Life, Loss, and Lengthy Posts

April.  Has it really been since April when I last post?  A lot has been happening.  I needed a blogging break.  Among other breaks.  Blogging was one thing I could actually break from - whereas - the rest I wasn't able to.

It's been a hard several months.  In April, I lost my mother-in-law to Small Cell Lung Cancer.  It was an awful 3 year battle or so.  After the first year, they did preventative so it wouldn't spread to her brain.  Because of that preventative treatment it fast-forwarded Alzheimer-like symptoms.  Cancer Sucks.  I've said it before and I will say it again.

In May, we also lost Charlie.  He was about 19 years old and for those of you who I've known for a while - knew he was feral since the time he was a baby and was a rescue.  He battled strange issues throughout the years and we had always dealt with them.  The last couple of years he was deaf, too.  In the past year, we had watched him get smaller and smaller and he got to the point where many things he once loved were difficult for him.  Things just started shutting down and the vet assumed there was cancer somewhere but didn't want to put him thru all the tests and anxiety.  For the first time since I was 3 years old I'm without a cat in the house.  It's strange.  Our fur family is the smallest it's been in a long time.  Riley and Cricket are still around but we have been having problems with Riley and his natural aging process, too.  He's about 18 or 19 years old now, too!

In June, we found out the company we work for had been sold.  We've been dealing with the change ever since.  It's mostly been good with more changes on the way but it's been a non-stop world-wind of things happening one after another.

Also in June, my mother found out that the sore on her face near her eye was skin cancer.  From what we can gather, everything should be ok, but we had to wait over 3 months for her to be seen again.

With everything going on, I have been unsuccessfully trying to deal with my own stress.  My chronic pain issues seem to come and go like they have in the past BUT now I am dealing with a few other issues I haven't dealt with before.  One being a scalp issue.  I have been trying to treat it with coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, etc.  Just when I think I am making some progress it comes back with a vengeance.  I'm pretty sure it's some kind of psoriasis or eczema of some sort.

I try and keep this blog positive and happy and try and learn things and archive them but it's been so hard with this post not seeming to do any of those things.  I have been doing a TON of volunteer work and between that and seeing my niece when I can those seem to be the only two things keeping me somewhat sane.

I chopped off all my hair.  It's time for me to do it again.  I've gained weight again and need to shed about 20 pounds.  I think I would feel better if I did.  Winter is coming and that is when I struggle even more with not being as active and on-the-go.

I have a lot of things to blog about but am afraid I just don't have the time.  Because of Riley aging and reverting back to his separation anxiety years I'm not able to sleep in bed anymore.  I have to sleep down in the recliner so he won't bark.  Sleep has been few and far between because of it.  I know it's taking a toll.

I'm trying to start my days earlier so I will have some time for myself but then I just start jumping into work and not doing the non-work things I need to be doing.

I need to re-work my time.  I need to start listening to podcasts.  I need to shake the negative and focus on the positive.  I need to spend less time with the people and things that make me feel bad and start realizing I'm not that bad of a person.  That's been hard for me my entire life.  Certainly something I need to work on.

I have a lot of photos over the last several months I need to post and blog about here.  Many of them have to do with volunteering and new vegan finds but I'm also trying to take more photos of my surroundings and BREATHE.  I won't share those in this post but I hope to in near-future posts.  I just wanted to update you on where I have been and why I haven't been posting.  I need to start posting again...I think it will help me in the long run.  Thanks for NOT giving up on me.

Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel & Face Chatter

I would like to take this opportunity to blab a bit on Thayer's.  More specifically their Cucumber Witch Hazel Facial Mist.

I need to preface this by saying that my own personal skin care regimen is next to nil.  That's right...I really don't do anything to my face.  I don't even really 'wash' it.  I know you are probably thinking...EWE GROSS...so let me explain...

I don't wash my face with soap or other chemicals.  When I was a pre-teen and teen I battled with acne like most of us did.  I had oily skin.  Once I turned vegetarian that seemed to improve - as did the acne.  I didn't really add it all up until later in life, to be honest.  From that point on I had more of what they call 'combination skin'.  And NOW that I'm getting older - and AGAIN - I'm being completely honest here - my combination skin only seems to be a problem this time of year...when it's bitterly cold and windy and dry both inside and out.  For those of you who don't know I live in the Tri-State area of New York/Pennsylvania/Ohio and am placed right around that snow belt area.

Anyhow...back to...I don't wash my face...

Yeah...I know...I went off on a tangent but it was going somewhere I PROMISE!  

For the past 20 years or so I really haven't used much on my face!  I don't wear make-up often (if at all) and the few times a year I do it might only be a little bit of cover-up.  And I'm talking like 2 or 3 times a year.  When it comes to 'washing' I usually only use water and for the more oily times, I would use a natural toner such as Witch Hazel.  I have used other brand of Witch Hazel in the past but Thayer's not only stepped up their game to the next level - they have been around since 1847!

Ever since I got my goodie box in the mail a while back from Thayers I have been LOVING each of the 4 items I received!  This Cucumber Witch Hazel Mist is AMAZING!  What I have been doing is spraying some on my Norwex Facial Cloth at night and wiping my face once with it.  In the morning, after my hot shower, I spray it directly on my face.  That's it!  That's all I do for my face/skincare and it's been great!

I'm such a low maintenance person it's scary!  I also LOVE that the mist is so refreshing that after I get out of the hot shower and spray it directly on my face it's a nice little WAKE-UP.  A great way to start the day!  The aroma of the cucumber is delightful, too!

And...I have to tell you...it put a smile on my face to know that the items they sent me were natural, cruelty-free, and vegan!

I can't wait to tell you more about Thayer's so stay tuned!

Banana, Wheatgrass, Lemon Skin Care Mask

Regardless of what you think...you are NOT looking a moldy banana!

This was one of my 'experiments' this morning as I work up REALLY early and had some extra time on my hands.  I thought I would make my own skin care mask using raw and vegan ingredients that I had on hand.

Many of you know I really don't like Bananas but I have learned to like up to a half of one in a few specific smoothies from time to time.  After I was done making a smoothie this morning I did this before throwing the banana peel away.  Not only do I NOT like the taste of bananas I like the aroma of them even less!  So here's what I did and it worked on many levels!

1 Banana Peel
1/2 Scoop of GoL's Wheatgrass Powder
Lemon Juice

I sprinkled the wheatgrass powder on top of the peel and wet it down with the lemon juice.  It was really wet and 'soppy' like a drenched wash cloth.  I took it and smeared it all over my face and neck.  It dried like other masks would.  Between the lemon and the wheatgrass aroma - it cut the banana aroma - at least in half!  YAY!  After wearing this on my face and letting it dry I washed it off with hot water.

It left my skin VERY soft all day!  I'm very excited about this!  I will be posting about my natural skin care mask attempts as I have several others planned, too!  With the research I have done all three of these ingredients are great for skin...not only consuming them but putting them ON your actual skin!  I took some photos but they looked beyond ridiculous so I won't post those...teehee!