~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 31, 2015 ~ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ~

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 31, 2015 ~ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ~ I almost cannot believe that in two days, my husband and I will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary! As I mentioned about my parents in my previous Flashback Friday post, sometimes it seems like we just got married and other times it seems like I can't remember a time without my husband. 

I guess that's more that fair, considering that we have our own fairytale, storybook romance to tell. On paper and in print, it doesn't seem to amount to much. But believe me, the fact that we dated for almost four years when I was in high school, spent 14 years apart, got back together and have now been married for 12 years, ours most certainly is more than just a simply fairytale story.

We honestly believe that we are the right people for each other, that we were "meant to be" and that we both had to go through what we went through those 14 years apart in order to be who we are to each other today.

The past almost 8 years, having to live with my severe, debilitating, chronic pain and migraines, that has more than consumed our lives, has not been easy. I sure that a lesser love would have crumbled long before now. 

Despite the extra weight of added pressures, responsibilities and stress borne on not only solely my husband's shoulders, but the effects on my kids and even myself (if I can set the guilt aside long enough to recognize that I'm a victim in all of this too), you would be amazed and impressed at the strength of our love and commitment. (I know there are many days that I look at my husband in wonder at how he is managing to cope with all of this). 

The few times that I've asked, his response has always been something as simple as "I love you" or "I married you in sickness and in health".

I have no idea what to get this wonderful man for our anniversary. Here is a list of traditional wedding anniversary gifts that I found:

1st ~ paper

2nd ~ cotton

3rd ~ leather

4th ~ fruit/flowers

5th ~ wood

6th ~ candy/iron

7th ~ wool/copper

8th ~ pottery/bronze

9th ~ willow/pottery

10th ~ tin/aluminum 

11th ~ steel

12th ~ silk/linen

13th ~ lace

14th ~ animals * historically, this was ivory, but elephants are endangered now

15th ~ crystal

20th ~ china

25th ~ silver

30th ~ pearl

35th ~ coral

40th ~ ruby

45th ~ sapphire 

50th ~ gold

60th ~ diamond

I have married the most amazing, incredible man, and I'm assuming that as much as I wouldn't want a toaster or ironing board, hubby probably wouldn't want a tie either, even though it fits perfectly with the traditional gift for a 12th anniversary, of silk or linen. The best gift I can offer my husband is the undying, unconditional, unfathomable depth of my love, respect and admiration.

I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

#FlashbackFriday, #Flashback, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #HappyAnniversary, #WeddingAnniversary, #Fairytale, #Storybook, #Romance, #MeantToBe, #ChronicPain, #Migraines, #Pressures, #Responsibilities, #Stress, #Guilt, #Commitment, #Victim, #Strength, #ILoveYou, #InSicknessAndInHealth, #SilkLinen, #Undying, #Unconditional, #Unfathomable, #Love, #Respect, #Admiration

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 17, 2015 ~ FAMILY VACATIONS ~

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 17, 2015 ~  FAMILY VACATIONS ~ I would like to first offer a very belated "Happy Anniversary to my parents! Even though I thought about it ALL that day, I still didn't manage to get in touch with my parents to wish them a Happy 40th Anniversary on July 12, 2015. 

In some ways, it's almost hard to believe that they've been married for 40 years, and in other ways, it seems like they have been married FOREVER! (I guess that's understandable since I was only 5 or 6 years old when they got married).

In thinking over the past 40 years, it was wonderful to travel down so many memory lanes. One I kept coming back to though, is all of the family vacations that we took every summer.

It was easy to get lost wandering down that particular road, given the time of year it is, that my husband and son just spent three days camping for the first time last week, and my son is just wrapping up his very first week at camp. This is the first time that he has spent any length of time not only away from home, but away from all family members as well. 

I am super proud of him!! I known from experience that it is not easy being away from home, not knowing what to expect your first time at camp, meeting so many new people from all over, and experiencing your first time sleeping in a cabin with 6-7 other boys your age. I hope he had the time of his life and can't wait to hear all about it!

I recently posted about my camping experience (see my June 19, 2015 FLASHBACK FRIDAY post, "Summer Fun at Camp Pagweak"). And I have also been thinking a lot about family camping trips that we took when I was younger as well.

Some memories are clearer than others, and I'm sure we didn't really go camping as often as my memory says we did, but I think that it is much better to believe that we went far more than we actually did than to think that we didn't go as often as we really did!

I remember visiting so many places, on our vacations. Ones that stand out the most, are Fort Beausejour ~ Fort Cumberland National Historic Site. Located on the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border, it is the site of the 18th century conflicts between France and Britain and later, where the battle was held for North American Supremacy between America and Britain. 

We also toured the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (actually, I remember LOTS of trips to Cape Breton to visit my dad's Great Aunt Maggie). One year we camped at Kejimkujik National Park, where I caught my very first cat fish. I believe that was the year that we woke up almost floating down the river, having been literally washed out of our tent because of a freak torrential rain storm the night before.

One of my most precious memories is that we ALWAYS took our cat with us. When I was growing up, we had two Siamese cats, Blue and Tie. I'm not sure what happened to Blue, but we had Tie for years and he would always come camping with us. He most favourite spot to travel in the car, was sitting on the backrest with his paws draped over my mom's shoulders as she drove. 

I am really hoping that I'll be able to get some photos from my mom so that I can better share some of these memories with you. For now though, all of these memories are so fresh in my mind that I don't really need the photos to take me right back in time again. It's almost like I'm still there!

So thanks Mom and Dad for the incredible, unforgettable family vacations and thanks especially for the love, guidance and support over the past 40 years! Congrats and here's to the next 40!!

#FlashbackFriday, #Flashback, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #Family, #FamilyVacations, #SummerVacation, #HappyAnniversary, #Camping, #Tenting, #Travelling, #SummerCamp, #FirstTimeAwayFromHome, #Cabins, #FortBeausejour, #FortCumberlandNationalHistoricSite, #CabotTrail, #Kejimkujik, #KejimkujikNationalPark, #RainedOut, #LeakingTent, #Catfish, #FreakTorrentialRains, #Cat, #CampingCat, #Love, #Guidance, #Support

~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 29, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "WACKIEST CRAB" ~

~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 29, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "WACKIEST CRAB" ~ A few years ago, my daughter, Caitlin (@likeotters), introduced me to the television show "Deadliest Catch." It instantly became and remains one of my top favourite shows.

In case you're not familiar with the show, "Deadliest Catch," follows the working (and sometimes personal) lives of captains and crew members of several boats that fish for crab ~ King Crab in October, and Opilio (snow crab or opies) in January in the Alaskan crab fishery ~ and the deadly hazards that they face each and every time they journey out into the Bearing Sea.

I especially like the spinoff shows, "After the Catch", and the "The Bait." (Although I'm not a huge fan of one spinoff show, "On Deck", since there seems to me to be a lot of repetition of footage from the previous episode, with minimal "On Deck Extended Footage"). 

I am however a huge fan of "The Bait" which is hosted by the main captains and includes segments such as "The Hot Seat", where one captain is "grilled" and taken to task about his actions by the other captains; "Captain to Captain," where a captain of another sort (ie: weather, marine animals, the Coast Guard, etc.) are brought in to discuss how their jobs relate to and impact the crab fishery; and "Play Catch" which is usually a competition of some sort between captains (during last nights episode, "Play Catch" pitted brothers Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand against co-captains Josh Harris and Casey McMann in a game of "how well do you know your partner"). 

Those are just a few of the things that make "The Bait" such a great show! Another regular feature of "The Bait" that I really enjoy is "The Fourtner Report," in which favourite likeable "super deckhand" of the "Time Bandit," Mike Fourtner, provides inside scoops, explanations and examples of the ins and outs of crab fishing (showing how knots are tied, how to fix holes in the pots, the differences between the two main crabs they fish for, etc.). 

I especially like this segment because a lot of interesting things are explained about crab fishing that most people wouldn't ever know unless they were in the business. During one of last seasons "Fourtner Report"s, the hand gestures used to indicate to the captain how many crab were in a pot were explained. 

For the life of me, I couldn't remember what the explanation was. Nor could I find one online, despite over an hours worth of searching our so called "information highway". However, I now have it on very good authority, (THANKS Josh), that the explanation or formula for the hand signals used represent the crab count is as simple as "five plus however many fingers are held sideways". 

For example, God forbid, but should there only be 17 crab in a pot, the deckhand would hold up one hand, fingers pointed toward the sky and flash that to the captain 2 times (5 + 5 = 10), then they would hold two fingers pointed sideways, representing the number 7. Meaning a total crab count of 10 + 7 = 17.

[I'm pretty sure that's right, but any errors are mine poor, sucky math skills and not the fault of Josh's explanation]!

A big part of my enjoyment in watching "Deadliest Catch", is that is gives Caitlin and I an opportunity to not only spend time together, but to bond over a common interest. 

I know that none of that is "wacky", unless you count my mad math skills, which are, simply put, "whacked", and that you're probably wondering what exactly about this post qualifies it for my "Wacky Wednesday" article.

Well, on last nights "The Bait", two guests happened to be cheerleaders from the Seattle Seahawks football team. In honour of there visit, Mike Fourtner introduced us to a very peculiar crab, the Lybia, or more commonly called, the "Boxer Crab".

If you look at the photo, you'll see that at the end of each claw, the Boxer Crab is holding what looks like pom-poms. The pom-poms are really sea anemone that the crabs carry around as a defence mechanism. Carrying around these anemones are not crucial to their survival, and the Boxer Crab has been known to substitute sea sponges and or corals in place of the three various types of anemones that they bond with.

So there you have it, the weird and wacky post for this week.

What is the strangest animal you have ever seen?

Thanks for stopping by, check back next week for a (hopefully) far more wacky post!

As always, your continued interest, support, encouragement and inspiration is valued more than you could possibly know!

#WackyWednesday, #Quirky, #Odd, #Interesting, #Bizarre, #Weird, #Wonderful, #Strange, #WhatTheWhat, #Crab, #TV, #DeadliestCatch, #Captain, #Deckhand, #KingCrab, #Opilio, #AlaskanCrabFishery, #TheBait, #TheHotSeat, #CaptainToCaptain, #TheFourtnerReport, #CrabCountHandSignals, #FamilyBonding, #ISuckAtMath, #BoxerCrab, #PomPomCrab, #SeaAnemone, #SeaSponge, #Corals, #WeirdAnimals

~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 1, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "The Animal Kingdom" ~

~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 1, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "The Animal Kingdom" ~ Ok, so it's 2:15am, I'm heading outside for my last smoke before trying to go back to bed (which I've been trying to do literally ALL day because I'm in the middle of yet another pretty rough pain day AND massive migraine).

I've got my book, "The Essence", 2nd in "The Pledge" series by a new favourite author, Kimberly Derting. (I just finished reading the first two books in her "The Taking" series and loved them)! I also plan on reading her other series, "The Body Finder" too, as soon as I'm done this series.

I've got my cushion, smoke and lighter. As I sit down on the stoop of the back door, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a slight movement half way up the dining room window that overlooks our back deck.

At first I thought it was just another moth, of which there are many because of the outside light that I've turned on so that I can see to read. At least it's late (early?) enough that the mosquitoes aren't out in droves, looking to cart me away.

I think that I somehow knew that what I could see in my peripheral vision was far too big to be a moth, but terrified that it might be a spider, I couldn't look directly at it to confirm what it was.

Finally, my fear got the better of me. Not wanting to sit there and wonder "when" this huge, maybe-spider might leap on top of my head, I turned my head and squinted my eyes shut tight. (I really, really didn't want it to turn out to be a spider)!! 

I slowly opened one eye (of course, I picked my right eye, which was furthest away from the window) and couldn't see a gosh darn thing. I am absolutely terrified of spiders (see my "Flashback Friday" post dated November 28, 2014, entitled "Spiders ~ A Tale of Terror), so I took my time squeezing my eyes shut tight again. 

I ever so slowly pried open my left eye, and hiding half of my face with my book, (I know from experience that if aimed properly, a good book CAN squash a spider, I'm just hoping that if I have to throw the book, it doesn't break the window!). I almost peed my pants in relief to see a frog/toad clinging to our window.

Many times we have often found teeny, tiny frogs/toads on our back door, which is made of glass. They were not much bigger than the pads of my thumbs. This frog however, was as big as my fist!

I didn't get much reading on that trip outside. I kept glancing over as the frog/toad creeped slowly up the window.

The next time that I went outside, around 3:30am (of course I was too worked up thinking it might have been a spider that I couldn't fall asleep even if I tried), the frog/toad was gone.

I have absolutely no idea how they get up to our back door and windows. (Yeah, I know, frogs can hop, DUH). But I am still curious as to how they make it all the way up the stairs and in this case, up over 3 feet of siding before reaching the window.

I'm pretty sure I was at least a little more comfortable when I knew where the frog/toad was than not knowing!

#WackyWednesday, #Quirky, #Odd, #Interesting, #Bizarre, #Weird, #Wonderful, #Strange, #WhatTheWhat, #AnimalKingdom, #Smoke, #Bed, #Insomnia, #ChronicPain, #Migraine, #Books, #Reading, #KimberlyDerting, #ThePledge, #TheTaking, #TheBodyFinder, #Animals, #Moth, #Spider, #Frog, #Toad, #WhereDidItGo, #Terrified

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ July 7, 2015 ~ THOSE PESKY MOSQUITOES ~

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ July 7, 2015 ~ THOSE PESKY MOSQUITOES ~ I think that aside from spiders and June Bugs, mosquitoes are my least favourite insect!! As much as I cannot for the life of me figure out what purpose June Bugs have, I am equally as baffled as to why there are mosquitoes.

I would also like to know what it is about me that always makes me the ONE person in the crowd that mosquitoes flock to like flies to honey. I know that it is in part genetic, and can also pertain to my blood type (I'm A+) and that it also has something to do with how much carbon dioxide I exude, but that is the extent of my knowledge.

I like to joke that I'm just so sweet that they can't resist, but I'm pretty sure that my cheery dispostiion really has nothing to do with it.

I am currently sufferring from menopausal hot flashes and assume that may have something to do with my attractiveness to mosquitoes since they are attracted to the lactic acid in sweat. 

They are also attracted to smelly feet and I am so glad that I don't fall into that category because the mosquitoes that are attracted to germs that live between our toes and cause foot odor, are the same mosquitoes that carry and spread malaria!!

Mosquitoes have been around for 170 million years and of the 175 known species, only the females mosquitoes bite. I suppose (if only they didn't bite me so much) I could see that there is some level of karmic payback in that it is the females that cause all the trouble (also thinking about the Black Widow Spider). Kind of makes up for all that women have to suffer through that men do not. But alas, even the female mosquito will bite her own human-gendered counterpart. And contrary to old wives tales and urban legends, eating garlic and/or overdosing on Vitamin B supplements will not deter the hungry female mosquito from going after you.

The only tried and true method of repelling mosquitoes, is using a bug spray that contains deet. It has even been proven effective for protecting children as young as 2 months old. Initially it was thought that deet was harmful to children but studies have shown that as little as 2% deet is safe and effective for babies 2 months old and older.

So, gauge your exposure needs, (are you crocodile hunting in swampy wetland marshes, picnicing in your backyard or hanging out in the summer cottage that has had the door opened a few too many times?), select your favourite insect repellant, (I'd probably go with Muskoil for the gator trapping ~ and since mosquitoes seem to love me so much, I may just use the heavy-duty stuff all the time ~ but for most of you, a noname brand from your favourite drug store should suffice just fine for any backyard bbq), tell the mosquitoes to "bug off" (pun intended) get out there and enjoy the summer! 

#TickedOffTuesday, #WhatIrksMeMost, #PetPeeve, #UGH, #ARRGHH, Orcanut, #Mosquitoes, #Insects, #Pests, #LikeFliesToHoney, #Genetics, #BloodTypes, #CarbonDioxide, #CheeryDisposition, #Menopause, #HotFlashes, #LacticAcid, #Sweat, #FootOdor, #Malaria, #175MosquitoSpecies, #OnlyFemaleMosquitoesBite, #Karma, #InsectRepellant, #Deet, #MuskOil, #StoreBrands, #CrocodileHunting, #BackyardBBQ, #BugOff

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 10, 2015 ~ "A MOTHER'S TEARS" ~

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 10, 2015 ~ "A MOTHER'S TEARS" ~ I am just now getting caught up posting my various "columns" that I was unable to post over the past few weeks. Although I did struggle a little bit with writers block, the real reason I was unable to post "Ticked Off Tuesday", "Wacky Wednesday" (formerly "QOT...W"), and "Flashback Friday" recently is because I do all of my work on an iPad and unfortunately, that iPad belongs to my son and he, rightly so, took it with him to the lake. 

My husband was on vacation last week (first week in July) and he and our son went to spend the week at his parent's "cottage" on Silver Lake. We still call it "the cottage" even though my in-laws have long since made it their home by retiring there. Growing up, my husband and his siblings would spend all summer, every summer at the cottage on Silver Lake. But the reference to it being "the cottage" stuck. My daughter and I joined Stephen and Matthew mid week, getting to spend some time with ALL of my husband's family as everyone was able to make it up for at least part of the week.

My husband is back to work this week but our son opted to stay at the cottage to be able to spend more time with his cousins from Calgary that he gets to see only about once a year. 

Matthew is only 10 years old and although his days are jam-packed full of fun and exciting activities and adventures, nighttime does eventually fall. With the darkness and never-wanted in the first place bedtime, naturally comes a little bit of homesickness. 

My husband called this morning from work to let me know that Matthew had sent him an email from his iPad around 1:00am, saying "home, I want home." My heart broke into a million pieces for the little guy (I will get back to that) but also gave me an honest-to-goodness, genuine "flashback" to the very first time that our daughter Caitlin was away from home.

Caitlin was three years old before spent a single night away from home. And even though she was excitedly happy to be spending the "whole big long weekend" with my parents, as she called it (it wasn't an actual holiday long weekend, just in Caitlin's 3 year old mind, two nights and three days was a long time). Even though she adores my parents and they adore her right back, it wasn't such an adorably, happy or exciting time for poor old me who was watching my baby leave home for the first time!!

I actually spent the three days that she was away curled up in bed, sobbing my heart out because I missed her so much. If not for my very dear friend, Blaine Creelman, who was my constant companion and caretaker, I really don't think that I would have come out on the other side of those three days in one piece.

Although this is not the first time that our son has been away from home without any of us, what struck me this week, nearly 20 years later, with Matthew being at the lake without his Dad or me, or even his big sister, Caitlin (@likeotters), is that the heartache of missing a child, especially one that you know is missing you, is very similar to that of genuine grief. 

As I thought about our son being sad and lonely and "all by himself" (with lots of family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, BUT without Mom, Dad or big sister Caitlin), my eyes filled up with tears, and I realized that I was actually sobbing. 

The gasping, gulping, hiccuping, chest-heaving, hard to breathe, runny nose, tear-streaked red faced "ugly cry". It kind of took me by surprise though, (but just a little bit, because to be honest, I do have some inkling that I am a bit of a marshmallow when it come to my kids), that I could be so heartbroken at just the thought that my little boy was sad.

Since my husband hadn't called until around 9:00am, I didn't even know that Matthew had emailed in the middle of the night. But I t didn't seem to matter much that I knew by now Matthew wasn't in the least bit sad and lonely at that very moment, and nor would he be for the rest of the day. 

I knew that he was having a great time fishing, playing board games, tossing a football, shooting pellet guns, swimming, boating, tubing, knee boarding, jet skiing or whatever else they filled their day with. But that didn't stem the flow of tears or heart wrenching sobs that escaped from me. 

I felt just as bad today as I did 20 years ago when my first baby went away for the first time. I kind of wish that this was Matthew's first time away from home. Then I could sort of justify my sobbing, "ugly cry" and also so that I don't feel like a totally complete and utterly, mushy, sappy marshmallow. I am a little bit proud though, to accept that my love and fierce desire to ALWAYS protect my kids is still, even 20 years later, as strong as it ever was.

If you are with your kids tonight, give them a hug from me and God Bless!

#FlashbackFriday, #Flashback, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #AMothersLove, #iPad, #Vacation, #Cottage, #Lake, #Family, #Cousins, #AwayFromHome, #Homesick, #Sad, #Lonely, #UglyCry, #Fun, #Fishing, #BoardGames, #Football, #PelletGun, #Swimming, #Boating, #Tubing, #KneeBoarding, #JetSki, #GrowingUp

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 3, 2015 ~ "HAIR DAZE" ~

As I approach the date of my annual hair cut, I thought now would be a good time for me to try a new curling technique that my sister-in-law told me about this week. (And yes, you read that correctly, and it is unfortunately very true. For the past 3-4 years, it has just happened to work out that I have only gotten my hair cut once a year, around the first or second week of July ~ hence the dry, flyaway, frizzy, split-end hair that you see in the photos). 

I get my hair cut at First Choice Hair Cutters, and it is quite astounding really, that I have been fortunate enough to have had the same hairdresser for each of those haircuts.

I have come across a few names for the no-heat, curling technique that Sue (@suecarswell) told me about. I've seen it called "T-Shirt Curls" (but it's not the ages old practice of rolling your hair up in cut stips of cloth and then tying the ends together). I've also seen it called "Flopping" and "Plopping."

Since I'm pretty reluctant about posting my ugly mug on-line again in the first place, I will NOT be doing a video of this technique. Besides, there are already plenty of tutorials on t-shirt curls out there to be found on YouTube. All you have to do is search "t-shirt curls" and I believe the very first video on the list is the technique that I am talking about.

I will however, post clear, step-by-step instructions on what I did to follow this technique.

This will be a true challenge and test of the veracity of this technique. I am certain that I have the finest, thinnest hair of any man, woman, or child on the planet. I would even be willing to bet that the Sphynx has thicker, fuller hair than I do!

I was told by a haridresser years ago that not only is my hair very, very fine, but that it is much, much thinner than most peoples hair is. She said that if I were to place a dime on my head and count the number of hairs within the dime's circumferance and compare that with the number of hairs within a dime's circumferance of someone else, I would discover that I had far fewer hairs than most everyone else. So, if this method of "non-heat curling" works at adding curls and volume to MY hair, it will most certainly work for anyones hair!

WHAT TO DO AND HOW IT WORKS: (Step-by-step instructions ~ read down the left side first, then the right side, last pic in in the middle).

1. The first photo shows my hair 3 days post-washing. (The last time I had washed my hair was on Tuesday, June 30th, just before my daughter and I headed up to the lake for a couple of days).

2. I washed my hair, (just once though. I did not "lather, rinse AND repeat" as recommended, I just lathered and rinsed. I find that my hair gets just as clean with only one washing and being the penny pincher that I am, figure I can save a few of those pennies by only washing my hair as needed). I've heard that it is better for your hair if you switch your shampoo every 2 or 3 months. So, when I found little, travel sized bottles of "Dove Advanced Hair Series ~ Oxygen Moisture ~ For fine, flat hair" shampoo and conditioner, (which could have been stocking stuffers from this past Christmas or perhaps were left behind from when my parents visited several weeks ago), I decided to try them. I am frequently trying new shampoos to see if I can find one that will actually do as advertised and add curl and/or volume to my pathetically limp hair. I was told that because my hair was so fine and thin that I shouldn't use conditioner on it. However, since the ends of my hair are so dry and split, I did add a little conditioner to my hair, working into my hair from about my ears down to the ends.   

3. After slightly drying my hair with a towel, I added my favourite curling product, "Marc Anthony Strickly Curls ~ Curl Defining Lotion". It has a wonderful, lemony smell and I used it even though I seem that I have an adverse reaction (my palms gets all red and blotchy and itch like crazy ) when I come into contact with anything that has lemon added. Fortunately, the product itself is really only applied to my hair and not my scalp. Well, I assume it is the lemon that causes my reaction because the same thing happens if I come into contact with Sunlight dish soap or Sunlight laundry detergent. 

(This is nothing at all against Sunlight, it's just that Sunlight is the only brand of product that I have used or even know about that contains lemon or lemon scent, aside from the Strictly Curls hair product that I use). For me, it is worth the irritation because I love the hair product and if I wash my hands as soon as I have applied the product, it tends to diminish the itchiness. 

4. After applying the Strictly Curls, I fingered it through my hair and then used a pick and then a brush to distribute it evenly throughout my hair. (I did this also as an added "test" of this method since I would be starting with my normal, "straight-as-a-board" hair). 

5. Next, I laid out one of my husband's t-shirts on our bed. I placed the hem of the t-shirt against the edge of the bed and face-up, stretched out the t-shirt so that it was laying flat, the sleeves out to either side.

5. Then I flipped my head upside down and finger toussling all of my hair forward, I leaned over and placed my hair over the middle of the t-shirt.

6. I lowered my head so that my hair would pile up naturally in the middle of the shirt and then I grabbed the hem of the t-shirt and placed it along my eyebrows and around to the back of my neck. Wrapping one end over the other, I held the ends in place while I grabbed the neckline of the shirt and pulled it up over my head until I reached my hand holding the hem ends in place. I then carefully stretched out the sleeves, making sure to keep the shirt tight at the back and brought each sleeve up around my ears and to the front of my forehead. I tied the sleeves in a knot and tucked in all loose sections of the shirt. I was also able to grab the hem of the shirt closest to my head and pull it up over the knotted sleeves (hopefully lessening some of the dorky look I was quickly achieving ~ however, if this works, I will gladly look like a dork over night to have natural, wavy curls in my hair)!!   

All that is left now is to wait. If you do this just before bed, you can easily sleep on your t-shirted hair and it should be perfect by the time you get up. Since I am trying this during the day, I plan on waiting for approximately 8 hours, or an average nights sleep, before checking on my hair.

THE BIG REVEAL:

It turns out that I waited for 9 hours and 20 minutes before removing the t-shirt from my head. I have to say, I am quite impressed with the results! The final, middle picture shows what my hair looked like fresh out of the t-shirt. I did not do any prepping or styling at all. I simply removed the shirt, flipped my hair back, moved some of the hair out of my eyes and took the photo.

Like I said, if this worked for my hair, as thin and fine as it is, with minimal curling product, and no styling, think what it could do for someone with normal hair!! With a little bit of time and styling, I think I could actually really like how my hair turned out. (Don't forget, it has been almost a year since my last haircut, so a lot of the frizziness and split ends would not be there).

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015 ~ "ERRORS IN BOOKS" ~

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015 ~ "ERRORS IN BOOKS" ~ As you may know, I am quite an avid reader. (See my Wednesday, May 27, 2015 ~ QOT...D ~ post, "FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ BOOK EDITION" ~ at my relatively new blog site, Orca Cove, http://www.orcacove.blogspot.ca.

So, it's no secret that I love to read. I believe I have also mentioned that my 7+ year long chronic pain issues have severely hindered my ability to read for any length of time. Having said that, any time that I am able to spend reading is not only very valuable but very precious to me as well.

Therefore, it really irks me when I come across blatant errors in books. A novel I just finished reading, had one such blatant error.  Please don’t get me wrong, I know there are typos, misprints, and common errors that are if not expected, then at least understood in any given novel. (Although I do still wonder what the editors are being paid for, if not to catch things like that). Anyway, this error is so glaringly obvious, that it baffles my mind as to how it got missed.

The book I read was called "Hate List" by Jennifer Brown and is about a girl, Valerie, trying to come to grips with life after her boyfriend Nick shot several students, a teacher, and Valerie herself, before turning the gun on himself. At the end of chapter two, we are told that Valerie is going to catch the bus to school to avoid driving with her mother, who has been harping on her to "get over it' and get on with her life. 

BUT. . . and here's the error, the beginning of chapter three, in essence, the very next paragraph, has Valerie driving to school with her mother. There is no time lapse; this isn't about some future event. Valerie is still on her way to school for the first time since the shooting. 

I've also read books where characters names have changed midstream, characters who have died are suddenly back in the script, and not as ghosts. How do these types of errors happen?? How do they slip past not only the author, but editors, and publishers as well??

It just seems to me that if someone like me, an avid reader, yes, but one who knows nothing of the book publishing world, can catch what are glaringly obvious errors, how do they possibly get by the so called "professionals"??

I know this may seem somewhat petty so some, but in my position, where every word, every sentence, every paragraph of a book is a struggle to get through, it is more than just a minor annoyance.  My pain is in my head. Literally "in my head" as it is located at the base of my skull, in the back of my head and exacerbating my constant migraines, makes any cognitive function that much more difficult. Especially something that requires my concentration and focus. Like following a story line in a book, movie or television show.

I have to try to find a way through the pain to focus and concentrate on every word written or said ~ and yes, watching television or a movie with me is almost torture for my family as I often have to rewind to catch something that I have missed.

Anyway, all in all, I think it was an ok book, and I have finished it and a few others and have moved on to one by a favourite author, Linwood Barclay entitled "No Safe House" and am much looking forward to the next book on my Summer Reading List, the fourth book in the "Shiver" series by Maggie Stiefvater called "Sinner."

So, that's what I am "ticked off" about this week. How about you?

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