You know it's true!

Not long ago, the season ender for Downton Abbey aired.
I did not appreciate how the season ended one single bit. It left me angry and upset and with no desire to watch the next season. Which of course, I will watch when it airs because, lets be honest, I couldn't not watch it!

Recently I've been watching The Walking Dead. I'm almost caught up, but have a few more episodes to go.

I know, Downton Abbey and The Walking Dead. What do they possibly have in common? Well, I'll show you with a very badly created Venn diagram which I created during a few moments of down time.

Come on, you know it's true!

Hair

I haven't much talked about my hair lately. It's growing back, and I think rather quickly. But it's got this curl to it.

I know, I know. Some people pay good money to get curls in their hair. And I have in the past curled my hair. But with a curling iron. To get some nice soft, curls. These are crazy curls. That make my hair look kind of big (because it's short but thick!). Long story short, I mostly hate my hair.

I know, I know. It's "only" hair. But it's not, it's so much more. I think most people get it, but every so often I'll hear about how it's only hair or how someone has never been upset with their hair, even after a bad haircut. Well, I think that's awesome (no really, this is not sarcastic). I do not feel that way. Not after losing my hair during chemotherapy, not after it has come back in in this strange form that I am not used to. I am not above being upset about my hair.

A few weeks ago, I treated myself to a haircut. It is only the second cut I've had since losing my hair - the first being about a year ago.

Before I show you that, though, let's take a trip back in time!

Here is a picture from February 2011 (with my oldest daughter)

 

February 2012 (with my mom)

Before and after pictures from haircut this February

This cut made me mostly like my hair again. Granted, it helped that the stylist straightened it for me. I haven't been able to fully recreate it at home, but I can get pretty close with a straightener. Even the husband has admitted he likes it better straight.

After getting a haircut, I got brave and decided to dye my hair too. I will probably never do this again because it didn't work the first time, so we had to redo it and it's still not as even as I would like it, but it's not as bad as it was LOL!

Then I realized my hair was long enough to get a little braid in it. So, um, I might be braiding it a lot lately LOL!



And yes, this excites me. Being able to do something with my hair if I want to. Also, I feel like it's an outward symbol of me getting better and feeling good. You can't look at me anymore and wonder if I'm sick. There is no outward sign. No one stares at my bald head anymore. It really is a great thing!

So it may "only" be hair, but really? It is so much more! 

Face Lift

I gave the blog a little face lift this weekend!
The background, once again, comes from The Cutest Blog On The Block.
I also have 3 columns, which I've always wanted, but used to be near impossible on blogger.
I also went through and edited the tags. They are much broader now - so there are fewer of them.

Hope you all enjoy!

Dare I Put It In Print?

I hesitate to put this in print, to make it "official" but, I feel great. I mean, I really feel great.

I know, you're probably wondering why I would hesitate to share this. Well, it seems that just about every time I think things are starting to look better, wham. Something happens. The last several years have felt like 1 step forward, 3/4ths step back. I'm trying to not dwell on this. I mean, let's face it, life is a series of good and bad things. We hope for the good, but the bad doesn't happen if there's too much good. It just happens because that's how life is.

And right now? Life is feeling pretty good. My energy is coming back. Physically I am feeling great. Mentally I am feeling great. Great. I know I'm using that word far too many times, but I can't stop saying it. I mean, I really do feel great!

Last week was the turning point - I think my body just hit a point where it started to feel healed. I can't lie: having energy and not feeling pain? Is amazing. That in itself was an instant mood lifter. It allowed me to get out of my own head so to speak. {Yes. I was stuck in my own head and it was more than time for me to get unstuck.} So things getting better, helped things get even better, if you can follow that!

It's been good for everyone. It feels like there's a sense of normalcy around the house again. To do lists are being tackled. The house is getting (mostly) cleaned. Schoolwork is getting done. All of this is good, but more importantly, we're having fun again. Laughing, working on fun projects together. I feel like I'm really connecting with my family again.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I expect there will be a few more bumps along the way, but I'm not going to think about that now. I'm going to try to enjoy this. This moment. When I'm feeling great.

Just in case though, I'll probably knock on a lot of wood ;-)

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope that whatever today brings you, that you are shown love and are able to share it with others.