Rainforest calling Pt 1

As mentioned in my prior post Heartpoet and I have not long returned from a short trip. We took a few photo's whilst away so I will break them up and post them in three parts over this long weekend here in Brisbane.








The cosy and most comfortable chalet we stayed in is nestled right in the middle of the rainforest. It has been built around rainforest trees (in many instances including trees as part of the chalets structure so as not to damage the area) and directly borders the local running stream complete with waterfall. It rained (heavy at times and drizzle at other times) almost our whole trip away. The mountain air was invigoratingly fresh, crisp and cool yet never cold. There was a magical mist that hung in the air. Perfect weather for retreating for some rest and relaxation. Even with our chalets huge cathedral ceilings we could still hear the rain at all times. Don't you just love the sound of rain on a tin roof? Whilst inside the chalet it was such a treat to be able to view the roaring stream and tumbling waterfall from the lounge/kitchen/in bed/whilst in the spa and from the front and rear verandas. We spent a lot of romantic and relaxing time curled up in front of the fire, in the spa and in the hot tub on the veranda. Three nights and four days of long overdue bliss~!

See you tomorrow for Pt 2 :]

Rainforest calling

As per my prior post...

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which colour to slide down on the rainbow.
~*Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You*~

Heartpoet and I took off bright and early Tuesday (just gone) and have just returned home from a short break where for 3 nights and four days our most important decision each day was choosing which colour to slide down on the rainbow :]

We were supposed to head off on this particular break over New Year however ongoing flooding and the resulting fallout effect put a dampener on our plans which we were forced to cancel. So we made new plans for April and then I got REALLY sick sigh. We seriously thought at one stage that our plans may have been thwarted yet again. However despite very low energy reserves on my part I was determined to soldier on. Heartpoet and I both sorely needed some rest and relaxation and our destination was the ideal location for such.

Have bags to unpack now and the usual things to attend to after a trip away so will post more (incl piccies) over the weekend.

Have missed you all~!

*Piccies: rainforest and Kimmie taking a gentle walk on a drizzly, misty and magical day in the rainforest.

Sometimes

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.
~*Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You*~

*Piccie from: http://vi.sualize.us/

Life is a Game, These Are The Rules

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

*Written by Cherie Carter-Scott in Life is a Game, These Are The Rules

Kreativ Blogger Award for The Serendipity Cafe

The lovely Tamara over at A Treasured Past blog has graciously honoured me with a very unexpected award...Thank you Tamara, you have brightened up my night :)

Ok so I have to tell you 10 things about me as well as pass the award on to 10 Kreativ bloggers. I will ponder the ten things about me over night and post over the weekend.

Passing this award on to....

Bel from My Crochet Therapy
Mimi from A Tray Of Bliss
Shug from My Steps of Faith
Mel from Mel's Backyard
Sherrie from Simpleliving
Joolz from Simply Joolz
Carol from Naturally Carol
Donna from Casa Famiglia
Cathy from Cathy @ home
Barb from Barb's Blog


Well done ladies~!

It made my day~!

Today the mailman delivered such a lovely surprise. A get well gift from Sherrie from Simpleliving blog. I have found the blogging community to be so caring and kind hearted. Sherrie had sent me one of her GORGEOUS homemade bags (made of the prettiest of printed fabrics) and a sweet homemade card filled with warm get well wishes. I teared up (happy tears) opening this parcel that had been sent with much love. Thank you Sherrie you made my day today. I wish that I could give you a big squishy hug to express my gratitude and thanks~!

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels. ~*Author Unknown*~

Thank you

Hi guys and gals

Slow recovery although there has been some improvement. Hospital testing picked up two unrelated issues that required further testing, still awaiting results. Feeling washed out, worn out and a tad teary from it all. Last few weeks have not been much fun! When I know more I will update.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kind, caring comments and emails. They are very much appreciated. I do miss blogging and hope to be back in fine form sooner rather than later.


Much love to you all,

Heartpoet here - Kimmie is quite ill

Kimmie has been very ill since Sunday morning and has had a stay in Prince Charles Hospital with symptoms mirroring meningitis symptoms - overwhelming neck and back pain, severe headache, unable to keep solids/liquids down with constant vomiting, sore eyes/aversion to light, a very high temperature and barely able to walk. She has been (still is) a very sick gal. She is home now but still in much pain and even going to the toilet/bathroom is a marathon effort for the poor love. I have been (still am) worried silly about her. I have never seen her so ill. We have a Dr's appoint booked for Monday although if her condition does not improve or worsens over the weekend she will be readmitted to hospital. I just thought I would let you all know in case you have been wondering why she has suddenly gone missing from blogging.


Heartpoet

Winner vs Loser

The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, “Let me do it for you”;
The Loser says, “That is not my job.”

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

The Winner says, “It may be difficult but it is possible”;
The Loser says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult.”

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”;
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.”

A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.

Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.

Winners say, “I must do something”;
Losers say, “Something must be done.”

Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.

Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.

Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.

Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.

Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.

Winners are like a thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.

Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.

Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things;
Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.

Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: “Don’t do to others what you would not want them to do to you”;
Losers follow the philosophy, “Do it to others before they do it to you.”

Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1160954/With-pairs-legs-I-feel-10-feet-tall-The-boy-7-doesnt-let-double-amputation-hold-back.html

Homemade Beeswax Coconut Hand Cream

Beeswax Coconut Hand Cream

1/4 cup of beeswax beads (beeswax)
3 tablespoons of baby oil
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of glycerin

Melt the beeswax and coconut oil over a double boiler. Add the remaining ingredients and heat until mixture is smooth, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a suitable lidded container while still hot since it will harden as it cools. Makes approx 1 cup.

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think big anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.


~*Dr. Kent M. Keith*~

Miserable to the max

I am feeling miserable today and hobbling around like I am an old gal of 101.

I have sensitive skin and use perfume free gentle goats milk soap in the shower. Well I ran out of my usual soap and even though warning bells were ringing load and clear I grabbed for the pretty scented bar in the soap bowl and swept all warning bells away with hey one time can't hurt toughen up Kimmie. Can't hurt eh? What a play on words that has turned out to be. I was really careful not to overly soap a "certain area" yet within minutes of showering I was so regretting my toughen up Kimmie stance. I have had a severe reaction from using the pretty smelling soap. Boy did my body protest - what started as mild stinging quickly progressed to angry, hot and raging and I am now feeling miserable with a capital M. An embarrassing conversation with the male chemist followed sigh! Brenton was a C section so I never experienced a natural birth (and related pain in that region) and to this day *touch wood* I have never really had any issue's that often plague gals in that certain area. Now promise you won't laugh? In order to post this I am resorting to sitting on a blow up ring due to the pain! Heartpoet keeps winking at me and jokingly saying "fancy a bit baby?" I will ruddy well give him a bit and it won't be what he is expecting lol~! Speaking of Hearpoet have you checked out his new blog yet? If not you really should, he has a lovely heartfelt poem up today. You can check it out here

My Heartpoet's new blog launch

Heartpoet's new blog launch!

Coming along for the ride?

http://heartpoetserendipity.blogspot.com/

Homemade Incense Recipes

I love the smell of incense wafting through my home. Not the cheap nasty smelling stuff from the $2 type shops but traditional Indian style incense. My favorite being Ganesa Incense sticks that are encased in a beautiful water hyacinth container with 20 incense sticks per packet. Incense made from the best possible essential/fragrant oils with over 40 superb fragrances to choose from. My all time favorite being Sandalwood.

Just the other day I was given two recipes for incense. I have never made incense before and I am thinking I might have a go at making some.



Homemade Incense Recipes #1

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon very fine sawdust

1 tablespoon spice or dried, ground herbs (reduce herb to powder by rubbing through a fine wire sieve)

1 teaspoon gum arabic

Preparation Method:

Thoroughly mix the sawdust with the spice or herb, then add 1 tablespoon of water in which the gum arabic has been dissolved. When all the ingredients are mixed together, shape into cones and allow to dry.

Place cones on small metal dishes, or other suitable objects, and light – the incense will smoulder, filling the room with fragrance.

For more exotic smells, or an aroma that’s a little mysterious, experiment with your own blends by mixing different spices and herbs. Or you might like to try the following mixture. Use 1 tablespoon of this in the Homemade Incense Recipes #1 in place of the spice or dried, ground herbs.

Ingredients:

equal quantities of the freshly crushed cinnamon, crushed allspice, crushed nutmeg, minced vanilla pod, powered dried lemon peel, dried minced lemon verbena, dried minced lavender leaves, dried minced rosemary, few drops rose oil.

Preparation Method:

Blend ingredients and add the rose oil a drop at a time until sufficiently scented, but not so that it is overpowering.



Homemade Lavender Intense Sticks Recipes #2
This incense is made from the flower-head stalks.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon saltpetre

1 cup (250 ml) warm water

dried lavender stems

Preparation Method:

Dissolve the saltpetre (available from the chemist) in the warm water and soak the lavender stems in it for 30 minutes. Dry out and light for a slow smouldering scent.

Experiment with other herb stems, using only the wood on which the new season’s growth appears.

Suicide

Heartpoet sadly lost a long time dear friend age 55 to suicide Friday afternoon. You would have had to travel an awfully long way to find a nicer guy. He had battled health issues since his 20's - bipolar/depression and had also been involved in a terrible car accident in his 30's (not his fault) that caused significant damage to the discs in his back. However he was not one to whinge or moan and although always smiling the unrelenting back pain he suffered was clearly visible looking into his eyes. Sadly his marriage crumbled due to his health issues. His two beloved daughters (one now in her early twenties and working, the other now 17 and just started Uni) chose to live with their dad at the time of their parents separation. The girls adored their dad as did all that knew him. Friday morning Heartpoet's friend was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Knowing his history his Dr. sent him home alone to an empty house with no support plan in place. What happened next we can only imagine. His younger daughter found her dad on return home from Uni. He had hung himself in the family home. The pain is so raw for those who knew him well. Despite his lot in life this warm, engaging, kind, gentle man loved life and lived it to the fullest always with a smile on his dial. He lived his life with a my cups half full never half empty mentality. Knowing this compounds the pain for those left behind. We can only begin to imagine the extent of the pain and inner turmoil this man battled alone Friday morning that resulted in such tragedy.

Dear God through the eyes of a child

Dear God.
Are you really invisible or is that just a trick?
Lucy

Dear God,
I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over.
Sam

Dear God
Did you mean for giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?
Norma

Dear God,
I keep waiting for Spring but it never come yet. Don't forget.
Mark

You don't have to worry about me. I always look both ways
Dean

Dear God,
Instead of letting people die and haveing to make new ones Why don't you just keep the ones you got now?
Jane

Dear God,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that OK?
Neil

Dear God,
I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions
Ruth M.

Dear God,
In bible times did they really talk that fancy?
Jennifer

Dear God
I think about you sometimes even when I'm not praying
Elliott

Dear God,
I am American What are you?
Robert

Dear God,
Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy
Joyce

Dear God,
I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it
Nan

Dear God,
Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year.
Peter

Dear God,
If you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes
Mickey D.

Dear God
if we come back as something please don't let me be Jennifer Horton because I hate her
Denise

God,
I would like to live 900 years like the guy in the Bible
Love,
Chris

Dear God,
I fyou give me a genie lamp like Alladin I w ill give you anything you want except my money or my chess set
Raphael

Dear God,
We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sun. School they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea.
Sincerly,
Donna

Dear God,
If you let the dinasor not exstinct we would not have a country. You did the right thing.
Jonathan

Dear God,
I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are God
Charles

Dear God,
Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother
Larry

Love is all around us

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.

~*Love Actually quotes*~

What the?

Bwahahahaha you have to wonder if these *seriously sexy* (NOT) retro fancy pants named "WONDER SAUNA HOT (LONG) PANTS" won the "fugly" award, the "you have to be bloody joking" award and the "I can't seriously believe that someone thought these were a smart idea" award hey! I can't look at the photo on the box without cracking up. I have never seen these before although I imagine my American blog pals may have as the box clearly states approved USA :P hehehe

The box also states...

Health watchers of America - look better - feel better - wake up your body

For men and women

Slenderize exactly where you want

One size fits all and easy to inflate

One piece WONDER SAUNA LONG HOT PANTS simultaneously reduces waist, tummy, hips and thighs!

Ok Amercian bloggy pals dont be shy now, hands up who owns a pair of these blow up pants? hehehe. Fess up did they leave you looking like a ravishing super model after only a few inflates? lol. Be fair and share so that the rest of us can decide whether to scour eBay for a pair lololol!