The River Empires and some Exotics

River Empires
I have a new favorite band which I can't stop listening to. It combines most of my favorites: indie, folk, banjo, fiddle, poetic intelligent lyrics, beauty. This song first caught my ear as I was walking through some dappled light from shaky tree leaves as I was walking across my apartment complex, and the title and sound just perfectly matched what I was seeing! The shadows looked sparkly! But I will say that I enjoy the ENTIRE ALBUM, which is rare.

Exotics
I also tried out a new thing just now. I told one of the girls I work with the other day that I found these instructions for washing your hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. She said, "Oh, RS, you're always trying all these exotic things!" Yep, that baking soda is some exotic stuff. It's magical. I love talking to this co-worker because it keeps me from thinking I'm too normal. I told her another time that I wish I had some venison because I really wanted some chicken fried deer steaks. She told me, "you eat deer?!?!" HAHAHA. Yes. Delicioso and lacking in essential preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. We live in South Texas. I didn't know anyone didn't eat deer. We also take the deer's head and hang it on the wall, but that's a different story.

But anyway. Baking soda. So I just tried the instructions from the Simplemom website (sorry, too lazy to link). I suppose I won't know whether or not the method is effective for a couple of weeks. There is evidently a withdrawal period where your hair goes all freaky because it's used to having all of its oils stripped when you use regular shampoo and compensates by producing extra oil. I don't imagine extra oil can hurt my hair too much since it's pretty dry naturally. I'll report back on this crucial issue.

Here's another exotic idea that I stumbled upon from the same website. Washing your face with olive oil. I've tried this a couple of times so far and am quite impressed. It makes your skin look all luminous and glowing. The greatest part is that there are absolutely no pesky pregnancy hormones involved. It also has not led to any increase in pimples.

Encouraging Reflection
It's been quite an odyssey, but I'm slowly becoming a Catholic. The torturous pace is definitely not self-imposed. All would-be converts have to take eight months of religious education classes before they can be baptized and received into the Church. There are about 15 of us in the class, which is quite an admirable number. Every aspect of the Church which I researched with a critical eye has made plain why-didn't-I-think-of-this-before sense in accordance with not only what I've learned in the Bible, but also with what I understand of life. These are the things I love most so far:

1. Steadfastness and refusal to compromise its morality in the face of secular pressure.
2. It is consistent logically with the world and its own teachings. No contradiction.
3. Teaching authority which ensures that what I'm learning is reliable.
4. The Church teaches compassion and self-donative love as noble works.
5. It's teachings about the meaning of marriage and openness to life.
6. Never thought I would say this, but the Rosary has proven to be vehicle of grace.
7. REALLY never thought I'd say this, but the communion of saints. None of us are truly alone and without help!
8. I would say the Eucharist, but I'm not allowed to receive it yet.
9. I would say confession/reconciliation but I'm not allowed to do that yet either.
10. The lack of that strange "accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior" business with its weird emphasis on individuality. We're meant to work together, not separate!

Check out this blog if you don't believe me, the author is a former Atheist who has some interesting insights on so many topics.