I made an appointment to see a dermatologist the last time I complained about my skin, and my appointment is next week. My skin is doing…sort of the same. I stopped all my lotions and potions and now use Dr. Bonner to cleanse and sweet almond oil as a moisturizer. The itching is definitely better, but every now and then I’ll get red and my face will itch, especially around my chin and eyebrows.
My diet and lack of sleep is doing my skin no favors, this much I know. I’ve been trying to eat healthier and drink less coffee, with mixed success. The Bountiful cookbook is great so far–it was one of my Mother’s Day presents. The other was a gorgeous hydrangea plant from a nursery. So excited about that one!
I started reading Eating Animals, have you? Mercy.
Yesterday I had an interesting conversation on the purpose of blogging on Instagram, of all places. I wish all the comments would show. Jessica linked to this post by Austin Kleon, who had an interesting take on the subject.
I have never been tempted to abandon blogging for the latest shiny social network. I’ve been tempted to stop blogging altogether and disappear from the internet, but that’s nothing new. I go through phases, people annoy me. I’m the Draco Malfoy of blogging.
Fact: those of you who have children younger than mine, know they will one day grow up and become interested in Harry Potter, like you once were years and years ago. The books, the movies, all of it. This means that you will know far more about Harry Potter than the rest of the population because the rest of the population got over their Harry Potter fixation 10 years ago. You will find that every situation you encounter in life can be explained by Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Draco references. Hagrid only when there is an issue with grooming. Laugh at me now, but I will laugh at you in a few years, too, so it’s cool.
Nico is the best little kid to check on at bedtime. Even Mikey is into it because he’s most likely doing something adorable, like falling asleep with a book, cuddling a globe, or falling asleep in the middle of casting a Jelly Legs Hex.
See what I mean? Harry Potter all the time.
My time in the library, for this year, ends the last week of May. I’m equal parts relieved and sad. I’m beat, and I could use some time at home cleaning and doing other homemaking things. Also, I’ve done a horrible job replying to comments here, which kills me because that is very, very important to me. I try to catch up on Thursdays, which is my day off, but I’m hoping after library ends I’ll resume my usual schedule. Yayy!!
What a good update! Bountiful looks awesome.
Right now, J is All Star Wars, all the time. I marvel at the fact that before I know it, that will be Harry Potter.
Oh, and I don’t sleep anymore. (newborn and Type A) Don’t abandon coffee! (She said, sipping her coffee.)
Star Wars is how it all began for us. Once he gets the hang of reading (and has stunned you with his capacity to know everything and anything Star Wars), he’ll move onto Harry Potter. It’s crazy.
I had coffee this morning. Like I said in the post, mixed success. ;)
My copy of Eating Animals is in at the library and I’m picking it up tonight! Regarding your skin, have you tried Cetaphil (cleanser or lotion)? Almost everyone I talk to who has had adult skin issues is told by their dermatologist to use Cetaphil, so I am interested to hear what is recommended to you.
We’re finally reading Book 4 of Harry Potter . We’ve waited a year between books because 4th years at Hogwarts use different language and have a different sense of humor than 1st graders. Now though, a 2nd grader at the end of the year understands when Ron mutters something about seeing “Uranus”. The outburst of laughter is priceless. Boys!
I have tried cetaphil! A dermotologist recommended it to me, in fact. Someone on twitter/IG??? said it might be rosacea that I have, so I’ve been trying to use stuff that is rosacea friendly, which cetaphil isn’t, allegedly. No clue on that, honestly. I do hope I don’t have rosacea, though, because there really isn’t a “cure” and I hear it’s progressive. It can be managed, and I suppose God won’t give me what I can’t handle.
Harry Potter never gets old! My oldest is 14 and he read all the books in 5th grade or so. My 7th grader listened to them on audio and loved them but around book 5 the number of CDs is just ridiculous. She tried to switch to reading them herself but never finished. I think I need to get my 4th grader hooked!
And she’s writing another one! This one 70 or so years prior to Harry Potter. I hope she doesn’t turn into the George Lucas on wizards.
I just finished reading Eating Animals. GAH. I’m reminded forcibly of Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and the banality of evil. Can’t wait for the discussion.
I’m glad you posted about blogging. I’ve been feeling discouraged lately by the general silence. I think people comment less because they’re reading blogs on their smart phones more now (as opposed to on the computer) and typing comments is harder on the phone. But it’s hard to put so much effort into something and get so little feed back sometimes. That Austin Kleon excerpt does help me keep at it though, so thank you for that!
My God, that book looks AMAZING. Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I would have never heard of it if it wasn’t for you.
I’ve been questioning the purpose of blogging and all forms of social media for months now. I’ve pretty much abandoned Instagram and Twitter. I use Facebook mostly for connection with people I already know. I have a FB page for the blog, but I don’t update it regularly. Just don’t have the time/get enough satisfaction from it to make it worth my while. Find myself bored with most blogs because they’ve all gotten so slick/commercial. Love the interaction with others I get through mine, but mine is feeling weird to me. We get the most traffic from the kind of posts I’m not much interested in writing anymore. I find myself wondering why traffic matters–but if traffic doesn’t matter, why am I writing? If I’m not (like Austin Kleon) trying to make a living from creative work, why am I blogging? Have been wondering a lot about just what it is I am getting from it and what I’m giving through it and whether or not those things really matter and are a good way to spend my one wild and precious life. Like you, I feel tempted to disappear from the internet. I worry about the world I see evolving and feel like I might be a dinosaur. Maybe that’s OK, though?
This x 2000.
I know nothing about blogging, but I love yours and I hope you keep it if for no other reason than to chat with the little community you have built (it really does feel like we all ‘know each other’). I have Twitter and I’m terrible about using it myself -going in spurts. I use FB to keep up with the people I already know and it’s the easiest method to get the same information out to family & friends without group emails & the like. Yours is one of very few blogs that I follow religiously and read almost as soon as I see there is something new posted, no matter what the topic of the day! All that being said, I understand needing to have a life away from the computer (but please don’t leave us. please please please)
Ok. :)
Eating Animals? Started it a couple of days ago. Jason saw me reading it last night and asked, ‘What are you reading?! You keep cringing and making faces.’ That says it all, right? I’ve read and watched similar information before, but it’s just hard to do. I anticipate this will be a VERY hot discussion for book club because nothing about this book or topic is middle of the road moderation.
On that note, I will be finding a copy of Bountiful for myself. Veggies are looking better and better….
I can’t wait for the discussion. It should be interesting! That was my goal this year–pick books that make you feel something, even if it is horror. O_O
Ok, I have the book on the Kindle, but haven’t started it yet and now I’m not sure I can. I’m really super sensitive about animals, our dog had surgery today, and I’m kind of emotionally drained (for a lot of other reasons too). I remember sobbing at the end of Charlotte’s Web and I was only 8.
I can tell you right now, do NOT read the book today if your dog just had surgery. Gird yourself and choose another week!
Thanks. Mocha’s home and doing ok now, but I think I’ll heed your warning and wait.
I really enjoy your blog. For selfish reasons only, please keep blogging. =P
You’re too far away for us to grab coffee together. I would miss you.
Haha! Thanks. :)
HA! I am so glad you posted my Kleon link here, because as I commented on your Instagram I was like “Wait a second… this link isn’t clickable?? What the heck is the point of an unclickable link?? THIS IS WHY WE ALL STILL NEED BLOGS BECAUSE YOU CAN’T EVEN SHARE AN EFFING LINK ON IG!! Gaaah!!”
Anywaaaaayyy… I *always* think about that Kleon bit when I think about blogging because whether or not people comment or follow or you build a community or you don’t, at the end of the day, a self-hosted blog is YOUR space. You do with it what you want. Even if it evolves or your readership changes, your content and your space are still yours – it doesn’t belong to FB or IG. Even if I do spend more time sharing/talking elsewhere (which I definitely do), I think that ownership is still valuable to me, on a personal level. I hope it’s still valuable to others, because I still read a lot of really great, smart bloggers (you included) and I would be quite sad to see everyone’s years of writing and accumulated expertise just fade away…
As a lawyer, you have to know I love your comment on ownership. Unbelievably, it’s an angle I hadn’t considered when thinking about Instagram because I always caution people with blogs to think about that when choosing platforms. Blogspot, for example, owns your work.
I love that blog article, and I agree with it. At a certain point, and a certain age, who wants to run from cool place to cool place? Who cares all the time about the next new network?
Maybe that’s it, Lisa. We are of a certain age where we are more likely to see the futility of chasing rainbows.
And this post right here is why I love your blog and read you regularly.
xoxo
re skin. i have rosacea and the most reactive skin on the planet. for the most part it’s under control, but i can barely use anything. here’s what I use: NOT Cetaphil! I only use a facial cleanser every 2 to 3 days, and when I do I use Weleda’s Almond Soothing Cleanser. The rest of the time I splash with water in the morning and THAT’S IT. For a long time I couldn’t even tolerate tap water, and had to use bottled, but now I can use tap water again. After my morning wash, either with water or if it’s a cleanser day, I mix together 2 drops of Weleda’s pure almond oil and 2 drops of Skin Biology’s Squalene oil. And then I pat that all over my face. I can’t really tolerate sunscreen for more than a day, so I avoid the sun, or wear hats when I’m out. I exfoliate NEVER. i’ve also had success with Aveeno’s Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. I have never found a moisturize I can tolerate, the only thing that really works for me is the almond oil and squalene. In the dead of winter, if I get too dry (not usually a problem for me, I’m more oily than dry), I pat on Weleda’s calendula baby cream. I’ve also been able to tolerate various Avene products, they have a line called Toleriance, for sensitive, reactive skin. Hang in there! Oh and the cookbook looks awesome! Do you drink green tea? Green tea is a friend to skin. Kid you not, I am more pale when I drink a lot of green tea. You can also take it in capsule form. Also, my skin loves it when I take hyaluronic acid capsules and some form of Omega 3 oil. I don’t take them all the time, because too much upsets my tummy. I’ve also had success with Klaron lotion, which is prescription. And now…..I think I’m going to copy this NOVEL and make a blog post about it on my blog, ha!