For all you LUSHes out there!!

I've been meaning to write about a new addiction of mine. Some of you who talk to me frequently may already know what it is. I don't know what took me so long to try and fall in love with this store and their fresh-made products - maybe it's because their only store in Portland is on NW 23rd and being that I don't live over in that neighborhood anymore, I dread the thought of making my way over there due to the bad traffic and parking is a bitch!

LUSH makes all of their products by hand and from fresh, sometimes 100% Vegan ingredients. A girl that I work with had told me about them and how much she fell in love with their products so finally one lunch afternoon a few of us headed up there with her to check it out. She let me try some of her "Love Lettuce" face mask to see if I liked it. These Fresh Masks are made fresh weekly with all sorts of interesting ingredients that are supposed to cleanse, renew, and refresh. These masks in particular have expiration dates and must be kept refrigerated as a lot of them have actual food items in them - avocado, almonds, and spices amongst other things. Let me just say that I am now addicted (thanks Babs) and my skin has never looked better!

What intrigues me about LUSH is their unique approach to skin care, skin maintenance and even how they try new things with their bath products. I mean, whoever heard of a solid shampoo?!?! Now, I had tried their soap products a few years ago thanks to an ex that brought them back to me from a trip to Vancouver, BC and he thought it would be a unique gift idea until I told him that we had a store right up on 23rd (and this is when I lived in NW). It could also have taken me so long because there was a girl I know that used to manage that store who I know didn't like me so much (different ex's ex) and that could have deterred me from entering their very fragrant front doors (immature, I know, but those were very different and dramatic times). Well, what ever it WAS maybe I just wasn't ready for them until NOW.

What's so great about it too is that it has me really excited about skin care when of course who thinks that washing their face and applying moisturizer could be exciting?? It's not. It's one of those things that most people think, "Okay, it's time to go to bed - gotta go wash my face. Ugh." But when you get such GREAT results from very reasonable priced products that are made with care and are also Cruelty Free and NOT tested on animals, well, I'm totally sold!

What I love best about "finding" something new like this is being able to share with friends and family. It's also great because there are all sorts of gift ideas I've got running through my head and lots of birthdays coming up. You Lucky Leos!! :o)

So I recommend that if you are lucky enough to have a Lush store near you to go ahead, walk in, ignore the somewhat overpowering scent of all the bath products and walk on over to one of their Uber-friendly associates and ask them what face wash they recommend for your skin type. The world is such a serious place that we should be able to escape every once in a while (or every night) when you are slathering up that face mask ready to apply and think, man, my skin is going to look great when I'm done with this!

By the way, I just bought and tried a new mask, Brazened Honey. Wow - it has all sorts of spices in it and it is supposed to spice up your skin, make you sweat and bring out any impurities. I was in yoga class this morning and I could still smell it - it smelled like I had eaten a bunch of curry last night! It's fun! And that is what skin care should be!

Meeting My Meat

I am once again disgusted with people. I was checking out The Masala Dose's blog that had a link to an article about the brutality of meat production. Now, it's been years since I have checked out PETA and read their newsletters, etc. My sister, Wendy, is a vegetarian and has been for many, many years. We've talked about it before and although I always thought it would coincide more with my beliefs, I never made that change. Call it laziness or what ever but I just never did it even though I absolutely 100% love animals and do not wish any sort of harm to them.

I watched a video called "Meet Your Meat." I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Poor chicks that are forced to eat and eat and they eat so much and grow so quickly their bones can't handle it - their legs break, they flop around, they can't get to water and a lot of the time die right next to a feeder or water but couldn't reach it due to their lame limbs. It was horrifying watching the cattle that also couldn't even walk themselves down the conveyer because their bones were as well either broken or lame due to the conditions that they suffered in. Throats being slit, animals falling off of the hooks they were put on and writhing around in their own blood. How could I not remember all of this was happening?

I suppose it is a testament to our willful blindness to these horrific acts that are happening daily. I'm not one to eat meat on a daily basis but I have definitely enjoyed a trip or two to the Brazil Grill where it is advertised as "All you can eat meat." Oh - how could I?! Well, I guess all I can do is make changes now and forgive and forget what I have done in the past and remain true to my beliefs in that animals should be treated humanely and should live normal, natural lives just like most everyone else.

I feel like me giving up meat just isn't enough though. What more can I do? I feel so helpless and wish there were more I could do but there are just so many people who could care less about a 6-week old chicken being hauled off to the slaughterhouse. I cannot imagine - never seeing the light of day. Never feeling the earth; grass. Never to breathe fresh air or feel free to roam around at my will. Horrifying. I know it's a downer subject but something very important to me. What ever it takes - I am going to make that change and be true to who I am and what I have always believed in. If you know of something more that I (we all) can do, please share!

Guys and Loud Music

Okay, so I've lived in Portland almost 10 years now and I don't think I have ever, EVER lived above anyone that hasn't been a single guy that LOVES to play his ghetto-thug music or his German Dance nnnn-ssttkkk, nnnn-ssttkkk, nnnn-ssttkkk music LOUD.  I maybe, just might have gotten a years reprieve when I lived on NW 21st and Kearney but all I know is it didn't last long.

So here we come to the year 2006.  I score a new place, the upper unit in a duplex, above the son of an old Manager of mine.  Awesome!  He's older - 39 or so?  I'm thinking, ahhh-yes.  Finally!  No young insecure guy (possibly gay - not that there's anything wrong with that) blaring his stupid ass music until one in the morning!  YES!!!!!!!

NO.

Ohh, boy, was I wrong.  Guys - how old do you have to be to finally realize that no one wants to listen to your stupidly BAD ghetto rap music (think Michael Bolton in Office Space) with the bass turned up all the way?!  Now, I know you're trying to impress the ladies and you bring them over and all that good stuff but seriously.  Turn the freaking music DOWN!  At least stop playing it by 9pm.  Now, don't think I haven't already asked him to try and keep it down because I'm an old lady and go to bed pretty early and that friggin' bass just keeps me up, because I have.  Yet it still happens and the bad thing is his living room is under my bedroom so when he's up, I'm up.  The flip side to that, just to be fair, is my living room is above his bedroom so when I'm listening/watching my obnoxious shows (i.e. So You Think You Can Dance) until 10pm with the volume turned up to 37, I guess I'm kind of doing the same thing.  But the thing is - this man does not own a pair of headphones and never sleeps.

And I do.

Vegas, Baby!

So, I spent a good part of today booking my ticket to Vegas in November right around Veterans' Day.  My good friend Sam invited me as he and a friend/co-worker are going and staying in her Mom's timeshare.  I'm pretty excited about it - bummed that Robert and I don't have any trips planned right now but that's understandable considering the circumstances.  Anyhow, I will be there for 5 nights which should be a blast and we'll probably go see a show or something.  I'm looking forward to the heat and Sam is always a lot of fun to spend time with.  He is low stress and lots of fun!  I guess that's why he also made a great roommate even if for only 6 months!

Trips are great.  It's nice to get away, enjoy some scenery different than boring old Portland, Oregon.  I'm sure Ahab won't be pleased.  Poor Ahab - I should take him on a trip some time to get him out of this stale, old house.  I've started taking Ahab outside while supervised.  I sit out on the main front porch and he just kind of wanders around, nervously at times, and sniffs things.  He's always loved to smell things.  I don't know why - do all cats do that?  I think my cat is definitely a "special" cat and he might possibly have some idiosyncrasies that are fairly unique.  Like pawing at plastic bags until I can't take it anymore!

Covering the Silence

It's interesting how a movie will build emotion and keep building and then when you least expect it, it hits you.  I've always wanted to see the movie "The Hours."  I have heard great things about it and was especially interested in seeing Nicole Kidman with the prosthetic nose.  I don't know if it is because I knew there were some pretty great female actors in this film that drew me to it or if it was because it drew on Virginia Woolf who I have actually never read, if you can believe that.

I started watching it and was immediately grabbed by it; these amazing women, the music, the story.  It was so sad.  So introspective.  Each detail I found incredible and the entire time found myself waiting for the next word.  Hanging on for that next piece.  The next look and then, towards the end, when Clarissa's daughter, Julia, hugs Laura Brown, old and alone - I lost it.  All of the build up and here it is.  Overwhelming, sad and dead.

I recommend to anyone that enjoys a great story full of emotion and sadness to watch "The Hours."  Meryl Streep is amazing.  Everyone is amazing.  Moving.  Alive and yet so dead.  Emotionless figures that have given up, that fear giving up.  I didn't want it to end.  And yet it did.

Picking a Book Club Pick

So I've been in a book club for a little over one year now and it's been great!  We have already seen some people come and some people go but it has definitely been a good experience.  

Now, it's my chance to pick my second pick for everyone to enjoy.  This is hard.  This is pressure.  It's not easy!  The first time around was a no-brainer for me.  I was going to pick something written by an old college professor of mine, Duff Brenna.  I knew his stuff - I thought it would be something different, something a bit more literary than our previous picks.  Something a bit more studious that followed all of the rules of writing and that would capture.  That would intrigue.  That would push buttons.  That would disgust.  That might inspire.  "The Book of Mamie" did ALL of those and more.  One girl even announced that she would never, ever, EVER finish reading the book it touched such a nerve with her.  

Well, I did it the first time, now what in the hell was I going to do the second time around?  Am I going to be so perplexed when it comes to choice number three?  

Wow......I hope not.  Hopefully this is how second albums are for artists.  They're not the best.  You're thinking way too much about it that it just might bomb.  Okay, okay - it shouldn't be this big of a deal.

But it was.  

Now, I finally made my decision.  FINALLY!  I had to read the first few pages of about 10 books before I could decide.  I've always loved Toni Morrison.  I love true, true novels, what ever those might be.  In my head I think I know.

She touches.  She moves.  She inspires and I haven't read any of her books in a very long while.  And so it is time.  It is time for a lot of things and it is time once again to delve into the mind of such a great author as Toni Morrison.

I picked "Jazz."  I'm really excited.  It's an older selection of hers from 1992.  We've been reading a lot more current books and I think it will be nice to go back a bit and experience the genius of Ms. Morrison.  Hopefully the rest of our book club members will agree.

I'll keep you posted!  :o)

Bless Animals...

I love animals. I love everything about them. Their grumpy moods, their cute and innocent looks, the way they smell and how they smell, the funny things they do and just how curious they are by nature!

I found the picture above while doing a google images search and it just made me laugh out loud. Why do animals make us laugh so easily? Have you ever watched America's Funniest Videos? Then you will know that more often than not a video with an animal that does something funny wins! Why do I think this is? Because animals do funny things without knowing it. They're not staging anything they are just being them and that is what makes them so funny. It is also a very important lesson to us all.

Be who you are. Be open, honest and innocent. Do the things that you love and put extra emphasis on the things that make you happy. Be smart and be curious - those who love you will love you even more. Try it for a day, a few hours or a week! See if anything changes. :o)