30 Day Challenge Day 2

Something I feel strongly about…

Knowledge of self so people can be who they are. This is a continual process with some having more of a jump start and others are behind the eight ball playing catchup in their late 30s. I fit the latter.

Society in so many minute ways discourages this because it is not in it’s best interest to have folks be in possession of themselves. I think this the biggest reason why so many folks are miserable and unhappy. It is stressful to act in a role that you were not cast for. This is not to say that one cannot learn something new. Learning is a integral part of life because it is the cycle of change. I’m talking about having to be someone you clearly are not because of labels put on folks generation after generation. Yep, the crab mentality is in full effect.

A Quick Braidlock Update Month 33

Posted by msfullroller

I was reminded by BajanLily and QueenRella that I had not done a loc update in awhile so here’s a comparison collage of a photo from last year and another 1 year later. As I did the collage which I use Picasa, I have to say I’m really glad y’all called me on that. To be honest, one of the reasons I had not wanted to update was because I did not think my locs had grown all that much and the growth is way less than many who started locking at the same time as I. However, upon review there really is a visible difference from last year!

TTYL

30 Day Challenge-Day 1

Posted by msfullroller

5 ways to win my heart.

These are not in any particular order of importance. Only how they came to mind at the time.

1. Take care of a few everyday tasks without me having to ask you to do it. It does not threaten your manhood in any way, shape or form. The last time I checked, the male species has to drink water and eat to stay alive, just like females do. And don’t worry about what the boys might think. If they say something negative to you it’s because 1) they are “boys” and 2) they’re jealous of what you got. A relationship is a partnership meaning there are two people involved and it takes equal effort from both persons involved to keep things running smoothly.

2. Use that brain the Creator has given each of us to THINK with and do not be afraid to use it. It is not up there to take up space or to weigh your head down, keeping your head from floating off your neck. The ability to think critically with intelligence is sexy. So is good old fashioned common sense. Group think is not.

3. Take time to get know me, for who I am. Not what society says I’m supposed to be, your friend Ray Ray or anybody else for that matter.

4. Some technical/practical know how, the courage to research what you don’t know how to do, put into practice what you’ve learned and most importantly, make changes where necessary. It’s ok to change the plan a bit if new info comes about to improve the task. Also lets talk it over to plan the work and work the plan. Two heads are better than one and if you did #3 well…

5. Being a good steward of the Earth’s resources and your money. Now y’all know that was gonna have to be one of them especially the managing money part. I feel like this, if I see that you don’t know how to take care of your bizzness, you are not gonna suddenly get hit with the integrity lightening bolt to know how to take care of ours.

This list is by no means all inclusive as I’m a constantly evolving being but the challenge says 5 soooo, I’ll stick with the program… for now..lol Yeah, I’m getting more and more rebellious as I get older. Though it’s not necessarily rebelling but more like telling it like it is. Something I was afraid to do at a younger age. 😉

TTYL

30 Day Challenge

Posted by msfullroller

Yavinah has got a really cool blog challenge that she is doing and thought it would be fun thing to do. Plus it’ll push me back into the habit of posting. It’s not like I don’t have anything to talk about. The thing is, I have been being a bit introspective of late and spending my internet time elsewhere. BajanLily another super awesome lady has also joined in as well. Check these ladies’ blogs as out they are fantastic..the blogs and the ladies too. I’m glad to be following their writings. Alrighty, here are the topics for the next 30 days:

I hope that you can read this, especially if you will be to joining in on this challenge. They’ve already started so naturally, I’m gonna be a few days behind. Darn, I’m always late to the party…well not always. But that’s alright. It’ll be quite interesting to read everyone’s thoughts.

OK, I’ll see ya in a bit with day 1.

TTYL!

New Glasses…Old Folks Glasses

Posted by msfullroller

Y’all I had to go ahead and break down and get some new glasses…actually new lenses because the type of lenses I wear are expensive on their own. If I had got new frames the price tag would have been…whoa. It’s expensive to be blind. ( literally and figuratively) lol

I have been wearing glasses for about 39 years…yeah a long time. I’m nearsighted, which means I can’t see clearly objects that are at a distance. In the past 4-5 years, I was having to take my glasses off so I could read or do close up work. In the last year of so, I started not being able to see clearly, objects that were a little less than arm’s length away with my glasses on. The problem with my old glasses was that the entire lenses were for distance vision. So, it was time to do something.

The type of lenses I have been wearing for almost 20 years are the ultra light weight lenses and the Transitions lenses for the past 5 years. If you are not familiar, with those they are the lenses that get darker when they are exposed to sunlight and lighten back up to a clear lense when back indoors. They are also lighter weight and thinner than regular plastic lenses. This is an important feature for me because 1)I am outdoors a bit and it really is a hassle to carry two pair of glasses especially if I’m working in my garden or taking a walk or something like that and 2) It’s hot as you know what here in the summer. These lenses are not cheap but when ya can’t see what’s a girl gonna do?!

Now couple that with having to get a bi-focal or really a tri-focal and the price tag is higher than my monthly mortgage payment ($414) was when I had one of those thangs. No exaggeration or said for drama…yep, higher! Dang it!!! That’s not what I really wanted to say but I know some of y’all that read are Christians so I’ll try to keep it clean. 😉 What I’ve got are the Progressive lenses. These are the no-line bifocals. Call me vain, but I’m only 45 and it’s bad enough that I’ve got to have bi-focals. I’m not ready for lines in my glasses yet…maybe in 20 years but not now! Translation…cha-ching! Yeah, I said that already! Mine are really tri-focals because there are 3 different strengths of vision in the lenses and in my case it’s really only 2. My farsightedness which is where I can’t read/see objects close up, is where I don’t have it because I can see/read perfectly clear without glasses. Whereas most folks like DH have to have reading glasses in order to read or say thread a needle. So, the top of my glasses is for distance like before. The middle is for seeing at half arm’s distance away, like for computer work etc. and the very bottom has no prescription at all so that I can see/read as if I’m not wearing my glasses.

Is it worth the price? Yeah, it is, because I can see no matter the distance with my glasses on. Surprisingly, the adjustment period was very short. I guess because I was already having to move my head and eyes above my glasses to see close up. I also got the kind that gives a wider field of vision thru the lenses. Of course that added to the price tag, but still worth it. I’m wearing my glasses right now as I type this post and can look out the window across the street at the neighbors house. I was not able to do that before with my glasses on.

TTYL, 🙂

Stylish Blogger Award!

Posted by msfullroller

Thanks so much Yavinah for passing this award to me. Wow, another one on my little ole blog. Again, I’m honored and humbled. OK, the rules are to thank and link back to the one who has given this award. Check.

Second list 7 things about yourself. Oh boy, here goes:

1. I’ve recently gotten back into bowling, one of my favorite sports hence the name msfullroller. It’s derived from the way the bowling ball is released…an old school release in that the ball rolls over the entire circumference…full roller. I added ms to the front since I’m a female. Some folks on YouTube thought my name had to do with hair rollers. Hahaha. Shoot, I hated to roll my hair when it was permed so if I were on the odd chance referring to rollers, the name would have been, msantiroller! lol

2. I really do not like to cook. It’s ok once I get started, I guess it’s the thought of, I gotta cook. If it were not so darn expensive and unhealthy to eat out everyday I would do it in a heartbeat. However in light of the recent tornadoes that struck my state where so many have lost everything they have, I’m very thankful that I’ve got a roof over my head to cook, food to cook and a stove to cook it on.

3. I’ve become an Internet information junkie. Probably the main reason why I have not written much here lately. lol But I love to learn because to me knowledge is power. To me, Internet is like a big ole library that I can access 24/7/365, but I love brick-n-mortar libraries too. I’m a voraciuos reader. If I’m sitting at the doc’s office with Mom, I’ve got a book in hand.

4. I love astrology, numerology , pretty much all the metaphysical stuff.

5. I’ve become an ingredient junkie. Ingredients being herbs use on my locs and other uses to. This is one of the results of #3. Last year is when this all began which I did write about one of the herbs which was rosemary.

6. I’m almost a hermit. I think this is partly due to where I am in my life and the rest is who I really am.

7. Just got my new glasses last week, well new lenses for my old frames and they are bi-focals or really tri-focals. lol

The last requirement is to award 15 recently discovered bloggers and notify them of this award. I don’t have 15 but I give this award to the following blogger: Queenrella

45 Years ago today…

Posted by msfullroller

Hey guys! I’m finally back and guess what today is…judging by the title I’m sure you already have an idea. It’s my birthday!! For those of you who have been with me for a while especially on YouTube and here as well know that I am the type of woman who is in no way ashamed to tell you my age. lol I’m proud to say that I’m 45, grateful and thankful to have made it thus far cuz thangs could be a lot worse!

Decided to do another loc comparison pick so I put on my favorite shirt and the same jewelry that I had on last year and the year before for this.

TTYL

Happy Holidays- Yeah looong time no see

Posted by msfullroller

Poppin’ in real quick before 2010 runs on outta here. I intend on getting back to posting here and my YouTube page in the new year. In the meantime here are some pics I just took of the locs which are 28 months today. Still lovin this journey! Happy holidays, stay safe and I’ll see y’all in 2011!

Rosemary is in my Hair!

Posted by msfullroller

For the last 3 weeks or so I have been experimenting with a spritz that consists of fresh rosemary, a few dried rosebuds and a tiny bit of dried sage. The rosemary you see in the picture above is one of three shrubs from my very own garden…that I’ve been growing for 6 years! And, I’ve not used any of it until now. Can you say, DUH?! Yeah, I’ve been Rip Van Winkle, sleeping big time on this.

Rosemary is an herb/shrub that is very easy to grow. It likes a well draining soil and is drought tolerant once it is established. I planted these in the spring of 2004. Our winter, spring and summers have been drier than normal since ’03 with the worst year in ’07. It was so bad that we had pretty severe watering restrictions but my rosemary made it through just fine surviving on whatever rain Mother Nature gave it. I do not and have not given it any additional water since the first year after it was in the ground. It’s pest free, trouble free and loves the heat and humidity we have. Now that’s my kind of plant. It’s Latin name means “dew of the sea” because it was first discovered growing along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

It also smells absolutely wonderful when you brush up against it or run your hand across the leaves. Much better than the essential oil to my nose, but the essential oil is more concentrated. I’ve read somewhere, that it takes 70lbs of plant material to get 1lb of EO. Don’t quote me on that, but I know the ratio of plant material needed to what you get as an EO is pretty wide. You know, kinda like cooking collard greens. When you are picking those big bunches, it looks like you are gonna have a whole mess of greens, but when they finish cooking, you swear somebody stole some out the pot. lol

For hair, fresh rosemary is awesome!! Now I have used the essential oil in the past and it seemed to dry my hair out which I think is why I was afraid to try the fresh or dried but the fresh plant is the exact opposite. And I had no idea how to use it, so that’s probably why it’s taken so long for me to try it. It seems to kick up my herb infused shealoe up 360 notches, takes away the oilyness and leaves my locs nice and soft. Even when there is not much humidity in the air or I’m in an air conditioned place for awhile, my locs are not feeling crunchy like they were before as ,it started to get hot around here. We really don’t have a spring season so it starts to get hot in April, where business feel the need to turn on A/C. A/C draws moisture out of the air so I’m figuring it means it’s doing the same thing to my locs. Since I don’t use A/C, I was noticing that when I did go out, my locs were fine before I left and when I returned home. But they felt crunchy while I was out somewhere, inside under air conditioning. One of the benefits of HIL syndrome I guess, because I may not have noticed that otherwise. I’m also spraying it on my scalp to see if it will stimulate growth along with conditioning my scalp. Rosemary has been used for a very long time as a hair conditioner and for darkening the hair.

I’ll type out how to make your own rosemary water later in the next post and post the video. If you want to see the video sooner, it’s already posted on my YouTube channel, titled “How to make Rosemary Water”.

TTYL

Edited 1/30/2012 while re-tagging after the move to WordPress:

I no longer use rosemary water as a spritz. It was too much for my hair and scalp but I’m considering using rosemary water/tea along with with the sage tea that I use to cut my herbal ACV mix for my scalp. I’ll post about that at a later time but I’ll post the video on the blog here.