New book on the go

Happy Monday everyone. Now that the sequel to ‘A Hairdresser’s Diary’ is at the editors for the last time. I have decided to start another. This book will be ‘A Life With Chronic Pain’. After over 50 years of first hand knowledge about this subject I am going to share the ups and downs of this debilitation disease. What myself and others have done to try to live a less painful life. I would love to hear your input and stories so we can help those who feel their life is over or not worth living. We know how that feels and together we can take their hand in ours and walk with them each painful step together.

Tell me your story we will make a difference.

Something cool to read by the pool – A Hairdresser’s Diary

If you have not already read ‘A Hairdresser’s Diary’ now might be a great time to enjoy this inspirational memoir. You can find it at any of these links. Read the reviews and then write your own. You can get it in e-book or printed form. If you prefer an autographed copy you can now get a digital signature for your e-book on Amazon.ca or .com.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hairdressers-Diary-looking-reflection-ourselves/dp/1475164289/ref=zg_bsnr_220855011_12

 

http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=A+Hairdresser%27s+Diary&categoryId=100501

 

http://www.ahairdressersdiary.com/

My Flabbermouth Series – chapter 2

Chapter Two

 

Sometimes remembering the flabbermouth moments are painful. This is especially true when I realize just how dumb I really sound. In some cases, it might take a few minutes or so to sink in. Remember the reference from the last story, my not being the brightest bulb on the tree? This is one of those occasions. I however cannot believe my family still has it in their memory bank. They cannot remember my birthday, but this is burned into their brains.

The family and I were sitting on the couch watching a science – health show one evening on tv. The discussion was on how individual parts of the body function and moves.
The first part of the program was based on the problems and function of our joints.
The second part discussed the damage that could be done by smoking and what it does to the organs and growth hormones. I found all of this rather interesting and it had me thinking. I was taking it all in as at that time, Ron was a heavy smoker. I on the other hand had never parted my lips for the deadly cancer stick. So in my mind part of getting Ron to quit smoking, would be in this new-found knowledge.

When the first part of the show was over. Ron noticed I was staring at him intensely, “What on earth are you looking at?” He said with a rather inquisitive look on his face.
“I was just thinking.”
“Oh no, not again.”
“Yes again, the show has made me think,”
With that, he rolled his eyes and the kids laughed.

“Oh oh, moms thinking again,” piped up one of our rug rats.

Now I was determined to show them I could say something smart. So out it came. “Honey I want to be serious now ok? I have an important. When we talk, what jaw moves our top or bottom one?”
“You are kidding right?” Ron questioned with a furrowed brow.
“No!” I was annoyed he would put it that way.

Then as if the family had rehearsed the response for weeks, they in unison started talking. Moving their heads up and down, pushing their heads back trying to keep their bottom jaw still. They were laughing so hard they almost rolled on the floor. “Anymore questions dear. Does any one have anything to say to your mom?” Hysterically one after the other they teased me. I soon saw the humour in the latest ‘flabbermouth’ moment.

That night when we went to bed Ron apologized for being so hard on me but he said, “Honey you have to admit it was pretty funny?”
“I know now it was.” I said embarrassed but still able to laugh.

And then, ‘flabbermouth’ hit me again. “At least I didn’t tell you I was worried about smoking stunting your growth.”
With that, Ron reached over and patted me on the head and as I turned around to face him he said, “Like this?” There he was with his tee-shirt pulled up over his arm with only his hand showing wiggling his fingers at me. I slapped him and rolled over but not before hearing. “Honey life would be so dull without you?” With that, he got one more giggle in before falling asleep.

My granddaughter Shandra

Anyone that has read my book “A Hairdresser’s Diary” knows how much styling long hair meant to me and my career. My granddaughter Shandra is getting married this July . My dream has always been to be the one hairdresser of choice for all the brides in our family including in laws. Well I have been blessed as I have had that chance. What you are seeing in this picture is my granddaughter. This is the dry run before her wedding. You might ask why this would be necessary? well as most of you know I am just getting over another surgery this time on my left knee. Being the kind and considerate granddaughter that Shandra is, she has been concerned that I might cause myself pain either with my back or my knees on her wedding day and not be able to attend or enjoy her special day so she asked me to do her hair and take pictures now. This way I will have the pictures  of my loving work  for my ‘grandmothers album’ I am making for her. She looks like a Greek Goddess and I am proud to say she was in love with her hair. 

If you look hard enough you can see fine braided woven throughout her hair. This was one of my signatures that made my styles set apart from other stylists. Remember this was over 50 years ago and are no longer a rare embellishment. I enjoyed every second of this special day.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hairdressers-Diary-looking-reflection-ourselves/dp/1475164289/ref=zg_bsnr_220855011_12

http://www.ahairdressersdiary.com/

 

Back to the real world

Well I told myself this morning I should get myself out of this winter rut and back into the real world. As everyone else in this great world we have had our share of illness and death in the short few months. I think we are all finally feeling better and on the right track to get on with the day.

I want to share with you my friends that I have 14 chapters written for my new book ( the sequel to ) A Hairdresser’s Diary. I am wracking my brain on what to use as a title but I know one day when I least expect it, it  will come to me.

I would like to take this opportunity to share a chapter from this book with you. I hope you will find it interesting.

 

This is part of Chapter Seven.

Within eighteen months we took a newly built house with only dirt and mud for landscaping and transformed it into a showpiece with a golf course looking lawn with lovely trees and flowers. People would stop as they passed just to feel our grass. One couple asked if they could take their shoes off and walk on it. They could not believe it was real. Ron always cut the grass in both directions so it would be perfectly manicured. Now it was our turn to have others ask us for our advice on landscaping. This pleased Ron and it showed. It was during one of those lawn manicuring sessions that Ron’s life changed and changed forever. At the young age of thirty-five, he suffered severe chest pain. Shadows of his father’s death hung over him. Before the day was over, Ron had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Fear and uncertainty ruled his thoughts while he waited for hospital arrangements. He still recalls the day when we were all playing and laughing during his fearful wait and he was thinking to himself, “How can they play and laugh when I might die?”

My burning question was, “How could this strong, young man have heart problems?” As we had been with every other challenge that came our way, we were determined to beat this demon and to do it as a family. Our families and many of our friends offered their support. As a family we shed many tears and it was obvious we were all so terrified. The kids had no idea what was in store for their dad all we knew was this was a life threatening and risky disease. Ron and I tried to hide the worst from the kids but we could not protect them from what the future was to bring. Ron always felt his father was too secretive when it came to his health so he was adamant that his kids be fully informed. But we found they were amazingly strong and did whatever they could to make a terrible situation easier on us. We had no time for anyone or anything. Everything else in our lives were put on the back burner as we needed our strength and focus to deal with this ugly monster – heart disease. I must be honest the question that permeated my minds several times during this time was,” Had we gotten too cocky, comfortable or seem to be ungrateful now that things had been going smoothly for us? We had a perfectly manicured lawn but our lived were all but that. Had we as a family forgot how to share or give to others? I did not think so but was this a reminder to rethink? Was there a cost to being happy that I was not aware of? I was envious of those who’s lives seemed to run seamlessly smooth and who had no idea what pain either physical or mental was all about. I felt ashamed that I had these thoughts. I needed to shake off these feelings and get back to reality. I thanked God for giving me the strength to do what needed to be done and asked him to make me less selfish.

A Dream come true for grandma

What an amazing feeling grandparents have when they are informed of the marriage of one of their grandchildren. The fact that we are even at an age that we can be part of this is even more interesting. This is the time when Ron and I are happy we got married young. We will be celebrating 49 years married Feb 1st and we will only be 69 years old when we are married 50 years so the excitement of great-grandchildren is also in the stars for us.

Now back to my exciting news. Shandra is Papa’s best girl and this is so exciting for him. But for me the excitement does not end there. It extends to something that makes me tingle all over with pride. For those who have read my book A Hairdresser’s Diary you will immediately know what I am referring to. That excitement stems from the fact that I, her grandmother will be doing her hair for her wedding. Her long flowing blonde hair. I will be able to once again use my creativity and love for styling long hair for my granddaughter on her special day. Even in my dreams I am running through every step of the process. I am creating curls, swirls and movement in my dreams. I have mentally laid out all the items and products I will need to create the perfect and most elaborate piece of artistry of my career. I can not even explain to you what an honour this is for me. It may sound silly to most of you but it is not silly to me.

Sandra is very concerned that if she lets me do her hair for her wedding that I might be in too much pain to enjoy this special day. So I had to promise her I would not do anything the week or so before so that doing her hair would not be too strenuous for me. She is seriously concerned that I might not be unable to enjoy myself if I am in pain.  I have to tell you that for this privilege I will endure the pain. This all sounds like the rambling of an old woman but it is indeed my dream come true.

Last month a hairdresser friend of mine made hair appointments for her, the bride and wedding party at a local salon. She said she was not interested in doing any hair on that day. She could not understand my excitement until she read my book. apologizing she said she completely understood now. When I told her my granddaughters wedding would be in my second book she asked me if she could also have the privilege of being in it too. I told her I had had many requests from other customers and friends and yes she could be in my sequel. My granddaughter suggested I include a picture of her hair on her wedding day as the finality to my book.

Sandra is our only granddaughter and Ronnie our grandson is only 7 so there is no fear of ever needing my creativity like this ever again.

I am so thrilled you can not even imagine.

Does any one remember these?

While I was putting my files together for my sequel for ‘A Hairdresser’s Diary’ I came across these picture I was going to put in the book. So I thought I would see how many of you remember ever seeing these items. These where some of the items that were in the Dungeon of Beauty in the basement, of the hairdressing school I attended over 50 years ago. I cringe at the thought of having to use them today. We thought at one time they were so new and innovative.

I have included the paragraphs out of my book so you can relate to the pictures. If you still use these you need to update lol lol.

Here is the story.

Even the basement of the school was very interesting and informative. It housed a museum set up to teach us the history of hairdressing. In the far corner, sat a huge machine from the year 1928 that had been used for perming hair. It had wires hanging down from the top of a cylindrical dome. The wires conducted heat to brass rollers, which in combination with a solution permanently curled the hair. The solution used to make the curls was very harsh and damaging, but vanity out weighted the risks. The contraption looked like something from a science fiction movie, something used for torture, definitely not like a machine used for beauty. Against the cement wall was a long wooden table, lined with very old curling irons, these in their time were placed in hot coals or heated on a wood stove, then used to make ringlets or curls. These were Marcel irons, named after the inventor. A separate table held curlers made of rag strips with wires in the center. These folded over like a billfold to hold them in place once the hair was wrapped around them. There were wooden rollers made from durable hardwood and held in place with wire clamps. Weirdly crimped, twisted wires, shaped in elongated u shapes were used for hairpins. The collection even had an old-fashioned, heavy, bulky barber chair, which showed many years of service. Off to one side sat an antique hair dryer that looked like something from outer space with its large, oval-shaped ridged hood. There was a full table of hand-made wigs from the early 1900’s, giving us a wonderfully dramatic look into the past. There was much to learn from the instruments and many interesting stories hidden in the basement, or as we came to call it, the dungeon of beauty.

 

 

How not to cut your hair

       This is just a snipit from my book A Hairdresser’s Diary

While at home one day I decided to cut my hair, a common occurrence. With my scissors in hand I was cutting just above my ear. I thought I heard someone at the door. I turned my head to listen closer, realizing it might just be Cercie our cat. I turned my head back, which caused me to stab myself in the side of my head with the tip of my exceptionally sharp scissors. OUCH! Anyone knowing about scalp wounds knows how profusely they bleed. I had blood spurting like a small geyser from the small triangular wound. I felt it run down my ear and neck. Shock and panic set in. Holding my finger on the wound, I ran across the street to my neighbour. Without knocking, I ran into their house. Fiona fainted as soon as she saw the spurting blood. Her husband Dan came in and found her lying on the floor. Trying to calm me and revive his wife, he informed me Fiona fainted at the sight of blood. No kidding! I think I could have figured that out for myself. I apologized and in tears, I ran back home, unsure what to do next. Dan called after me wanting to make sure I was okay. Afraid to remove my finger from the hole, I called my doctor for advice. It was suggested I remove my finger, to check the bleeding.Yes, it had stopped, so I asked about a tetanus shot. Snickering, the nurse said, “I will ask the doctor as soon as he gets up off the floor from laughing!” I admit it was a painfully stupid thing to do. Ron shaking his head in total disbelief, said, “Honey if you want to commit seppuku (Japanese form of suicide via sword) you have to aim lower, a whole lot lower” and then he broke down hysterically laughing. The sore spot on my head was nothing to the unmerciful teasing I received from family, friends and co-workers. Someone walked past me at work and whispered, “Snip, snip,” then smiled and winked. One of the other girls yelled across the room, “Anyone got scissors in their head, oh I mean hand,” every one would burst out laughing including me.

Cancer once again raises it’s ugly head

I know this post is really off topic for me and takes you away from my book that I have been promoting, but I though this would be the place I could show my fear without any judgements and from what I am to believe this is what blogs are about.

It is no secret I am 67 and anyone who has read my blog knows about my hairdressing, modeling and make up artistry days and the book I have written about those careers. My health issues are not a surprise either if you read my personal website. The six car accidents, 28 surgeries ect. One of those surgeries a few years ago was thyroidectomy to remove half of my thyroid as it was cancerous.

I had the breast cancer scare only to be blessed with the final results that it was not. But the 5 weeks waiting was like torture. I am not complaining,I promise you just trying to give you a little background.

Now I am getting to the point I am trying to build up to. Four years ago I found a small lesion approx half the size of a regular pea on my back, about waist-high. It was bothering me as my underwear, slacks, skirts, belts ect would set right on that area. I went and complained to my family Dr and was told it was just a mole and try to wear things lower or higher than where this thing was. So I did the best to avoid rubbing it. But it started to grow and bother me so once again I was asking to have it investigated. For 2 years I was just sluffed off and told to cover it but it was not looked at again. Now you might ask why didn’t you insist? well the answer to that is from the above part of this story I mentioned I have a lot of health issues, so many on fact my Dr will only discuss three per visit. This was always put on the back burner even when I made a special appointment for him to look at it, my dangerously high blood pressure, my chronic pain, my arthritic flair all took president.

Three years ago I insisted as it was getting very large now the size of a quarter. Frustrated at my constant insistence he stood back without getting close enough to see a doorway he said,”It is a fungus ” and he gave me cream. Well the cream did not work. For the next three years I tried so many times I cannot count to get him to check it out. My hubby was getting angry and frustrated as well. Now it was 3 in x 4.6 in.  I decided on my next visit no matter what it took I would not leave without him checking it out. So when I go tot the office I was taken in earlier as the patient before me did not show. The Dr nurse ( his wife) came in first I again showed her. Her response was to get the Dr to look at it . I told her I have been trying to do that for years. So when she was walking out the door and he was coming in she said, “Oh by the way Chris get the Dr to look at that thing on your back. He just grunted, “Oh that hing on your back again?” I could tell he was irritated.

So when we finished everything else I asked once again. He told me to make a special appointment just for that. I told him I was not leaving until he looked and that he could give me the appointment of the person who missed theirs and charge OHIP double I did not care I was not leaving. Annoyed he looked and stated he needed to take a scraping and that I would put him behind. All the time going on about me not making a special appointment. In doing the scraping I was in need of a dressing as it was bleeding that only annoyed him more. On his way out the door he said, “I won’be calling you with the results make an appointment for two weeks.

I did and went only to find out the results concluded I needed a biopsy. It was not what he assumed just a rash.

I went for the biopsy and the diagnosis was cancer. The specialist said his main concern was not the cancer because carcinomas are the most common cancers but it was the size. The treatment for one so big was very difficult and worrisome. Also where it was because. I have already had three back surgeries any treatment would put pressure on my damaged and painful back.

I was so angry ! Cancer is always scary but I had already had thyroid cancer . It was the neglect, of my family Dr of 26 years. How could he be so uncaring. I had the specialist who did the biopsies make the appointment with the cancer clinic as I don’t trust my Dr anymore.

Well I went to the cancer clinic yesterday. The treatments for the cancer was going to start with not less than 30 daily radiotherapy treatments. The oncologist said the pain and the sickness this would bring me due to the size, the position and my already not great health would be like torture. He said it would be at least three months before I would get any relief. The fact my back is so bad that the position I would have to lay in would make my pain worse and once they start the procedure they cannot stop. He said it would be like a third degree sunburn on top of a third degree sunburn every day for no less than 30 days. The radiation could cause another type of cancer far worse than I have now. I was physically ill when he was talking. Ron finally asked him what the alternative was and he said surgery (this will be my 29th) The Dr said it is the only way to be sure they have it all and I will be healed up in a month not three and the pain will be far easier to deal with than having full body pain constantly. He said my fybromyalgia will flare until it is unbearable I will be nauseous  – the list goes on. I opted out for the surgery. The only other problem now is that the cancer lesion is so large they will have to do reconstructive repair and replace the skin from another part of me to fill the hole. BUT THIS CANCER WILL be gone. All of this is because when I first found it I could not get my Family Dr to pay attention and he kept sluffing me off until a few weeks ago I got angry and insisted. It COULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND I  WOULD HAVE ONLY HAD A COUPLE STITCHES. I am not sure when this will be done but the  plastic surgeon at the cancer clinic when available they will call me. I ask for your prayers.

I am at a loss of how the person whose hands you put your life in can be so callous. You might ask.”Why don’t you get another Dr?” There is a Dr shortage in the great country of ours.

Where are all the hairdressers?

I must admit I would like to hear from some of the millions of hairdressers out there that have something to share. I know that we have had some wonderful, horrible and exciting things happen in our careers. Maybe you could share with us.

Do you have a favourite customer?

How about a faithful customer who has followed you to other salons?

What about the most embarrassing moment of your career?

Your favourite place to work. Or if your specialize what do you specialize in?

Do you have stories from beauty school?

I know you have a story or two about manicuring, massage, pedicures, haircuts, tints, perms, bleaching. The list goes on.

I would like to share them all.