I was raised by parents who were children during The Depression and, although Hubby might beg to differ, the frugal gene runs strong in me. What you see here is my "makeup station" this morning. My favorite shade of lipstick is, of course, discontinued (story of my life - sigh) so I refuse to waste one swipe. And, even though I have a new tube of foundation ready to be called into action, I've pumped out as much as I can and have now cut off the end to scrape out the rest with a handy dandy cotton swab. Don't get me started on the bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash that are balanced upside down in the shower so that gravity helps drain the last bits. House rules: use it all up; always have a backup ready.
I've been all up in my head lately - ok... for a while - ok... for about a year. And it's been hard some days to keep on scraping the bottom. Easier (relative term) to just make a swipe at a few things and just let go of the rest. Lower expectations. Toss it over and start something new. But it's lately occurred to me that there may be quite a lot left. Why do we resign ourselves to imagined inevitables? Why do we bow to the notion that the rest (whatever that is) consists of mainly dregs and dribbles? Looking over the river to the Great Beyond and nosing the canoe to drift - moderately aimlessly - in that direction? Lit by ever increasing birthday candles and lightning bugs (fireflies for y'all fancy people). What if the between here and there is as sumptuous as velvet and as rich as the croissants from Sweet D's bakery (my latest obsession)? What if Mr. Browning was right and the best is yet...? And, what am I to do with that "to come" part? The eloquent answer that springs to my mind is, "Danged, if I know." But I think I know Somebody who does know. And so, if anybody needs me, I'll be over here with my handy dandy cotton swab gathering the leavings - and putting on my best face. Using up every drop. Backup standing by. Selah.
"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 KJV
Also, if anybody happens on a tube of Urban Decay cream lipstick in Rapture scoop it up for me - I'll pay shipping and handling.