Squeezing them tighter than ever

The horrific tragedy of Sandy Hook is all over the news, Facebook and the overwhelmed faces of the people I cross paths with. I live in Connecticut and know many people directly affected by it. And I know if I didn't live here, I would still be plagued by the unfathomable horror.
I thought it would be therapeutic to get my feelings out, and what better place than this blog? But I can't seem to do it. The fear and grief have shook me to my core, and my heart is filled to the brim with emotion. I can't seem to put into words everything I feel about this. And just when I want to release it, I catch myself. I feel so guilty for being this distraught when I didn't lose someone close to me. So I pull my fingers back from the keys and I stare at the cursor blinking, waiting for it's next letter.
The one thing I know for sure is that I've been squeezing my little ones tighter than ever. I've noticed Joe holding them closer for longer. Grandparents, if it is even possible, are more awestruck by their new skills. We all have a heightened awareness of the blessings in our lives.

Eye Lash Extensions? Really?

I'm a fan of trying new things, especially when it's going to simplify something in my increasingly busy life. For my 30th birthday I made an uncharacteristic request. I wanted eyelash extensions. Yes, it's a luxury, and superficial and I would never do it on a whim.
Depending on where you go the initial set of lashes ranges from $300 to $400. Crazy right? Well it happened to be part of deal package at a local salon and was half price. The opulence of spending a couple hundred dollars to improve your look for only a few weeks weighed heavy on my mind. If I asked Joe for a nice pair of earrings I'd have them forever. These lashes were going to fall off one by one until I was left looking 'normal' again. But it became so much more valuable to me because I had them done for my first few weeks back at work. For those weeks I wouldn't have to worry about doing my makeup, or how I looked. Being up all night with a very hungry infant doesn't exactly do wonders for my appearance. And I certainly didn't have the time to compensate for how tired I looked by applying makeup.
So this newly 30 year old gal went under the microscope for a 90 minutes eye lash extension application. Here's what I didn't expect:

• I had to sign a paper that warned of possible blindness
• My eyes had to be taped shut for the duration of the application
• The duration was 90 minutes!

One by one these thick curls of black plastic were being adhered to my existing stubby lashes. Throughout the application I could sense my muscles tensing up. I would have to routinely take deep breaths and quiet my hands and feet. There was nothing to be afraid of, but perhaps the anxiety of possible blindness for the sake of vanity was causing my hands to clench. 

"Oh how beautiful," I remember the woman remarking. I hoped it wouldn't be a complete waste of time and money. I made my way over to the mirror and was shocked. I had instant movie star eyes. There wasn't a speck of makeup on my face. Just the lashes. For weeks I received compliments on how great my makeup looked. I was even asked what kind of mascara I use.

Even more fulfilling than the compliments was the time I got back in the morning. I literally did not put on makeup for three weeks straight. I didn't have to spend any time hunched over a mirror painstakingly brushing gobs of black gook onto my lashes.  

I wish I had the bank account to keep up with the lashes, $20 a week and I could have them filled whenever they started to look sparse. Maybe I'll do it again when I hit 40?