like him anyway so I may be biased.  There are so many I like, mostly the traditional songs, carols and religious, but I have to add Mannheim Steamroller to the list too.

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I'm charitable this time of year, but I must admit I cannot be in the same room with Burl Ives.  Holly Jolly Christmas@ comes on the radio and I @#$% near crash the car trying to switch stations.

[just bee]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

I have a Christmas gift for you and for all who have loved Labs.  This is an essay about Chester.  Another favorite...

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,457373,00.html

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I've seen this and love it, it always brings a tear or two to my eyes.

I think I love the last paragraph the best:

"Some will protest that in a world with so much human suffering, it is something between eccentric and obscene to mourn a dog. I think not. After all, it is perfectly normal, indeed, deeply human to be moved when nature presents us with a vision of great beauty. Should we not be moved when it produces a vision — a creature — of the purest sweetness?"

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Well, that nails it then.  We were separated at birth!

[just bee]

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Okay, I give up.  What the heck IS this?

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This... if I'm not mistaken... was ordered from QVC and is a clock purse.  Sick with jealousy, aren't you?  Now you know why I stopped carrying purses.

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Yup, that's me all right--sick with jealousy.  Or just sick.

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Who's the sick one?  I bought the thing!

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

So as soon as Magic 99.5 starts playing Christmas music, I tune in.  I'll start the favorites list (in no particular order).

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Judy Garland

2. The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole

3. White Christmas -- Bing Crosby (I've always liked the album and most of the songs on it are favorites, including Silver Bells, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Christmas in Killarney, and -- guilty pleasure -- Mele Kalikimaka.)

4. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy -- Bing Crosby & David Bowie

5. Winter Wonderland -- Eurythmics (Annie Lennox makes it special)

I'll list favorite traditional carols (like Carol of the Bells) later...

YOUR TURN!

---

Little Drummer Boy is one of my absolute favorites, and strangely, Toby Keith does a killer version, but I like him anyway so I may be biased.  There are so many I like, mostly the traditional songs, carols and religious, but I have to add Mannheim Steamroller to the list too.

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@I'm charitable this time of year, but I must admit I cannot be in the same room with Burl Ives.  Holly Jolly Christmas comes on the radio and I @#$% near crash the car trying to switch stations.

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Not one of my favorites either.  I think I detect a list of "Christmas songs that make you gag" coming...hmm, let me think about mine...

[geezerette]

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@just bee wrote:

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Okay, I give up.  What the heck IS this?

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This... if I'm not mistaken... was ordered from QVC and is a clock purse.  Sick with jealousy, aren't you?  Now you know why I stopped carrying purses.

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Yup, that's me all right--sick with jealousy.  Or just sick.

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Who's the sick one?  I bought the thing!

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Well then, who am I to disagree with that logic?  You're right! 

[FindingMyJoy]

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@aprilskies wrote:

This weekend I think I am going to declutter my mu brushes.  I have gotten rid of some but I have a hard time parting with them.  I just love mu brushes and I seem to keep buying them.  I am going to attempt giving some away and/or finding another purpose for them. 

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Good luck decluttering your brushes! This is an area that I need to go thru again too. I find that I keep some brushes that should be thrown out - they shed and are poor quality that I got from kits. I forget that they are bad, they go back in makeup bag to collect dust while I use other brushes. I will join you in the brush decluttering this weekend! THanks for the idea!

[FindingMyJoy]

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

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@geezerette wrote:

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@just bee wrote:

So as soon as Magic 99.5 starts playing Christmas music, I tune in.  I'll start the favorites list (in no particular order).

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Judy Garland

2. The Christmas Song -- Nat King Cole

3. White Christmas -- Bing Crosby (I've always liked the album and most of the songs on it are favorites, including Silver Bells, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Christmas in Killarney, and -- guilty pleasure -- Mele Kalikimaka.)

4. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy -- Bing Crosby & David Bowie

5. Winter Wonderland -- Eurythmics (Annie Lennox makes it special)

I'll list favorite traditional carols (like Carol of the Bells) later...

YOUR TURN!

---

Little Drummer Boy is one of my absolute favorites, and strangely, Toby Keith does a killer version, but I like him anyway so I may be biased.  There are so many I like, mostly the traditional songs, carols and religious, but I have to add Mannheim Steamroller to the list too.

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@I'm charitable this time of year, but I must admit I cannot be in the same room with Burl Ives.  Holly Jolly Christmas comes on the radio and I @#$% near crash the car trying to switch stations.

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Not one of my favorites either.  I think I detect a list of "Christmas songs that make you gag" coming...hmm, let me think about mine...

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I LOVE Christmas music!!! Each year, in early November, I dust off my CD collection and I go on the library's website to see what new music they have and I put in the request to get them. The library is fabulous for trying out new stuff for free.

My favorites =

O Holy Night - Celine Dion or Linda Eder

All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

John Denver and the Muppets - 12 Days of Christmas (seriously! This song cracks me up!)

I recently got Neil Diamond's 2 Christmas CDs from the library. They are good! I recommend giving them a try if you like his voice!

[FindingMyJoy]

Compact goals for December =

NO BUY!!! I pledge to not buy any makeup, skincare, body products for myself. I don't need anything. I should be able to make it this month easily using stuff I already own for all categories. I need to go cold turkey since I went bonkers last month. I did return some of the items so the guilt was reduced. The items I kept are things I'll use and parts are packed up for gifts to others.

I do have 2-3 presents for others to buy. I plan on going into stores with a list and sticking to it.

My pan the palette eyeshadow challenge update = I'm still using the same 2 Too Faced eye shadow palettes. I use shadow each work day and there isn't much change in the tins! These things are stuffed with product! For December, I will continue to use these 2 palettes so see if I can possibly hit the bottom of the pan for at least 1 color.

[just bee]

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@FindingMyJoy wrote:

Compact goals for December =

NO BUY!!! I pledge to not buy any makeup, skincare, body products for myself. I don't need anything. I should be able to make it this month easily using stuff I already own for all categories. I need to go cold turkey since I went bonkers last month. I did return some of the items so the guilt was reduced. The items I kept are things I'll use and parts are packed up for gifts to others.

I do have 2-3 presents for others to buy. I plan on going into stores with a list and sticking to it.

My pan the palette eyeshadow challenge update = I'm still using the same 2 Too Faced eye shadow palettes. I use shadow each work day and there isn't much change in the tins! These things are stuffed with product! For December, I will continue to use these 2 palettes so see if I can possibly hit the bottom of the pan for at least 1 color.

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I think a no-buy month is an effective tool.  The longer a person can go without doing something that he/she wants to stop doing the better.  Boy, that was a convoluted sentence.  I just woke up.  I fell asleep at 11 PM and woke up at 1 AM.  I've been getting sleep in the single digits this week (2-3 hours) -- I think I just made up for it.  Slipped into a coma.  Long week.  Busy at work -- I seemed to get all the admissions this week.  Weird, weird week.

Anyway, I think this is the way to modify behavior.  If you want to start doing something and you want it to become a habit -- like oil pulling -- you force yourself to put oil in your mouth every single day.  I was doing this and I liked it (no, really, I did) but I wasn't able to do it every day.  Same with using oil on my face.  Liked it, it was effective, but I wasn't consistent so it never became a habit.  It's easier to maintain a bad habit.  Going to the cupboard and getting a cookie results in a oh-I-just-got-a-treat feeling.  Going to the fridge for a beer, going to the website to shop, going to the drive-thru for a monster order of fries or an over-priced cup of coffee...  That's easy.

I'm amazed that I haven't bought a shower gel.  At one point I had over a hundred different shower products in the house.  And I kept buying more.  Every time philosophy had a new scent or a sale -- and then someone gave me a Bath & Body Works gift card and I started to collect sale bottles of shower gels.  I haven't bought a shower gel in years and I still have years of shower gels to use up.  But I simply refuse to buy one.  Philosophy just had a huge sale on scents I really wanted but I passed.  I won't open my B&BW email.  I hurry past the shower gel aisles in the stores.  People get advanced degrees in addiction.  It's an interesting subject.

So stay strong in December and see how it feels in January.