So, a month has gone by and much of the garden is doing fine. Some of the lobelia, one of the garlic, one of the peas and the stinging nettle have gone the way of the white clouds. I did have my first garden salad the other day.

So, here’s a couple of lopsided pics of the garden:

At 4 Weeks

Closer Look

Fresh Lettuce

We’ve also got tomatoes from last year.

Last Year's Tomatoes

A Closer Look

My first salad strictly from the garden:

First Garden Salad

And, Sunflower Sprouts ready for harvesting:

Sunflower Sprouts

I’ve planted the raspberry and blueberry bushes and my latest edition is a cherry tree. So excited!

I’m enjoying living out in the yard more now. Seems as though we’ve really put down roots here, literally and figuratively.

Injoy,

Revvell

I’ve recently been studying a lot of things… new, and not so new to me.. looking to up my healing and health practice. One  of my most recent studies has been on EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique. With all that I do and have done including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Polarity, Yoga, Qigong, Applied Kinesiology, essential oils, etc. over the last 23+ years, I found EFT to fit right in.

A couple of days ago, someone on Twitter made a blanket statement about adoptees. Being an adoptee, I took exception to her generalized statement which began a short conversation (about all one can have on Twitter). One thing which really hit me was that “…adoptees have a lot of internal pain”.

This got me to thinking… internal pain. Hmmm. Since we are virtually blank slates when born, where does this “internal pain” or angst, etc. come from? It comes from without. Society, with all it’s fears, throws it all on us and we, in turn, throw our fears on others, and the dance begins.

Normally, people think they have to deal with or relive all that was said/done to them in order to heal. My parents did this; my teacher did that.. blah, blah, blah… which is why I am like I am; which is why I do what I do or feel like I feel.

All this stuff that we take in from others causes a glitch or short circuit in OUR system so, why do we tend to focus on the outer… having to know who did what, when, why? We don’t! That’s the beauty of EFT and other modalities I use. We find out what the problem is, then deal with it. It has very little (and in many cases, nothing) to do with the outer. We don’t have to confront anyone; we don’t have to forgive anyone… we just have to remove the glitch(es) and be at peace. How cool is that????

So, why does EFT work so well on so many issues? Because it works with US! With OUR issues, not with anyone elses. It gets the “engine” running smoothly again and, in many cases, quite quickly.

Does this mean that, in order to be healthy mentally, emotionally, physically and financially all we need to do is EFT? Absolutely not! The basics still need to be done! Good food program, movement, rest, pure water, appreciations.

(BTW, if you’re interested in doing some work with me, currently, I’ve got two openings. Please, contact me and let’s see what we see.)

Injoy and eternal-harmony,

Revvell

“What is Money?

True wealth is (according to this article) measured in goods, services and ideas. Money is only a means of exchanging those things. Originally, people traded beads, cocoa, shells, feathers or pretty gems, whatever appealed to the person they were trading with. This is called direct exchange. However, some people did not always want the cocoa or feathers so money was invented to be an indirect exchange. We have learned today that the creators of goods, services and ideas should never let a currency get between them and their capacity to manifest and exchange them. It is important in these chaotic times to empower yourself and look for new and creative opportunities to exchange your talents, skills and merchandise.

Whether it’s cooking, building, gardening, business consulting, cleaning, merchandising, walking a dog or writing, there are many creative ways to acquire the necessary items you need. The key is to stay empowered and understand that good, services and ideas are true wealth. Money is just a means of exchanging them.”

Article by Joey Best in “Green Lifestyles on Planet Paradise” Magazine

Almost good article. I think “true wealth” extends far beyond what he states it is. What do you think? Feel free to respond here.

Thank you for reading and responding,

Revvell

Busy weekend and, I’m playing catch-up now so, not a lot of time to relate this past weekend.

It started on Thursday evening. Raw Spirit Fest Chief  Visionary, Happy Oasis was in town and asked if I’d put together a meetup for her. I did. She also asked if she could spend the night. She could.

Thursday evening came and 12 people registered. Too bad most didn’t show up because for the ones who did, the food was excellent, there was much laughter, interesting and varied conversation and the lovely singing voice of Shabala. A most pleasant evening.

Just a note for those who’ve heard rumors about Happy… let me tell you this. Whatever pesonality was in charge that evening.. was delightful. Happy proved to be the most delightful guest one could have. She’s very giving, gracious, respectful, charming… I can’t say enough about how nice it was to have her here. She brought the most delicious seaweed salad, her own sleeping bag (preferred sleeping on the floor rather than a bed in the healing room)… left some books for me… shared pictures of her home on her computer and invited us out there; gave me connections to where I could get some hp for our hot tub instead of deadly chemicals. They headed out to do what they do Friday a.m. and… Saw her next on Sunday at the Quantum Leap…

On Friday, we headed over to Quantum Leap 2012 to pic up media credentials. Got those; chatted with Melissa Mango who was behind the food counter creating some delightful munch stuff; got food, then headed over to the Green Lifestyle Film Fest. According to the schedule I got, the press conference was supposed to be from 2-3. Well, we got there a little after 2. Wasn’t happening at THAT time. Seems they changed it. Anyway, we hung out and chatted with some of the vendors (very few vendors), Ronnie and Minh, Mark Perlmutter, said “hi” to Victoria B and her daughter Valya and ate as many samples as possible .. for a bit then joined the press conference.

That was fun when Andy Dick showed up as well as Suzy Chaffee. Rememeber Suzy Chapstick? Well, she now knows that Chapstick is not healthy and has done a 180 degree turnaround on that. Wanted to get interviews with both of them but, he disappeared very quickly and she said she’d be around all weekend…. didn’t see her again after the morning. Ah well, still looking forward to it.

I’ll add more tomorrow as I’ve got other biz to attend to now. Let me just say, this weekend I viewed some interesting films including Rhio’s “What’s Not Cooking in Rhio’s Kitchen” (she didn’t make it to the fest ~ heard her car had been stolen ~ still waiting for confirmation on that); “Mad Cowboy”, “Earthlings”, and others.

What I now have in my possession are:

“The Art of Living Food” by Ronnie and Minh

“Earthlings”

“The Beautiful Truth”

“A Delicate Balance ~ The Truth”

“The Future of Food”

I’ll be back with more on the festivals later.

Revvell

In my last post I mentioned that essential oils are as potent (if not more so) than many prescription drugs. This morning, I received this (Interesting how life works. I already have many of these and use them daily!):

Many of the well known products found in most bathroom medicine cabinets contain toxins known to cause side effects. You can use several therapeutic grade essential oils to replace common items in your medicine cabinet. These oils are viable natural alternatives that support and boost your body’s immune system as well as aiding it in its natural processes of detoxification. Young Living Essential Oils and products are tested to meet ISO and AFNOR International Quality Standards for therapeutic grade. Refer to usage guidelines and use these oils wisely.

Also, you can refer to the list of Every Day oils. Order a couple of these every month on your Rewards Account – save on Freight and accumulate Rewards points good for free products.

Also, we know this list is really only partially complete. If you have an addition to this ‘medicine cabinet’ paper you would like to share, please send it to us and we will upgrade the list and send it out again in a few months. Thank you.

Thrive and Be Well -

tomandtrish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Create a Healthy Medicine Cabinet – - – - -

THIEVES Essential Oil Blend – Rub on the bottoms of your feet before flying, when you first feel that you have been exposed to something, and if you want a little layer of protection. Use along the spine when you feel you have caught something. Diffuse to reach a saturation level or to help cleanse your house of mold or toxic smells.

THIEVES Cleaner – use for everything in the right dilution – refer to the bottle label for guidelines. Use it to clean cuts, scrapes, abrasions, windows, walls, counters, dishes, hands, face, really dirty feet, laundry etc., etc., etc.

THIEVES Hand Soap (Waterless) – use when traveling to under-developed countries, after shaking hands with people, and before eating. If sweaty, use a squirt of the waterless hand soap, rub it in and wipe it clean.

LEMON – antiseptic, cleansing, antibacterial (put on tissue and wipe toilet seats in public restrooms, 10-15 drops in a 4 oz. spray bottle of distilled water and spritz airline seats, hotel bedspreads and bathrooms, use as insect repellent: 20 drops in rinse water of laundry to kill microbes, 1-2 drops in drinking water to improve immune system and increase body alkalinity. Diffuse to invigorate yourself as well as repelling molds and bacteria. Add to your diffuser blend when fighting pneumonia and all respiratory problems.

LAVENDER - for headaches, bumps, bruises, burns, aiding relaxation – a few drops on pillow or under nose to promote drowsiness, reduces cramp discomfort and has been known to stop premature labor. Antitumoral. Women have rubbed a few drops under breasts and underarms, morning and evening, to help reduce problems. Headaches – rub a few drops on temples, forehead, crown and back of head, toes (if practical) and then breathe in deeply the aroma from your cupped hands for a few minutes.

PEPPERMINT – for indigestion, nausea, sore muscles, headaches, respiratory conditions, reduces fever, sinus congestion/headaches, bronchitis, improves neurological function.

PANAWAY for pain and achy muscles. Rub on warts.

PURIFICATION – insect bits, bee stings, non-toxic insect repellent (mix 10-20 drops with massage/carrier oil or 4 oz. of distilled water in spray bottle). Diffuse in home, office, stable, etc. – repels viruses, bacteria, mold and dust mites. WE USE 2-3 DROPS OF PURIFICATION ON A SMALL WAD OF COTTON PLACED IN THE EAR (NOT DEEP) TO COUNTER EAR INFECTIONS. Also, rub a small amount of Peppermint around the outside of the ear. Let it drain when it begins. Use in stale, musty, old-smoke smelling hotel rooms by placing a few drops on a paper towel and laying over the air vent, AND by placing a few drops all around the bed-spread etc.

MELROSE – First defense for cuts and scrapes, after washing with Thieves cleaner in warm water.1-2 drops on cotton ball and place in ear to soften ear wax to aid in removal of wax build-up.

OREGANO – strep throat, staff infection, anti-inflammatory. Found in Inner Defense – take internally. Massage small amounts on the back always adding a carrier oil. Also massage on feet.

LEMONGRASS – tendon and ligament concerns. We make a blend with Regenolone, LemonGrass, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Marjoram, and Basil and use this for inflamed joints – knees, ankle, wrists, shoulders, elbows, and hips.

RC – for respiratory conditions, decongestant, asthma, bronchitis, bone spurs.

RAVEN – for respiratory conditions, asthma. BOTH RC AND RAVEN ARE FOR RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS. Use in the diffuser, rub on chest, neck, shoulders, and upper back, and on the feet, ankles, and calves.

LAVADERM spray for burns and sunburns. Also a blend with carrier oil and Lavender

EXODUS II flu, colds, strep throat, laryngitis, improves immune system.

THIEVES repels viruses, colds, flu, sinus, strep throat, laryngitis, improves immune system, canker sores, cold sores, athletes feet/toe fungus. Rubbing on bottom of feet aids in the prevention of contracting various viruses and bacteria at work, schools and daycare.

DI-TONE – for nausea, rids body of parasites, colic in babies.

WINTERGREEN – for bumps, bruises, earaches, sore muscles or joints (natural cortisone).

EXODUS or IMMUTUNE – flu, colds, fevers, improves the immune system, anti-oxidant (Exodus and ImmuTune together are a powerful combination to improve immune system – Rub / massage up and down the spine daily – at bed time is great!).

Here are some oils to use for specific conditions that happen around the house:

Warts – Panaway, ImmuPower

Removal of mole, skin tags – Frankincense

Burns – Lavender as soon as possible

Ear infected – 2 – 3 drops of PURIFICATION on cotton with 5 – 8 drops of carrier oil. Place in ear – not too deep. Rub more purification around the outside / around the ear.

Pink eye – use Purification, 3 Wise Men, ImmuPower (dilute 1 drop to 10 drops vegetable oils and apply to perimeter (around eye) Do not put on eye or eye lid.

Diarrhea – Upset stomach – Put in gel cap 1 drop of DiTone or Thieves with vegetable oil. Rub DiTone or peppermint over stomach. Good idea to do the cleansing trio (ComforTone, ICP, Megazyme).

Travel sickness – 4 drops each of peppermint and ginger, mix in 1 oz. massage oil and rub on chest and stomach before traveling. Also, chew on a small piece of fresh ginger root.

Heartburn, gas, bloating, flatulence – put several drops of lemon in water and sip slowly. Drink 1 drop of peppermint or 1 tsp AlkaLime in 6-8 oz. water. Or, take a Digest and Cleanse capsule 1 – 2 times per day. For long-term effect, to make your body more alkaline, take Mint Condition, Megazyme, AlkaLime and Royaldophilus for 30 days.

Now, isn’t it better to have something that’s not going to poison you or your family? I’m loving learning about these! And, of course, you don’t HAVE to have them all! Just get a few at a time. Unlike drugs, they don’t have an expiration date either so you can use them safely whenever you need them.

Yours in Health,
Revvell

As a past soy candle maker I’d used essential oils for fragrance yet, it wasn’t until Philip McCluskey gifted me with a membership in Young Living Oils that I really got into them. Thank you Philip!

Previously I thought they were just something (often expensive) to make a room smell pretty. Now, having experienced some really good oils, and reading up on them, I know differently.

Let me tell you what I’m doing. In my main office, I’ve got lemon (focus/uplifting) eo; in my downstairs office, I’ve got peppermint eo (near the kitchen so, helps with weight management and is uplifting); in my shower, I’ve got my home-made sugar scrub in which I have grapefruit eo (cellulite) and in my bedroom, I’ve got lavender (relaxing).

For all except the scrub, I’ll add two drops neat (nothing added), rub my hands, then rub the back of my neck and in my hair. I cannot believe how great I’ve been feeling! I love walking into one of the rooms and smelling the fragrances. I enjoy having my honey sniff me and comment on how each fragrance smells (he also receives the benefits).

I’ve been doing some studying on these for healing purposes with clients and friends. Here’s just a little I’ve found out from Essential Oils; Integrative Medical Guide by D.Gary Young, ND. I’ve had this book for YEARS and just found it again and, after joining YL, realized this is the owner of the company. Uh, duh! I’ve ordered other books that have been recommended for study as well.

Here’s what I read recently: “…. essential oils are very potent, in some cases more potent than prescription drugs. Second, despite their concentration and strength, unlike prescription drugs, the essential oils generated no negative side effects. The implications of these two simple facts are profound.” Wow! For those who want to experience wellness w/out drugs!!! What have we been missing here????

Something else: “Essentail oils and human blood share several common properties: They fight infection, contain hormone-like compounds, and initiate regeneration.” How can this be?? How do we not know this?

Since beginning my research, I’ve received email from people who’ve told me of their experiences with eo’s in that even those around them have become ill with supposedly contagious diseases, they’ve not gotten them. I know for the last few weeks, my husband has been experience some serious cleansing symptoms.. coughing, sneezing, sore throat… I’ve not had that.

If you’re sincere about health and healing, this is something I recommend. DO keep any eo’s you have out of reach of children. They are natural yet, as been said above, they are potent and when using them on/with children, I recommend diluting or cutting the dosage.

More on this later. In the meantime, consider joining YL. It’s only a one time fee of $40. Find about 3-5 you like, use them, feel the benefits, share them. Tip: Keep them where you’ll see them. Out of sight, out of mind. You’ve GOT to use and enjoy them ~ or you wont.

Revvell

Stack of Bricks moved to the Side of the House

Finished Product

Better view of Finished Product

Bougainvillea after Chopping ~ They grow!

Two of our Furred/Feathered friends who keep us entertained

Here are some photos of the progress.

Produce

Getting Started

What I pulled and moved.. about 175 total of them.

THE bougainvillea before chopping

We had an overgrown bougainvillea bush between the two sections. A woman said she wanted it and I spent much of Saturday waiting for her to come and get it; she came over, looked at it, then said it was the wrong color. HUH? So, Bo cut it down to a more manageable size which made my neighbor happy since he’d had a garden in his yard until the bougainvillea blocked the sun to it.

What was really great about this experience is that, the first day my back was sore from pulling and moving brinks. At the end of the day, I took a hot bath with essential oils and slept REALLY soundly. The next morning, my back felt fine but I REALLY felt my thigh biceps. The second day was when I moved the bricks.

I took a recyclable bag, loaded with with 6 bricks and carried them to the side of the house; went back and did some more. My legs got a real good workout. Surprisingly, my arms didn’t feel too much of anything. It was all legs.

My awareness during this weekend is, how much better it is to get that kine of workout and feel like I’ve accomplished something than anything I’ve done in quite some time. No workout with kettlebells, Indian/Iron clubs, Bulgarian Training bags has made me feels so good. BUT, without having done those, I’d have been in pain and laid up in bed for a couple of days. As it was, each day I was ready to go again and git-r-done!
Here are some more photos of where it is currently ~ and then some….

More progress ~ lettuce, spinach, lobelia, marigolds, cilantro

Last year's tomatoes survived

Along the sidewalk in the front ~ lettuce, Italian Parsely, marigolds