Hallelujah!

My hair is CLEAN! Amen! 

For the first time in my life, I washed my hair with just WATER.

I let my hair go for about a week without washing it, and it looked OK... but I was ready for a wash.

I did the scritching and preening (Google it), brushed it thoroughly. In the shower, I washed my hair with hot water, scritching and preening under the water, and rinsed with cold water.

My hair looks better than normal and feels very, very clean. It has body and curl, and cooperates without the need for styling products. I feel so liberated and blessed. God has truly provided us with everything we need. I still use soap on my body, just because I like it, but I have read that it's not necessary either. That's ok. I like the scent of soap on my skin, and I only use natural non-toxic soaps anyway. 

But shampoo? Gone! Done. My hair even dried faster than it would have if I'd washed it conventionally. I feel lighter and happier just because I did something the natural way. God is good. Jesus said, "Do not worry about what you will eat, or what you will wear; God knows you need these things."

I take that to apply to personal care as well. God has provided us with natural oils in our hair which are beneficial, and clean water to wash with. That's all we need. 

Skincare progress

Thus far into my caveman regimen I am pleased with it. My new blemishes are healing faster than they would have previously. The best part, of course, is that I don't have to do anything. I don't have to remember to wash, tone, moisturize, exfoliate, or apply any acne treatment. I am even avoiding washing my hair with anything but water. It's a little funky right now, but I've just started.

My attempts at removing sugar from my diet have failed in spurts, but I am at it again. I am only allowing for the sugars in fruit, kombucha, kefir, rice, and sourdough bread. That's it. Otherwise my goal is eggs, meat and veggies. I know I should add fish but it's expensive and the high-quality stuff is a few towns away. Maybe next week.

I have considered substituting quinoa for the rice which is a staple of our dinners, but neither my husband nor I have digested quinoa very well. I don't know if it's my cooking style or what, but it didn't work out. 

In the past I've made buckwheat instead of rice, but I simply forgot about it. I may buy some when I go out to purchase the fish. No buckwheat to be had in this town.

I greatly enjoyed my trip to the farmer's market yesterday. $30 got me all organic: arugula, baby greens, tomatoes, whole wheat sesame sourdough, zucchini, strawberries, chard, raw unpasteurized almonds, and fuji apples. It should last until next week. Next week I will add eggs and carrots to the list. My goal is to buy as much as I can at the farmer's market rather than the grocery store. They seem to have everything but dairy.

I soaked the almonds last night and now have laid them out to dry on the couch since we don't have an oven. It's very important to soak your almonds to activate the enzymes that allow for better absorption of the nutrients and it makes the nut easier to digest. Plus we think they taste better that way.

It's going to be tough to boycott my favorite sugar cookies and occasional trips to Tara's Organic Ice Cream. Tara's has amazing flavors like Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Chocolate Tarragon, Sweet Corn, and Cardamom. Yum. I shall have to enjoy the memories instead of the ice cream. I am determined to do this for the sake of my skin and general health. I encourage everyone to try as well.

Amyris

I recently wrote about the oils I received from Edens Garden. I am still disappointed in the patchouli, though to my surprise the NOW patchouli smells just like the Edens. So perhaps I was wrong to say it was "not patchouli." But neither of those oils smell like the patchouli I am familiar with, including the patchouli oil in my Primal Pit Paste, which has the right smell to it. So I will have to continue my patchouli search to find the right one.

As for the amyris oil, I am converted. I think that when I first smelled the amyris my nose was full of the weird-patchouli scent. Today I decided to sniff the amyris all on its own. I like it. It is reminiscent of the incense used in the Catholic Church.

Amyris balsamifera is also known as West Indian Sandalwood (it comes from Haiti), but it is no relation to East Indian Sandalwood. 

 

I have decided to use it as an alternate perfume when I don't feel like wearing the solid I made. The amyris oil is a base note, which means it lasts long, and it is rather thick too, pleasant on the skin.

The next oils I wish to buy are from Rocky Mountain Oils: Blend of Rose, and Oils of the Bible. I have heard very good things about this company and they always offer free shipping. But I've been spending too much on non-essentials, so it will have to wait. I am pleased with the two perfumes I now have. I recommend amyris to anyone who likes incense, or likes woodsy scents. 

Aprons and Sneakers

On the train today I observed the commuters and a recurring thought popped up again. I have been thinking, ever since my last job, that the way modern professional women dress is so... boring.  Not just boring, something else I can't define. It just irks me.

I used to complain about the way my coworkers at the school in Berkeley dressed. They were either too grungy, too androgynous, or too hipster for my taste. But once I left that job to work in an office, I immediately missed the variety and diversity of that group. The ladies in my office were beautiful, well-dressed, and generally on-trend, but there was something stuffy about it. At the risk of sounding like a hipster myself, I will say the office ladies were too mainstream. Gasp!

I did my best to dress "professionally," and by and large I think I succeeded, but I don't think I was ever as polished as my coworkers in the office. And frankly, I didn't want to be. My goals were modesty and femininity, not trendiness or classiness. Maybe my six years at the school, working among eclectic artists and musicians, became a part of me that I can't remove. I don't think I'll ever fit in with the professional crowd.

At the school I could wear pretty much anything, as long as I didn't show cleavage or wear Daisy Dukes, neither of which I would do anyway. For all their faults, I was infinitely more comfortable around the school crew. I could be myself around them. I wore my pink jumper dress without a second look from anyone. When I wore skirts without the necessary pockets, I would wear a pretty apron to hold my phone and paper schedule. I couldn't wear either of those at the office.

I just don't dress like most other "normal" women. I've noticed many other blogging homemakers dress counterculturally as well. Basically, like at the school, we at home have the freedom to dress as we please. We can be Cinderella, Queen Victoria, Lizzie Bennet, or Florence Nightingale. We can wear bright colors, pastels, aprons, ruffles, and paisleys no matter the current fashion trends, no matter the season. We can wear funky sneakers with our long skirts, wear our hair in braids and experiment with mixing unusual patterns and colors. We can have fun, be comfortable, and bring some cheer into this drab world, without sacrificing modesty, creativity or femininity.

You don't have to be just like everyone else

You don't have to be just like everyone else! Don't be tied down by the surrounding culture, your nationhood, your citizenship, your social class, your language barriers, your race or ethnicity, or the corporate monstrosities. There is one way, one truth and one Life, and He is Jesus. My identity in Him has led me to question all kinds of "normal" things that aren't good for us or the planet. God made us all equal, and He made the planet for us to care for.

20 things I don't do anymore:

1. Eat McDonald's
2. Drink Starbucks
3. Shop at Wal-Mart
4. Watch TV
5. Go to the movie theater
6. Drink cow's milk
7. Eat conventionally-raised meat
8. Drive a car
9. Cook with "vegetable" oils
10. Buy mouthwash
11. Wash my hair with shampoo
12. Drink soda
13. Listen to commercial radio stations
14. Buy clothes brand-new
15. Use disposable pads and tampons
16. Wear pants
17. Wash my face
18. Buy bottled perfume
19. Buy lotion
20. Drink orange juice

Green tisane

We all know that green tea is good for you, and it is delicious too. But what about an herbal "green" tea? For those times you want health benefits without caffeine?

Today I made a "green" tisane, which is the technical term for "herbal tea." I combined equal parts alfalfa leaf, dandelion leaf, echinacea, nettle leaf, and red raspberry leaf. All of these herbs have essential vitamins and minerals, and are particularly helpful for "that time of the month" in which I now find myself. This blend too, is delicious. The echinacea flavor can be a bit strong for some, so you could omit it or use a tad less of it. I recommend adding mint leaves for more flavor if you don't like the grassiness of these herbs.

You could also use alfalfa powder instead of the leaf, which I do have, but in a tisane it kind of pools at the bottom of the cup, so I used the leaf instead. The powder is better in blended drinks. It looks like matcha, so I made sure to label it!

Here is the beautiful tea infuser cup I am using, received for my birthday thanks to an old friend. It's funny because her name is Katie, and the cup is called Kati. I'm sure she did that on purpose. :) I don't think I ever told her how much I love cherry blossoms, that was just serendipity.

I love the endless possibilities of blending herbs for tea. Last night I made a tisane of chamomile, lavender and peppermint. I also like to blend rooibos, yerba mate and red raspberry leaf. Sometimes I blend my sencha green tea with herbs as well, for flavor and additional benefit. It's a lot of fun.

Skincare 2.0

Having perused a number of acne-healing articles, I finally found something interesting. The Caveman regimen. It's not even a regimen, it's nothing at all. It's not doing anything to your face whatsoever. I'm going to try it. Having washed, scrubbed, exfoliated, and oiled my face for so long with few results, I think it will be nice not doing anything. 

It's true that my acne has decreased thanks to my chaste tree and echinacea routine, plus a better diet. But it's not totally gone. I still got three new painful blemishes at this menstrual cycle, and my blocked pores are still present, very stubborn. 

So here we go, on to absolutely nothing. Not even getting my face wet. It couldn't hurt to try, and it's totally free. I'm already washing my hair at longer and longer intervals. It seems as though our society is obsessed with washing and germ-killing, to no particular advantage. Possibly even to our detriment. I am excited to be breaking free of such conventions, it's really liberating and fun. And frugal.

We need a return to certain conventions, of course, like no sex before marriage, and the like, but when it comes to everyday things we do without thinking, like constant hair-washing with chemical shampoos, or watching TV every night, those things can go away. Good riddance!

America Third

Recently in Berkeley there was a brawl between pro-Trump ralliers and anti-Trump protesters. I happen to side with the protesters.

The pro-Trump crowd was shouting, "America first!" I find this problematic. No one should put their country first. No one should want their country to come first,  beating out all other nations. What a hateful, unchristian point of view. Life is not a competition.

Before anything else, God and His kingdom come first. Next, come our homes and families, regardless of in which nation our home and family dwell. Our country should come third, or even fourth or fifth.

To put one's nationhood on a pedestal is idolatry and bigotry. My identity is in Christ, not in my American citizenship. Furthermore, we are not any better than the French, the Chinese, the Syrians, the Kenyans, or the Russians. They are our neighbors. An even closer neighbor is Mexico. How are Trumpistas loving Mexicans?

Most Trump supporters claim to be Christian. If this is true, then the American church is in trouble. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are called to serve the poor. We are called to seek FIRST the kingdom of God. We are commanded to love our enemies.

Nothing in the Trump administration aligns with these fundamental Christian principles. I am ashamed of our nation.


*side note: This nation is not "America." We are the United States of America. There is North America, South America, Central America. As my Costa Rican host mother said, we are all Americans.

Earth Day Prayer

Teach us, Lord, to love your world
Bless us as we work the land
You placed it all in our fragile hands
Trees and flowers, birds, beasts and man
River, sky, forest and sea
The air we breathe, the food we eat
And as we speak out
Against those who harm
Give us courage, strength and grace
To speak with love and eloquence
In honor of all Your creation
To protect the people who work in the fields
And the children who play near the growers who spray
Please enlighten the ones who don't hear your call
To love all your people of every nation
The poor ones who live so close to the earth
The rich ones who live in the land of our birth
The ones who are different from me and mine
The ones forgotten by progress and time
Stand with us, Lord, when we work to heal
The peoples and rivers and forests and seas
Let us not forget your little ones, the unborn,
Like Your little sparrows, whom You remember to feed
And we ask St. Francis to pray for us all
In Jesus' Name, Amen

Homemade Solid Perfume

Today I made solid perfume from beeswax, sweet almond oil, and essential oils. The recipe from Crunchy Betty worked beautifully. What's not so beautiful are the essential oils. I just received my patchouli and amyris oils from Edens Garden. Beautiful packaging, and they even included a sample of another oil. I purchased these oils specifically for this perfume. 

Yuck. The "patchouli" smelled like my dad's cheap whisky, and the amyris smelled like burnt...something. I know what patchouli is supposed to smell like. That was not it. I don't know what amyris is supposed to smell like, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt there. The oils were unusually cheap; I should have known better. The lack of apostrophe in Edens should also have given it away!

Real patchouli oil is dark and thick, a bit sticky. This oil was light, thin and not at all sticky. I have no idea what this oil is made of, but I wonder if it's synthetic. It certainly smells that way. I am keeping the oils for now, they do smell better after they've sat on the skin for awhile, but I don't have that deep patchouli scent I wanted. I will have to bite the bullet and pay more for the real thing.

I made the perfume anyway. I added himalayan cedarwood, bergamot, and lavender to improve the scent. The end result is very nice, but the unfortunate part is that the two oils that smell the worst are also the base notes, meaning they will last longer on my skin than the other scents. Well, maybe they won't, if they're not the real thing.

I still have plenty of beeswax beads left, and a bit of sweet almond oil, so that when I finally purchase actual patchouli oil I can have another go. Just need to find another container. The process of making the perfume was actually quite fun, especially watching it harden in the jar.

No more buying online, except for Mountain Rose Herbs. They're really the only online herb/oil store I trust. I'm going to check out a few brick-and-mortar stores to compare patchouli prices. I like Aura Cacia and NOW oils as far as in-store brands go. So we'll see. For now, I do have a rather pleasant solid perfume to last quite a long time. 

And I think that this recipe will do well to make lip balm, with just a few added ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil. Something to look forward to.

Consider logging off for good

I just logged into Facebook for the first time in awhile to link up with a lady I met yesterday who makes soaps. She makes a special one for acne. As soon as I got connected to her website, I logged out of Facebook. Facebook is just not a good way to spend time. The best thing about it is keeping up with family, for example I found a Facebook message from my brother asking for my new number, and I love seeing pictures of my daughter, but THAT'S IT. Honestly I hope we find a better way to share pictures and videos of her because if it weren't for her, I'd have deleted my account a long time ago. Facebook is creepy and turns people into zombies.

I don't want to get into the reasons why I think it's creepy and turns people into zombies, many web pages have been written on the subject. I just find that my life is better without it. I keep in touch with family just fine without it actually. If my brother hadn't heard from me long enough, he would have eventually emailed me. My email is visible on Facebook, if he doesn't have it. I send cards to family, and occasionally get one back. I send notes to friends as well, and texting has basically replaced Facebook messaging. There's just no reason for me to be updating the world with what I'm doing every day, and no reason for me to waste my time scrolling through other people's updates and photos of things I really don't want to see.

My last Facebook post was in regards to my deceased father on his birthday. But honestly, for the very first time I felt how shallow it was to have posted it. I don't need twenty-five other people to like, love, ("react to," apparently), or comment on the fact that I miss my dad and it's his birthday. It was more meaningful that my husband and I went to a German restaurant for dinner in his honor. And NO WAY was I going to post about that. It didn't even occur to me to do so.

I guess I just feel like Facebook has contributed to the dumbing-down of society, and might be one of the reasons my friend and I are feeling "less adult" than our parents. Their generation didn't have Facebook. Well, I know that many people from their generation are on Facebook now, but they weren't when they were raising us.

Social media can be useful, but in general I think it's overdone and causes more problems than it solves. Email is still just fine with me for contacting people, as well as texting and sometimes phone calls, depending on who it is. I don't want to see pictures of your dinner, your baby, your toddler, your grade-schooler, your teenager, your root canal, whatever. I am now of the opinion that people should only send pictures of their children to friends and family, not post them for all to see. I realize you can choose who gets to see your posted photos, but it's much more loving and memorable to take the time to send it to an individual.

And this trend of having a child hold a placard with their age, grade, special occasion, or what-have-you written on it for their photo is a tad irritating. It reminds me of old prison photos. I have several photo albums that my dad lovingly put together which chronicles the majority of my childhood, all organized by year. I don't need a sign in the picture to tell me what photos are from what grade. I actually remember these things. And I can hold the albums in my hands. And I only share them with a few people, if anyone.

Lastly, we were recently invited to my niece's wedding through Facebook. The invitation was quite old, and we were out of the loop. No one called us, texted us, sent a paper invitation. If my husband hadn't logged in that day, we still wouldn't know about the wedding and would likely miss it. I understand it might be a financial constraint on their part, but I would have appreciated even a handwritten note instead of the Facebook "invite." My nephew, who is getting married a week before my niece, sent us a lovely invitation in the mail, as did my husband's cousin, who is getting married a month after the first two. Much appreciated.

I hate to imagine a world where nobody knows what life was like before Facebook. We're getting there and indeed, it is creepy.

The Second Fall

Yesterday marks the second time I've fallen in the last two weeks. Hardly even two weeks. The first time, I tripped over some concrete sticking up on the sidewalk in front of the market. My groceries flew to the ground and I landed painfully on my left side. No bruises, but a sore leg and scratches on my ankle. Two kind strangers, seeing me crash, helped me up and gathered my bags for me.

Yesterday, the second time, my husband and I were walking the last few feet of a muddy trail, having finished a lovely hike. I wasn't wearing my best shoes for the activity, they had rather little traction. I was traversing a particularly muddy patch and slipped, landing again on my left side, much harder than my fall at the market. This time, though having no scratches, I am left with a great deal more soreness. I had an awful headache, much like whiplash, and my back hurt in several places, as did my left hip and left thigh. What came to my mind this second time were the Stations of the Cross which we prayed on Good Friday.

The prayers very vividly described the pain and loneliness of Christ as He fell not one, not two, but three times on the way to His crucifixion. How devastated He must have felt. I had mud all over my left shoe, but how much worse was it for Jesus, covered in dirt, sweat, blood, and saliva from those who spit upon Him. I am taking today to rest, I slept in until ten o'clock and plan to do no strenuous activity. But there was no rest for Jesus. He had to keep going on, and the end of that road for Him was torture and death. And He went through that for you and me.

Instead of feeling embarrassed or upset that I had fallen, I felt humbled. My little trial is nothing compared to what Jesus endured, and even now He bears our troubles for us.

I am struggling to find a comfortable position that is not just lying flat on my back. When I sit, my lower back is strained. But it's good to remember that comfort is not the goal of this life. We are called to unite our sufferings with those of Christ. I'm working on it.

Peace and Quiet

I've written before about the value of quiet and stillness. Today, as I walked from the outdoor laundry room back to my little home, I stopped for just a moment to stand in the sun and be conscious of the beauty around me. It's not fancy or anything, just a collection of plants in pots, some nice-smelling mulch, and several overgrown mint bushes. It was the stillness of that little patch of yard that drew me in. I took notice of the rusty old lanterns sitting on concrete blocks, and the way the sun glinted off the old mason jar sitting next to them. You can really find beauty in anything. 

I thought about the cat that used to live on our property, and how much I miss hearing her little jingle bell as she wandered about the yard. I thought about the chickens we used to have, and how much I miss their clucking (and eggs!). I asked God to fill me with His peace as I stood in the sun. I have had a lot of worries on my mind lately. All kinds of things.

Immediately, I began to feel better. It wasn't perfectly quiet; the traffic just a few feet away was still rumbling by. But in intervals I was able to hear the songbirds too. And the lack of human voices and music was a relief to my ears. I had classical music playing earlier while I cleaned house, but once finished I yearned for quiet. 

I know that we must cultivate the ability to be at peace even when we are surrounded my noise. It's not always possible to sit in stillness. Even my mind has been a flurry of activity, quite "loud" between my ears. I wonder how it is that my husband, who deals with traffic and people all day long, can stand to listen to such harsh music as he does during his off hours. If I were him, I would want either silence or peaceful music. 

Soon I am going to go for a walk. I finished my chores early today. I usually take my exercise in the afternoon, but my legs are itching for some movement. I want to keep the momentum going after the busy-ness of cleaning house. First, some tea. And peace and quiet. 

World Villages for Children

I gave $12 to World Villages for Children today. I don't have much, but they have even less.

Please consider supporting the Sisters of Mary in their work.

https://www.worldvillages.org/Home.html

Easy soft scrub and other news

So as you know, I've retired our all-natural Trader Joe's toothpaste because it contains glycerin, which we have discovered is not good for teeth. I decided to keep it in the kitchen to use on the sink. I tried it today, and my sink has never been cleaner! I just squirted a few globs around the bottom of the sink, sprinkled on some baking soda, and scrubbed it to death. It nearly has vanquished the coffee stains, and totally conquered some unknown stains on the side of the sink. Fantastic, and its scent is so pleasant- fennel and peppermint.

In other news, my husband's beautiful 90-something-year-old grandma has died. She passed away on Easter Sunday. I told him, "She rose with the Lord." The father of a friend of a friend also died on Easter. Last year, Mother Angelica died on Easter. There's something very special about this. As for my husband, I feel badly that he did not get to visit his grandma, since she lived in Mexico. His mom had planned to fly out to see her on Monday, but now we know that was too late. We just found out today. I hope his mom went anyway, to be with the family. I never met my grandma-in-law, but what I know about her is that she was a hard-working, resourceful, active and devout woman. May she rest in the arms of Jesus.

Speaking of Easter, holy cow... We went to the Cathedral of Christ the Light for the noon Mass. I don't really like going to the Cathedral for Mass, because it is so cavernous that I have a hard time hearing the priest and lectors. Also, they too frequently sing songs in Tagalog that nobody knows. But we went to the Cathedral for Easter because we woke up too late to go to our local church. One good thing about the Cathedral is the parish's diversity. Our parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel, is predominantly Filipino (but they don't sing as much Tagalog as the Cathedral choir! Ha!), and nearby St. Felicitas is predominantly Latino. But the Cathedral has a little bit of everybody, including a large number of African-Americans (not as many of course as the Afrocentric St. Columba).

So, the Cathedral Mass... I observed a beautiful African woman wearing her traditional costume, and many pretty Easter dresses on other women and little girls, and men in nice suits, and then... the young women in mini-dresses. What??? Not just mini-dresses with leggings or hose, but bare legs. Mini-dresses which covered the derriere by a centimeter, not to mention the front lady parts. I was burning with anger and prayed for help so as to not judge the character of these women, but it was so hard. It took me the better of ten minutes to get my mind off the blatant disrespect for our Lord that these women showed in their choice of dress. I reminded myself that they probably had no idea what offense they were causing, and that they were just following the fashions of the day. It's highly likely no one has ever instructed them in modesty, and I shouldn't be surprised by this.

I prayed that my husband hadn't seen them. I don't think he did. There were, of course, other frustrating choices of dress in others, such as jeans, leggings, and hoodies (for Easter???), but the mini-dresses took the cake. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised to see those girls jumping out of a cake. Anyway... I prayed for them once I had gathered my wits. And I prayed for myself to prevent an undue judgmental attitude. We can judge the actions of another, but not the soul, not the heart.

I also prayed for the priest who had to look upon these barely-dressed women as they approached the table of the Lord. God help us. At least their tops weren't low-cut. That would have been too much.
We need a revival of modesty, a deep study of the Scripture that instructs women in their adorning. I don't know how to effect this. My friends dress mostly modestly, and so do the women at my parish, for the most part. We still have an issue with many being too casual, but at least they're covered up.

I guess all I can do is be an example. And pray the Rosary. The Fatima children have told us what Mary said about the many fashions that will offend the Lord, and that the sins of the flesh are what send most souls to Hell. I know that the Rosary is an effective tool against this. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Skincare

As one who is struggling with a year-long acne battle, I thought I'd share my skincare routine. It's different for everyone, but honestly, it's not just about what goes on my skin but what goes in my body.

The first part of my skincare routine is taking one chaste tree capsule first thing in the morning, followed by a cup of echinacea tea. This combination is known to help balance hormones in women, and I firmly believe hormone imbalance is the cause of my acne. So far, it's been almost a month since I started the chaste tree and echinacea, and in the last two weeks, I have had no new breakouts. I just have some stubborn blackheads and blemishes leftover from a previous breakout, but they are decreasing. This is a FIRST.

The second part is cleansing. I wash my face with cold water and a few drops of Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap. I like peppermint for it's fresh scent and tingly feel in the morning. My medication makes me inordinately drowsy in the morning, so anything helps.

Next I pat on Home Health's Blemish Treatment Lotion. I'm not sure if it's helping my blemishes, but I know that the ingredients in this all-natural blend are good for the skin regardless. It's more of a water than a lotion. It acts as an astringent, and I like the fresh scent.

Then, I put on makeup. Not too heavy, of course. I no longer use foundation, at least I won't until my skin is totally clear. I put on mascara first. I dab Almay Smart Shade concealer on my acne scars and red blemishes, then sweep Physicians' Formula Organic Wear powder over my whole face. I follow with my homemade rouge (it's just arrowroot powder and beet root powder) and either lip balm or lipstick.

 (I'm currently using a shea butter lip balm by Out of Africa, and I ordered samples of Maia's Mineral Galaxy lipstick in Old Rose and Lusty Pink. Old Rose is a hit. Lusty Pink is also very pretty. I'm a tad disappointed in the rather expensive Tangee lipstick. That coral color is a bit bright for me and doesn't match with many of my outfits. I force myself to wear it occasionally just to get some use out of that $14.95.)

At night I wash my makeup off with just a washcloth and hot water. I moisturize with a light layer of coconut oil, using a towel to wipe off the excess. Then I spread three or four drops of lavender oil over my face, just because it helps me sleep.

I've tried various products and routines over this last year of terrible acne. Thus far, this routine is the only combination that is reducing the acne. I'm certain that the bulk of the action comes from the chaste tree and echinacea, plus decreasing the amount of sugar and processed foods I eat. I also have been using a lot more probiotics, in capsule form, kefir, and kombucha. I LOVE kombucha. Some people don't like the taste but I think it's refreshing. Rosé is my favorite flavor.

So there you have it. A year's worth of experiments distilled into a successful routine. Amen!

Homemaking Routine

I have a basic homemaking routine that keeps my days full and organized, for the most part.

When I wake, I throw back the covers so the bed can air out, and I open the window.

First thing after I get up and use the bathroom, I take my supplements and medication- chaste tree, probiotic, vitamin C, and Zoloft. Once my multivitamin and tonic tinctures are ready, I'll add them as well.

Next I make coffee, tea, and breakfast. This usually involves cleaning out my tea infuser into the compost, because I often forget the night before. I usually blend echinacea with my tea of the day. Breakfast is usually eggs or oatmeal.

After breakfast and my husband leaves for work, I do the breakfast dishes, clean out his coffee grounds into the compost, and finish my tea. Then I will make the bed.

I usually do my morning skincare routine at this point, then get dressed. Once dressed, I put in a load of laundry, then sweep the floors. It's amazing how the floors get so dirty every single day, even though there are only two of us and we don't wear shoes indoors.

Next, if I have to run a quick errand like taking a letter to the post box, I do it now. Then I start the chore of the day. Monday, water plants and clean bathrooms. Tuesday, dust, clean counters and dining table, damp-mop floors. Wednesday, filing and decluttering. Thursday, clean outside the RV. Friday, clean the fridge. If I am done quickly enough, I will do some writing.

I will then take the laundry out and either hang it on the line or put it in the dryer, weather depending. If I notice we need some grocery item, I will go to the store at this point. If I hung clothes on the line yesterday, I will iron them now. I also will work on my sewing and mending.

Then I have lunch and do lunch dishes. After lunch, if clothes were in the dryer, I will fold and put them away. I may do writing after lunch if I didn't earlier, and then take my exercise, usually a long walk with spurts of jogging. After this I shower, then I check the mail. I will do a check of the tanks to see if they need emptying, and likewise with the trash and compost.

I will plan and make dinner now, and after dinner do dishes right away. If clothes were hung on the line, I will take them down now and put them in a bag to be ironed tomorrow. Then I have a free evening to spend with my husband.

There are always exceptions, for example if I need to go to Berkeley Bowl, I know that I will need three hours to do that because it is so far away, so I will postpone my chore of the day and combine it with the one for tomorrow, and laundry will be put in the dryer instead of hung on the line to save time. And I may not do lunch dishes until I do dinner dishes.

It's taken me about a month or so to develop this routine. The main rule for me is that if nothing else, I make the bed, sweep the floors and do the dishes before I leave the house. There are days when I don't do a load of laundry, or don't go out for my exercise, but in general this is what I do. The most important thing to remember, however, is not to be a slave to the routine, to take my time and enjoy my home and the beautiful days I spend here. There is always time to stop and watch a squirrel on the fence, or watch the clouds change formation, or enjoy the tiny birds who peck around our yard. If I were at a job, I couldn't do that, nor would our home be clean and homemade meals be on the table.

Even your toothpaste is questionable...

Man. Just when I thought I'd "made it" to a high level of healthy, natural living, I learned something about toothpaste. The natural toothpastes I've been buying contain glycerin. Glycerin itself is harmless, it's good for skin care, as a laxative, and I use it to make tinctures. But it's NOT meant to go on your teeth. It creates a film on the teeth that prevents remineralization. It takes 20 rinses to remove the glycerin from your teeth. Bummer.

I read about a woman who switched to a homemade tooth powder and shrank her cavities! Wonderful. For many years people just used clays, salts, baking soda, or calcium carbonate to clean their teeth. And it worked just fine. So I did some research, and made my own toothpaste.

Here's the recipe: Homemade Clay Toothpaste from Keeper of the Home.

It's great! I used it for the first time and love it. It can leave a little grit behind, perhaps I didn't do a good enough job of blending, but that was quickly remedied by rinsing and swishing with water. The best part for me is that I already had all the ingredients! The only thing I bought was a pretty all-glass jar to put it in. The active ingredient, bentonite clay, should not touch metal, and all my jars had metal lids, so I got a pretty little one with a rubber-ringed glass lid. I used a glass bowl and wooden spoon to mix the paste. Keeper of the Home used her metal mixer blades- Don't do that! Bentonite takes toxins out of metals, and contact with metal could leave toxins in the clay!

You can get creative with essential oils when making the paste. I had tea tree and peppermint, which were mentioned in the recipe, but you could use cinnamon, clove, spearmint, wintergreen, sandalwood, basil, lemon, lavender, rose, whatever. I recommend keeping the tea tree, though.

Some people use Earthpaste toothpaste, which I was tempted to buy until I realized I could basically make it myself. It's pretty much the same as Keeper of the Home's recipe.

A fluoride- and glycerin-free toothpaste! Hooray! Most healthy living nerds like me already know you shouldn't use fluoride in anything, but in case you didn't know, here's the information: Fluoride

So, no more Trader Joe's toothpaste. Or deodorant. Just cookies and pie from now on! As long as I brush my teeth with my fabulous clay paste afterward. :)

By the way, the famous Tom's of Maine brand contains glycerin. Sad day. Their deodorant also contains propylene glycol, albeit vegetable-derived. So homemade it is. I purchased Primal Pit Paste for when I run out of my homemade deodorant, simply because I don't have any more of the ingredients and the Pit Paste was cheaper than a new jar of EVCO.

So, this Holy Week, we will fast and pray, but I'll smell good and have clean teeth!

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full." -Matthew 6:16

Worship God, not the Bible

Protestant and non-denominational Christians idolize the Bible. There, I've said it. Sola Scriptura is actually un-Biblical, if you want to get technical. Let's look at what the Bible has to say about itself:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  -2 Timothy 3:16

It doesn't say that Scripture is the only inspiration of God. It says that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." To believe that the Bible is all there is to go on for Christianity is exceedingly narrow-minded and excludes hundreds of years of Church history.

Scripture is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." This is a grossly underwhelming statement compared to that which Protestants will tell you about Sola Scriptura. The Bible is profitable for these things. It is not the totality. I am not saying that the Bible is unimportant. It is extremely important, it is the Word of God. But there is more to Christian history, teaching and life than Scripture.

God didn't stop with the Bible. There are no more Scriptures set forth, that's not what I mean. But He didn't stop putting forth inspiration and grace to his faithful people. When Jesus said, "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age," He didn't just refer to His presence in the Bible. He has sent his Holy Spirit, yes, to be our Comforter and Guide. But He also has sent His Mother to be a witness and sign of what is to come. She is the closest thing to perfection that the human race can boast of, thanks to God's grace and perfect love. She had to be, in order to be the perfect vessel to hold the Lord. And Jesus proclaimed from the Cross that she is to be our Mother also.

We Catholics don't worship her. We love her, have great devotion to her (no different than to our earthly mothers), and pray to her so that she may pray for us to Her Son. She doesn't do anything of her own power. She talks to Jesus for us. It doesn't replace our own talks with Jesus. Of course we can go straight to Him, and we do. But Her influence with Him is powerful, and she is the Queen of Heaven. 

"What then does it mean for Mary to be the Queen of Heaven? In the Old Testament monarchy the Queen of the Davidic Kingdom was the Queen Mother. The Kings, for reasons of state and human weakness, had many wives, none of whom fittingly could be called Queen. That honor was reserved for the mother of the King, whose authority far surpassed the many "queens" married to the king. We see this is the role Bathsheba played with respect to King Solomon and the occasions when the Queen Mother acted as regent on behalf of juvenile successors to the throne.
The role of the Queen Mother, therefore, is a prophetic type of the Kingdom role of Mary, just as the role of the Davidic King is a prophetic type of the Kingdom role of Jesus. Jesus inherited the Kingdom promised to David, who was told that one of his descendants would rule forever. The angel Gabriel revealed this fact to Mary at her Annunciation,

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)

Aside from the prophetic types present in the Kingdom of Judah, there is also the text of Psalm 45, which when speaking of the Kingdom of God also speaks of its Queen.

[6]  Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. [7] Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. [8] All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. [9] Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. [10] Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; [11] So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. (Psalm 45:6-11, KJV)

That Kingdom ruled by God is the same as the Kingdom ruled eternally by the Son of David. It is not an earthly kingdom, though it is present on earth in the Church, but a heavenly kingdom, the Kingdom of God. The Queen of that Kingdom is the Blessed Virgin Mary,  the Mother of the Lord God Jesus Christ."   --https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/mother.htm

What's funny to me is that even though non-Catholic Christians profess to take the Bible literally and as the sole source of doctrine, they don't take Jesus at His Word when He broke the bread at the Last Supper and said,  "'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" And yet they don't believe in the Eucharist, that is, the bread and wine turned into the literal body and blood of Christ. For them, it is merely symbolic. As for me, I believe Jesus' words.

As for priests being unmarried, this is Biblical too. Peter was married, but he left his wife to follow Jesus and to preach the Gospel after the Ascension. Paul was unmarried, and wrote, "

A man does well not to marry.[a] But because there is so much immorality, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband. A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs.  A wife is not the master of her own body, but her husband is; in the same way a husband is not the master of his own body, but his wife is. Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.

 I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission.  Actually I would prefer that all of you were as I am; but each one has a special gift from God, one person this gift, another one that gift." --1 Corinthians 7: 1-6

Here Paul is speaking not only of an Apostle's proper position as an unmarried man, but that celibacy is better (holier) than marriage. It is clear from this excerpt that marriage in the fallen age is a concession to man's depravity. Protestants point to the Old Testament in Genesis where Adam and Eve are instructed to "be fruitful and multiply" and value married life as the ultimate in holiness. They have ignored Paul's teaching entirely. The New Testament contains instructions for fallen man, on how to build the Kingdom of God on earth, after Jesus fulfilled the old law. Adam and Eve were given their instruction before the fall. And Paul states, "I tell you this not as an order," meaning that it is not an order than all must be married, but rather he would wish that all were celibate as he is.

I am not a biblical scholar nor an expert Catholic apologist. I am simply one who sees glaring holes in Protestant doctrine and frankly, can't believe my ears when I hear it, it's so obviously incorrect. The Spirit convicts me as well. 

Here's the old but still practical argument: If the Bible is all Christianity has to go on, what did Christians do before it was compiled and used in its current form? 

"There was no canon of scripture in the early Church; there was no Bible. The Bible is the book of the Church; she is not the Church of the Bible. It was the Church--her leadership, faithful people--guided by the authority of the Spirit of Truth which discovered the books inspired by God in their writing. The Church did not create the canon; she discerned the canon. Fixed canons of the Old and New Testaments, hence the Bible, were not known much before the end of the 2nd and early 3rd century." 

http://www.catholicapologetics.org/ap030700.htm

The fullness of God's revelation is in the Catholic Church. I don't mean to say that humans within the Church have been perfect, far from it. The Church is an earthly institution made up of sinful humans. But that doesn't remove the graces that God has bestowed upon it, nor does it take away from the fact that its doctrine and dogma is the most complete.

I am always annoyed when I hear Protestants start, "Well, the Bible says..." as if the Bible itself were a person! I hear that more than I hear, "This is what God's Word says," or "This is what Jesus said..." I also am offended by the terms "Bible-believing Christian" or "Bible-believing church." Many think Catholics don't believe the Bible because of the many things we believe that aren't expressly stated in the Bible. That is illogical. We believe everything the Bible teaches, in addition to the traditions of the Church handed down from the original Christians, and all the visions and revelations given to faithful Christians over the centuries. As I said before, God didn't stop with the Bible. He is constantly providing us with guidance and drawing us to Himself. None of the visions and revelations contradict what is in the Bible. It is all one cohesive plan unfolding to draw all men unto God. 

How I don't watch TV

Things I do instead of watching television:

1. Keep my house clean. I have a routine for morning and afternoon, and keep things orderly throughout the day. I like to clean as I go, plus I like to have one big chore for the day.

2. Make myself presentable. For me, this is hair and makeup, and a nice outfit, even if it's just me cleaning the house. It lifts my spirits, and it takes up time to do it well.

3. Take a walk or go for a jog. Exercise is vital for health and wellbeing, and I love to walk for a long time. I take short jogs, slowly building endurance. It's lovely to jog to the marina park, and then rest while watching the water and wildlife.

4. Read books. I've read so many books lately. Non-fiction mostly. My horizons expand and my brain gets to chew on ideas and useful information. I also enjoy spending time at the library. They have an art gallery there, as well as events such as concerts.

5. Research. I spend time on the internet researching all kinds of things: homemaking tips, articles for Christian women, natural healthcare, do-it-yourself projects, and history as well. I think it's important to always seek to improve and to learn from the past.

6. Read my Bible. I haven't done as much as I should, but I do it more now than before.

7. Pray the Rosary. This is something I've let slide and I want to get back into. But again, I'm doing it more than before.

8. Spend more time at markets, making better consumer decisions because I take my time and also research where to go for certain things. I like the European way of hitting the local markets more often during the week instead of the typical American way of doing the week's shopping all at once at a big supermarket.

9. Fix things around the house. For me, this is mostly sewing and mending, but if anything in the motorhome breaks, I can take the time to investigate and problem-solve.

10. Feel unhurried and satisfied with the quality of my life. I don't rush through the things I have to do just so I can spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the television. I noticed that people subconsciously do this. I once did. I didn't do it purposely, I just learned to do it. It seems to be the American way. Spend a few minutes on each important task, spend hours watching TV. I am also counting those who watch TV shows on the internet. We will occasionally watch YouTube videos or a movie, but no TV shows.

11: I have the time to iron laundry, which is especially important when I've dried it on the line. I really enjoy it, and my husband loves having pressed shirts. I think the bed looks nicer with pressed pillowcases. And it's a meditative task. I often use the time to pray as well.

12. Take my time planning dinners and cook from scratch. It really does take up time, but it's worth it. I will go out and pick a lemon from the tree for slices in our water glasses. Maybe I'll add sprigs of mint from the garden. I also take the time to make myself presentable before my husband comes home, and I set the table nicely. I make sure the table has fresh flowers, the mail and clutter is dealt with, and the placemats are clean. It's easy to let things pile up on the table throughout the day, since it's the only flat surface we have. So I take extra time to ready it for dinner.

13. Write letters to friends. I am doing a teabag exchange with my friend in Colorado and her mom who lives north of me. It's been sweet. I also like to send cards to friends and family just to say hello.

14. Work on home health projects. I am slowly amassing medicinal herbs and working on tinctures, teas, and other personal care items.

15. Write and sing. I write on this blog, as well as in a paper journal, and I love to sing. Even if it's just by myself at home, it's good for me to keep my pipes from getting rusty. And seeing as all the songs I know are from church, God will be praised.