Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday – One of Us

June 27, 2022

I have been wanting to do a post on this song for quite a while and ya know, I’m just going to do it.

When I first heard this song I was 32 and Joan Osborne (who sings this) was 33. I thought she was in her 20’s but she was in her 30’s same as me. This is something I’ve found out in the last two or so years – most of the songs I loved in the 90’s were written and sung by people who were MY AGE. That meant in their 30’s. It’s no wonder I love that decade of music and can relate to so much of it. It all makes sense now.

So, I’m going to give my line by line take on it because there’s a lot you can take away from it whether you are a believer or a questioner. And it’s okay to question. Yes, God wants us to believe in Him but it’s okay to ask questions of Him or seek him out or look beyond the bible. All of that is okay. And this song really brings a lot of that up. Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Bishop Robert Barron have both said that they love getting into conversations with atheists because they question things and not take things blindly without really understanding why they believe the way they do. I think that’s why a lot of people lose their faith or faith in their religion because they don’t find out what they believe or why they believe it.

The song was written by Eric Bazillan apparently in an effort to impress a girl. That girl became his wife so she was impressed. :D At the beginning of the song there’s a clip from an old gospel song from the 1930’s called “Heavenly Aeroplane” which is about the second coming of Christ. I looked up the song, the history, and the words up and I think it’s cool. So, without further ado, here’s the song.

If God had a name what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question

These are interesting questions – what do we call God? Various religions each have names for God. And Jews think God’s name is too holy to even say it out loud. Which is quite the opposite of so many of us who, without thinking, let God and Jesus’ name roll off our tongues in a less than holy manner. Yes, it’s something I struggle with and I’m really trying to stop – I need to remember Him in all His glory.

And if you could only ask HIm one question what would it be? For me, I often ask the same thing and I probably won’t know the answer until I get to heaven (after 5,000 years in purgatory). But I always think it would be good to know now, but then again, would it really help? Would it change anything? Would I understand?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home

As a Christian I do believe God became one of us – in Jesus. He walked among his chosen band as well as among prostitutes and drunkards and tax collectors. And the self-righteous hated that – I mean wouldn’t God only hang out with the “holy” people? No. He wants the ones who struggle, the ones who hurt. So, when we see the homeless, the stranger on the bus, the lonely ones – yes, we are seeing God. He is one of us in the “distressing disguise” of the poor, the unwanted, the lonely as Mother Teresa often said. We need to see Him in all his creatures on this earth. And yes, I don’t always remember to do this either, but I try to.

If God had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the Saints
And all the prophets

A lot of the old testament prophets and fathers met God or people who went in his stead like the three angels who came to Abraham. They asked to see Him as well so they knew he was who he said he was. Or maybe just to see God. But he covered His glory because it would be too much for them to take. God is a spirit so He doesn’t have a face but He’s always depicted as some ancient man. I guess it was just easier to see Him that way, but I don’t. I’ve moved on from that and just think of Him as spirit, as love, as life. I don’t need to see His face to believe in Him and I don’t blindly believe. That said, it’s a great question. Again – who do we say God is? Who do we say Jesus is?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home?

Just tryin’ to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope, maybe in Rome

And this is my belief – God is certainly not alone. He has all the angels and saints and regular people who did regular things and some who did extraordinary things all with Him. And plenty of people call him “on the phone” – it’s called prayer. I call too much sometimes and I think maybe God takes the phone off the hook. I’m sure he doesn’t but I think he’s also like, “Just trust Me would ya?!” Maybe the writer of the song feels that religion is dead or no one’s in heaven or no one prays anymore and God is waiting for us to make that move. Like most of these stanzas the words can be positive or negative depending on how you look at them.

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home

Just tryin’ to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just tryin’ to make his way home

Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope maybe in Rome

Not gonna lie – this song makes me tear up every single time. I think of my loneliness, nobody calling, no one to help me through my pain, no one to pray for me except myself. It’s hard. But I know there are millions of people like me too so I just offer my pain up for all those in similar (or worse) circumstances. It eases my heart just a little. I also think of how terrible a Christian I can be sometimes. I don’t want someone not to have faith because of how I behave. I want what others see to be real and good and bring them to God not make them back away. And I’ve quite a long way to go.

So, that’s my take on this great song. Oh, and the actual music itself – so, so good. Just good 90’s rock music. Can’t go wrong there. Give a listen if it’s been awhile or if you’ve never heard it. See how you feel. My husband never liked this song because he felt it was blasphemous, but I don’t see it like that. As I said before – we all question, we all wonder, and we all slip up too. We’re ALL trying to make our way home to God and our journey is just that – ours.

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The Oh Crap Roundup

June 21, 2022

Oh yeah, things are heating up around here. And I don’t just mean the weather although that’s going to get bad before it gets better. So, here’s what’s on tap this week.

Kid Bathroom Needs A Reno – And I can’t get anyone to come out and look at it to give me an estimate on cost, time, etc. I called one guy and he wanted to come out on a day I wasn’t available. He said it was fine but hasn’t called me since. That was almost two weeks ago. I emailed another company and they called back but didn’t leave a message. If it hadn’t been for my sleuthing I wouldn’t have known it was them. I need to call back because they haven’t. Third time’s a charm – there is another place in town that I’m going to call and maybe…just maybe…I’ll get them out here. Last year I contacted another contractor 4 times and never heard a word. And people from the city 40 miles down the road think we’re so far away we might as well be living on Mars. UGH.

Roof Leak – We have a small roof leak over the laundry room. Called the roofers who did our work back in 2020 two weeks ago – haven’t heard from them since.

Wasps – Wasps keep getting into the house and I finally figured out where the nest probably is so I need to call our bug guy back out for that. Which leads to…

The Jungle – Yeah, we cleaned up our side of the fence last year and it’s back. Mostly because our neighbor isn’t cleaning it up on his side. So, I need to have that done. Oh, and the jungle is the same side of the house the wasps are on. Dandy.

New Air Conditioner – Already needs a tune up. Earlier this year there was a glitch with the heater and the tech adjusted the blower limits…way down. So now our ac is running all.the.time and it’s not really cooling off inside either. I called today and they’ll be out on Friday because we live on Mars.

Dental Work – I need to call and get the cost for my fillings that have to get done next week. I also need to call the insurance to make sure they’ll pay what the dentist thinks they will so there won’t be any surprises. What I need to do is find a dentist with better rates and great service. I won’t even talk about the partials I need that won’t be covered with my current dentist so it’s imperative I find someone who will take care of us and our wallet.

Internet – Paying a fortune for really crappy internet. I was thinking of going to internet only as we have a streaming tv, but not sure we’ll be able to get the channels we want without having to pay for those either. So, we’ll see how that plays out.

And all of that is on top of worries about my kids, state of the world, etc. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! To Mars.

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Beauty Roundup

June 19, 2022

Okay, so I realized I’ve been using the same products for June (and some of May as well) and will continue to do so until the end of the month. The skincare will be used up by then and I will be moving on to my next round of products. I still have items to be used up and I’d rather do that than toss them out. So, here we go. It’s a longish post, so grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s talk beauty.

Skincare

As you can see it’s very simple which my skin prefers. For cleansing I use the Versed Wash It Out gel cleanser. It is a lightly foaming, fragrance-free cleanser which works pretty good. It doesn’t get all the makeup but pretty close. So, lately I’ve added in the Smartly Unscented Facial Cleansing Wipes (from Target) which are okay but I do need to use them up so will do that instead of just tossing them out. Will not replace though. For eye makeup I’m using my tried and true L’oreal Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. Oil free is key here because my skin does not love oils or balms at all. I was testing out some oil makeup removers earlier this year, and they would get in my eyes and it wasn’t great. So, I’m sticking with what I know works for me and I’ve used the L’oreal for decades. For toner, I added in the Cerave Hydrating Toner because it’s new and I wanted to try it out. Not sure I love it but it’s not irritating either. I actually picked up Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 1 at some point for exfoliation, but it really dried out my skin so that’s a no. In the morning I use the Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer with Mineral Sunscreen. This is pretty good stuff but it’s hard to find in stores here and expensive on Amazon. I found this tube on sale at TJ Maxx so it probably is being discontinued or reformulated or something. I like it because it’s doing double duty and with the humidity this summer it helps not to have too many layers of product. But, since it’s hard to find, I’ll be looking for a replacement. For night I’m using the Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. Again, don’t love it, it’s a little sticky and it’s not that moisturizing for my skin, so will be moving on after this month.

Makeup

These are all the products in my makeup bag right now. Now I don’t use all of these every day, but I do use a combo of items like foundation and balm on days I want to keep it super simple. Sometimes it’s foundation, a little eyeshadow, brow wax, and lip balm. Very mix and match according to my mood. I still toy with the idea of going without makeup for a whole month, but I feel better with it than without it so that’s a dream for another time.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in Shade 10 – Yes, it was expensive but I sampled it once and really liked it so decided to splurge. It does have mineral sunscreen which is a plus but the shade is still a little dark. If I use the right moisturizer underneath it’s better. The lady at the counter gave me samples of a Chanel serum and moisturizer to try and both were very good and, of course, worked well with the foundation. Will I buy it again? Probably not but I’ll use it for the rest of the month.

Tarte Sea Breezy Cream Bronzer mini in Seychelles I believe – It’s a pretty good bronzer – easy to use just a little – and I only use it on my cheeks and to give a little color. This one is getting old though so I’m going to get something new for July.

Anastasia Brow Freeze – Yep, this is still going strong and I think I got it last summer or early fall when my Ulta finally got it back in stock. I had to rework it in the jar a month ago because it was hard to get product on my spoolie brush and now it’s a little more difficult to get just the right amount of product. I do like this because it’s easy to use, and if I use too much I just water my spoolie and comb through to remove the excess. After applying I lightly push my brows in place and voila – unruly bushy brows tamed. I also found that I don’t need any brow color at all with this so when my brow pencil was gone I didn’t replace it. Sephora Collection has a waxy brow pencil that comes in clear (as well as colors) and I think I’m going to be giving that a whirl for next month.

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette – I still rue the day I did not pick up the original UD Naked palette but this one is pretty good. Good basic matte eye shadows for every day. My UD anti-aging eye primer potion ran out and I didn’t replace it (although I probably will at some point) so I decided to move on to using this which I already had.

L’Oreal Original Voluminous Mascara in Black/Brown – My trusty Covergirl Professional mascara ran out and I needed a replacement so I bought this to test it out. This is also very affordable like the Covergirl and it’s been around a long time so another trusted brand. I still have to wipe off the brush as it gets a lot of product on it, but after I do, the application is easy and lashes are fairly full. So, this is a good second best in case Covergirl ever discontinues my old faithful. My only wish is that brown mascaras would come back – black is too harsh for me and black brown is okay, but the brown was so nice and natural looking. Le sigh.

Bite Beauty Lip Balm – So, Bite Beauty is discontinuing many products and not selling in Sephora anymore either so this and the Agave Lip Mask which I’ve used every single night for five years is history. :( I only have half of this balm left and less than half of my mini lip mask so by end of July they’ll need to be replaced. That said, I do have a set of Fresh lip balms that I like but am not super crazy about so I’ll probably use those before buying anything new. I hate when beauty companies do this – you find something that’s perfect and then they discontinue it and the hunt is on again for something that works just as great. Again, le sigh.

Sephora Collection Rouge Lacquer Long Lasting Lipstick – The color is Not Your Baby which, I think, is a direct throwback to a line said in “The Devil Wears Prada” but don’t quote me. I bought this a few months ago when I was last in a Sephora because the color looked neutral and fairly sheer. It’s actually a little more pigmented than I’d like but it is creamy and easy to work with. I don’t find it long lasting which is fine because I’m not into those matte lipsticks that stay on forever and stain your lips to boot. I just want a nice wash of color that’s natural. Still, it’s not bad. I’m toying with the idea of using all Sephora Collection products for the fall to see how they rate. They’ve taken fragrance out of a lot of their skincare so it’s a little more appealing now. I’ll keep you posted.

And that’s it. That’s my current line up for June. I did toss out my used up stuff and some things that weren’t totally used up but useless. Beautycounter was one of them – it’s a clean line that’s really, really expensive and, in my opinion, the products were only meh. Just not worth it when there are other clean lines that are far more affordable and work well. Anywho – you live and learn and that’s kind of the point of using up my backlog of products – finding what does and doesn’t work and maybe finally finding the right combo I can use for my next decade which begins January 2023.

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June Update

June 17, 2022

I realize that it has been quite a while since I’ve written anything here. The reality is I have written articles, but haven’t released them into the wild. So, to start, here’s a quick recap of my year (by subject) so far.

Beauty/Skincare – I started using everything I had in backlog – tossed a few things and bought a few new things too which I am currently using. I have actually stayed out of Sephora (even online) and only bought bare minimum at Ulta until I get a grip on what I need and what’s going to work. I did realize that cleansing oils and balms don’t make my skin happy. I’ve got a four step AM and PM skincare routine and work with only about 6 beauty products as well. Each day I make up with only what I feel like. Sometimes it’s foundation and lip balm, some days it’s the whole 6. Much easier!

Fashion – I fired Stitch Fix and tried Amazon Prime Shopper. While Prime Shopper was exponentially better, it takes over a month for the returns to get processed and I’m not loving that. I’ve bought several items for the summer from QVC and if they all fit I won’t have to shop for awhile. Except to find some comfortable sandals – my feet don’t like the Clark’s I’ve worn for years. I replaced the old ones last year and this year my feet are saying nope. Back to the drawing board on that. Oh and I finally am figuring out my style and what *I* want to wear. Hello dresses!

Kids – My two youngest graduated from high school in May. The Kleenex truck pulled up for two reasons – my babies are all grown up and fun and games with the local school system is finally over (cue “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper).

Reading – So far two of my favorites have been about QEII – “Our Rainbow Queen” and “Long Live the Queen”. Right in time for her Platinum Jubilee. Oh, and one more in keeping with the queen theme – “Where’s My Crown For Acting Like Everything is Fine”.

Watching – Earlier this year I started re-watching all my favorite old movies and even bought a couple that I hadn’t seen in years. Two of those were Alan Alda movies – “Same Time Next Year” and “The Four Seasons”. Still good. Right now, I’m going through thirtysomething. Again.

House – The projects never end. Trying to get someone who will reno the kid’s bathroom also never ends. At least the lawns look better. After all the work we did last year, we needed to move to phase 2 – maintenance. So, I lined up some good people for that. I’m finally going to get my Mary Garden in the front, also scrape out the junk on the side (again), and bring the lawns back to life. So far so good on that. Almost forgot – we finally ditched our old washer and already broke after only 3 years dryer. Tip – clothes get cleaner and dried faster with the right tools.

Budget – Now that the pandemic is in year two and we’re shopping more, money was starting to flow a little too liberally. Part of that was dental (for me) and senior year school stuff. However, grocery shopping was out of control. I was running to the store way too much. I’m reining that back in with menu planning and once a week shopping. That’s working out well and I’m glad. Keeps me at home to get stuff done there.

Me – I’ve put on some weight again, so I dropped the decaf coffee and only drink a cup of regular each day. I know that decaf does a number on my system so it had to go. I’ve also adopted a 3pm tea time habit as well – for stress relief. I decided that housework can provide a lot of exercise so I’m doing more in that direction. The yield will be two fold – weight loss (maybe) and a clean/decluttered house (probably). Depression started rearing it’s ugly head again so I needed to be gentle with myself but still moving forward. It’s a difficult dance even on my best days.

So, there it is. If you want to know weather: January – mild; February – cold, snow, and ice; March and April – windy; May – rainy (over 10 inches); and June – hot, hot, hot.

I’m hoping to write more but realize if it’s going to happen I have to carve out the time. I don’t even post much on social media anymore. Yet, there are plans to maybe do some videos for youtube (a dream). I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime – love and peace to all.

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» 2022 » June » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday – One of Us

June 27, 2022

The Oh Crap Roundup

June 21, 2022

Beauty Roundup

June 19, 2022

June Update

June 17, 2022

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