Thank you 2014!

Impermanence has become an encompassing reality for me. It has placed itself at the seat of my heart and now has a home that has been well established over the last couple of years. It reminds me in every situation of sadness and pain, love and joy that this will come and go. Don't get use to it.  The good stuff comes and it goes. The bad stuff comes and it goes. There is an ending in everything. Regardless of the situation, everything we experience in life are the ingredients to a richer soul, gives us sprinkles of more compassion and steers us towards the path we are meant to be on.  We will be celebrating change by celebrating a new year tonight. So in some way, celebrating new year is celebrating impermanence. Change is good, it brings good things and we get to start over again as a new person, new goals and new life.  Before this calendar marker of change I'd like to take some time to thank 2014 for all the amazing experiences I've have, all the joy and pain I've felt and all the love I gave and received. 

2014 thank you for giving me a family that is supportive and loving. I witness acts of love everyday and am lucky to be on the receiving end of this love daily. Thank you for my nieces that give me a reason to be a better human being. Thanks to my friends that stay by my side whether I am crying or if we are exploring a dark cave together. This year I've experienced so many adventures. Thank you for all the  mountain air, the quiet stillness of a cave, and the beauty of a desert canyon. Thank you bringing out the nature loving freak in me. Thank you for the mornings sitting on a rock, watching the ocean waves come in.  Thank you for my first adventures in shrimping and crabbing! Thank you to Manning Park. Thank you Whiskey Jacks for an unforgettable moment with my Andrea.  Thank you for every breath I took on the summits I looked down from this summer. Thank you to my body that has taken me on these adventures mostly unharmed and exhilarated. Thank you for everyone I've shared these experiences with. Thank you for everyone I had a belly aching laugh with. Thanks for letting me in your lives and sharing all those moments together. Thank you for all the micro-brewery laughs. Thank you for the inspiring people I know and respect that strive to make change in the world. Their hard work and dedication is a gift to me because it makes me work harder and give more. Thank you for all the obstacles the Universe has placed before me. Before I would have thought they were an irritation, now I know they are there FOR me. Thank you so much! Thank you for alone time where I was able to dig up old hidden loves. Thank you for all the modern day luxuries I have like electricity, tap water, a soft mattress, social media, my car, and everything that I use everyday that I hardly think about as it seems so normal to have. I know that we are the lucky ones and I am really grateful. thank you to all the people in the world who's daily actions trickle down to me having a cup of coffee. I don't think you know all that you do for all us who love coffee! Thanks to all the blogs I read out there for all the inspiration you've given me. Thanks for freedom of speech. 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to You!

The evening is quickly approaching and after recovering from eating a holiday lunch I will soon be headed to a holiday dinner...then a holiday dessert party. I have never had more food, or sweets than during this Christmas break. If you know me personally, you know I don't have a sweet tooth, but I think I must have developed one recently. I'm surprised my pants still fit... Though it makes me fat I think people give me all this stuff because they don't think I am as fat as I think I am... so they give me  bags and boxes of chocolate. It doesn't help that I've learned how to make apple cider and just recently the fridge was full of cream puffs and cakes in a jar from Beta-5. Now they are almost gone... oopsie... Recovery from this will be hard but it's evidence of the great abundance in my life which I am so grateful for. So this Christmas don't worry about having fat bellies, or feeling too exhausted from socializing. Don't feel overwhelmed by the gifts  you recieve or those you have to give. All it means is that you life is full of love and abundance.

Though, on the radio, I am reminded that this is a hard time of the year for many out there. With that I can relate too. I've had low Christmas's and I have had great ones. It's pretty hyped up. It's the worst time to be down in the dumps. For some reason, being down in the dumps is relative to time of the year. If it is summer time and your down in the dumps at least there is sunshine. If it's fall, that bad weather really knocks things down a bit. But if it's Christmas... Christmas! All hell break loose, it's a bunch of BS! I know how you feel.  Last year as I was going through a rough time during Christmas and the last thing I wanted to be reminded of was love and happiness blah blah blah.  I wish for  those who are feeling a little low  to know that Christmas is a truly a time to be with those that care about you. If you have caring people around you then you are  lucky. If you've struggled to have loving family members around you be thankful for those who have volunteered to be a part of your life. If you feel truly alone, be thankful for your spirit because it is your closest friend and will always be there for you. Christmas means nothing else. It doesn't have anything to do with what you want or what you have. That's just the commercialized part of Christmas. It doesn't have to do with having successes or failures. It's a time to just be and feel grateful to have  life. You don't have to have everything you want or need in this moment. Life isn't summed in this two week period. It's just part of the journey.

To all my friends and family, or any passerby reading this post, I wish you a beautiful Christmas. I wish your bellies to be full of delicious food, laughter and gratitude. I also wish for you to make the most precious memories in the remaining moments of 2014. Christmas is a "season" that marks a time to cherish life. It reminds us to make dull moments precious. It gives more value to our time. It's a time for everyone to practice gratefulness before the new year approaches.  So with love to all those I know, and all the souls that I have yet to meet and even to those I will never meet, may you be filled with joy, abundance and gratitude!

Merry Christmas!

Road trip to the Mid-West! Part 3: The Grand Canyon, Arizona

This is the last post about our fabulous road trip to the Mid-West. Our last destination was the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Instead of spending one night here, we stayed two nights and got to explore for two days! The Grand Canyon definitely lives up to it's name. It's HUGE and pictures are incapable of capturing it's depth and expanse.  I kept reminding myself that what I saw in front of me was only a very small part of the Grand Canyon. What I saw had no end. It's so big it borders 3 states! I really couldn't imagine. Can you?

Almost everyone has heard of or have seen a photo of the Grand Canyon. I already had expectations of what I was to see but it still took my breath away. I think the first glance is always a shock and then you are left to stare straight out feeling perplexed. What are you supposed to do here with all this land? There is so much of it! It's so wild! It's barren! It's untamed!  The park offered many activities:  hiking, helicopter ride, or donkey guided tour? You could have any type of trip you wanted. Hiking is our thing. We started with a scenic view and then went for a hike. Believe it or not that takes a whole day. The next day we would walk the rim of the park all the way to Hopi Point before heading back to Vegas. We chose Hopi Point because you could catch a glimpse of the Colorado River from there. It was barely visible and from every point it all sort of looked the same. One must explore going into the canyon and not just going from one point to the next. However, my favourite view point was a secret remote location that took you through a short walking path through a forest. We went there to catch the sunset. On the way back we ran into a family or herd of deer. That was really cool. I also saw a tarantula...not as cool. I think the Grand Canyon is a place you need to stay longer to appreciate it. Our two days felt very rushed.

For those of you who want to visit, the Grand Canyon is a national park and you need pay an entrance fee to enter with your car. I think each car was 24 dollars regardless of how many people are in it. The fee is for a 7 day pass. The best part of this very popular destination is that once you get your pass you can park your car at the visitors center and take the free shuttles that bring you to all the view points. You don't even need to tip!!!  They are also walkable if you start early in the day. The other great thing is that the food in this park is super affordable. All the other canyons we visited were near tourist trap towns where everything was $$$. Dinners often cost 20 dollars. I was running out of money fast. I was happy to see a meal that didn't cost an arm and a leg that also kept you full. It's hard to find cheap eats when you go on VACA.

Below are just a few photos...

Just a generic view point (can't remember the name) but every view of the canyon looks very similar to this. Sometimes it's hard to tell how deep it is because the colors play with your eyes but if you really concentrate it gets kinda scary.

We are walking one of the trails here. While hiking along this trail we were met with many obstacles (mostly donkey poo). The trail was really well paved and consisted of long steep switch backs. This was the first stop on the trail and it had a decent view of the canyon and a nice little ledge to take a cool photo. This is not the ledge. We hiked down a little further than this.

During our hike we stopped a view point and had some lunch. The moment we opened up our snacks this little guy appeared. Against everyone's advice I shared a bit of my orange with him and I feel we became friends until he tried to open up my friend's purse and steal our garbage bag full of scraps. Later I saw a sign with his face on it saying "DO NOT FEED ROCK SQUIRRELS". Apparently people get bitten and scratched by rock squirrels everyday! And they also carry the plague... I guess I am sucker for a cute face. What else can I say?

This was our very secret and remote view point that we took through the forest path. We had it all to ourselves and about 6 other people. Very cool.

Of course we can't leave the Grand Canyon without a GoPro Groupie! What a bunch of gems to travel with.

One thing I really took away from this trip was the United States is an amazing and exciting place to explore. I travel often to the states but more often to big cities.  So to me, America represented strip malls, metropolitan city scapes, designer bags and food. It was about night life, face paced city life, outlet shopping and leisurely living if you could afford it. Now I realize that there are places in the states still very untouched, pristine and beautiful. There are places ruled more by nature than by dollar bills. It's got so many mysteries. It's a new playground for me. I look forward to my next trip. Next on my list is Zion Park and Arches in Utah! I think I might become a canyoneer!

Road trip to the Mid-West! Part 2: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

This post is all about Arizona! After our lovely day and a half  (not enough time) in Bryce Canyon National Park our next destination was Page, Arizona! It was a couple hours away from Utah. The two main attractions we were checking out were situated in Navajo Land. They were two slot canyons: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. Another attraction we were headed for was Horseshoe Bend. All three are very close to each other in proximity. If you are planning a trip to see one of these beautiful canyons I suggest you make time to see both and definitely make time to see Horseshoe Bend. To see the canyons we needed to pay a fee to the Navajo Nation as well as an entrance fee for each canyon. They both required guided tours. Horseshoe Bend was free.

UPPER ANTELOPE CANYON

The first canyon we visited was Upper Antelope Canyon. It is said that out of the two Upper Antelope Canyon is the more popular one to visit. It's popularity is due to a beautiful feature of light beams that illuminate the dark passageways during a specific time in the summer. Though we missed what would have been a magical sight it was still breathtaking in the fall and less densely packed with tourists. It was a nice trade off to have the canyon a little bit more to ourselves.

To access the canyon we were driven to it's location by the tour guide in a bumpy open top truck that seated up to 8 people in the back. The short ride took us through a dry river bed. The entrance to the canyon was a dark wide opening. There are several tour companies you can go with for Upper Antelope Canyon and I didn't know which one we went with. From the ratings they all appeared to offer a similar tour.  Our tour guide (Shelly) gave us tips on how to change our camera settings so that we could take the best pictures in the dim light. She also showed us some good picture ops. Basically all the pictures I took of Upper Antelope Canyon were guided by her and look very nice. With all her experience she was basically a professional photographer. She was an extremely no non-sense guide and tended to be a bit on the bossy side when it came to photos and timeliness. At times it felt like she was ushering a herd but it was still a mostly pleasant experience.

 Inside, the canyon seemed like an alien landscape. It had smooth surfaces all throughout. You could see and feel the striations and horizontal lines that stretch all the way through it. The floor was covered in a soft layer of sand. Though it was filled with tourist it still seemed somehow untouched. It also felt ancient as though it held many secrets. The temperature within was cool but not cold. Each time you turned a corner there was a breathe taking view ahead. Even more so, if you look up towards the ceiling of the canyon you would see  peaks of the bright sky. It is a truly still and beautiful environment. The tour guide led us through the passage and when we got to the other side we were given permission to come back through individually rather than sticking together as a group. It isn't a very long canyon. You could probably walk through in and out within 20 minutes if you didn't stop every minute to take pictures. If I were to rate it Upper Antelope Canyon would be considered a very accessible canyon. It doesn't require any climbing to enter or exit. It's relatively flat, wide and easy to navigate. Anyone could easily trek through this canyon. Being inside a slot canyon is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Here are just some photos of Upper Antelope Canyon.

The shape of my heart. What a magical sight to see. Because the canyon was carved

with so many smooth surfaces, nooks and crannies every angle of the same structure could

look completely different. At one angle, this heart looks whole. At another, this heart was broken.

 The curvature of the walls and the horizontal striations showed the 

power of water cutting into rock and creating this amazing environment.

The ceiling was something I kept looking for 

because each time I looked up I saw a different view of the sky and the sunlight

would light up the rocks up with red glow just like that.

LOWER ANTELOPE CANYON

 Lower Antelope Canyon was our second stop. I didn't know too much about this canyon and we were debating whether or not we wanted to pay an extra $25 dollars just to see some more rocks. We didn't take long to decide YES! It's just $25!!! and you only live once! Why not? We didn't know what to expect but we were all probably expecting less as this was deemed the less popular canyon.
The guide book said that "Ken's Tour's" was the best so we went with that. To be honest, the tour itself was not astounding as our tour guide merely took us into the canyon and didn't do much else. He did help with taking photos but he did not talk a whole lot. In comparison to Upper Antelope Canyon I felt that I wasn't really given a tour but more of an entrance but at least there was not herd prodding. Between the two, I enjoyed the Lower Antelope Canyon tour much more because we had more freedom to roam the canyon. It was less busy too so it felt like we had the whole canyon to ourselves to run around.

The Lower Antelope Canyon was surprisingly fun and different even though it is another slot canyon very similar to Upper. To start off, Lower Antelope Canyon is probably called that because it's much deeper. To get into it you must go down several flights of steep metal stairs. Though it could be unsettling to think of it, those stairs used to be made of wood until a group of tourists and the structures that were used in the canyon (all made out of wood) were swept away and destroyed during a flash flood not too long ago. Hence, all structures were rebuilt and made out of metal for sturdiness. There are also some narrow passages, whereas the upper was mostly wide passages, and some more stairs and ladders to get out.  In comparison, the terrain is slightly more challenging to navigate. I loved this aspect of the Lower as it made the journey more adventurous and fun but it may not be for everyone. There is also a lot more light in this canyon even though it appears deeper. You can see and take in a lot more with the eyes! The walls, though similar to that of the Upper canyon, were sometimes speckled with round protrusions. Our guide told us it was calcium. There also some dark round circles in the stone, those, he said, were iron spots. These were just the slight differences between the two canyons. According to the guide, the canyon was discovered by Ken himself about 35 years ago. Upper Antelope Canyon was discovered a bit earlier than that by our tour guide's grandmother when she was a little girl. I liked those little facts...

 Stairs...

 Ceiling of Lower Antelope Canyon. Yet again a dance of light and rock. 

See the 3 iron spots right above. 

 It's much brighter here as you can see. And empty... all for me.

At moments I was all alone in sections of the passageways and it was a beautiful,

peaceful quiet that you rarely get to experience. 

 Unlike the opening of the Upper Antelope Canyon, the Lower Antelope Canyon's entrance and exit looks like a fissure in the vast desert like landscape of Navajo Land. This was the exit. 

HORSESHOE BEND

Our last stop in this trio adventures day was Horseshoe Bend. I don't know what the Horseshoe Bend actually is aside from the fact that it is a body of water that encircles a tall mound in the middle of nowhere surrounded by more rocky mounds and a desert landscape. The area we were in was far and wide and from the starting point of our short hike (in sand for some parts) all we could see was flattened sedimentary rocks and shrubs. We were surrounded by arid land. Then as we walked deeper into this landscape we saw a large, dark, gaping pit-like area and there was the Horseshoe Bend. 

From the pit, we were already pretty high looking down at this wonder. The water was bright green-blue. It's was just a beautiful scene because the weather was amazingly gorgeous that day. The sky was as sky blue as you could imagine and there was not a cloud in sight. The sun was out and blazing hot. Horseshoe Bend appeared like an oasis out of nowhere. It was massive, but so was the land so it was hard to get the whole thing in a photo. There was a mound not too far from this gaping hole that appeared climbable so we explored it to get a better view. The climb itself was a fun adventure as there was no obvious path. There were some inukshuks left around, maybe from someone trying to leave directions for those that came after him. Every time I saw one of them I was a bit more confident that it was the safest way to go. It was a nice little hike up and a rewarding view.

By the gaping hole trying not to get to close to the edge. Posters

at the parking lot warned visitors not too get too close as the edge of the cliffs

are extremely unstable and could crumble! My heart was beating a little. 

 From the top! This is a panoramic view of the Horseshoe Bend. It is deep! To the left,

there is a little cliff sticking out with an inukshuk standing near the edge.There were speed boats in the water that day!

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The trusty inukshuk waiting for us at the top. See the gaping hole.

Our next and final stop would be the Grand Canyon and I'll update that another day! Part 3 awaits!

Road trip to the Mid-West! Part 1: Bryce, Utah.

Not too long ago I went on vacation with some friends to visit a part of the United States I never thought I would venture... the Mid-West. We went there to explore the amazing natural landscape of Utah and Arizona. Our main vacation points were Bryce Canyon (Utah), Antelope Canyon  (Arizona), Horshoebend (Arizona) and THE Grand Canyon (Arizona). We also landed in Vegas so we tried to spend some time doing Vegas things in the very limited time we spent there. It was a whirlwind of a vacation. The first night we arrived in Vegas we had just enough time to run around town for a couple of hours. We checked out the light show in Old Vegas, ate some cheap casino food (Nathan's Chili Cheese Hotdog...YUMMY!) and gambled away some vacation money. I lost 50 bucks playing roulette before the real vacation even began :/  I think I lasted 10 minutes max.  This is why they call Las Vegas "Lost Wages". When all bets were off we retired to catch as many zzz's as we could because we would be driving to Utah bright and early the next morning. We would be moving from hotel to hotel for the next five 5 days trying to catch look out points before sundown. Talk about a serious road trip!

Our first stop was to Bryce Canyon in Utah. This area is roughly a 5 hour drive from Las Vegas. As we made it across the highway the scenery was mostly brown mounds and desert like landscape with bushes sparsely spread across the ground. There were some sad looking cacti-like plants and some straggly short trees amongst the bushes as well.  It was definitely different from the lush green forest view we are used to seeing here in B.C.  Though there was some beauty to it I think there was some fear in all of us that we had come all this way to just look at a bunch of brown rocks. Let me quickly point out that this definitely was not the case so do not let the highway scene scare you!

As we drove into Utah and through Bryce Canyon Park we started noticing some changes. The  striations in the rocks were becoming more vivid. There were red, oranges, and some off whites in the sedimentary layers. Some places the rocks were completely red with iron. Also, instead of mounds we started noticing more unique formations called Hoodoos. At first there were just patches of them, then suddenly they were everywhere. Hoodoos are rock formations caused by erosion from water. They are column like in structure. Many of them are shaped like hammers, or heavier on the top. Others look pointy. Some just look really odd.  The structures in close proximity were all pretty uniform and if you didn't know it you would think they were man made dwellings in the side of a mountain. It's a surreal spectacle. Aside from the land the weather had also started to change. The air was cold outside with a bone chilling wind. The ground had patches of snow here and there as we got higher and higher. Some info about Bryce Canyon. It's considered an amphitheatre which means it's a space that echos sound. .  It's rim varies from 2,400m - 2,700m high. At one point I felt my ears tingle a bit in the car. A bag of chips in the car also got extremely puffy and fat. We were at a very high altitude.

 

The first panoramic view I had of the canyon was breathtaking. I had never before seen a place as alien looking and beautiful as Bryce Canyon. I had done a little research and looked up pictures on the internet but it didn't prepare me for the vastness of the land and depth of it all. The hoodoos themselves were so unique sometimes I found myself mesmerized by their sheer population. They seemed alive and unreal  the same time. They seemed like they had stories to tell. Now if you are impressed by the photos above I have to say I didn't doctor any of the photos above. The original versions of the pictures were so amazing already that I couldn't make them better. However, incomparable to what you see with your naked eyes.

My experience at the Canyon was one of awe.  Just seeing the Canyon reminds me of how little I am, and of how many things in the world I haven't experienced yet. It gave me a sense of mystery and wonder. I realized there are still so many things to explore. Everyone needs that reminder. I would love to go back to Bryce and do some hiking. We were there for a day or so and we it was definately not enough time. Here are a few more photos of this amazing place!

Aromatherapy and my top 5 favourite oils! What are yours?

I love essential oils. I feel addicted to them sometimes. Like how cocaine addicts snort that stuff, I sniff my bottles of concentrate plant essences. Yummy (please don't judge me)! They are all supposed to have wonderful properties. Some scents are great for relaxation. Others help you stay alert. You can use them for your homemade cosmetics and cleaning supplies without worrying about chemicals. Most also have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It's mind blowing to think that a little bottle of EO is the end product of  pounds and pounds of plants but that's also why they are so very potent.

The downside of essential oils is that they can be $$$. It can be hard to start an essential oils kit when the price is so off putting. Some oils can run from $5.00 to hundreds of dollars for a 5 mL bottle. I started buying low to moderate priced oils and bought them from various sources sparingly. Overtime I grew to have quite a collection and learned how to use them. What I learned about EO's are that they pack a big punch so you don't need to use a lot and they last a long time. I have some bottles over 10 years old but smell just as strong. Not everyone can experience and play with all the oils they want. However, if you wanted to start a decent sized kit or add to your collection without spending a lot of money I have just the place for you. Recently, I learned of a site www.newdirectionsaromatics.com   They sell oils at wholesale prices and my experiences with them have been fabulous. I don't work for them or get paid to promote their products. I just wanted to share this amazing source with those out there who are looking for quality oils at a price that won't break the bank.
 


Here are my top 5 essential oils.

1) Peppermint: 

Peppermint is my favourite oil of all time. The reason I love peppermint so much is because of the scent. It reminds me of candy canes and Christmas time. It gives me a sense of warmth and coziness even though peppermint has cooling properties. It is also one of the few scents you can really feel. You can feel it through your skin as it gradually works it way in and it also open your eye lids if you get too close. Nothing else will wake you up like peppermint in the eye (not recommending this of course). Probably works better than bear spray.

 I use peppermint for lots of things.  Just some peppermint oil and water in a spray bottle and you have a DIY room spray. I also use it in my diffuser for the same reason. When I have a tummy ache or cramps I rub a little with some oil on my belly. Some people add a drop to hot water and drink it to soothe their tummies. Another thing I use it for is making a tooth oil (peppermint, spearmint and carrier oil) as a replacement for toothpaste. I know it sounds weird but I've had wonderful results with it and I prefer it to toothpaste. You can also mix peppermint oil with some chammomile tea and use it as a hair rinse that makes your scalp tingle and feel refreshed after a shampoo. It also leaves your hair smelling amazing! I think the uses for peppermint are far and wide. If you doubt that essential oils can affect you physically and mentally just add a drop or two in your massage oil. It will awaken your senses and bring you into the moment as your whole body and mind become stimulated.


2) Eucalyptus Globulus:

There are two types of Eucalyptus that are commonly seen when buying essential oils: Eucalyptus Globulus and Eucalyptus Radiata. I use the first one since my earlier research into their properties revealed that the latter could have some harmful effects if used in excess. I felt better staying on the safe side.

If you are not too sure what Eucalyptus is and what it smells like imagine koalas hanging out on trees and the scent of Vicks Vapour Rub. Yes, Eucalyptus is the very plant that koalas get high on and eat every day of their lives. It is also used in VVR to relieve respiratory congestion. If you are down with a respiratory infection nothing feels better than inhaling some Eucalyptus. It is a cool oil just like peppermint and you can feel it as it travels through your airways. It clears the traffic and offers a sense of relief. It is amazing for inflammation.

At one point in my life I loved Eucalyptus more than peppermint due to the fact that I had chronic bronchitis for a number of years and it offered relief. It smells great as an addition in the steam room or rubbed onto your chest when coughing. I also use as a room spray with some orange oil to freshen the space and also clean the air.  You can also add it to unscented lotions and rub it into sore muscles.

3) Lemon:

Everyone has heard that lemon is great for a number of reasons. It aids in digestion and is a great cleaning agent. It also has an uplifting scent. These are the same reasons why the essential oils of lemons are wonderful. I use lemon in home cleaning products which I try to make myself. Most of the time my general cleaning spray is nothing but white vinegar, water and some essential oils. If you are cleaning it's always best to include lemon to cut grease and disinfect surfaces. I don't use lemon for anything else aside from cleaning and  scenting a space but it is a go to oil for cleaning and works really well.

4) Tea Tree Oil:

Tea Tree Oil is another amazing cleaning essential. I cannot stress how amazing this oil is for cleaning. It's anti-fungal and anti-bacterial and seems to kill everything. Where lemon is a great everyday cleanser, tea tree is what you use when the black plague hits. I've used this to clean mold and mildew (vinegar, water, tea tree oil), and I've used it to cleanse the air with a diffuser. It's great for putting in shampoos to eliminate dry scalp. I've also heard that it treats dandruff relatively well. When used as a hair product it kill bacteria and fungus growing on the scalp allowing healthy hair to grow.

Tea Tree Oil is not the most pleasant smelling oil but I would never do without it. I often use it in solutions with water and/or vinegar but was never sure of it's profound effectiveness until one day a miracle happened. A number of years ago I had a clog in my sink. The clog dissipated but a strange smell and funk started to rise from it. This was sadly the kitchen sink so it made it really hard to wash dishes or do any "kitcheny" things without trying to run away. I tried many chemical products to destroy whatever was living down there along with some natural solutions like vinegar and baking soda. However, none were successful. At one point I thought I was doomed to have this smelly kitchen sink forever. Then one day I found an old squirt bottle that housed a homemade solution with a high concentration of Tea Tree Oil and water. I decided to make a new batch since it was sitting there for a while so I poured the stuff down the sink. Voila! It did take a day for me to notice but the smell was completely gone and has not come back. The tea tree killed EVERYTHING in there... EVERYTHING. That was the proof in the pudding for me and that's why I love Tea Tree Oil sooooooo much!

5) Oregano Oil:

This is another not so pleasurable smelling oil. I would not sit there and sniff it all day. In fact, it smells pretty bad. It smells so bad that sometimes your eyes sting and you need a moment to recover. Some people use it in their diffusers and as a room spray but it's never for the scent. Oregano is one of the most powerful anti-bacterial oils you can use. And if you don't like the scent that's OK because what most people use it for and how they use it has nothing to do with smelling it (at least not for very long).

Oregano oil is an amazing oil that I use whenever I start feeling sick. When I start feeling like something is coming on I ingest about 8-10 drops of it in the morning and then again at night before I sleep. Often the cold never goes full blown. I've used it to get over minor colds and also major infections. It usually helps a lot. But as it tastes even worse than it smells sometimes I am reluctant to go that route and try to wait out my illness and hope it will go away quickly.  Usually when I do this things take a turn for the worse.  So during those times when I'm so ill I can't go to work or stand without coughing I give in and take some and it works even then, even when antibiotics fail, it works.  If you are ever really sick and are desperate enough to try it, take my advice and chug it with some orange juice. The OJ will cut the smell and taste down so that it's manageable. You can still get the benefits without the high pungency. Oregano oil is supposed to be a big boost for your immune system.

Even my dad, a previous non-believer, was desperate enough to try it one day when he was deathly ill from a respiratory infection and a high fever. He had no time to waste because he had to go on vacation within the next two days. The next morning he came up to me and asked me what the "stuff" was. After just one dose, he was feeling much better and on the road to recovery. Soon after he went out and bought a bottle for himself to take on vacation. A 15 mL bottle of Oregano Oil is roughly $30.00 but it's worth every penny. If you are to try Oregano Oil I suggest buying Oregano Oil from a health food store that sells the kind approved for ingestion, just to be on the safe side.

So those are my fave fives. I would love to hear yours! Cheers!

Little Loving Intentions: A request. Make an intention for global change.

There are so many things I want for myself. I have asked the Universe over and over again for these things to be delivered but I have not received all of them yet. Recently, when I sit and think about my wants I start to feel resentment.  Resentment leads to ungratefulness and I know I shouldn’t feel that way but it is there. It lingers like a dark passenger and I work hard at ignoring it.  Some people believe that asking the Universe for things is the easy way out and completely wacko but I truly believe that you get what you ask for. I believe in it because I have experienced receiving the gifts in the past too many times to ignore it. However, the things I want the most elude me. I find myself asking all the time now, what is keeping me from receiving the gift I want the most? Intent has brought me so many things why can’t it give me …. (fill in the blank)?

Well, I feel extremely selfish. As I watched the news about the scare of the Ebola virus today  something occurred to me. I am so incredibly lucky and have been all my life. With gratitude, all I should ask for is that my life will continue to be blessed with the warmth and safety I have right now. What I want are 1^st world wants and 1^st world needs. I had won the jackpot when I was born in Canada to a loving family. Anything else on top of that is a bonus.  I should be forever grateful for those bonuses. They are the rainbow to a beautiful day.

In other places of this world, survival is a want. Many people don’t get comfort or love. They don’t get a home and food in their belly. Their daily lives are riddled with fear and threats from every corner. When we complain about being tired from work, someone else in the world has never even had a day off. Those that are in the midst of true helplessness still smile and still find things they can be grateful for. Here in the West, most of us already have everything we need to be fulfilled. Yet, we want more all the time. We are a collective mind of take and very little of give. What kind of energy are we sending out into this world.  I hope we start to wake up and learn to appreciate everything now. What a waste it would be if time were to pass and we didn’t realize that we were already given one of the greatest gifts on Earth. What is this gift? The gift of being able to make a difference. 

The world is shrinking. The  discomfort and fears I experience from seeing what is unfolding before us is probably just a small percentage of what others in the world feel. Globalization, with travel and media has certainly changed this world. It has opened up so many realities. We are ONE world. There is terrorism highlighted daily from across the world. And from across the world terrorism can touch us. Diseases, like Ebola, which were foreign viruses that couldn't affect us, have now crossed oceans.  There is also global climate change affecting all citizens of this planet. This is everyday life as we know it now. We are on the brink of an evolutionary change. Yet some of us are still ingrained with concerns of the latest celebrity gossip or government scandal. We are still overly concerned about our own  needs.  We are generating huge amounts of energy but in what direction is this energy spinning the Earth? 

We have accomplished so much with technology. We have learned so much about animal and human behaviour. We know more facts than we have ever known in history. At the same time, something has been lost. Yesterday a friend told me a story about a rich man in Vancouver. He had immigrated here when he was 18 from China. They had recently named a building in UBC after him for all his contributions and accomplishments. He told a story during his speech about remembering a day in the village when everyone had passed a bucket around. Each, with very little money of their own, contributed some money into that basket so he could come to Canada and make a better life for himself. A totally unselfish community act. The villagers knew that money would give him a chance. They knew they would lose their hard earned cash but they all did it.  Because of this loving act of many, this man was able to have a different life. He was able to have a better education. He was able to have liberties and freedoms. He still sends money back to his village every month. How many communities in North America would ever do the same? We are already the richest people in the world. We have so much more than others. But people don't give up things anymore for someone else to have a better life. We have more than enough. We can share. We can help. We can give.

Plenty of people devote their time to individual change. We work on daily affirmations that help us find peace. We ask for guidance towards love. We ask for health. We ask to have courage to get through difficult times. Yes, it’s very noble and great to work on ourselves. We know how important it is for us to take ownership of what we put out in this world. But if we believe in the power of intention and what it can do for us individually we should also use that power of intention for a global purposes as well. Let’s heal the world. Let’s ask for peace in war torn countries. Let’s ask for health upon all. Let’s hope and pray for all to be happy. Let’s generate compassion to those we do not understand. Let’s give a helping hand to someone we don’t know.  Let's ask for courage in other's to get through difficulties. Let’s manifest global change. I mean it’s a small world now after all. If something as small as the Ebola virus can make it’s intention to cross an ocean come true, we are much bigger than that. We can make a much bigger difference and for everyone, not just ourselves. That’s just a thought. It’s just a little loving intention.

Lovely quotes...

I love those quote posters you find all over the place now. They remind you of getting in check and also give you good tips to follow in life. Today I was watching movies with a friend and the movie we watched ended with this line... You can't expect anything in life except surprises... or it was something to that effect. That's true. Only expect surprises.

And just take what you get for what it's worth... no attachment. Anyone master that yet?

So here's a surprise... this is the first summer I feel a little lost... and I have no direction.

Work is dwindling as the kids are getting older. There is no summer school because of the strike. I didn't even plan a vacation. I don't have a clue what I am going to do this summer. I just have one goal and that is to make necklaces. Maybe doors will open while I have this time to explore. 2 months is a long time with no plan. I hope I don't waste it.

Family time for the next week, then Salt Spring Island. Where else will I end up after that?