365 Lessons-Lesson 266: Walk through the Pounding Rain

When the rain comes (rain being a metaphor for anything difficult) the tendency is to run for cover. Why not walk through the pounding rain? Why not walk out in the midst of it all exposed? What could happen to you? Maybe something unpredictable is in your cards; a turn of the tables, so to speak.

This morning at around 9am, my husband was eager to go walking. I looked outside at the clouds of doom and raindrops already starting to fall and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball in my bedroom with warm, fuzzy socks on.

Instead, I threw my non-waterproof raincoat on (sin in Seattle) and headed out into the elements. In the car driving over the Ballard Bridge, the rain was coming down in sheets. This was not walking weather, yet we were on our way.

Once at the park, there was no turning back. We were hiking and that was it. The rain started to let up a little as we got to the beach. All the sudden, amongst the barnacles, broken clam shells, seaweed, and a mad circle of seagulls, I saw too little eyes peering up at me on the beach. I almost stepped on this tiny, little thing.


What was it? Could it be a baby Harbor seal? The mother had left it on the shore in search of food. The little guy looked scared. It made little squeaks at us. I knew not to touch it or move it. If the mother smells human hands on her baby, she will abandon it. I was worried, however, that the mother had forgotten where it was. It was so far up on the shore now.

A sudden break in the rain had revealed this angelic creature to my husband and me. I couldn't help but take it as a sign. Seals, as you may have read from earlier posts about my book writing adventure, have a important meaning to me.

I had to go out in the pouring rain to find this jewel. My jeans were now thoroughly soaked, but we kept walking. We were committed to the walk and no sleet, hail, lightening, thunder, or hurricane was going to stop us.

Lately, I've been a bit saddened. I haven't heard from several blogging friends who used to comment regularly on this blog. Where did they go? Are people still reading it or am I writing it just for me. Should I stop writing it? Should I put it aside? Do I have anything more to say? All these thoughts go through my head and then I remember one very important thing.

I've committed myself to this walk. Let the rains come, I'll continue on. When things get difficult or boring or monotonous or I feel like I'm at the end of my rope and I'd rather turn back, go inside and hide under the covers, that's the time to continue I've learned.

The seal was a hidden jewel in the rain today. Something I wouldn't have seen if I decided to stay indoors. When we least expect it we will find that everything we were hoping for is already there, waiting for us in the pouring rain.

Also on my blog Lessons from the Monk I Married

Look Ma, No Cavities!

I'm on a roll with teeth...

Last August, I tested out a recipe for homemade toothpaste. I honestly thought would try it out for the two weeks I had promised and then go back to my regular toothpaste. I ended up liking it so much, that I decided to continue using it.

After about a month into using my homemade concoction, I noticed that my tooth sensitivity had almost vanished. I was surprised. My former brand designed for sensitive teeth hardly made a difference.

Last January I had been using the toothpaste for 6 months and I went for my check-up at the dentist. To my surprise, a tiny cavity that they had been keeping their eye on had gone away. They had to double check their records. My appointment with the Hygienist which is normally 45 minutes, was practically cut in half as she had nothing to clean. I was happy! I even blogged about it, I was THAT happy.

So...today... six months later, I had another check-up at the dentist. Again, no cavities, and the Hygienist didn't have anything to clean. My appointment was not long at all. She kept commenting on how clean my teeth were.

All I have to say is that this homemade toothpaste recipe WORKS! So I'm smiling and posing. Sometimes people shy away from homemade remedies and they shouldn't. They really work.

Here is the recipe:

The ingredients are Baking Soda, Coconut oil, Stevia and Peppermint oil.

1. Coconut oil: 3 Tablespoons
2. Baking Soda: 4 Tablespoons
3. Peppermint Oil: 20-25 drops
4. Stevia: 3 to 6 packets
   
   Mix all the ingredients together and store in a container with a lid. That is it. If you don't have peppermint oil, don't worry. The toothpaste will still work without it.

When I first made the toothpaste, I personally needed 6 packets of Stevia. I am now used to the taste of the baking soda so I no longer use the Stevia.
All the best,
Marnie
http://www.whatsupwithred.blogspot.com/

Inspiration!

It's certainly no secret that since I became pregnant, just the thought of this wonderful little girl has given me a huge wave of inspiration. Starting with the nursery, it has just been flowing from me like rain! The fact that she's renewed my creative streak after somewhat of a dry spell has really made me feel like myself again. :) The magic of this little girl never ceases to amaze me!

My latest wave has led me to really exciting venture... opening my own Etsy store! For those of you who may not be familiar with Etsy, it's a great website for people to buy and sell artisan goods. You can find all kinds of awesome stuff there!

Anyway, I am always on the quest for something cute for her to wear, and one day it suddenly dawned on me that I should just make it! I started experimenting with fabric dyes and the rest is history... It's been especially fulfilling for me, since as moms, I think many of us struggle with what to do with ourselves in our down time. There's not always much of it, but when you stay at home full time it can certainly get monotonous.

Here's one of my favorites with my little sweetie being kind enough to model it for us!

If you want to see more, you can go to here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlebirdiebabyshop

Enjoy!

Much Love,
Rachael :)
http://aubreyjune.blogspot.com/

New projects I have been working on...

I have been busy the last few months working on many new projects, one of them being my photography.

Sign up as a "Follower" on my NEW Photography Blog and you might be the winner of the GIVEAWAY I will be having soon...

www.AimeeBoschetPhotography.blogspot.com

(another post of the Italian Villa I shot will be up on that site later today, so check back)

Haters

The anger and the disappointment I feel there are no words I can type can describe the pain. I have a few characteristic flaws, but hating is not one of them. I have no bones on giving a friend or family member a compliant. But most importantly, I’m extremely supportive to my friends, it never seems to amaze me when people clearly hate on you.

I have not really accomplished much in my life, so what will happen when I do accomplish all my dreams. What? I will have no friends! I am fish grease hot because the truth freaking hurts. It really hurts!

So what would happen if you thought about someone else other then yourself? What would happen if you gave someone a compliant instead of criticism? What would happen that you are genuinely happy for someone who has accomplished something you wanted to accomplish? What would happen if you loved unconditionally?

Why should I be uncomfortable to live my life around you, share my accomplishments and joys? Why? I don’t get it!

Chantale Merchant

Imagine Credit

365 Lessons-Lesson 172: Keep Your Childhood Memories, But Know That Every Moment There Is A New You

Last night my dad went to bed and I stayed up a little longer. I pressed my face against the glass window in the dining room and stared out at the Gulf waters. My dad lives right on the water in St. Petersburg, Florida. Palm trees rustled in the wind. The rippling of tiny waves in the distance made me feel calm. I stared straight ahead for what seemed like a long time. Two flashes of lighting appeared by the old smoke stacks in the distance. The stacks my father mentioned would be torn down anytime now. They were using a gas system now and the stacks wouldn't be needed any longer.

The silence throughout the house made me lonely. My mind filled itself with all the memories of my time here. Like the time when a possum got in the house and my friend Sara had to capture it in a laundry basket and let it loose out the front door. I remember giggling with my friends in the upstairs bedroom, telling ghosts stories until all hours, spending endless hours in the pool, putting tin foil on my sunglasses with my friend Lena thinking it would reflect the sun more and make our bodies turn brown, water skiing behind my dad's tiny Boston Whaler. Boats, lotion, water, friends, laughter, outdoor dining under the umbrella, lizards, crickets, cockroaches...memories just came flooding in like a huge tidal wave and then passed and left me standing there with the awareness of the cool tile under my feet and the fact that it was very late.

I wandered upstairs to bed. I kept the window blinds up, turned off the light and let the sound of the palms and water soothe me to sleep.


I woke up and my dad already had the coffee on. We chatted a bit, had a little breakfast. The time goes so slow here. It's good. There's no hurry to get anywhere and my dad and I really didn't have any big plans today. Suddenly I said, "Maybe we can take the kayaks out." My dad looked at me and said, "Sure!" We walked to the side of the house and dad noticed that an old hornets nest was inside one of them. Cockroaches scurried around the bright orange plastic which seemed to magnify them.

We carried the kayaks out and dropped them on the lawn and dad hosed them off. We dropped them down from the cement wall onto the beach and slid them off into the water. I flipped off my flip flops and sank down with my bare feet into the white sand. We were off.

Once out drifting on the water, my dad tried to calculate how long he'd been at this house. He figured he'd been here since he was 39 years old. I'm now 40. It didn't seem possible that my dad had settled into this house at an age younger than my present age, but I guess it was true. As we paddled along, my dad pointed out an Osprey's nest on a boat marker. The Osprey cackled at us, thinking we were prey to it's offspring. We were now out in the open channel.

"Yeah, I've been here a long time. I'm going to miss it, no doubt there," my dad continued, as if the pause gave him time to reflect on what a wonderful place it has been for him. Soon, he will be letting his house of almost 30 years go for life in a retirement community.

We continued on in silence in our respective kayaks. Every now and then we'd drift together and make a remark on our surroundings. We watched enormous pelicans near the Mangrove trees devour entire fish, the seagulls would follow close behind picking up any remains. I watched my father silently paddle in front of me.


I wanted to seize the moment. I didn't want things to change. I wanted to freeze time. Just as I was thinking this, my father was swallowed up by Mangroves. He had entered the Mangrove tunnels.


Huge tunnels were formed by the trees and you could kayak through them. Inside, under the shade of these trees, there was a feeling of being far off on some ancient expedition through the Amazon. It was as if we had gone back in time. Once out on open waters again, civilization returned instantly. People zoomed by in speed boats, fisherman near by pulled up their nets, jets flew overhead.

Sweat poured from my brow in the final stretch back to the house. It must have been 90 degrees outside. Good thing I had suntan lotion on. We pulled the kayaks up onto the grass again, pulled off our sweaty clothes down to our bathing suits and jumped in the pool. The water cooled me instantly.

Later we sat under the shade of the porch awning and ate leftovers from the night before. I know things will change. I've always known that, but somehow, this time, I want to hold on to each moment.

Also published on my blog Lessons from the Monk I Married

What's Up?

I live in an amazingly beautiful world. 

Sometimes it's so easy to have tunnel vision and see only the the part I'm hurriedly focused on. The rest is smudged into a foggy haze, overlooked but always there. Waiting humbly to be noticed. Appreciated. Enjoyed.

When I look up from where I'm placed in this world I'm surrounded by beauty. I often miss this in my day as my eyes bore the road only straight ahead of me.

As I begin to focus more clearly on what is beyond. Small glimpse of wonder appear. Is that really always there. I know in my heart it is. But I forget to look.

It needn't be extravagant to marvel at the beauty that surrounds. When I look for it I will find it everywhere. The truest colours of life are exposed. 

A palette that no earthly artist could ever compare.

There she comes. I only need to walk that bit closer. In the right direction till I find what I'm looking for.

The Magnificence is always far higher and real than any wall man can build.

Surrounded.

How can I get this?

Ok, I have lost about 15 pounds in 3 months; I have never been so tone (lean) in my entire life. Even with that I still need some major improvements in my arms and tummy area. Does anyone know any exercise I can do on the floor without hurting my back? Regular sit ups are not cutting it. Thanks in advance ladies!


Chantale Merchant

Imagine credit to www.thatsfit.ca

Sunblock & Sunscreens - Hazard or Protector?

The very ingredients in sunscreens that offer sun protection, may also have adverse side effects. Some of the chemicals used in sunscreens are feared because they are said to enter our bloodstream through ongoing topical use and may have hazardous effects once they accumulate, either in our bodies or the environment. In a disturbing investigation of 952 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group found that 4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns.

There is also a growing awareness that sunscreen ingredients like the paraben's and Benzophenone may function like human estrogen's and actually disrupt the normal hormonal functioning of the body.


To assist consumers in their decision making, the Environmental Working Group has created a database of sunscreen and sunblock products. Each product is scored according to its effectiveness at blocking UVA and UVB rays, as well as the amount of ingredients that have been linked to health concerns like cancers, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergens, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Each product ingredient is given a score between one and 10 (one being the best, 10 being the worst) in each category, as well as overall. I highly recommend this website as it's unbiased. Do yourself a favor and check it out. What I found most alarming was that a lot of the "baby" sunblocks were the worst offenders. Go figure!

All the best,
Marnie

http://whatsupwithred.blogspot.com/

Paulina Porizkova Discusses Kate Hudson's Breast Augmentation

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