Sunday 16 December 2018
Bouncing back.
I have to admit that lately my mojo has well and truly gone. However, it is returning slowly. Although the day had been looming for some time, taking my sweet Moomin back to the UK hit me far harder than I thought and the stress of the journey with her and then returning by myself has knocked me back more than a bit. However, just before we left, I managed to squeeze in a Christmas market. It was my first in France and it was a very quiet affair, aimed at building my confidence and quietly putting our name out there for future courses.
I was astonished at the warmth of the welcome and at the popularity of my paintings. I can see that the horses are of great interest to people here and the pictures were very popular. I sold several prints and some felted items. Most importantly though, I made some great contacts for next year including a very nice lady with sheep for sale (oops, don't tell T!). So all in all, a far more successful day than I was expecting :D
Yesterday and today was spent dealing with some pheasants and a couple of partridges that T's Dad got for us in England. They travelled on the ferry in a cool box and I was very grateful not to have my car searched! 8 birds in the freezer is a good feeling.
I don't just love birds, I adore them all and I saved many of the beautiful feathers and felt a little tearful when I had to take off the wings and feet. It was almost a push towards becoming a vegetarian!!!
However, I know full well that when I sit down to eat, my faithless heart will forget the guilt and I'll enjoy every mouthful!!! I hope I don't offend anyone, but what can I say? I'm so weak!
A different approach.
Wow! Two posts in as many days, I must have found my voice again!
Since my post last night about going chemical free, I can report that my skin is still lush and my hair is ok, not great, just ok. I'm going to do more research over the coming weeks and make my own shampoo. I've made soap so I have an idea of what I'm doing.
I need to eliminate chemicals as much as possible from our lives. This is for our health, but also the health of our veg garden. We decided to install a grey water soak away system so that in the summer we'll have water running directly to the potager and herb garden without having to use a hose or buckets from the water butts. The plants that will sit in the first water garden will deal with the waste that's in our water, so of course, they won't be happy dealing with toxic elements. A little soap is ok and if it's homemade, then even better, but I want to remove all harsh chemicals completely. I'll share progress pictures when we get started. Right now it's all bogland outside!!!
My journey with herbs started when I was a teenager. I was given a herbal directory and it just fascinated me. Ever since, I've dipped in and out of herbalism for all reasons, medicinal and culinary. Some herbs and especially essential oils can be extremely toxic in their own right and are not always good for everyone who takes them, so I've begun studying an online course in Herbalism to be sure I get it right.
The horses have been on herbal supplements since our last trip to the UK and the results have been great. Jerry and Merlin were suffering with constant sinus issues, so I put them on an Echinacea blend and they're hugely improved, despite the awful weather. I brought back for myself a whole medicine chest of supplements that I'm using to find the right balance for my health. I've also invested in a large amount of seeds so that I can grow everything I need right here in my garden. There are next to no herbal outlets here in our corner of France and I can see a great market for it.
Just by luck, I found a lady called Chanchal Cabrera on Youtube who managed to eliminate the majority of her Fibromyalgia symptoms through herbs and lifestyle change. She says that she's cured, but I'm not sure how possible that is, however, I'm willing to give it a go. I've already changed my life to one that suits me better, so that's step 1 sorted. Her book about Fibromyalgia is pretty good too and I tracked it down second hand on Amazon, but there's probably a link to it on her website.
Here is her website Chanchal Cabrera. I recommend checking her out.
Sometime ago I read a blog about herbs and remedies. The lady blogger makes all her own creams etc.... I just can't find that blog now, so if anyone knows her or if she herself should drop by, please give me a shout as I really enjoyed reading the recipes :D
I need to eliminate chemicals as much as possible from our lives. This is for our health, but also the health of our veg garden. We decided to install a grey water soak away system so that in the summer we'll have water running directly to the potager and herb garden without having to use a hose or buckets from the water butts. The plants that will sit in the first water garden will deal with the waste that's in our water, so of course, they won't be happy dealing with toxic elements. A little soap is ok and if it's homemade, then even better, but I want to remove all harsh chemicals completely. I'll share progress pictures when we get started. Right now it's all bogland outside!!!
My journey with herbs started when I was a teenager. I was given a herbal directory and it just fascinated me. Ever since, I've dipped in and out of herbalism for all reasons, medicinal and culinary. Some herbs and especially essential oils can be extremely toxic in their own right and are not always good for everyone who takes them, so I've begun studying an online course in Herbalism to be sure I get it right.
The horses have been on herbal supplements since our last trip to the UK and the results have been great. Jerry and Merlin were suffering with constant sinus issues, so I put them on an Echinacea blend and they're hugely improved, despite the awful weather. I brought back for myself a whole medicine chest of supplements that I'm using to find the right balance for my health. I've also invested in a large amount of seeds so that I can grow everything I need right here in my garden. There are next to no herbal outlets here in our corner of France and I can see a great market for it.
Just by luck, I found a lady called Chanchal Cabrera on Youtube who managed to eliminate the majority of her Fibromyalgia symptoms through herbs and lifestyle change. She says that she's cured, but I'm not sure how possible that is, however, I'm willing to give it a go. I've already changed my life to one that suits me better, so that's step 1 sorted. Her book about Fibromyalgia is pretty good too and I tracked it down second hand on Amazon, but there's probably a link to it on her website.
Here is her website Chanchal Cabrera. I recommend checking her out.
Sometime ago I read a blog about herbs and remedies. The lady blogger makes all her own creams etc.... I just can't find that blog now, so if anyone knows her or if she herself should drop by, please give me a shout as I really enjoyed reading the recipes :D
Saturday 15 December 2018
No poo!
I tried this about four years ago. The no poo approach to hair care, that is. The name comes from ditching the shampoo. I managed to last about 2 weeks, no more! My hair was like straw and I felt no benefit at all. I guess I tried it because it was all the rage at the time.
I'm trying it now because I'm having a major reaction to all chemicals and I feel like I have a colony of fire ants living inside my clothes and hair! Nights are the worst because I can't distract myself from the fire and itching. I'm thinking this is a hormone thing as I'm at that wonderful age when my body loves to cause havoc by repeatedly dodging my attempts to live a normal life.
The night sweats were the worst symptom and started over a year ago. I would throw off the covers to cool down and then my muscles would cramp in the cold because Fibro hates the cold and damp. I started on HRT and the last year has been great as I began to feel like myself again. However, recently I developed a reaction to the glue on the patches and I was soon covered in little round burn marks on my butt where the patches had been. I started a course of herbal remedies to replace the patches and after a week, I'd stopped using them in favour of Red Clover, sage and Dong Quai, among others. I'm back to having night sweats, but they're nowhere near as bad as before.
My skin, though, is reacting to everything I use. Our skin is our largest external organ and covers around 20 square feet!! That boggles my mind! When our body is struggling, the skin is our greatest indicator. If we have acne, dry skin, oily skin, it's often due to something going on inside. So while I'm trying to tackle the reactions to my skin externally, I also need to address what might be going on with my overall health.
I have no quick answers here, I'm just going to try different remedies and herbs and keep a note to share with you all here.
Tonights bath was an Epsom salt bath to detox my skin. It was a bit drying, but I thought it would be so I took a pan of oatmeal water with me (cook oats in a muslin bag and keep the water). I washed my hair with a raw egg, which wasn't as gross as it sounds. I then used a vinegar and essential oil rinse for conditioner and soaked my skin in the oatmeal water.
My hair feels incredibly soft but my shoulders are still a bit itchy. My skin feels nice, but I doubt that will last as I have terribly dry skin. I need to not shower tomorrow and will have a shallow bath instead. That's my compromise as it's suggested on several sites that you only bathe once a week!!! I don't think so!!!
I'm trying it now because I'm having a major reaction to all chemicals and I feel like I have a colony of fire ants living inside my clothes and hair! Nights are the worst because I can't distract myself from the fire and itching. I'm thinking this is a hormone thing as I'm at that wonderful age when my body loves to cause havoc by repeatedly dodging my attempts to live a normal life.
The night sweats were the worst symptom and started over a year ago. I would throw off the covers to cool down and then my muscles would cramp in the cold because Fibro hates the cold and damp. I started on HRT and the last year has been great as I began to feel like myself again. However, recently I developed a reaction to the glue on the patches and I was soon covered in little round burn marks on my butt where the patches had been. I started a course of herbal remedies to replace the patches and after a week, I'd stopped using them in favour of Red Clover, sage and Dong Quai, among others. I'm back to having night sweats, but they're nowhere near as bad as before.
My skin, though, is reacting to everything I use. Our skin is our largest external organ and covers around 20 square feet!! That boggles my mind! When our body is struggling, the skin is our greatest indicator. If we have acne, dry skin, oily skin, it's often due to something going on inside. So while I'm trying to tackle the reactions to my skin externally, I also need to address what might be going on with my overall health.
I have no quick answers here, I'm just going to try different remedies and herbs and keep a note to share with you all here.
Tonights bath was an Epsom salt bath to detox my skin. It was a bit drying, but I thought it would be so I took a pan of oatmeal water with me (cook oats in a muslin bag and keep the water). I washed my hair with a raw egg, which wasn't as gross as it sounds. I then used a vinegar and essential oil rinse for conditioner and soaked my skin in the oatmeal water.
My hair feels incredibly soft but my shoulders are still a bit itchy. My skin feels nice, but I doubt that will last as I have terribly dry skin. I need to not shower tomorrow and will have a shallow bath instead. That's my compromise as it's suggested on several sites that you only bathe once a week!!! I don't think so!!!
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