Sunday 28 October 2012

Health Benefits of Oregano

Oregano is one of the healthiest herbs around - probably owing to its volatile oils which are highly regarded as healing agents.  This and much more about Oregano.


In oregano you'll find thymol and carvacrol, two oils which have remarkable bacteria-fighting power. 

These oils also contain tremendous antioxidant activity that help keep the body healthy into our golden years and beyond. 

In fact, it's been found that on a per gram fresh-weight basis, oregano has demonstrated 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples! 

From vitamins & minerals to fiber and omega 3s, oregano need not be relegated to a sprinkle over the top of your pizza.

Will Smith speaks on the Law of Attraction

The Universal Law of Attraction practically means that your words, thoughts and feelings create your own physical reality! (whether you realize it or not). Will Smith gives his personal understanding in the video below.



The Fundamentals of the Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is the most fundamental of all universal laws. Out-pacing the laws of gravity and velocity, well-beyond the measurements of science, The Law of Attraction is the basis for who YOU are.



For those who are new to conscious thinking, this idea that your thoughts create your reality might be as whimsical as a spotted leopard running free through the city streets. As a crazy notion, a "New Age" scam, even an "airy-fairy" mind twister, the Law of Attraction is not a new idea. This rather fundamental concept has been around for ages, often hidden from the masses by those who wish to keep people "unconscious". For those who have had some experience with this concept, they might find these words refreshing and fulfilling. This idea is not new to them but is a reminder of what they already know.

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer:



Who are you really? An amazing lecture given by Alan Watts a British philosopher, writer, and speaker. He wrote more than 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, higher consciousness, meaning of life.



THINK for yourself. Question Everything. Anonymous raising awareness.THINK for yourself. Question Everything. Anonymous raising awareness.




Not because you think you know everything without questioning, but rather because you question everything you think you know.

The time has come to awaken humanity, together we can do it. We have the best tool- the internet. Everyone of you can and should take part in it.

One of the things you can do (and it doesn't require any effort and time) is to press the share button on every video you agree with. We need to act together, and sharing the information is the first step towards awakening!

Please guys and girls, from now on, if you think that the information we post is worth sharing press the share button. It is that simple!

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Perfection!

As a warning, the following post was written in complete desperation. 

I have recently learned some very sobering truths from people that I love dearly. These truths have set in motion a quest within me to do whatever I can to make a change. Today is not geared at funny. Today is geared at something greater. Read it to the very end. I promise you will be affected in a way you have always needed to be. I spent more than twelve hours writing this post because its message is that important to me.

I wonder. Am I the only one aware that there is an infectious mental disease laying siege on us right now? There is a serious pandemic of “Perfection” spreading, and it needs to stop. Hear me out because this is something for which I am passionately and constantly hurting. It’s a sickness that I’ve been trying to put into words for years without much success. It’s a sickness that I have personally struggled with. It’s a sickness that at times has left me hiding in dark corners and hating myself.

And chances are it’s hit you too.

What is the disease called ”Perfection”? Perhaps a list of its real-life symptoms will help you better understand it. We live in communities where people feel unconquerable amounts of pressure to always appear perfectly happy, perfectly functional, and perfectly figured. “Perfection” is much different than perfectionism. The following examples of “Perfection” are all real examples that I have collected from experiences in my own life, from confidential sources, or from my circle of loved ones and friends. If you actually stop to think about some of these, you will cry as I did while writing it. If you don’t, maybe you’re infected with way too much of this ”Perfection” infection.

“Perfection” is a wife who feels trapped in a marriage to a lazy, angry, small man, but at soccer practice tells the other wives how wonderful her husband always is. “Perfection” keeps people from telling the truth, even to themselves. My husband is adorable. He called me a whore this week because I smiled at a stranger. When I started crying, he said he had a game to go watch. I love him so much.

“Perfection” is a husband who is belittled, unappreciated, and abused by his wife, yet works endlessly to make his marriage appear incredible to those around him. ”Perfection” really does keep people from being real about the truth. You would have laughed, guys. She said that I suck at my job and will never go anywhere in life. Then she insinuated that I was a fat, rotting pile of crap. Isn’t she the best?

“Perfection” is a daughter with an eating disorder that keeps it hidden for years because she doesn’t want to be the first among her family and friends to be imperfect. She would give anything to confront it, but she can’t because then the “Perfect” people would hate her as much as she hates herself for it.

“Perfection” is when a son has a forbidden addiction, and despises himself for it. “Perfection” makes us believe that nobody else could understand what it is like to be weak and fall prey to the pressures of the world.

“Perfection” is a man who loathes himself for feeling unwanted attraction toward other men.

“Perfection” is a couple drowning in debt, but who still agree to that cruise with their friends because the words “we don’t have the money” are impossible ones to push across their lips.

“Perfection” is a mom hating herself because she only sees that every other mom around her is the perfect mother, the perfect wife, and the perfect neighbor. I’d give anything to be Mrs. Jones. Today she ran 34 miles, cooked six complete meals, participated in a two-hour activity with each of her seven children, hosted a marriage class with her husband, and still had time to show up for Bunco. What this mom doesn’t know is that Mrs. Jones is also at home crying right now because the pressure to be “Perfect” never lets up.

“Perfection” is a dad hating himself because he can’t give the same thing to his kids that other dads do, and then hates himself further because he takes his self-loathing out on his kids behind closed doors. You know what would have been nice? If you were never born. Do you realize how much money I’d have right now? Now come give Daddy a hug because I can force you to give me validation.

“Perfection” is a child hating herself because the boys at school call her fat, and when she goes home she tells her mom that school was fine. Her mom never stops to question why her daughter doesn’t have any friends, because her mom doesn’t want to think that anything might be less than “Perfect”.

“Perfection” is a man feeling like a smaller man because his neighbor just pulled in with a new boat.

“Perfection” is a woman who is so overwhelmed that she thinks about killing herself daily. “Perfection” makes it so that she never will because of the things people will think if she does. How could I make my suicide look like an accident? If I kill myself, I don’t want anybody knowing that I ever had any problems. She never stops to look at why she wants to do it, because healing means admitting imperfection.

“Perfection” is a man who everybody heralds as perfect, and inside he is screaming to be seen as the faulty human being that he always has been. Because to no longer be “the perfect one”, that would be freeing.

“Perfection” is a woman having an affair because she’s too afraid to confront the imperfection in her marriage.

“Perfection” is a twelve-year-old boy killing himself because he is ashamed that he can’t stop masturbating.

Stop, and read that one again.

There is a twelve-year-old boy buried 20 miles from where I sit because the “Perfection” that has infected the people around him infected him to the point that he deemed his own life worthless. “Perfection” pushed him to take his own life over something most of us would consider negligible in the life of any teenage boy.

“Perfection” is my friend’s cousin swallowing hundreds of pills because she just got the news that she was pregnant, out of wedlock, and the shame was too much to bear. She was only attempting to cause a miscarriage. 24 hours later, she closed her eyes and never opened them again. She is dead because of the “Perfection” infecting those around her. We’d rather you die than shame this family. Thanks for taking care of that, honey. By the way, we’ll do the right thing and make ourselves out to be the victims now. We have to. We’re infected with “Perfection”.

I could go on. This is all a small sampling of the disease called “Perfection”. You have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, extended family members, neighbors, friends, and children who are ALL these things, yet none of us will ever know. “Perfection” is a hideous monster with a really beautiful face. And chances are you’re infected. The good news is, there is a cure.

Be real.

Embrace that you have weakness. Because everybody does. Embrace that your body is not perfect. Because nobody’s is. Embrace that you have things you can’t control. We all have a list of them.

Here’s your wake-up call:

You aren’t the only one who feels worthless sometimes.

You aren’t the only one who took your frustrations out on your children today.

You aren’t the only one who isn’t making enough money to support your lifestyle.

You aren’t the only one who has questions and doubts about your religion.

You aren’t the only one who sometimes says things that really hurt other people.

You aren’t the only one who feels trapped in your marriage.

You aren’t the only one who gets down and hates yourself and you can’t figure out why.

You aren’t the only one that questions your sexual orientation.

You aren’t the only one who hates your body.

You aren’t the only one that can’t control yourself around food.

Your husband is not the only husband who’s addiction sends him online for his sexual fulfillment instead of to you.

Your wife is not the only wife that is mean and vindictive and makes you hate yourself.

Why didn’t somebody, anybody, put their arm around that 12-year old boy and let him know that they loved him and would always love him? What was he being told and taught that he would end his own life over something that almost no teenager can control? Maybe that beautiful and wonderful boy would still be alive if even one person had broken down the “Perfection” that completely controlled all those in his life from whom he desperately craved validation.

Why didn’t somebody, anybody, tell a beautiful pregnant girl that there was nothing so big in life that it couldn’t be made right. Maybe that incredible young woman would still be alive. Maybe her now one-year-old child would be learning to walk or say “Mommy” right now. Maybe.

Maybe.

The cure is so simple.

Be real.

Be bold about your weaknesses and you will change people’s lives. Be honest about who you actually are, and others will begin to be their actual selves around you. Once you cure yourself of the disease, others will come to you, asking if they can just “talk”. People are desperate to talk. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will tell you of some of the greatest struggles going on. Some of the most “perfect” people around you will break down in tears as they tell you how difficult life is for them. Turns out some of the most “perfect” people around us are human beings after all, and are dying to talk to another human being about it.

You’ll love them for it. And you’ll love yourself even more.

Let’s not forget this quote: “I went out to find a friend and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.” Somebody who is being a friend doesn’t spread “Perfection”. Somebody who is being a friend spreads “Real”. Then, and only then, can we all grow together.

I am not perfect, nor do I want anybody to think of me as such. Here’s my dose of real:

I once stole a box of money that was meant for a child with cancer. There was more than $150 inside. That was 12 years ago, and I still hate the person in me that did that.

I believe in God, but not religion. It took me 30 years to find the courage to say that. It took me 30 years to believe that I could be a good man and still believe that.

I once got so angry at my wife that I hit the wall. The dent is still there, haunting me every time I see it because I never thought that was something I would do.

I once sat in my bedroom crying uncontrollably because I felt like everybody thought I was fat and ugly. I was a full grown man.

There are some people I avoid bumping into in public because I feel like I’m not as good as them.

I judge people harshly who share the same features that I hate about myself.

Sometimes I’m sad. Sometimes I’m not funny. Sometimes I just want to be alone. Sometimes I stay at home on a weekend because I just don’t want to see the “Perfection” going on around me. Sometimes I want to drop-kick a perfect person’s head across the room.

“Perfection” infects every corner of society. It infects our schools. It infects neighborhoods. It infects our workplaces. This is not to say that there aren’t a lot of genuinely, happy people. I am one of those people. Most of the time. There is nothing more beautiful than a person finding true happiness in who they are and what they believe. No, this is not me trying to diminish the happiness in others. This is merely me pathetically attempting to put a face on a problem that I see everywhere but few people ever notice.

This is me, weeping as I write, asking the good people of the world to find somebody to put their arm around and be “real”. This is me, wishing that people would realize how beautiful they are, even with all of their imperfections. This is me, sad and desperate for the girls in this world to love themselves. This is me, a very imperfect man, trying to help others feel a little more perfect by asking you to act a little less perfect.

Will you help me spread “Real”? Tell us below just how perfect you aren’t. You never know who might be alive tomorrow because you were real today. You never know who needs to feel like they aren’t alone in their inability to be perfect. Even if you comment as an anonymous guest, please comment. Tell us what you struggle with. Tell a sad or dark secret. Get vulnerable. Get real. Let’s see if we can get 1,000 people showing the world that we’re not defined by perfection.- Dan Pearce

How to make a clementine candle


Turns out that clementines are also a hugely popular fruit in Japan and are given as meaningful gifts during the winter season. 


When a local Japanese production company saw this post last year, they asked me to show it to their viewers on television. So, Sara and I posed for the cameras last December, and then they went in for their closeup on the clementine. 

I made nearly half a dozen for their cameras before we were done.

We realize that many people still may not have heard about the beautiful Clementine Candle and that others may wonder how it's done. Since making one is easier shown than written, we went home last night and photographed the process.

Try it yourself with this easy step by step slide show!


The Natural Homes Cob House Collection.

Cob Homes

This is one of the cob homes build by architect and natural builder Ileana Mavrodin of Casa Verde in Banat, Romania. She, with a few others, are using natural materials in Romania to help people rediscover their local skills and community spirit.



Holy Basil An Alternative to Medical Marijuana

id You Know...that there's an aromatic plant which offers an alternative that rival those of medical marijuana treatment—without the side effects or the necessity for a prescription? 


This same medicinal plant also protects against inflammation, stress, and even radiation poisoning. In Asia, holy basil(Ocimum sanctum, O. tenuiflorum) has been cultivated for medicinal use for over 5,000 years.

Today, Western scientists have caught on to the herb's natural anti-inflammatory properties. Chemically speaking, basil (in numerous tested varieties) contains compounds similar to those found in cannabis (also known as marijuana) and oregano. 

This has led some doctors to suggest basil as an alternative to medical marijuana, since it offers the same pain relief without the addictive "high". 

Currently, tens of thousands of seriously ill Americans (especially those with cancer and AIDS) are now physician-certified users of medical marijuana because it provides effective pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation ... as well as an amazing number of other medicinal uses.

However, the use of medical marijuana does come with potentially permanent mental or neurological side effects, such as ... • Impaired attention • Difficulty learning • Decreased computing speed • Changes to brain structure • Decreased motor skills 

Holy basil carries none of those risks as an alternative to medical marijuana. That's because basil's anti-inflammatory action comes from a compound called BCP, or (E)-beta-caryophyllene. BCP combats inflammation in a manner similar to cannabis, but without the side effects.

Basil's aromatic extracts have also proven to eliminate swelling and pain from arthritis. In fact, research has demonstrated that basil works just as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. The study—presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester—showed that concentrated extracts of two types of basil taken orally reduced joint swelling by up to 73% in just 24 hours. 


Friday 12 October 2012

IFAW 'Say NO to ivory trade' TV spot


Low-effort Community Bonding: The Big Lunch

Small and simple projects requiring little organisation can sometimes make a big difference in enhancing communities. 


One such project is The Big Lunch from the people behind the Eden project. The event brings neighbours together one day each year for a joyful street lunch party to embrace the potential of strengthening relations, community bonding and further community initiatives. 

Perhaps more importantly, it facilitates discussions and understanding of each other’s issues and the opportunity for first steps to help each other find solutions.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Free Range - Shop Local

This is where I get my free range chicken and eggs from.   Paul Keating of Wimborne.


One of their sources is here.

Merrifield farm Home of Creedy Carver




Specialists in the production of barn reared and free range chickens and ducks whilst maintaining a sympathetic approach to additive free poultry production.

Merrifield farm is situated in the beautiful Devonshire countryside just outside of Crediton and about seven miles from Exeter.

Peter and Sue have worked the 82 acre farm for over twenty years and have achieved an excellent reputation for producing high quality chickens. They have now been joined by James, their younger son, who has quickly developed a reputation for producing ducks to a very high standard.

The family pride themselves on producing top quality chickens and ducks that give the true flavour of the product whilst maintaining a very sympathetic approach to bird welfare.

 Here they are fed a diet containing no genetically modified ingredients and no growth promoters or antibiotics to speed growth i.e. COMPLETELY ADDITIVE FREE FOOD.


Wednesday 3 October 2012

Eat Seasonably

Eat Seasonably, download the calender, use the interactive tools to see what's in season and healthy for you.


Appreciation Thread

Take the time to consider what you can appreciate in this moment. 


It might be something that fills up your life with joy, or it might be as simple as the breath going in and out of your body.  

Feel the balance that comes from seeking out the light in life, even in dark moments.

Thursday 20 September 2012

If local food is cheaper, and better, how do we get more people to switch from the supermarket to buying local.

Many of our previous blogs have talked about saving money by switching from the supermarket to local food producers and small retailers.



Buying seasonal food, direct, means saving money by cutting out the supply chain cost, and not wasting money on ‘temptations’ like DVDs and special offers.

In these austere times you would expect this to be the major factor in getting people to change. Especially when 80% of people say they want to buy local food. So why do only 25% of people actually buy local food, and what will get more to switch?

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Fill up on Resistant Starch without really trying

Resistant Starch – The Science Disclaimer: Eat Less, Move More and you will lose weight.




However, if you wish to shift a few kilos sooner rather than later and still remain a functioning and welcome member of Society rather than a finnicky, fatuous fossicking Faddist then you need to find a Way Of Eating, rather than follow a “diet”.

Very interesting and informative article.

The site has many delicious recipes as well.

Probiotics, are they good for us, and is Kefir better?

Probiotic drinks have become very popular, do we need them or are we doing what the marketeers tell us? And is there a better way to correct the imbalance in our digestive systems?



Has our diet changed that much to need these drinks or are we reacting to a clever marketing campaign? That cost £40M. If some experts are right in saying probiotics drinks are destroyed straight away by our stomach acid, 60% of households must think again in these austere times.

Yes, most people drink too much alcohol and eat too much meat, fat, and sugar and not enough vegetables and pulses.


This causes the wrong bacteria to take over our lower intestines and the build up of yeasts such as Candida. These produce toxins that can effect us in many ways.

Candida symptoms include: Inability to focus, Poor memory, Brain fog, Irritability, Anger, Dizziness, Depression, Crying spells, Panic attacks, Low libido, Persistent extreme fatigue, Hyperactivity, Cravings for sweets and alcohol, Insomnia, Poor coordination.

The marketeers tell us that their tasty probiotic drinks will replace the bad bacteria and correct the imbalance in the gut. ‘Experts’ say the bacteria is destroyed by our stomach acid and will not reach the lower intestine where it is needed. Which makes sense.

So I am trying Kefir made from live Kefir grains that turn milk into a yoghurt type drink that is very live, even fizzy. The grains are kept in a jar and convert half a pint of milk in to yoghurt every day. The yoghurt is sieved off and the grains fed with more milk to keep them alive. The yoghurt can be drunk, or mixed with cereal and fruit as desired, and will keep growing and producing Kefir for as long as it is looked after.


Saturday 1 September 2012

Scared

I've always been scared .. or maybe change 'scared' for 'terrified'.

From as far back as I can remember, that awful grinding and gnawing feeling deep in the pit of my stomach.

It's diminished slightly over the past few years but it's been replaced with other negative emotions, no matter what I read or how hard I try, I can't get past it.

The message I got from way back, was fear is a weakness, don't show it, don't cry, crying was done in secret.  I never saw anyone comforted for crying, only my brother when he was small, everyone else did it behind closed doors if they did it at all.

By everyone I mean my mother and dad, my dad I was to find out was the one who actually had emotions but I didn't see it till it was too late.  I never gave or received any hugs or comfort as a child, that I can remember anyway.

My worst times, before I started school, were at night.  Laying in my bed, totally scared to move thinking there was someone under there, and if I counted to 20 and they'd not shown themselves, it meant I was safe.  I'd get to 20, and then think they're tricking me, so I'll count to another 20 and so it went on till I slept from exhaustion.

I also thought someone was climbing up a ladder to the window, so if a car went by I knew I was safe for a little while, as they would have seen them wouldn't they?  Wouldn't they?  After a few minutes I'd think this unseen person would try again.

I was virtually scared to move and scared to tell anyone my thoughts, scared of being laughed at, so that little girl laying terrified in her bed never was comforted.

Then school .. the worst of times.  Every day, every night, terrified.  I hated school with a passion, I never had friends, never was included in groups, always on the outside and bullied as a consequence.  We moved homes a lot, which meant lots of new schools, each worse than the last.

Every day at home time, I'd be so relieved, but two minutes later the fear would come back as the thought of the next day hit me.

At home I pretended I was tough, I bullied other smaller children.  I remember my dad being really angry about that and giving me a swift clip round the ear and being proud when I stood defiant and not crying, saying to my mother, 'look, she's not crying', like it was an achievement.

I spent many hours alone, crying, lonely, sad and then toughing it out in public.

I was alternatively needy and aggressive, not knowing how to behave socially.  The fear an ever present monster.

My dad was always working to keep us fed, clothed and with a roof over our heads, but my mother and brother, they really did a job on me, I felt I was adopted.  Always lonely, even where you're supposed to feel loved, with your family, I had fear at school, at work, socially, and at home.

I wanted to be loved and hugged, I wanted babies, I knew everything would be ok then, I would love them so much, I would give them what I never had, but I can see now I was too damaged to be a good parent.  I'm very proud of how they've turned out but it's no thanks to me.

I'm still needy and aggressive in turn, even with them, as I just don't function well as a person.

The other night in bed I thought of that little girl, the terrified one waiting for a hug, and I went to her in my thoughts, and hugged her and comforted her, like they tell you in the self help books, to love your inner child, so I did.

I know now I'm not a likable or lovable person, I'm scratchy, picky, aggressive, angry, needy, self pitying, not loving, generous, giving or welcoming.  I know how I'd like to be  but inside it's not there.

After spending my life acting it's hard to know who I really am or what I am.

Add confused to scared and we're somewhere near.




Wednesday 29 August 2012

Open day this Saturday at Runnymede Eco-Village.

This Saturday Sept 1st, we’re having an open day with workshops at Runnymede Eco-Village. 


From 2 p.m, there will be a pottery workshop with locally dug and prepared clay. There will also be some traditional structure building.

If you don’t fancy getting your hands dirty you can take a look around the eco-village, sit by the fire and/or have some food and refreshments.

In the evening, weather depending, we’ll be having a fireside music jam, to which everyone is welcome. Please bring an instrument if you can/like.



Korean Honey Tea

Honey is a natural preservative and after awhile the lemons kindof dissolve into the honey to make a fragrant, sweet, marmalade like concoction. 


This would make a really thoughtful dinner party gift. A perfect hot drink during the cold months, and very soothing to a sore throat!

Friday 17 August 2012

Free From Harm

Free From Harm 


We’re all somewhere on our own path. We all aspire to do the right thing to protect the earth and the animals that inhabit it. Free from Harm is your online hub to empower you with the best information, tools and resources to guide you on that path.

Comfortably Unaware

Author of “Comfortably Unaware: Global Depletion and Food Choice Responsibility,” Dr. Oppenlander is a sustainability and wellness advocate, writer, and speaker committed to improving the health of our planet. 

Through literary work or in person, he brings an eclectic combination of experiences regarding this topic spanning the past 40 years.


Thursday 16 August 2012

Care2 Make a Difference

This site has so much going on, too hard to list all the things they do.  Primarily it's a petition site, but it's so much more.


They have causes, healthy living, news, community and lots and lots of feel good stories.  Please take time to have a look at it.

Loves Food - Tastiest Food on the Web

This fresh-tasting salad is just the kind of lift you need to tickle your taste buds in winter. Remember to wash your hands after chopping the chilli – you’ll soon know about it if you don’t and then absent-mindedly rub your eyes!"


This fresh-tasting salad is just the kind of lift you need to tickle your taste buds in winter. Remember to wash your hands after chopping the chilli – you’ll soon know about it if you don’t and then absent-mindedly rub your eyes!"

This is another fabulous foodie fest, lots of recipes, journals, videos and ideas for meals, all laid out simply with gorgeous photos to make you feel hungry.

I've added this site to my side bar links.




Teach Your Old Brain New Tricks

Self Help for People who wouldn't be caught dead doing Self Help

My mission in one long run on sentence: To offer easy-to-absorb insights and advice to help you bloom into your happiest, most loved, highest potential self – and have fun in the process – because I use playful analogies, feisty humor, and stylish graphics to distill big ideas (from the latest scientific studies to ancient wisdom) into short, easily-digestible, life-changing tips.


Basically, because my books and programs are created to be fun, you’ll absorb methodologies for creating a happier more successful life with total ease – including ideas from: Aristotle, Martin Seligman, Viktor Frankl, Bertrand Russel, Jung, Freud, biology, Buddhism, cognitive therapy, Darwinism, Neuro Linquistic Programming, neuroscience, positive psychology, sociology, quantum physics, western philosophy, Zen of Bazooka Joe – and then some.

Although it's a shop, it looks fun, fresh and interesting, worth a look.


Homesteading / Survivalism

The largest homestead, survival, and self-reliance page on Facebook.   Another great page, so much information for living a more healthy life.



Depression: "I’ve never seen you without a smile on your face"


I have experienced problems with my mental health, on and off, since early childhood. However, it is only recently that I have felt truly able to discuss these experiences with those closest to me.


In the past, others’ perceptions of me as happy-go-lucky and my own misconceptions about mental illness made me feel uncomfortable about opening up to people.

Somewhere between the ages of 5-10 years old, after a series of stressful events, I started to struggle with anxiety and depression. Convinced I was suffering from an incurable illness, I would spend hours reading the family medical dictionary.

I developed a fear of vomiting which escalated and started to take over my life. As darkness fell in the evenings, my fear would increase. I was unable to sleep properly, scared of being alone with my thoughts.

One persons account of their struggle with coming to terms with and explaining their mental health issues to a largely unaccepting world.  You're not blamed for physical illness, why are you for mental illness?


Organic Gardening

This is a great facebook page, for the discussion of organic gardening, tips, and techniques.





10 Health Benefits of Ginger

1. Ovarian cancer treatment
2. Colon cancer prevention
3. Morning sickness relief
4. Motion sickness remedy
5. Reduces pain and inflammation
6. Heartburn relief
7. Prevention of diabetic nephropathy
8. Migraine relief
9. Menstrual cramp relief
10. Cold and flu prevention



Friday 10 August 2012

10 Rapidly Vanishing Environmental Wonders


Glaciers, forests, islands, species, and entire ecosystems are disappearing in front of our eyes. The worst part about it is that many climate change deniers view the Earth as some all-powerful entity that will self-correct if we do too much damage.

But in reality, if we continue to alter the planet’s atmosphere and ecosystems at such a rapid rate, the human species could ultimately render planet Earth uninhabitable. It will become just another one of the countless barren planets floating through the universe. Fortunately, this has not happened yet. 

ByzantineFlowers ~ Health & Wellness, Natural & Herbal Remedies, Whole Foods, Diet, Recipes, Home & Garden...

The Organic Farm Revolution – Supporting Your “Inner Farmer”


No matter where you live, what type of lifestyle or budget, we can find better ways of eating foods that would benefit our health & family. Don’t have a backyard to garden, a balcony or deck? There are a number of possibilities in which we can be proactive in fighting the unknown food sources you get from the mega supermarkets.


Tuesday 7 August 2012

5 Simple Veggie Dinner Ideas

Here are five veggie dinner ideas for during the week from Sweet on Veg.



Guacamole Portobello Mushroom.

For the other meals and recipes, see the link above.


"Visually & Respectfully Yours" / Tibetan Buddhism

Seven toxic foods, drinks, and additives to cut out of your diet for good

With so much conflicting information out there about which foods are healthy and which foods are not, it can be difficult for many people to determine how best to approach a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well. 

But a good place to start is to avoid these seven toxic foods, beverages, and additives that are quite common in the American diet.

Diet sodas and beverages sweetened with artificial chemicals High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the silent killer. Most vegetable oils, including hydrogenated and 'trans' fat varieties

etc

Alzheimer's is really just 'type-3' diabetes, new research shows

Emerging research on the widespread degenerative brain disease known as Alzheimer's suggests that this prevalent form of dementia is actually a type of diabetes. 

Published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, a recent study out of Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) confirms that Alzheimer's is marked by brain insulin resistance and corresponding inflammation, a condition that some researchers are now referring to as type-3 diabetes.


Eating more healthy saturated fats like coconut oil can help prevent, cure Alzheimer's Since many elderly individuals that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels, the first logical step would be to stop taking these drugs.

Not only have statins been shown to cause and exacerbate Alzheimer's, they have also been shown to cause diabetes. So taking them, as many elderly dementia patients do, runs contrary to common sense, and will only make the problem worse.

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Ecovillage Impressions

GEN offers inspiring examples of how people and communities can live healthy, cooperative, genuinely happy and meaningful lifestyles --- beacons of hope that help in the transition to a more sustainable future on Earth. We foster a culture of mutual respect, sharing, inclusiveness, positive intent, and fair energy exchange.


GEN-International works trough three broad regional organisations: GEN Oceania and Asia (GENOA), the Ecovillage Network of the Americas (ENA), and GEN-Europe/Africa/Middle East. GEN-International is currently supporting the emergence of GEN-Africa and CASA (El Consejo de Asentamientos Sustentables de las Américas) as independent networks in order to make more visible the dynamic and impressive work already being done in Africa and South America.



Welcome to the Intentional Communities website – your source for community information


Intentional Community is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing communities, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives, intentional living, alternative communities, cooperative living, and other projects where people strive together with a common vision.

This web site serves the growing communities' movement, providing resources for starting a community, finding a community home, living in community, and creating more community in your life.




Twin Oaks Communities Conference 2012 - Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31 - Sept. 3)




Living for free: a community thriving by recycling other people's waste

'Recycling' has become something of an empty phrase these days, with much of what we discard being 'down-cycled' rather than properly re-used or re-purposed.

So it's very refreshing to hear about a community that not only meets its own needs through recycling, but even gives away surplus from their activities to the surrounding community...


 Our recent trip to the Plukrijp community made a strong impression on us. Situated in Schriek, Belgium, this small farm has developed into a thriving community hub over the last few years and offers solutions in various aspects of Permaculture design. Most notable, however, is the way this community lives at virtually no cost. Around 4000 people pass through here a year in addition to a 15 strong community, and the running costs have been reduced to gas for cooking and water rates!

Permaculture livestock

The chickens and geese are kept in netted pens joined by hundreds of meters of netted tunnels that run the entire perimeter of the fields. Frank has designed this in to ensure weeds do not encroach from the neighboring land and has overplanted the tunnels with Jerusalem artichoke, berries and other fodder, creating a multifunctional system producing fodder and yielding crops whilst keeping edges of the field clean and allowing the birds much greater freedom. Good design!


On vast racking around the freezers there is 200l of olive oil (a year out of date), jars of pickles and preserves made from the farms crops, as well as all manner of organic wholefoods, the oldest of which are 20 years out of date! And yet still safely consumed by the Plukrijp inhabitants.

We leave amazed at the potential to engage with surrounding communities in this multifunctional and beneficial way. This is certainly the most organized and shining example of valuing the marginal in this regard I have heard about or experienced, and I depart grateful for the possibilities Plukrijp represents.

Sunday 29 July 2012

om mani padme hum


Drummondville couple fights to keep vegetable garden

New bylaw will ban front lawn vegetable gardens.



A couple is fighting to keep a vegetable garden they grow on their property in Drummondville, 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

This spring, Michel Beauchamp and his wife, Josée Landry, planted an elaborate vegetable garden on the front lawn of their Richelieu Street home.

They used to have flowers growing, but Beauchamp has high blood pressure and wanted to eat healthier. So they planted cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchinis, beets, onions, and brussels sprouts, among other vegetables.



Landry said the garden has had a big impact on her and her husband's health. "Michel lost 75 lb since March, I lost 25 lb," she said.


But the couple will face fines if they don't rip up part of their garden in the next five days.


The couple said they will not give up without a fight. "It must be a right to be able to grow our vegetables on our land. It is nonsense to ban it," said Beauchamp.

A spokesperson for the city said neighbours have complained about the garden.

Beauchamp said no one has complained to him. He said he shares his fresh produce with his neighbours.
"They love it. Everybody is surprised by the kind of taste we can have from fresh vegetables," he said.


This fall the city plans to make it illegal to grow vegetables on front lawns anywhere in the city.

That makes perfect sense!!  People want to grow fresh food, what a stupid idea, when they go to the shops and by Monsanto GM crap.  I despair at the lunacy in the world!!

Monday 16 July 2012

Quote

“We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saints or sex addicts. Heroes or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are.Letting our past decide our future.

Or we can decide for ourselves. And maybe it’s our job to invent something better.”

Chuck Palahniuk

Tattoo

I also got a tattoo this year, something I've always thought I'd like but way to scared of the imagined pain.  Anyway, my daughter booked me in with her tattooist, Steve A, for an after work consultation.  They were so good making special arrangements for me, working after hours and sitting with me till the end.  Thanks so much!

I wanted a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist.

The words meant a lot to me, they were a sort of mantra for getting out of the house and now I can see them all the time, and hold on to my them on my wrist for support.


Steve was patience itself, and really kind and very talented.  He wrote out the words I wanted in the design I had in mind and it came out better than I ever imagined.  It wasn't painful and I didn't get any after effects.

My fabulous tattooist Steve A.



I had to go into town for this, my son took me, and drove me home after, and my daughter sat with me, but the feeling of being trapped, which is what most agoraphobics get, was what I was most frightened of, but that didn't happen and when I got home I felt invincible!! and ready for anything.

Thanks to everyone for that great day.

Saturday 30 June 2012

Visits

I visited my son and his girlfriend and their baby son, I went to see all my childrens homes, great excitement and happiness being able to go and visit.

I don't drive any more so the visits weren't long, as I had to get there and back with my counsellor, but at least I made it out and I'm so glad now that I did as my eldest daughter and son have now moved away from the area and are much harder to visit.

I will write about the moves in another post.
Right, enough of that negative shit!

What have I done in this 60th year of mine?

Well, for one I achieved my goal of getting out of the house, and more than that, I got to see my youngest daughter walk across the stage to receive her MA!  I didn't get to see her degree ceremony so this was a huge deal for me.

It was just the best feeling, to see her face happy that I had made it and could share in her success.

There was not a prouder person in that huge room than me, knowing what hurdles she had to surmount to get there, how much she fought her demons, threw off the chains of her past and proudly walked the walk across that stage, words cannot say how proud I am of her.

I wrote about at the time here


But I think it needs saying again in this my 60th year.

More to come!

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Surrounded

While I slept, and after answering the questions put to me in the night by the plain clothes plods, things were happening at home.

My parents were contacted, don't ask me how the police knew, I guess I may have told them, but don't know.  They had to go to my house but stay back till told what to do.  Omg, the worst thing was my parents getting in on all this!!

They arrived to find the whole house surrounded by cops, some armed I think they said.  My kids were inside with Mike, this is the worst of it, my kids getting caught up in all this shit.  The police gained entry, some going over the wall at the back to stop Mike escaping, some going in the front door.  He was standing by the sink in the kitchen, they rushed and grabbed him, handcuffing him and dragging him out.  As any self respecting alcoholic would, he made a grab for his coat pocket on the way out in the vain hope of catching hold of the last of his cheap British sherry.  He failed.  They took him in to the cells and he was the knob head kicking his door and keeping me awake!

Back at the house, we'd been having wiring done, so some of the kitchen floor boards were up, there were bills heaped up on the side, the police searched everywhere.  They eventually left.

Can't say how hard that was to write, knowing what my kids went through, not just then but every other sodding drunken night!  If anyone reads this and has problems with drink, please get help, try to stop, don't wait till you've ruined and wasted lives.

Right, back at the cop shop, morning has come and I'm in the interview room.

Questioning: Have you got money problems, how bad are they?  Showed me the notes about guns and bank vaults, asking me why I had them and had I been to the vault, did I have a gun?  Why were there newspapers in my car and old overalls?  All very innocent answers but you try telling them that!!

Mike had the same questions but of course he had form so they were less believing of him.  In  the end their enquiries led nowhere and they had to believe us and let us go.

They were actually not bad, and said we had a great family and to get the drink sorted out.  I so wished we had.  We walked out free, but dirty and grimy and hung over.  We put off having a drink till later, we had to face the kids, that was worse than the police any day.

Today, I'm sober, so is Mike.

Maybe next time I'll tell of my Shirley Valentine trip.  You try going to Greece with no passport and no money and stupidly drunk'

Thursday 8 March 2012

Nick Vujicic :: Life Without Limits :: Attitude is Altitude

Truly inspirational  .. read his blog here


BIOGRAPHY OF A DETERMINED MAN reveals the compelling story of Nick Vujicic. From his childhood in Australia to his initial speaking engagements, witness Nick's long journey to understand himself and his place in this world. With multiple turning points and cycles of despair and glory, Nick learns how to rise above his circumstances and prevail.

Saturday 18 February 2012

From the Mail's GP, a deeply provocative confession

It's the Mail, I know, but I think he has a point.

Should I discover tomorrow that I have advanced, life-threatening cancer, I won’t go rushing to the doctors for a heavily invasive course of medical treatment. No, I will shut up my London surgery, head to my home in Norfolk, stock up on gin and tonic and have a jolly good time until I meet my end.

Like most doctors, I understand that much of the care we offer patients who have serious, life-threatening illnesses is ultimately futile.

Worse, it can involve many months of gruelling treatments that might possibly extend the length of one’s life, but do nothing for its quality ...

Charged or Not?

I had forgotten I'd not finished this, life gets in the way.

Time scale - crashed car about 4pm

Probably put in cell not long after, eventually when I'd run out of cigarettes and made enough noise I laid on the hard plastic mattress and drifted off to sleep.  Why do they have the heating up so high in there?  If they reduced it a bit they could pay for some old people to have heat in their homes!

It was dark when two guys woke me up, it was like a dream, they were plain clothes and kept asking me about Mike, I told them what I knew and they left.  I went back to sleep, was woken later by some other knob head kicking his door and shouting. It's obligatory behaviour it seems.

The next morning got breakfast, horrible sausage and something on a paper plate with plastic cutlery. Very hungover, felt grimy and dirty and wanted to go home.  I asked the guy who brought the breakfast, 'why am I being kept here', he said he didn't know.  Great!!

To cut to the chase:  I was escorted to a room, two police officers there, might have been duty solicitor, can't really remember, I sat down and they explained about taping the interview, at this stage I was just tired, not really thinking of anything except to get home.

They put on the tape!  Then brought exhibit bags out and showed me one by one, and told me they were investigating a series of armed robberies, that's why I'd been kept in overnight while they contacted different police forces for information!!

Me??!  Me, you think I'm an armed robber??  I laughed, but I could see they were totally serious.

To be continued

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Horoscope for 8th February 2012

You could frighten yourself now because you feel bold enough to do things that you might normally pass by. Your uncharacteristic courage has others taking notice of your new sense of optimism, which inspires them to have more confidence in you. Your positive attitude can open doors that were previously closed, so be receptive to the support that comes your way today.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Vanishing of the Bees - Beekeeper Leaks EPA Document.mp4


Why our bees are dying. If you are not familar with this dangerous phenomenal action that is occurring in the USA.


Sunday 5 February 2012

The Boys in Blue

Fast forward a bit and Mark (name changed) started to drink in secret. I must have been so naive but looking back I can see where it started, but he was well into it by the time I really found out and confronted him about it.

Basically he said he's going to drink, if not at mine then somewhere else. So he drank, so did I, my kids were so disappointed.

He had strange moods, very up and down, manic, later diagnosed as manic depressive but at the time we didn't know this.  So this generally nice and sweet person would suddenly switch and be violent and aggressive, he frightened me when he was like that.

Anyway, one day he disappeared, he'd only gone to see his mates but I panicked, like I did in those days, and drove round to find him.  He was drinking with his mates.  I joined in oblivious to the fact I still had to drive home.

His mates, at the hostel, said I could stay there till I was a bit more sober, but I was ok, I only staggered a bit.

We drove off down the road, turned right and the next thing I knew there was a massive noise and a tree was bent over my bonnet, steam rising from somewhere.  I'd had a blackout.  Mark dashed out .. shouting and trying to drag me out of the car.  I insisted I could back it up and drive home still.

This was shown to be doubtful after the event when we saw the two front wheels staring at each other.

He dragged me out of the car and hit me, shouting what a fucking idiot I was.  Two people walked past and must have phoned the police because the next thing I knew Mark had legged it and I'm speaking to the boys in blue.

Being drunk I wasn't too bothered by this, I thought I'll talk my way out easy.  They had other ideas.  I found myself in an office with the police going through my bag. I thought what a fucking cheek, and said so with the bravado of a bottle of vodka in me.

Now my bag is more of a suitcase with everything but the kitchen sink in it and boy oh boy did I leap out of the chair when they found my half bottle stashed at the bottom .. before they could move, I'd snatched it, opened it, and gulped down what was left, which annoyed them even more.  That's when I found myself stuck in a vile dirty cell with fags but no lighter, how cruel is that?!

To be continued.

Armed Robbery

This is a tale of misunderstandings, some funny, some not, especially for the innocents dragged into something they had no control of.

First up, the amusing part.

At one of my many stints in rehab for alcoholism my eye caught a new guy, I thought mm he's not bad.  In the therapy groups I liked his voice, liked what he said and we got to know each other. I gave him a lift one day as I came upon him walking towards the unit, he said 'this is the first time I've been in a car without a blanket over my head'.  He gave the impression of being 'Jack the Lad' but underneath he was very unsure of himself and had massive self esteem issues.

I asked what he meant and he said he'd just been released after serving time for armed robbery.  He was living in a hostel at the time.

Anyway over the days we talked and in coffee times he did the telegraph crossword while I wandered off to get my daily pennies for the petrol used in getting to the unit.  One time I came back and he passed  me a note.  It said 'give me your money, I've got a gun under the paper' .. we both laughed and I tucked it into my handbag as a rather silly memento.

One time he showed me a diagram of a bank in London, the vaults, where he'd worked as an electrician for a short time, most of his jobs where short term as his drinking always came first.  I kept that too, as we were getting serious and I'm a one for keeping little bits and pieces.

At the time I was having a brief time off drink, but he was smoking hash and I'd give him lifts to do his deals, all very exciting for a boring working class mother.  I know now it's not exciting at all.

We were both broken people, but he was nice, and we ended up living together.  I honestly thought we'd never drink again, I was happy after the misery of my divorce and really thought this was for keeps.

To be continued.

Sunday 29 January 2012

Horoscope

This is my horoscope from Twittascope.


Bearing in mind I'm agoraphobic!

You don't need to conform to other people's narrow expectations just because they assume that you're a homebody. Be adventurous and surprise everyone today by impulsively heading out to do something exciting on your own without discussing your plans with anyone else. You don't have to give lengthy rationalizations or seek approval for your decisions; just spread your wings and fly on your own for a while.

Edited 5th February.

Why that horoscope hit me in the face was at that moment I was debating if I could leave the house and get to my daughters to see her and her babies, big girls they tell me now, before they left for Ibiza in the morning.

The answer was I could and I did!  And so glad I did, so where they, and so surprised but really happy we all had another chance to say goodbye.  Lots of tears and hugs but thankful I took the chance and was able to get the hugs in person.  Miss them so much now.

Thursday 26 January 2012

My Wife's Wedding Dress - Mike Gunn

I knew I'd start filling up my new YouTube channel .. this is funny though. Follow him at @MikeGunn1 on twitter.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Overcoming Drug Addiction: Darren's Recovery Story

An inspiring and positive story of kicking addiction. Follow him at @DMussell on twitter.


The Alcohol & Drug Service (ADS) has been transforming lives for more than 25 years. Here is one true story about Darren, a young man from Grimsby, who has battled back from addictions to drugs to reclaim his life and rebuild relationships with family.

Saturday 21 January 2012

FDA Finally Admits Chicken Meat Contains Cancer-Causing Arsenic

FDA Finally Admits Chicken Meat Contains Cancer-Causing Arsenic

After years of sweeping the issue under the rug and hoping no one would notice, the FDA has now finally admitted that chicken meat sold in the USA contains arsenic, a cancer-causing toxic chemical that’s fatal in high doses.


But the real story is where this arsenic comes from:It’s added to the chicken feed on purpose!
Even worse, the FDA says its own research shows that the arsenic added to the chicken feed ends up in the chicken meat where it is consumed by humans. So for the last sixty years, American  consumers  who eat conventional chicken  have been swallowing arsenic, a known cancer-causing chemical. (http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loc…)

Until this new study, both the  poultry industry  and the FDA denied that arsenic fed to  chickensended up in their  meat.  The fairytale excuse story we’ve all been fed for sixty years is that “the arsenic is excreted in the chicken feces.” There’s no scientific basis for making such a claim… it’s just what the poultry industry wanted everybody to believe.

But now the evidence is so undeniable that the manufacturer of the chicken feed product known as Roxarsone has decided to pull the product off the shelves (http://www.grist.org/food-safety/20…). And what’s the name of this manufacturer that has been putting arsenic in the chicken feed for all these years? Pfizer, of course — the very same company that makes vaccines containing chemical adjuvants that are injected into children.

Technically, the company making the Roxarsone chicken feed is a subsidiary of Pfizer, calledAlpharma LLC. Even though Alpharma now has agreed to pull this toxic  feed chemical off the shelves in the United States, it says it won’t necessarily remove it from feed  products  in other countries unless it is forced by regulators to do so. As reported by AP: