Taking a second to recognize what they DID on Criminal minds last night.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* SPOILERS AHEAD*SPOILERS AHEAD*

     So I'm actually QUITE public about what my favorite TV show is, my one and only "I can't miss it" show, is of course Walking dead. I do have other shows that I will automatically click to if I see it's on, and one of those shows is Criminal Minds. My husband and I were kind of late to the party with this show. I remember my grandmother watching this show, and telling me he favorite character was Garcia, and she reminded her of me ( wish I was half the person Penelope Garcia is). I think we were married when we started to watch it, and watch it right through from season 1. 

*SPOILERS AHEAD* SPOILERS AHEAD*SPOILERS AHEAD*

    I've seen all the fans beg for Emily Prentiss, and recall the same pull when we lost JJ for one season. I've seen the comparisons of Rossi and Gideon. I felt the feels when Hotch lost his wife, when Reid was tortured, when everyone thought Emily was dead, when Emily came back. When Morgan fought to free his cousin, when Reid lost his Girlfriend, when Garcia was SHOT (yeah there were a lot of tears for this one), When JJ was tortured, When Reid was shot BOTH times...and I think you get what I'm saying here. 

    Last night was an "I can't miss it" episode for me, because we went back to the  beginning of the BAU, and met young Gideon and Rossi. Let me repeat that, GIDEON was back! Now personally I don't have a preference of Gideon or Rossi, both are great in their own way, but as a fan who has seen it from the start, even if he wasn't being portrayed by the stellar Mandy Patinkin, I was excited to have that character back, and see how he was prior to being effected by the cases he'd dealt with over the years. 

*SPOILERS AHEAD* SPOILERS AHEAD*SPOILERS AHEAD*

     So I got comfy, sat down and the first thing we see is an emotionally distraught Reid ( Should mention, it's a tie between he and Garcia for my favorite character). The next thing we see is a cabin in the woods....while I recognized it, it didn't process whose cabin it was, until he went inside to find the rest of the team. It was when a body laid on the floor covered in a sheet, and you see the REST of the team as torn up I clicked in, only seconds before Hotch said "It's Gideon". 

 

*WALKING DEAD SPOILERS AHEAD* WALKING DEAD SPOILERS AHEAD*

     A flood of tears came after being hit by this bomb. The only other time I cried like this for a TV show was the death of Hershel Greene...Ok for Merle Dixon too. But let me point out what just happened there.... an AGENT died...They've NEVER done this before...they've come close. I'm not sure if when they killed Strauss off is closer ( she wasn't an agent, and let's be honest, who loved her like we love the team) or when they made you think Emily was dead and it was all "gotcha" when she was put into witness protection. 

     I do want to take a second to point out though, that Gideon's son is named after Rossi... I was already a wreck so yeah there were water works for that.

     Let's absorb the fact that never in the history of the show have they EVER done this before. A character we were made to love, we're very much in the same boat as the team. We hadn't seen him in a long time, but we always knew he was still out there... 

Potentially Controversial Post

     SO remember my post about being sick and how to treat it naturally? Well I'm still sick, and I'm not exclusively treating it naturally. I'm totally cool with telling you this, and can honestly say given the choice, NATURALLY is always my first choice, but I need to sleep, and I need to function during the day.

     SO let's go back to that post, time wise, here's what happened. That was on a Thursday. Friday I beleiev i actually ended up missing work...which I hate doing...I have a specific way I execute my show, and I love what I do....I despise missing work. I posted that when I've felt an ear infection coming on, I've used Lavender oil and it stopped it from coming... and it HAS worked (and has worked since) BUT some where between Friday night and Saturday morning, it wasn't cutting the mustard. My Ear infection hit and resulted in an early morning visit to the Regional where I was given Antibiotics. 

     Pain was handled quickly, but my hearing wasn't coming back. So after my antibiotics were gone ( I was on them 5 days) and was still deaf in one ear, I was a little concerned, and ended up at the Audiologist the following Tuesday. FORTUNATELY, doesn't seem to be any damage, but it can take a while to get your hearing back (I don't remember, I used to get them a BUNCH as a kid, but not so much in adulthood). It's another week since, my hearing HAS improved, but it's not 100% yet. I also seriously thought my other ear was about to go last night, used the lavender oil trick and I'm ok today... but I also had my oil infuser on WITH eucalyptus as well (I think it makes a difference too). 

     So I think it was last weekend when I was hacking every few min through the night I said forget it, I need help. I went to the store and got Cold meds, and I can function now. I am STILL doing all the stuff in my post... I got 12 hours sleep last night ( won't likely get it again but yeah). But I needed some help and got it at the drugstore. 

     NOW for the part of the post that could potentially piss some people off... I'm SO getting the flu shot next year. To the people who now desperately want to tell me why I shouldn't, don't waste your time, because it's not your call. I've heard it all, why it's not good, all the stigma behind it, but I've also listened to the other side, and the side against the flu shot, actually seems far more aggressive about arguing this point... this is why I put in the don't waste your time part. 

    Some people use, well our ancestors didn't have them... our ancestors life span was also a LOT shorter, and chicken pox was a life threatening illness.... how many people do you know who had the chicken pox...how many people do you know that DIED from the chicken pox. Modern medicine baby, it's not the enemy. it tends to be my backup plan, but it's still part of the equation. 

    Here is why I'm doing it. The info against it, tends to be crushed by the info for. I've thought this out long and hard, I've done my research, I tend to do that when I'm making a decision. Also, look at when I posted that post...20 days ago...I'm still sick...I was sick for the month of December last year... if this is going to be happening to me every year? I'm fighting it. I can't keep doing this, the definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. 

    I'm going to close on this post soon. I did want to mention to the people who are against, that I told not to bother trying to change my mind, I'm not judging you and your choice. I feel like it's your call, but on that note, respect my decision. Thanks for reading :)

My First Blog

   

     This isn't my first blog. It's more like my 3rd. Now my first, was rather successful, but it kind of stopped being mine if that makes sense. I started to write a blog because I like to write out thoughts, feelings and get creative through words. The problem with it was it stopped being about my thoughts and feelings, and became me writing what I figured people wanted. I've always been the type of person who does a good job on something I enjoy doing, and a terrible job if I'm not into it. So I attempted to start a blog all for me, and still...it became an obligatory thing, I wouldn't write about anything that interested me, or when I wrote, I stressed myself out trying to make it appealing. I stopped enjoying it, and it became sloppy, lazy, and eventually nonexistent. Over a great deal of time, I missed blogging and made this one, with no affiliation to work, it's simply mine, people can read it or not, it'c completely their call, but it's MY blog, and I'm far more content with it this way.


     This being said, there was a series of posts I did on my first blog, I'm still quite proud of, and that's the Anti-bully blog series. I wrote it, because as a kid, I was a victim of bullying, and I think most people can say that they were. As one of the people who let me feature their story on the blog told me, at one point or another, I think all of us have been a bully as well. No one is perfect, I'm not about to sit here on my high horse and judge anyone. This being said, my series was me trying to spread awareness, and perhaps have people take a step back and look at what was happening to them, around them or what they themselves were doing.


     My dad was a probably my #1 fan for that series, he shared it, and bragged about it to a lot of people. It wasn't long after he passed away, I stopped the posts. Aside from the wall I put up between me and people around me (which is something I may blog about some day), I didn't want to do the post, if I didn't do it right. It had become redundant, and stale. But there is another reason I stopped, my blog, wasn't really needed anymore. Bullying has become a mainstream topic, There are groups like Bullying Canada, I was chatting with this group when they were in early stages, and now I see their PSA's on TV, and see how their website has grown, and I'm super happy about this. I'm not about to say I made this change, because I'm sure my blog had little to no growth with this topic. I was more of an outlet for others to share their stories, kind of the soap box keeper, and THAT is what I'm proud of with my old blog.


    Something I am thankful for with my blog, is friends I made along the way. Seriously, I made friends from the blog, one in particular who had an extensive several part story. I used to offer the option of a post being anonymous, and I can't really remember if this person chose to remain nameless or not, for that reason I won't use their name. Today I spotted on their Facebook, their Kid was now on the receiving end of a bully...specifically a cyber bully. They posted this and asked for advice, but the difference between now, and only a few years ago, there were answers. There are actual steps to be taken, people are aware of the problem and there are now options in place to help. Is it perfect? No, will it EVER be? Likely not, but it IS getting better. I've had a couple people ask what ever happened to it. I hope this answers your question. I'm quite proud of what it was and am very grateful to everyone who contributed as well, so I did want to take a second to thank them as well, because I was basically the soapbox, they were the story tellers.

How I fight a cold, Naturally

     So colds and flues are going around, hubs has had it even the dog had the sniffles, and yesterday it hit me! Had to take the day to try and get better. So typically speaking, I try and avoid cold meds. I'll take them if I have no other choice, but typically (much like my skin care routine) I prefer to do it naturally. So I thought I'd share what I did yesterday, that made me able to function enough to be back at work today.


    Let me start out by saying, I'm not a Doctor, and if you try these things, it's totally your call, this just works for me and I wanted to share, I'm not attempting to prescribe this to you.


     So, no matter what kind of sick I am, the first thing I always want is water. I love water, I drink it more than anything else, and I want it close by. What's more, it's important to stay hydrated anyway, but more so when you're sick, because it can also help flush it out. I set a 60 min timer, and in that span, I have to down an entire beverage, to make sure I get plenty. I mix it up between Water, Orange Juice, and Tea ( echinacea, chai, apple custard, and sleepytime). I also drink Kombucha, for it's probiotics, but I only drink it once, and don't really put it in the mix.

     Feel like I'm backtracking a little, but after my water, when I'm sick, I want soup....soup is that, I'm sick take care of me, security blanket. I generally DO make my soup from scratch (or verbally instruct my husband if I'm 100% bed ridden. I use bone broth, or cartons of broth ( I usually have both in the house). Garlic and Onion are thrown in for flavor but they're also members of the allium family, and they're good for opening you up, and they detoxify. I put in celery and Carrots, because it's chicken soup, and that's what you do, it's also the only way I eat carrots... I don't like them on their own. I bring it all to a boil, then add the chicken I have on hand and egg noodles. I like egg noodles in soup, and eggs are a source of Zinc, which is good for fighting a cold...not sure how much of a source the noodles are though, so I actually add an egg to the soup as well.

     I'm already getting vitamin c from the OJ, but I also take a slow release Vitamin c caplet, and cod liver oil caplets for my vitamin a, which also is good for a cold. 

     I've had people recommend Oregano oil, and hubs uses it and says it helps. I don't use it. You know that scene in elf where he has the "fruit spray" and then starts whining? That's me with oil of Oregano. ALSO, if you take it, you need to take it with food an apparently, not any time around the kombucha... I forget why, but I remember that... no worries for hubs, because he feels that way about kombucha. 

     Oh wow, this is already really long, but there is more. I do a detox bath. I make it as hot as I can stand (typically I avoid this with my eczema) add some Epsom salt and essential oils, and soak for 30+ min. 

     Something I've only just started trying is aroma therapy. I bought and essential oil infuser, and mix eucalyptus, lavender, and bandits blend (I've also heard it called thieves blend). the Bandits blend I've heard is good for when you're sick and it kind of a warm, cinnamon, cloves scent. Eucalyptus is good for helping you to breath, it opens you up and I'm pretty sure is a major ingredient in vicks. Then the Lavender, a side note, and I stress again, not a doctor, I'm nto about to tell you to shove stuff in your ears. That being said, I'm super susceptible to ear infections, I once got one in the summer. I thought I was getting one once and read somewhere, putting a couple drops of lavender on a cotton ball and putting it in the opening of your ear can help that. Knowing my history I thought, what have I got to lose? And it worked. I mostly put the lavender in the infuser because it helps you sleep. 

     And that brings me to the final thing I do to fight a cold and that's rest. 

     So that's what I did yesterday, I still have the cold, but I'm actually able to work today, and it's on it's way out. I still have my fluids, and will likely have another detox bath, and have my infuser going tonight, but I do feel much better. Thanks for reading, and if any of this helps you, I'm happy I posted this ridiculously long post :). 

      

Stuck inside

     So it's here, the incredibly cold wind chills. I pride myself on being a Canadian who can take the cold, but I think we can all agree, not going out in THAT. Not even my dog wants to be out in this... and many dog owners (or people owned by dogs, you know I'm right) know how ridiculously excited dogs get when you tell them, "we're going out". Alice FREAKS. She starts bounding around, seriously, bounding is the perfect word to describe it, and she smiles, and as you would know from an earlier post, that makes me melt.


     She was in and out today, then retreated to her bed. Then we got cute and tucked her in with her blanket and bear...not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous of my dog right now.

      As incredibly adorable as this pic is...I feel awful about not going for a walk with her. Guilt for me not getting my exercise? Meh, I've overlooked that on more than one occasion, KILLS me not to take her for a walk. I know she feels the cold too, and she really doesn't want to be outside either (an in and out potty break is kind of unheard of). It's just how much she likes her walks. She REALLY loves them and has improved SO much since we adopted her in October. I'm just worried she's not getting the exercise she needs. She doesn't help either, her typical people watching at the balcony door has become something of a guilt trip as the temps have plummeted. To be fair, my dog seems to be a little lazy.. if she's sitting in front of you, and she has to move to get to you, she'll pull her back legs. When she's on the couch with her back to me, and I call her over, she lays back waiting for me to catch her. 

     Well I knew this cold front was coming (because forecasts, they're kind of what I do), so I reached out to pup parents I have on FB, and they came through ( thanks again to all of them). This morning consisted of sniffing out hidden treats, training, fetch down the hall, and tug of war (that rope in her pic is great, I can play with her while I get housework done). 

     Has me longing for days where I can get her out though, still want to see the bounding and that great little smile.