micodermabrasion

So I have come to the age where youth is a memory but I am still dealing with acne, redness and gross skin. My vanity has caught up wiht me and I can no longer live accepting a yucky facial texture sooo within the month I am goin to find the BaL#s I need to step out and get the face taken care of.

Background: I went to a friend's house for Wine, Chick Flicks and Fancy food. The crowd was older and the conversation naturally drifted to old age, wrinkles and as one girl stated,"I am considering BOTOX!"

When did this happen?
-ch

Smart Moms

I was having lunch at Pikes Perk today and took the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather by sitting outside. There were three women sitting at the neighboring table, in the midst of some pretty interesting conversation and not bit bothered that I intruded in on their space. They must have been there a while because they weren't eating or drinking anything but just talking. I didn't get a good look at two of the ladies, I think that they were older around 45 to 50 but the loud one facing me was probably the youngest of the three. They talked about their kids, religion, doctrine, their husbands, their idea of a women's role in family, society and in marriage. I felt like they were kindred spirits + 15 years. It was so reassuring that there are mothers and wives out there that are passionate about their families and are committed to taking hard roads in order to see their family grow together. For example, the loud one was taking about the family's choice to homeschool the children until the 8th grade. She referred to some university research about about children's continually waning interest in school once they they enter kindergarden. She said that homeschooling her kids until high school has helped them keep the energy to appreciate school and that environment. Now, I am not the smartest person and the idea of homeschooling freaks me out but I respect a mother who chooses her children's happiness above the desire to get the kids out of the house into school. She admitted that they had to sacrifice financially for her to stay at home. "So they don't get soccer lessons, we play soccer outside every afternoon. So they don't get dance lessons, I dance with my daughter everyday and I handmake her all her dancing outfits."

She was a healthnut. "I told my older son to ask his future wife hard questions. Did her parents raise her on fast food and food coloring? Because those things can affect the kids. I mean, seriously, they are creating our future generation." I had to smile. Some parents find it hard to encourage their kids to ask about the girlfriend's/boyfriend's interests, jobs, faith and this woman cuts through all that and helps the son understand that his future wife will contribute half the genes of his kids, food coloring and all.

I was sad when they left.n

Big city girl trapped in a little town

Ok so in my attempt to support my roommate and to live in Alaska a little longer I agreed to move north to the tiny Alaskan town of Palmer. She wanted to buy a place and you get much more house and land for your dollar if you move to the valley.
Now here I am with no internet hookup until the 28, having to go to the local library to check my emails, blogs, websites and even to get a glimpse into the news of the world. Now, by local library I mean the smallest one story, one room book center you have ever seen. For instance their magazine section is probably 25 magazines that they don't backstock, no reviewing old articles or perusing last season's styles. Their new book section is two columns, four shelves high, containing books that I would not consider new- its like the new release wall in Blockbuster, you know those movies that have been out since before your last haircut.
Most importantly is the local aspect. The man just walking in is in his too big jeans hoping the suspenders holding them up will not slide off his shoulder to expose his "local member." The mom with her oh so too many kids is trying to keep them under control as she checks out a stack of children's books taller than her smallest. Over by the magazines is the black sheep of the local high school with her shaved head and wholly fishnets under dirty cut off jeans.
Here I sit, obviously not a local, in my black sassy heels, purple silky camisole, tight dark jeans, sticking out like a "big city girl." ~C

What in this world is Worship

So I have been convicted about the way that I spend my Sunday morning before church. I lack the discipline to focus in on the cross, repent of my "cherished sins" and cannot seem to get away from "me" centeredness. So.. tonight my buddy Ames and I decided to reclaim our Sunday morning by reclaiming our dependence on Jesus. However, we have decided to create a habit that a little more palpable....Pre-church Starbucks coffee of the day. I know. How lame are we? Well, lame enough to know that we have crippled ourselves by not giving Jesus our time. Schedule: Arrive at Starbucks around 8:15-8:25 (Hey, we are grace centered), drink coffee and journal. Get to church around 8:50AM and spend the next 10 minutes in reflection and preparation.
I am going to update this blog next Monday with the results of what actually happened. -ch

The Absentee Boyfriend

I do have a big trip coming up, the inevitable first trip in a long distance relationship... He in the great state of Texas and me thousands of miles north in Alaska. How have I come to find myself in a long distance relationship you might ask yourself. I did not intend to; I found this incredibly gorgeous, tall, polite, southern gentlemen in Alaska. After three years of the sporadic bad date with a number of losers I found myself being persued by a man. I mean MAN; good with his hands... Meaning he knows how to work- seriously people, get your minds out of the gutter. His accent and dimples are irresistable to boot.
What does he go and do; he gets out of the military and moves back to Texas. That is how I find myself boarding a plane in 2 weeks to see my man and to meet the family. Just to be able to go on a date with my boyfriend I have to fly to see him.
The craziest part of this "adventure" is that after only a few weeks of actual dating I am doing what it takes most couples a few months to do... meet the family. I am going to be trapped on the family ranch with complete strangers for TEN days. I don't know these people; I hardly know my boyfriend!
It will be nice to be near him though. To walk together and hold hands; to sneak a little kiss while waiting at the stop light. Sometimes I find myself in little shops or at a restaraunt where I think, how nice it would be to laugh with him and look into his eyes.
While all of these disires build up with anticipation of 10 days together, the hesitations of meeting his family and having to travel to see him slip away and I honestly can not wait to step off the plane and into his arms for a long over due hug and kiss hello.

The BIG 2-4

And what a birthday it was. Considering that it was an unexcitable age of 24, I have some great friends who partied it up with me.
I started the evening with a new "birthday suit!" No surgeries mind you, but some great sassy shoes and a pink halter. In the company of friends I enjoyed Alaskan King Crab while peering out our table-side window watching the sun set over the Cook Inlet. Two bottles of wine, a couple of stories and some great laughs later we headed downtown to meet up with some more dear friends. Not so dear as...hot. Being all firefighters out to celebrate my birthday and another firefighter's birthday (celebrating the big 2-1). As the toasts of the the party we hammed it up together; getting shots from strangers, beers from our friends and many well wishes all around.
After walking a block to a fantastic Anchorage secret hot spot we danced the night away, while still receiving beverage gifts galore.
I had a great time, enjoyed the new shirt-not so much the shoes- had a "little too much to drink," and spent most of the next day recovering! ~C

Tripsing through the Travel

There are a couple of trips coming up for the girls.

J will be going to Las Vegas.. Whoohoo!!

C will be heading to Austin to visit her boyfriend.
and
Ca and J will be heading up to Alaska to visit C in July.

THERE will be lots and lots of stories.

There's a Birthday Comin' 'Round the Corner.....

We are counting down the days to the youngest of Les Trois Soeurs' Birthday and we hope that it turns out to be fabulous, exciting, fun, and memorable. c, sorry we can't be there but we will be sure to re-celebrate when we are up there in July. =-) Love you bunches. -ch

Fellowship of the Singles

I find myself more often than ever before identifying with the soul of The Lone Ranger. Seeking to "save others" but not be saved myself. I don't need it.. I am the ...."LONE RANGER"!!! Until nights that I am sitting in a Bible Study with women who are my friends and the feelings of needing to keep spiritually hidden becomes a noose around my neck. I just want blab it all out, let them know about how I am feeling, where I feeling I am struggling, how dark it seems sometimes in this relationship with Christ. It should be pink bubbles and always a sunny day. Tonight was one of those nights... we are going through Living in Light, a devotional put out by World Harvest Mission. It was written with a new believer in mind but let me tell you, for all the decades that I have had a personal relationship with Christ, I have never been faced with the fact that I didn't know what that meant outside of eternity. He died so that I may live. I never assigned that to how I am living now. Isn't that where the Holy Spirit takes over and gives Jesus the "night" off?

So this books is slowly taking the black coated glasses off and forcing us to recognize the immensity of God's sacrificial love for us and how that looks every single day of our lives whether we see it or not. For example, during the hours of 12:00AM to 12:00AM twenty four hours later is the sun shining? Yes.. even on a cloudy day, even if you live in AK, even if you are blind.. the sun will always shine because it is always shining, irregardless of what you are experiencing, seeing and feeling. Now substitute in the place of the sun God's love, patience, grace with us. No matter the time of day, where you are in life, how dark it seems...God's love has never changed. That's what Christ has done on our behalf, he has made it possible for us to live in such a light.

The Running Man

I've been living downtown Colorado Springs all of my independant living life. There are things you see down here that you won't see anywhere else in town. There is the Wigged-it: a woman who hangs out downtown and drinks coffee at the various outdoor patios and cafes. You can't miss her, she is always wearing a wig. Not just any wig - she sports various hued numbers, mostly blonde or strawberry blonde - all long and matted. Over the top, really. There is also the Running Man. He runs through the downtown streets with just his brightly colored shorts. He yells things out - it's hard to distinguish what he's saying, until you've been exposed to him a number of times. He yells at passing vehicles and their drivers, that they should get out of their cars, get exercise, hollering things like, "Wusses!" At times, with more colorful language. He feels strongly about it and a number of times I have seen him run across intersections blatantly defying the red hand warning him to stay on his side of the street - he pounds his chest to oncoming cars, almost daring them to proceed, as he jogs across, yelling the entire time. I usually watch him from my apartment window -it's entertaining and you can hear him coming. I was at a dinner party and heard his banter approaching - after a quick explanation we all dropped our forks and rushed to the window to watch him run by. I have been a victim in my car a couple of times, where I have been the enemy. One time my sister and I were jogging and heard him approaching us - that night I wasn't the enemy, we were, somehow, on the same side. I have always said that I should like to see him out around town somewhere, fully dressed. What does the Running Man do? Does he have a job? Does he have a family? Does he have a full wardrobe?
Yesterday I was walking downtown, waiting at a crosswalk. A man came up next to me and pointed at a car and yelled, "wiener dog!" I thought maybe he knew the driver - but no window was down and the driver kept driving. I looked over at the man and *oh my lands* it was the Running Man. He was wearing a yellow dress shirt and tie, dress pants and dress shoes. It was our turn to proceed (he waited at the red hand) and off he went. I followed him as fast as I could in my heels, but the Running Man has a bit of speed, as you can imagine. I didn't know what I was hoping to see, but I didn't want him out of my sight. Along my way I saw the Wigged-it outside, drinking coffee. The Running Man ran (chuckle) into someone he knew and they stopped and chatted. I caught up to them but didn't know how to slow down enough to hear their conversation. Was he a friend or a potential wiener dog? I passed them and their interaction and felt at sense of accomplishment. I had seen the Running Man in real clothes, in a real conversation, on a really nice day.
Last night I heard something out the window, it was a man, yelling. -J