Dear Santa...I want shoes for Christmas

 Dear Santa.....
There isn't much that I want or need out of life these days. My health is pretty good, and I have a roof over my head. Thankfully I work, and have steady income. I live with my mom and aunt whom I adore, and take care of. My pets are happy too. Honestly, this is all I could ask for out of life. Good friends, good health, and a family who I am blessed to have. I strive to be a good person, helping people in need, and taking care of my family. I don't require much...other than sleep...and a date with Colin Farrell. But is that so much to ask for???
     However, there is one vice which I have. And one weakness that I can't resist, and that is SHOES. So please Santa....please if you're going to bring me anything this year...let it be luxurious, frivolous shoes which I really can't afford to buy for myself. Shoes that will look killer on my tootsies, and that will make men wish I was on their arm as I strut around in them.

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 and and   and  but lets not forget about  or

Santa...if you gift me with these shoes, I will love and cherish them for the rest of my days. They may not be practical for my lifestyle...but I will put htem to good use. Thank you Santa.....I know you won't let me down.

Oh, and a date with Colin Farrell would be a nice gift too.....because I would wear a pair of the shoes you give me for Christmas on my date!

My love,

Rosie

I am a self-professed beauty product-a-holic!!!

HI. MY NAME IS ROSE. AND I'M A BEAUTY PRODUCT-A-HOLIC. *Sighs* There....I've said it. Out loud, via text message to my bestie Michelle, and to the internet universe. How many of us are there out there who buy in to the marketing of these beauty products and think that everything they try and sell us is new and improved? I'm not the girl who will spend hundreds of dollars on botox (ewww...can we say botulism?), or skin peels, or anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, skin firming product. Nope...I'm the girl with a draw full of nail polish....and alot of nail polish in the same shade yet different catchy names. YEAH...I'm 'that girl.' Thanks OPI *cough cough*.
   A friend of mine and I recently had a girl's night, which consisted of visiting a beauty store and dinner because she needed to look at the new OPI nail polish color line for the MUPPET'S. Until she mentioned it, I was oblivious to there being such a color line. (Yeah, I thought my polish buying was under control.) And then I saw it...a bevvy of nail polishes with names like: 'Warm & Fozzie', 'Rainbow Connection', and 'Gettin Miss Piggy With It!' And I knew. I knew what was coming....I wanted them. I 'needed' them. I had to have them! So I indulged, and added to my nail polish collection. But it didn't stop there....oh no. I had to buy other items as well...stuff for gifts, stuff for myself.....stuff just because I'm a girl. So take a gander at some of the items this self-professed beauty product-a-holic purchased.

'Fresh Frog of Bel Air'.....in fact I think I'm going to do this color for Christmas!

'Gone Gonzo' may be the color to go see the new Muppet movie when it comes out later this month.

'Animal-istic' because you know.....Tommy Lee & I share a love for Animal.

Big Bang Lip Gloss by Lipstick Queen in the color 'Creation'. This I just had to have because of my love for the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory. (But I have to say...I do love how it makes my lips look and feel!)
 Halloween anti-bac packs for the little carrier you tie on to your purse. Never mind it's November...and Christmas will be here before we know it. But because of the witty names like 'Batty' and 'Vampire Blood'....this brown-eyed girl just needed to own them...because that's how I roll.

 And of course...because I am a complete nerd, and a total makeup junky when I found out that Tarte had a whole color line and look book dedicated to one of my favorite shows, and TVs sexiest vampires, TRUEBLOOD...this makeup pallet just happened to end up in my makeup collection.

And everyone needs their skin to be supple and soft, especially in the winter time. So per my friend Lisa's high recommendation, I turned to Philosophy and have the green tea body scrub to keep rough skin at bay.

There you have it...my beauty splurges and spoils of a wild beauty shopping spree. Because this beauty product shop-a-holic can never have too many products to play with.

Hello Blog-o-sphere....it's been too, too long

     I have a life outside the Internet world.....doesn't everyone? But please forgive me for being away so long. It isn't that I didn't think about you, blog(gers)...and miss you. It's just well I have been....preoccupied....distracted.....busy.....okay just down-right LAZY about blogging. There I said it! AHHH, now I feel so much better. During the summer I started dating again...and have a blog dedicated to the nightmares/adventures of that whole aspect of trying to find 'the one'. And believe you me, it's difficult! And even more than difficult....EXHAUSTING! Thanks to a co-worker and friend, I have now gotten reacquainted with my country music roots. Between Scotty McCreery, Lady Antebellum, and Alan Jackson to name a few I can now get down with the country-crooning again.
    But now it's October, and we're in the full-swing of a beautiful east coast autumn. The leaves are finally changing, and the fire pit nights are in full-swing as we sit and watch the dark night sky, think of our upcoming Thanksgiving feast....and for me the excitement of dressing up for my favorite holiday, Halloween. This year it was a nightmare deciding what I wanted to be, and finding the perfect costume. Surprisingly 2 options came to me in the ninth hour, and I passed them by my mom who actually liked the one I didn't think she'd go for. So now we just have to fit in some pumpkin picking, and snag some fresh produce from the local farms to cook up....like fresh roasted corn, fried cauliflower, and pumpkin pie. Autumn always gets me in the mood to cook up tons of food, and freeze some so dinner isn't that difficult to deal with. My go-to fall foods are stews and chili, and even soup. So get cooking people! And don't let the weather make you blue. Take the dog for an evening stroll...and if your dog is as tubby as ours is, take the dog out several times a day. Actually I am enjoying my walks with Lola...she loves them, they finally got her housebroken, and they get her and I moving.
     With all the ugliness and natural disasters happening in the world these days life can get a bit scary. Remember to treat people with kindness and they'll do the same to you. Cherish your friends and family above material objects. When a friend and you no longer have things in common, and start to drift in different directions, don't get angry at them. Instead try and realize that the relationship has run its course, and whatever lesson you or the other party was to teach one another has happened and it is time to move on. No angry words need to be exchanged, no hard feelings need to be made. Try and remember you can not change someone to how you want them to be to fit in to your life. Nor do you need to subject yourself to a person/relationship/situation that is toxic, drama-filled, or negative. Simply wish the other person well, and travel on, down the path of life.

Live every day as if it were your last

      

Today is yet another reminder to us that we should all live our lives with love and joy in our hearts. When someone slights us or offends us, it is very easy to get angry at them or even hold a grudge. But it takes more energy to muscle strength to keep a 'hate or anger' burning strong, or to keep a frown on our face. We should try and remember to smile, to take the time to smell the flowers, and to always let those who mean the world to us, and whom we cherish know how much we love them. Try not to live your life with regrets, such as 'I should have done this...." or "I could have done...", or even "I always wanted to be..." Life is a precious gift which we all happen to take for granted.

You never know when you or someone you love is not going to be there to share that funny story with them, or even not be able to hold a conversation like they used to due to age or illness. There may be an accident, or too many miles separating you from one another. You may doubt your own abilities, and prevent yourself from going after a dream you always wanted to fulfill. Don't  give in to the "shoulda...woulda...coulda's", and live each day as if it is your last. Make sure to  take the time to give love to those you care about, and take time to see the beauty in the simple things such as a sunrise or your child's drawing. Too many tragedies happen, and too many people lose their lives before they should.

Today the wrestling world and Poppo family lost a wonderful man known as 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.  I had the good fortune of knowing Randy for a short time, and can only speak of good things. He was selfless and compassionate, and generous to a fault. Even after Randy and his beloved (first wife) Elizabeth divorced, he had it arranged that whatever wrestling outfit he worked for would have to employ Elizabeth as well. And it didn't stop there... he also had the same clause in his contract for his brother. Randy worked with countless charities as well, and always had a smile on his face. R.I.P. Macho Man, as you will be greatly missed by so many people whose lives you had touched.

But it doesn't start or stop with today's loss. What about so many others in the world, both recognized and not that are taken from us before their time. What about the missed opportunities we prevent ourselves from having because we don't have faith in ourself? Enjoy these moments because we do live on borrowed time. No one knows when their last day will be. So make sure you embrace those and appreciate what you have.

Spend an extra five minutes with your family tonight....maybe give a sibling or parent a call just for no reason. Perhaps you'll sit on your patio tonight and enjoy a cup of tea and take in the silence of the falling night. Remember how fortunate you are to have a roof over your head, and someone to hug.  And remember to thank all those who have given their lives to ensure our safety and freedom, as well as a prayer for the people whom you don't know who were taken too soon. Live each day with no regrets....live each day as if it were your last. Because you never know.................

Macho Man Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth

Princess Diana

Heath Ledger

Brandon Lee

All the victims & hero's of the 9/11 attacks

I have created a new blog!

 I am very excited to announce that I have created a new blog! Fear not, all my friends and fellow blogger because Brown-Eyed Girl's Glance at the World is not going anywhere. I will still be posting here regularly as this is *my* personal blog where I am free to write anything I feel like.

The new blog which I have created is going to be used strictly for my career.That's correct, I am finally taking my writing public and going to be a freelance journalist. Of course I am also going to be working on my long-standing work as well. But freelance right now, seems to be just what I need to get the foundation set for my writing resume.

If you'd like to follow my professional blog to see what I'm working on, and where I will be published, please feel free to check out the new blog. Of course I would love to hear from you all.

When illness hurts, what would you do for love?

Unconditional love: to love someone regardless of the loved one's qualities or actions.

Selfless Love: an essential stage in the evolution of love is being able to love others regardless of their behavior.

These are the wikipedia definitions for these two words, and I think the most common and easiest to understand. Sometimes we find it difficult to love someone unconditionally, or to give our love selflessly to someone who is difficult. But love is the most powerful, and gratifying gift you can give to someone as well as yourself. If you're curious as to what other euphoric gift you can give to yourself would be....it would be forgiveness. But that's another entry for another time.

If you live with or have  someone you love who is a victim of the illness dementia, you know how difficult it can be. Not only is the person who has fallen victim to this horrid disease suffering as their mind plays tricks on them, with disorientation, and memory loss but those who love the person has to suffer as they watch the ill loved person deal with the fear, frustration and emotional outbursts. I would not wish dementia on anyone, not even my worst enemy. It is not an illness to poke fun at or to take lightly. There are different causes which can cause dementia, and not to give false hope but if the disease is detected early enough and the cause diagnosed, it can be slowed or even stopped if treated.

Sadly, I live with a wonderful woman who suffers from dementia. My aunt. who is like a second mother to me has been diagnosed with the disease. My aunt used to socialize with our friends and loved to do crafts. She loved to travel and had a sharp sense of humor. when I was a kid, she made me awesome Halloween costumes, and took me to my very first concert, which happened to be Bon Jovi. She also threatened to bop the guys on the head with her camera if they thought to pass me the joint they were smoking or even offer me a bump of snow. That's how my aunt rolled. And then in her sixties, she started slipping away from us. Maybe it was sooner, but we just didn't notice or didn't want to accept the fact that she was becoming more difficult or forgetful. Denial sometimes seems better than to accept the fact that the one you love isn't the same as they had been. There have been days where my aunt has been completely herself, then slips in to someone argumentative and difficult to please. There have been moments where a physically handicapped woman literally flipped pieces of our sectional sofa because she was convinced we were going to hurt her physically. She can be completely lucid and then ask me the same question eight times in one day. It is emotionally and mentally draining to try to keep myself patient and accommodating to her. It is depressing to see someone who made beautiful crocheted blankets not even be able to put her shoes on her correct feet. Anyone who is an hostage to this uninvited illness, regardless of having it or being adjacent to it knows all too well of what I live with and have very briefly described.

When you are the caregiver for someone who suffers from dementia, you don't really have many avenues of support. Sure there are support groups to attend. However those who are in them can only give you the lukewarm comfort that the person who lashes out at you isn't themselves but the illness speaking. They can only swap 'war stories' with you....not give you a solution. The facilitator reminds you to be patient when answering the same question for the 10th time that day. If you have family nearby or friends, they often tune you out when you rehash the latest episode of what transpired...because let's be honest. People don't like to hear depressing news. Again, ignorance can be bliss. And more often than not, you will not find that family member to come and relieve you from your world for a few hours. So you just repeat to yourself for the umpteenth time that you love this person, and know that they are scared, and confused, and wonderful. And you try to find something to comfort yourself...a fictional book, or stroking a pet, or relying on your faith to get you through the rougher moments.

My aunt is my world...the second mother in my life. She has kissed my boo-boos, and attended my dance recitals. She has gone on vacations with me, and done some pretty wild stuff with me. She has encouraged me to follow my heart, and accepted my faults. So I can make sacrifices for her and her well-being without thinking twice. I currently work part-time, at night due to being fired two years ago and lack of jobs with the economy the way it is. But I need more of an income...because things are very tight. However due to  my aunt's physical handicaps and health issues, she can not be left alone by herself. She gets confused,and falls easily. She just fell this past Saturday when both my mom and I were at work. Thankfully my mom came home straight from work and found her. But who knows how long she had been on the floor. My aunt's insurance will not cover for a home aide to visit, and my aunt wouldn't feel comfortable with that anyway. We can't afford to pay for an aide to visit out of our pockets.

So I am making the conscious decision to care for my aunt as long as I possibly can. Instead of looking for a full-time job with all the bells & whistles I'm going to take a second part-time job. Something close to my house which will afford me the luxury of working only a few days a week, or several hours in the day. That way my aunt won't be left alone for too long in the day, and will give me the extra income which I need. I'll keep my evening, part-time job which will give me a break as my mom will be home to be with my aunt. When you love someone unconditionally, you put their needs first without a thought to yourself. When you love some one selflessly, you do what is best without resentment or throwing it in their face. When you love someone unconditionally you put their needs first and do so because you know it's best for them. When you love someone selflessly and unconditionally, you love them in good times and bad, and weather the storm out together.