If I am a Mary Kay Beauty consultant, all I care about is looking good & making money off others that also think that what is most important is looking good. I have even been told that I have “sold out” to those who believe that image is everything in this world (a philosophy to which I still refuse to subscribe) by choosing to have my MK business.

The fact is undeniable that we do live in a world where advertisers & producers of many different products want us to believe that image is everything. They spend megabucks to perpetuate this myth, playing on our insecurities about ourselves, giving us all kinds of reasons to make us feel bad about ourselves if we choose not to buy/use their products. To be able to satisfy the the huge demand they have created with their “emotional blackmail” and also to keep operating costs low, employees of these advertisers & producers of many different products often must make tremendous personal sacrifices in order to meet the ever-increasing expectations of their employers. Time with family, opportunities for creative outlets, personal ethics and even physical well being can become casualties in the process. Raises and promotions are often meted out with puzzling proportion to effort expended by individuals in the organization…

In the Mary Kay world (aka the “Pink Bubble”), things are quite different. The philosophy upon which the company was founded is “God first, family second, career third.” Are you even allowed to talk about God at most workplaces? Unless you work in a church, that would be a resounding NO! I really like that many activities and events in the MK world start off with a prayer…

To keep the Mary Kay brand reputation and level of ethics intact, MK has invested its resources into creating and maintaining standards that they will insist that anyone who decides to associate themselves with Mary Kay also follow. Manufacturers who provide  products that do not meet the expectations of Mary Kay get them sent back–even if they were prominently featured in the distributed company literature and it will delay their launch. (I personally saw this happen last year.) Consultants are always trained to offer potential customers information about MK products and the opportunity to purchase them without using that “emotional blackmail” to make them feel like they will turn into an ogre if they decline and “trash-talking” any competitor’s products is also strictly prohibited. MK expects their products to stand on their own merit. I find working with and among those who consider the mediocre and the minimum required unacceptable to be a refreshing change from most of the environments where I earned my living as an engineering documentation specialist…

Most of the “employees” of MK are women that own their own business, organizing it to suit their own pedicular needs. Since most of the choices regarding that business are made by each individual owner, each can serve the needs of its owner. Young mothers that don’t want their children raised by minimum-wage day care workers can stay home during the day and do demos in the evenings. Military wives can take their business with them each time they must relocate, adding on to their customer base since there are no “territories” in MK. Students can make some extra cash and still have time to study or socialize. It is also up to each business owner just how much she (or he–there are some fellas, too!) would like to make. The formula is very simple. More work = more money. No mystery, no exceptions, no getting extra stuff because you know (or happen to be related to) the right people, etc. I like that best of all…

Edit: I almost forgot to mention the millions of dollars given through the Mary Kay Ash Charitable foundation each year to support breast cancer research & domestic violence shelters! 

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

I got the garage wall shelves done!!!!

The gi-normous Christmas tree in its body-bag-looking container is now gone from my dining room floor. WooHOO!!!! Along with it went a good bit of stuff inside and out that we have been tripping over for weeks now…

Right after that wall got rebuilt in January, I got sick for what seemed like at least a month and I just did not feel like dealing with building new shelves out there–especially when the weather got wet and cold! Then it seemed like every time I went to deal with that, something else would jump out and grab my attention. (With my “adult ADD,” it really doesn’t take all that much.) Finally last Wednesday, I went to Lowe’s and got a bunch of the supplies to do the job. Coming home, I got sick again (or maybe still–I’m just not one for taking forever to get over anything) and it just seemed like it was never going to happen! I was bummed, to say the least. At long last, on Friday, I got things started and Saturday, I actually finished the job!

This “adult ADD” thing of mine often gets me into so many things, that hardly anything ever gets finished, so you better know I was really flying high when I started loading up those shelves! I was sooooo excited, it took forEVER to go to sleep last night, which was unfortunate, since that was also the night we “sprung forward” for DST and lost an hour of sleep….

Now Al_son is talking to me about gardens…

Pardon me while I…..

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………

Donkey cannot have all the fun making everyone hungry on Mondays….

Sticking to my fat flush plan has been a bit more than the usual challenge this last week. Daughter & her sweetie have been visiting & cooking fancy meals in our kitchen lately. Last weekend, it was this awesome chicken dish with goat cheese, wrapped in some sort of pastry dough topped with a fruited sherry sauce, accompanied by carrots with a ginger/butter sauce & the yummiest taters with leeks & sweet red peppers that I have had in quite a while!

Saturday we were treated to a Cajun feast with blackened ribeyes & shrimp (not sure if that the way you spell it or not this is my best guess) etoufee. Even after Donkey’s brother had more than three helpings & I sent leftovers home with everyone, (whenever they come to cook, it usually draws at least a little bit of a crowd) we still had a good bit left for us since this young chef does not like to run out of anything when he cooks a meal. I had the shrimp etoufee for lunch again today after church. Yummy! Donkey worked on the leftovers I had originally planned for the evening before the kids showed up for our last feast, but my fridge STILL runneth over with all kinds of food!

I need distractions! Well, there’s the laundry, the food pantry business to do, bills to pay (taxes, too!) & all kinds of Mary Kay stuff that I need to get organized, wrapped up & delivered this week, but I need something more fun to keep my face outta the fridge! If the weather behaves itself, I may get to do some fun stuff outside or in the garage….

I thought I might also share this funny from one of my MK friends. The ironic thing about this one is that I used to actually use the term described in number four & I meant pretty much what it says:

….that the lenses could just pop out of your eyeglass frames while you were doing absolutely NOTHING but sitting in front of your computer screen?
….that electronic equipment could attract so much dust?
….that leftover stew could taste so yummy at the end of the day?
….that oil would ever reach $100 a barrel?
….that it would take so long to get all of the sugar cookies I baked last weekend to get eaten?
….that there are so many awesome people in the Mary Kay world?
….that donkeys could be such “wonder-full” companions?
….that one day the same child who used to have trouble enduring one hour of Sunday school would be willingly attending worship services as an adult?
….that when your offspring left home they could leave such a big hole in your heart & an even bigger mess in your house?
….that one stray, scraggly-looking kitty could work her way into your heart so that it is hard to go to sleep at night with our “goodnight ritual” & you would be willing to spend a pile of cash for acupuncture treatments to keep her from attacking & injuring her own tail?
….that there are all these really talented people that can do really cool stuff like take pictures, paint, dance & write lots of different things that are sitting at their computers right now, spelunking around xanga, just like me?
Well, I do know these things now & so do you!

Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday to Spazzzzzzzz
and many more………

EDIT: Thanks for all your prayers for my friend. She has really pitiful health insurance, so she went to one of those “day surgery” places to have it done, then she was at her mom’s for several days until she could care for herself & now after her post op checkup on Friday, she is happy to be home!

I have a Mary Kay friend who had her gall bladder removed today. She is a very positive, upbeat person and she tells me everything will be just fine, not to worry.  She is also facing other challenges in her life right now, which she tells me are “opportunities to gain strength” and I admire her attitude so much. She has always been one of the most encouraging and supportive members of the “MK family” to me, so I just want to return the favor any way I can…



Oh & don’t forget to get your Valentine something special this next week! If you hurry, I might still be able to send a “Pamper me pink” basket to her/him in time…

At the end of the year, after we (with a lot of help from our favorite contractor) FINALLY figured out what was causing the water leaks in our bathroom, we set about making plans to get things fixed right after the holidays were over. I was just so happy to know one of the main sources that was sustaining all of the mold that kept growing in our bathroom was going away that I wasn’t even stressing a whole lot about the price tag for the project nor the fact that this meant the remainder of my kitchen updates would be delayed yet again. The thought of a mold-free bathroom with no mushrooms growing out of the baseboards was giving me goosebumps! I could breathe easier just thinking about it. I also loved having a really good excuse to rip down the wall paper in the bathroom after 10 years of looking at it. It wasn’t all that bad, though not exactly my taste & it did go well with the Spanish architecture of our house…

When I peeled off the paper, you could see where the mold (Can you say “ewwwwwwwww!!!!!”?) was growing on the walls :

The worst of it was this opposite corner near the toilet. It was so bad, the wallpaper wouldn’t even stick to the walls any more:

I was a little afraid to even take this part down! Who knew mold came in this many colors? It was even nastier than I was afraid it might be:

The “crew” got busy shortly after New Year’s, starting with tearing down the wall between the garage & the bathroom to get to the “problem” plumbing area. That was a bit weird standing in my bathroom & being able to see down my driveway & into the street! It really kicked up some dust & no doubt, more of that nasty mold. My allergies were really beginning to act up…

I took pictures after most of the major steps of the job were finished. First, they framed up the new wall (with a seat!) so they could put up a temporary wall (shown in picture below) at the end of each day when they left:

 

This temporary wall did a lot to help to keep outside stuff out & inside stuff in, but it could not keep out the massive amounts of cedar pollen in the air that usually make me a bit of a recluse this time of year because I (along with about a bazillion other folks in this area) am so sensitive to it. Since they would have it down during the day while they were working, the wall was also pretty much useless for keeping the cigarette smoke from the workers (who only smoked outside so how could I ask them not to?) from coming inside, too. Anyway, more allergy issues for me. We had our temporary wall for a number of days until the (oh, so many!) plumbing & wiring issues were finally resolved:

I hoped that perhaps my allergies would calm down a bit when our wall (shown from the garage side here) became permanent with insulation & everything:

This waterproof liner was one of the steps the previous contractor had left out. If I had to smell the chemical used to seal the corners & edges of this stuff very much, I might have left it out, too! My choice between having the window open, letting in the cedar pollen or leaving it closed & dealing with the fumes was a toughie for me:

The old toilet went bye-bye, then they put the wallboard up, sealed it (more stinky stuff!) & poured the floor for the shower:

Finally, we get to the part people are going to see when we show it off. Here is the tile on the shower floor:

The floor & wall tile was next. During this part of the work, my “allergy monster” returned with a vengance when the “crew” decided the best way to set up for this job was to put the wet saw outside the bathroom window & pass the tiles back & forth through it, thus eliminating the need to track through the house (they really are so very thoughtful & polite!) now that the wall was back in place:

Our favorite contractor is definitely a gifted tile guy! He thought up the design, using those really cheap 16 x16 tiles with just a little bit of the high-dollar ones for accent. Here is a shot with the grout, toilet & even a shower curtain:

We have been enjoying our properly working shower in our mold-free bathroom, with shiny new tile and a brand new toilet that actually does what toilets are supposed to do for a number of weeks now. I am very happy with the work & do not regret a single penny that we spent on it. It even gave me an excuse to hit the post-holiday sales & use my gift cards that I got for Christmas on some spiffy new bath linens since the ones we were using in that bathroom were older than one or both of our offspring. For days after the work was completed, I would just go in there & enjoy the view!

The only shadow to cloud this picture of sunny contentment is the one that wore my allergies down to a frazzle so that I had difficulty fighting off even the most common virus, causing a great deal of respiratory congestion & then deciding to develop into a double ear infection from which I am just now beginning to recover. So, I’m still waiting for the “breathing easier” part of this whole deal….

Oh, yeah–my computer decided (at least for now) to stop acting like it didn’t know what that little slot in the front of it was for, so I got my pictures. YAY for cooperating computers!!!!

Do you get those “I wonder where they are & what they are doing now?” thoughts about people from your past after you lose track of them? I think we all wonder about old school chums, first crushes & any adults that may have managed to make some kind of an impression on us in our youth, but I have been having thoughts like that about someone that I have more recently have gotten to know…

His first name is David, and we first met when I began volunteering at our church food pantry. He had been coming since long before I started there & would often tell me about the people that used to run it & how it was run back in the days when everything was just getting started. He called himself a “charter member” visiting us every week, which meant we were making an exception for him, since the rule has been that clients can only come every other week ever since I have been working there. We kidded him about being “grandfathered in,” but no one really seemed to mind, anyway, not even the other clients, since he was blind, homeless & took very little in the way of food since he was so picky about what he would eat…

He would not join the other people, drinking coffee and munching on whatever snacks we could get local places to donate in the fellowship hall while waiting their turn to “shop” in the pantry area. David waited at the building monitor’s table outside the ladies’ rest room, and usually asking one of the volunteers breezing in & out of the pantry area to bring him coffee & any snacks that hadn’t been “put out & pawed over” (especially donut holes–his fave!) when they weren’t too busy…

Since it was also difficult for him to “shop” in the crowded pantry area, someone usually brought him a bag of food after a discussion about his preferences & the pantry’s current stock. Until a sweet lady named Renee left after her hubby had to transfer out of state for his job, she primarily took care of that, but then I seemed to be the one that usually ended up doing it after that…

One of the things he also liked to do while he sipped his coffee & munched on his snacks was make up crossword puzzles in his head. Not little kiddie ones, the kind you would get in the Sunday paper! (let me remind you, he’s BLIND!) I think he even managed to get one in the NY Sunday Times published with Renee’s help before she left, but I never actually knew for sure. Once in a while, he would “dictate” one to me where all the letters & blanks spaces went & ask for help in devising clues when I had the time. It was kinda fun helping him create puzzles–especially since I love to work them, too….

David also kept up with the goings-on in the business world, too. He would often tell me how he would run certain companies if he were in charge. Not being much of a business whiz, I have no idea if his ideas were sound or not, but the way things have been going in the economy for the last several years, I don’t see how they could made things any worse! Besides, it was refreshing listening to someone talking about possible solutions instead of griping and/or blaming…

He seemed take an interest in people around him–even the people around me! When he overheard me expressing concerns about our daughter who was looking for work & trying to figure out where & how she was going to be able to do grad school to some of the other volunteers, he would ask me how she was getting along nearly every week…

The last few months he visited us, I began to see some signs of mental health issues, which may or may not have been caused by the same industrial accident that eventually robbed him of his sight. It was heart wrenching to see this intelligent, creative, caring man deteriorate into who-knows-what?

Then one week last summer, he didn’t show up. I knew he went to other churches for other services, so I figured he just got delayed at the previous one & would return the following week. There was no David the next week, either. He had been talking about how the cops had it in for him with such passion around that same time, so I began to wonder if he had some sort of confrontation with the local police & got himself tossed in jail to cool his heels. I was due to go on vacation, but I figured by the time I got back, he would be back, too…

I returned after my vacation & there was still no David at the food pantry. I have not seen him since he stopped visiting us early in the summer, but one of the other semi-homeless guys that sometimes visits the the pantry said that his wife said that she thought she saw him one time later that summer…

Anyway, I wonder…