Do it anyway....

by Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

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

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, some could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and the Universe;
It was never between you and them anyway.


These beautiful words were shared with me today via the Wild Women page I frequent on Facebook. Amazing stuff...

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

I need a little creative input...

I've been mucking around with my fabric and ribbon scraps and have made something that I love! I saw one first at a good friend's house and decided to give them a go myself. What do you think of these little hair clip boards?



I'm sorry about the quality of the photos. I really, really need a new camera! I'm thinking of making some more and selling them. Do you think they would be something you would buy for a little girl? I think they are gorgeous and ever so practical. You can't see from the pictures, but I have attached a little hook at the back so they can be hung on the wall. I'm still nutting out a cost and trying to figure out what ribbons are best to use etc, but I'm thinking they could sell for around $10 to $12? Perhaps $10 without clips and $12 with? Would you spend that on a handmade gift, or am I short changing myself or over charging? Hmmm... lots of food for thought.

These three already have homes with some special little girls, but I'd love to make some more.

I'd really appreciate your feedback! What do you think?

Secret Women's Business

Wow! Post number 100! Have I really written that much? Hope you've all enjoyed them...

This 100th post is a special one, and one that is very close to my heart. Today I received my copy of Clean Food Organic in the mail (a very thoughtful gift subscription from a beautiful friend), and found that it contained just the very article I had been searching for for a long time.

It is titled, 'Secret Women's Business - your way to a healthy and sustainable menstrual cycle'. The article sheds a really bright light on something that is an integral part of our lives as women, and looks at the possible health risks that are associated with conventional menstrual products.

A lot of us make conscious decisions about our health and the environment everyday, but the items we use monthly probably don't get much of a second thought. Most conventional pads and tampons are made using synthetic materials such as polypropylene and plastic, and most use a super absorbent material that is petroleum based. They are also bleached with chlorine, and some may even use dyes (usually an azo dye which is made with heavy metals), to colour either the tampon string or the absorbent liner in pads. These chemicals and plastics can act as xenoestrogens (man-made chemicals which mimic the action of the hormone estrogen in the body), and therefore have the potential to affect your hormonal health. Chlorine is also a known carcinogen, so the long term affects of its usage could be catastrophic.

There is also the issue of fibre loss in tampons. Some of the most popular brands of tampons use bleached cotton and rayon, both of which are made up of loose fibres that shed with both the insertion and removal of the tampon. Many medical practioners have had to first remove residual tampon fibres from around the cervix before being able to collect clear samples when doing routine pap smears. These fibres could possibly be the cause of many conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovaries and cancer. They can also change the bacterial conditions internally and cause many vaginal infections such as thrush. Toxic shock syndrome is another well known side effect from tampon usage. It is rare, but can be fatal.

But body health aside, there is also the issue of the environment. Along with disposable nappies, every year we throw away billions of plastic and chemical laden pads, liners and tampons. This ends up as landfill, and will never break down. A very scary thought.

So what are our options then if we choose to abandon these modern day so-called conveniences? There are many. My product of choice is cloth pads. I have used them now for several years and will never look back! Aside from being kinder to me and the environment, they are also kinder to my hip pocket. Well made cloth pads will last for years and are extremely comfortable. They need no special care either. I simply soak them in clean water, then rinse in the washing machine and wash the same way as any other load of clothes. Many work-at-home mothers create them, and there are lots of websites supplying them. Their popularity is fastly growing! My favourites all come from www.etsy.com. Just jump on and search for 'cloth menstrual pads'. You will be astounded at the variety! And believe it or not, since using cloth pads, my cycle is shorter, less painful and far more enjoyable. Yes, enjoyable. It's no longer the most dreaded part of my month.

I also sometimes use a Diva Cup, but that is a whole other blog post! Stay tuned for that episode....

But for those of you that are not ready to make the cloth jump, there are other disposable options made from organic cotton which has not been processed with chemicals and other additives. Both pads and tampons are available in organic cotton, and both are also biodegradable. Most good health food shops will supply these products.

So who else is ready to join the cloth revolution? If anyone has any questions regarding anything I've written above, including where to get cloth pads, or information on brands of organic cotton products, please leave a comment and I will endeavour to point you in the right direction!!

Dessert time!

I've been absent from the bloggy world for a little longer than I had anticipated. With children's broken arms, a house up for sale and the everyday hummings of life, I haven't had the spare time to sit and write. Blog posts are swirling in my head and I've missed you all! So with a few minutes spare now before I head into bill paying mode, I decided it was time to share with you a scrumptious dessert.

We ate this delicious apple crumble at Moondew quite a few weeks ago, but I only decided the night before last to make it myself. Why I waited so long, is anyone's guess! It was so easy and my goodness, soooo yummy! If you are anything like me, this cooler weather will have you craving piping hot puddings, and this one will not disappoint.

You can find Amber's recipe here, on her Mama Moontime blog.

As there was only two of us eating dessert, I divided the recipe into thirds and it was the perfect amount. I also added a handful of shredded coconut and sultanas. It was the night before grocery shopping day, so I used a tin of pie apples I had in the pantry, which made the preparation extremely easy! For those readers in Australia who may be close to an Aldi supermarket, they have on special for $1.99, 550g tins of pie apple, and also apple with either blackberries or raspberries. I bought a couple of tins today. With a recipe so simple and relatively nutritious (well, maybe not so much for me as I LOVE cream!), I will certainly be making this one over and over again this winter.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think of it when you make it!