Is time for a big brain dump! I spent lots of time thinking this weekend… about so many things! And yes, I even managed to get some sleep! Thank goodness!! And!! I found some impatiens! (Go Home Depot! lol) There was lots of outdoor work…perfect for thinking and thinking and more thinking!
Some topics percolated to the top of the thought process often and that is what I am sharing today… Hot topics, one and all!
To Mask, or Not to Mask….that is the question! Pennsylvania “opened up” completely last weekend…but what does that actually mean in Masking Life? For me… not much. Over the weekend we did some shopping We went to the state store to get some bourbon (priorities, people!) and the sign on the door asked people to please wear masks. No problem… I had mine on as did every other customer and employee. And then comes the Maskless Woman… you could watch people move away from her as she navigated the store. It was comforting knowing that I wasn’t the only person who was a bit concerned because in my mind the Maskless Woman was not thinking about anyone but herself and I figured she was not vaccinated either (because you know I judge people…especially when I shouldn’t!) We also went to Home Depot and inside was a mixed bag of masks versus no masks (even employee’s were a mixed bag of wearing/not wearing.)
I also went to physical church this weekend where, despite state guidelines, we are not at full capacity and masks are required for entry! But we sang two hymns (masked) and it felt so good. There was even a baptism! And yes, that made me even happier that we were all masked and distanced from that wee little baby! Which brings me to what I have been thinking about….even though Allegheny County has had less than 50 new cases of COVID a day for several weeks, there is still a large segment of the population that are not yet vaccinated. I know that you all might have different opinions on this and that is okay. But for me…until it is safe for ALL… I am happy wearing my mask and going back to what Dr. Fauci said at the beginning of this nightmare… I wear my mask to keep YOU safe.
The Great Hair Debate is my next hot topic… or should I say Hot Mess Topic! Because that is what my hair feels like most of the time these days… but what do I actually want to do with it? Trim and keep growing? Throw caution to the wind and cut.it.all.off!? Or take a safer route and go for something a little shorter but not all.gone. Who knew that after all this time, I’d actually be afraid to go the salon because doing so would mean I’d have to make an actual decision! My plan is to spend some time surfing the Pinterest Hair Boards for inspiration that will move me beyond Hot Mess Hair Days!
The Close Second Hot Topic involves makeup… I have not worn any makeup for so long… I mean 18-ish months long! (And a couple coats of mascara for Zoom absolutely does not count…) Going “out into the world” in Pre-Pandemic Times took some time… moisturizer, foundation, powder, under eye cream, blush, eyeshadow, and yes… some color on my lips. Enter Pandemic Days and the Great Break from that entire routine. My days were so simple… moisturizer and sometimes mascara. That was it. And I think my skin loved the break as well. Then “Gradual Re-Entry” began and so did the make up ordeal… which is exactly what it felt like after so many months of no makeup – an ordeal. Plus… did any of you forget exactly how to “do” makeup? Yeah, me too. But try I did… more than once and my skin absolutely did not like the old routine… at all! So I am rethinking my “idea” of what looks “good” when going “out into the world.” Why is this requiring so much thought? Well, years of the belief that you did not leave the house without “your face on”…am I right? Except there’s this…I don’t know what to say about myself if I think that all those steps mean I look better than I do with a clean face…and that is the saddest commentary there ever was! Am I comfortable in my own skin… yes, I think so… but being comfortable in just your own skin in public? Put that way it seems simple, but maybe what I need is just a simpler routine.
And there you have my Monday Brain Dump! What about you? What’s rattling around your brain right now?
Happy Monday everyone and I will see you all back here on Wednesday!
LOL – I can relate to all this! Fletch and I still wears masks when we go to the grocery store. I still wear one going to my office (property management has requested that people be masked entering the building and in common areas) – I do take it off once I am in my office space. And HAIR. Yikes!! My pandemic hair is almost to my waist, and all I do is pull it into a ponytail. Boring. A PITA to wash and comb out. I need to find a salon, but I’m thinking a shoulder length bob (or…gasp…even shorter!!).
My make up routine changed pre-pandemic when I started getting an allergic reaction to some products. I always moisturize with an SPF, but most days that’s it. Sometimes a light bit of mascara, but both my face and my eyes (especially) are happier with nothing!
I wear make up every day even during a pandemic so I can’t help you there. However, whatever you do with your hair it WILL grow no matter what. I can’t wait to see what you decide to do. I haven’t been to church yet but I do go into stores without a mask since I am vaccinated. I read the sign to make sure it’s okay.
I’m in the same mask-or-not situation here in NJ. I went to the grocery and liquor stores, and wore a mask both times. While there is some science behind it, it just feels like the right thing to do! (And if you’re wearing a mask, you don’t need makeup. Okay, maybe mascara.) I am not not very good at fixing my hair, but I could always rely on a ponytail or bun. But one of the first things I did after being fully vaccinated was to get my hair cut. The stylist and I started talking, and before I knew it, it was a bit too short for a ponytail. I know it will grow, but its a real pita in heat and humidity. My only advice is think before you cut!
I ended up replacing most of my makeup because it was old……the fresh items were so much better!
First, I love your colorful impatiens. And your windowboxes! Outdoor work (even some indoor work) feels like an incubator, of sorts, for all those thoughts. What’s rattling around in my brain right now? Mostly the last-minute-list that needs tending before leaving home for 8 weeks. Cutting down lamb’s ear so the sprinklers reach new our trees. Setting up light timers. Caregivers for houseplants. And…how it will feel to re-enter a very social summer community and remember my Yes means Yes and my No means No.
P.S. So happy you got sleep!!! Game changer.
I am still masking, in part because I live with an unvaccinated child and in part because I think it shows my concern for other people. I have, however, taken it off when I am out walking and not near others, mainly because I think it’s good to get used to the feeling of not having it so it’s not a shock when suddenly we really don’t need masks at all (though I think we’re still a ways off from that).
I definitely feel you on the makeup thing. I used to wear it every day, or at least every day when I was going to see people I don’t live with, because I’ve always been self-conscious about my skin. I mostly stopped during the pandemic, just sticking with moisturizer/sunscreen, and I’ve found that I care a lot less about people seeing me how I really look. It’s rather freeing. But I still do like getting made up — the difference is that it feels like a treat now rather than a chore!
I got behind on my blog-reading on Monday; catching up. Just wanted to chime in. I’m having much of the “same” going on in my brain. Masking. Hair. Make up. Re-entry. For the most part, I’ll still wear a mask most of the time out in public places. But I’m feeling more comfortable about . . . eating out (at restaurants I know and trust). I’m getting together with friends – mostly outside still, but without masks. My hair? No decisions there. But I’m definitely not wearing much makeup. And I think I’ll probably keep it that way! (It feels so . . . fake . . . to me now? Unless, maybe, I go to some “fancy event” again someday???)
All of a sudden, though . . . I’m much more worried about making faces at people without my mask on (which is something I have gotten in the habit of doing). Could be trouble. . .
Sounds like we all think alike on the mask thing. I wear them in stores and going out although in my conservative state, I am seeing fewer and fewer. I see it as a precaution and being considerate of children and those whose medical conditions do not allow vaccination. I have felt comfortable with the precautions in the salon where I had my hair cut. The worst is that the stylist I’ve been with for years retired. Finding a new one has been a challenge.