Happy B day

This has been a crazy year! I am learning more about myself and more importantly about my life and why I love it so much. Steph through me a birthday party for my 37th. I can't believe I'm this old! Ha ha! My life has changed quite a bit. Last year I was thinking about leaving the State, had formed some close relationships at my job that I thought would never be broken and started dating Steph (not shown to the right - that's my best friend Christine). Anyway, now its a year later. I've found that I had to get rid of my myspace to avoid drama at the office, lost most of "close" friends at work and am now pretty much a loner except for spending time with Marlo. I'm the manager of the group now which means - you know - you have no friends any more at all. But that's okay because I have a great support system at my home with Steph, Shary, Shelley, Renee, Shawn, Kaye and Martell :)

My sis and nephew both have their hair did in locks now (Shelley did hers about a month after mine). She's now thinking about becoming certified. My daughter is wearing her hair all natural which is wonderful cuz she looks so cute! (my sis is to the right with her man Norman)

I don't think about my hair much but my hands are constantly in it. From time to time I want it to grow grow grow faster and faster. Just the other day I was helping Maria move and had to take hair out of my eyes! I couldn't believe it, my own hair from my crazy sides was in my eyes. Wow. That hasn't happened in forever. Not that I can remember unless I'm thinking when I was a kid. Try to blog sooner but really its getting crazy at work and there's not much to say so far.

New look

So I braided the sides of my hair and here's a new look for me I am loving this length I think. I haven't braided my hair in forever.

New Pix Side Pictures

Six months Six months I can't believe it its been so long, I've learned so much and have been through so much getting a great loctician. My sister took a great leap of faith and is doing her locks now and my nephew is getting his done Wed! I can't believe it a whole free family! I am so proud :)

Whatup with your hair?

Sooooo

Had sushi with my girl a few weeks ago. It was amazing to be able to swim and have fun and not worry about my hair. I showered and didn't bunch and band at all and nothing came out. I got my retightening done two weeks later and no slippage!!!

I am using the knotty boy shampoo bar once a week now it smells great and it doesn't take much. I wet my hair, run my hands over the bar and get them suds up then squish it into my wet hair. Then I rinse and do it again. The bar leaves my hair with no signs of that squishy conditioner feeling it feels bone dry and very clean. Love it! The bar is about $12 bucks but its worth it.

I was at my sisters birthday party and I did cute little pipe cleaner set which made them lay down like I was some jazz singer. My sis was amazed at how thick my hair is getting. I have no space in between the sections anymore. She asked me today while we were on the phone do you have thick hair? I told her I do now!

Ancestry

I was over my sisters house looking at pictures and then again with my girl and my daughter just the other day. Its amazing how much I haven't changed (in regards to hair) ever since I was born. I look at the thin side, the fine texture, the short length. I think my hair has been five or six inches at its most for my entire life.
(me in 2007 before locks - around May)








Examining this I think about my locks. I think some of them are about that size now (after 4 mos of growing) and I wonder how long they will be next
(me in 2007 to the left) week, month and year. I'm diligently reading everyones blogs to see where there hair started especially those that have very long locks after years.

(Me 2004)

I then think about my ancestors. I remember braiding my great grandma's hair and oiling her scalp. She would sit in her rocking chair - we would have coffee or tea with cookies in china and someone would be watching Lawrence Welk. There we would be and I would be the beautician of the group asking my grandma and great grandma and auntie if my hair would ever be like theirs so straight so pretty so carefree. They didn't need perms or anything to have this corn silk hair they just needed hot oil treatments with blessed olive oil and to roll their hair with pink foam rollers wrapped with newspaper. I begged for this hair, wanted to die for this hair. Why didn't mine do this? It just soaked up the oil and my sides never got thicker never grew never lengthened what was wrong with me? Then I looked at my mom. She had beautiful past her shoulders braids when she was a child that she cut off immediately after beginning junior high. Maybe it was because of this that mine was so short and unruly. Its so fine and thin and BAD! It coils and curls and isn't straight at all.

Now looking at these pictures I feel all of the pain. The teasing by children about my bad hair, the wishing for beautiful mixed hair or straight white hair or curly mexican hair anything but my hair. I felt this was such a punishment my hair of mine, and now I'm looking at these pictures of my locks and I see thickness I see fullness I see peas of hardness and new growth. I measure my locks with my fingers and think one day I'm going to wake up and its now going to grow past this length. I'm not going to have hair past my ears - but here they are. I won't have hair on my forehead but I see three inches and four inches of growth creeping its way down. I feel hair on my neck that is mine and wanting to go further. Without any encouragement other than being left alone. This is a miracle that I feel so unworthy of at times, I am frightenend with every retightened I see this change in me and feel my strength and feel the tears dropping down my cheeks. Tears of years of pain tears of ancestry.

New Year new things

So I'm doing homework for school (I'm getting my Master's in about four more classes) :)

I look out into the sky and I think of what I did this morning to get ready for a party we have to go to in about 4 hours. To prepare my hair for this event - after all this is what the forum is for - I spritz'd my hair with water (no peppermint essential oil today) and rolled small sections with pipe cleaners (just the ends). It will take about 15 minutes for the curl to show and that it is voila I will be done.

I have my first official lock! Its in the back of my head the left hand side. I'm really enjoying playing with it. My loctician the wonderful Joyce showed me where it was and had to see the difference in the texture it is hard and steady. It doesn't have any curls or loops to it. You can definitely feel the "setting in" that people describe. To me I'm overjoyed because this is what four months of work was for. I'm finally seeing some type of change that's hopeful to me having a full head of locks.

My coworkers are now commenting on my hair and how great it looks one lady asked me "but where is your long hair" and I told her "its here just wait and see". I some of the time want to pull on it to have it grow and grow if I had a button to push I would but alas, I get to wait. I desperately want to go shopping for things to put in my hair -- beads, jewels. I really am loving this.

Three Months Shots

Okay here are my three month old shots for my hairy hair I wanna curl it everyday but I don't want weak spots.

Hmmm I still love how hair my feels all crunchy and poofy. I only had about ten slipped locs and she redid them in about 30 minutes in between my full retightening which was soooo great!

Take note of how much different it looks from my first do in September! Its grown so much on the right hand side and where there were weaker spots. I have funny little top ones that want to run away on their own. I'm starting to get lots of compliments and even weird "what is that in your hair looks". I can't wait to start doing my own but in the meantime my loctician and I are going to see alot of each other. Its about 2.5 hours to get them all retightened, at twenty bucks an hour its not cheap but definitely easier to manage and nicer to deal than damaging my hair. Now and then I swear its talking to me and telling me thank you!