Denis woke Lily up with four little fledglings he found in the horse’s pasture. He wanted to know what to do with them to keep them safe from large horse hooves, hungry pigs and opportunistic cats.

Lily didn’t know what to do with them but the chirping, the fluttering and the short flights made her so curious and she wanted to touch them. I am sure would have even offered to stuff one in her mouth, as that is how she likes to explore most things at this point in her life. She caught one briefly by the tail but let go quickly as both her dad and I had minor panic in our movements and voices but thankfully she knows the word ‘gentle’ and so off flew the birdy just as fast as it was caught, unhurt.

Denis was the birdies guardian all day, especially after finding a fifth one and then being back to four when the parents (we assume) attacked the fifth one while he was not there. Back to four little babies, he was not about to let them die, so the weakest was brought into the house to warm up and get a bit of well wishes and prayers before, a bit of internet research said to send him back out. We did, and Denis sat on a basket next to them waiting to see if the parents would feed the weakling. No luck.

Determined not to let the little one parish he picked it up and was preparing to bring it in, with us fostering it for a few days until it could sort itself out. At this new higher vantage, our spunky little friend made the short flight into the trees in front of him. Wondering what would happen now we sat back down to wait and see what nature would teach us. Sure enough now that our refreshed little birdy was showing such zest for life his parents started to feed him. We waited to make sure it was not an accident and when we were satisfied he was no longer being treated as an outcast we picked up the little temporary nest so the others could see the trees too. One by one they flew into the branches, safer from the dangers Denis had protected them from all day.

He has checked on them a few times since but now they are on their own. The little one we lost makes us sad, of course had we known it would come to harm we would have done more to intervene and possibly save it. He giveth and He taketh away but always there is joy to be found if you know where to look. For us today it was in the branches of the trees at the end of the day, with little voices ringing out loud and clear for nourishment. They will in time go out and have their own adventures having found a safe first day out of the nest in a tall and unfamiliar fellow traveller. Who knows, maybe one day they will meet us in Africa if they pop down to avoid the winter.

Today Lily had her first sliver. I was going to write about a homeopathic remedy that we are currently using for a chronic issue but instead I think a bit of first aid is in order.

Silica! Silica is a great remedy for expelling foreign objects from the body. 200C is a great emergency potency. You can get this remedy online, in some health food shops or in a bind, even just write it down on a piece of paper and stick it in your pocket. I will discuss these options in another post.

Calendula is great for cuts and scrapes.

Bump on the head… we’ve had that one already too. Arnica for the bump/blow itself, Hellebores for the concussion to the brain, Hypericum for the nerve pain, Natrum-sulph is specific for a head injury.

Puncture wounds do well with Ledum for the puncture itself and Hypericum for the nerves.

Bee Stings – Apis mellifica

Strains and Sprains – Ruta graveolens

Joint pain – Rhus toxicodendron

Vomiting, loss of fluids – China

Heatstroke – Belladonna

Food poisoning – Arsenicum album

Sleep deprivation – Cocculus indicus

Injury to the eye – Aconite

Frostbite – Agaricus muscaris

Nosebleeds  – Ferrum phosphoricum

There are more but that is a basic home remedy first aid kit any home could benefit from. Write me if you have specific questions for other first aid issues. I know my family relys on homeopathic remedies because we want to sort the problem without nasty side effects and we find that pharmaceuticals have far to many side effects to be worth it for most situations. All medicines have there place and their use. We have used and will continue to use all kinds of medicine, depending on our needs at the time. Today we were grateful that a splinter could be removed without tears and the skin healed quickly and efficiently from a big splinter for a little finger.

Days like this are such a joy, Lily had a blast and therefore so did we.

When my mom came to meet Lily in February she got us a Moby Wrap. I absolutely love it, Denis enjoys it and so does Lily.

Denis and I both ‘wear’ Lily as it is called, funny term in my mind, ‘baby wearing’ but what fun. Lily has recently transitioned to being carried on our backs and she is so very happy. Snuggled up all safe and yet able to see everything. Today she helped me make pickled eggs, pavlova, lemon curd, lamb stew and marinate the steak for dinner. She went for a walk with us with the dogs on my back and pulled my hair much of the way but seemed really happy doing it. When she gets a little bigger we will have to get a new type of wrap that does not have any stretch in it but for now this one will do. It really makes it easy to include her in everything we do.

At one point today (I think I was washing up) Denis and Lily came to keep me company and he started dancing with her. Her smile lit up her whole face and well, it took me a long time to wash those dishes as I wanted to dance with her too. She will have hi dancing with her for many many years to come and it will always be my pleasure to watch them or join in when the feeling is right.

Denis is a fan of MotoGP, one day I hope to gift him with the chance to race a bike on one of the tracks but for now he is content with watching races on YouTube. Lily seems to have developed a liking for watching racing too. We don’t have TV, and we rarely let Lily watch the computer, for the most part it is just for watching Disney music videos if we need to distract her for a short period of time while we finish up something. Today however she watched a few minutes of racing with her daddy. She was enthralled.

She really makes everything so much more fun. Her wonder is infectious and we hope to shelter and strengthen and grow that wonder until she is able to maintain that state of being for herself. So many pictures to share today, was hard to choose just one.

Sometimes there is so much to say I don’t know what to say. Tonight is one of those times. So… snap shots, no detail!

I complained about my hair again, not even a pony tail could manage the unruliness of it. So Denis offered to cut it off. Picture Edward Scissorhands but only one pair of scissors. No what do you want, no slow easy tender hand holding, he scooped up my hair in his hand and hack, snip, hack and it was gone. A few more snips here and there and he finalised his efforts and I have chin length hair. It was cathartic.

Lily has discovered that avocado is good, best served in small bite sized bits. She is a bit adverse to mush and I am not sure if I am disappointed she does not like apple sauce or excited. I love it so now that she does not want it that makes more for me.

Make up sex rocks… I think I might get some tonight. It is good we are not perfect and we can growl at each other over stupid things, so we can make up later. Not that we need and excuse.

We names a few eggs and left them with our grey chicken who is determined to hatch some. She has been trying for the last 10 days but I have been taking all the eggs, until yesterday when we named 5 and left them for her.

Pee, Lily uses the potty, we don’t know the last time she pooped in a diaper, pee is not as good. She pees a lot during the day and so sometimes we miss it but many times a day she also uses the potty to pee. Sunday we changed the sheets and I promptly spilt a potty full of pee all over them again. (This is my second time doing this!) Yes, it is a rule to empty the potty as soon as it is used!

The garden is producing good things. We ate strawberries today, the radishes are out of control, the tomatoes are coming, the herbs are needing a good cut back they are so healthy, the lettuce is coming along and a few flowers are showing up. The weeds are good and healthy too.

The sun is setting, it was a beautiful day, seems the cold is going away again and once again summer seems to be trying to make an entrance. Denis is bashing the corners of a tissue box on the wall to take away the sharpness, she only gets empty boxes now.. she was eating the tissues. Off to go nurse Lily before the pressure builds up to much. Why did no one ever tell me women are capable of taking out an eye with milk, an eye a few feet away.

Until tomorrow, snuggle up to the ones you love.

How could I not write about Lily today? It is her 6 months birthday.

My world has happily been turned upside down by her. I never imagined a little person being so present, so alive, so unique and aware. I am the mom who believes her daughter is the most special little person to ever be born. I am the mom who never tires of talking about their baby or to their baby. I am the mom who wants to post photos all day long, to brag all day long, to sit in wonder all day long, to cuddle all day long. I am THAT mom!

And I am so glad I am!

I would go on and on but it is not needed. I am coming to understand Agape. My love for my family is greater than I could imagine. I still have learning to do… I can still get my feathers ruffled… a few times a day sometimes, but overall I would not change a thing, just stay on the path we are on of love and understanding.

Looking forward to the next months and years… Happy Birthday Lily.

My favourite way to wake up, snuggling and being snuggled, and this morning was some of the best snuggles ever. Warm and cozy, no uncomfortable positions causing arms to go dead, no over heating, it was perfect bliss. Co-sleeping has so many wonderful benefits, I am so glad it works for us, I love it and can’t imagine not having that closeness with my family now. To anyone saying “it will wear off” I return with “love like this never wears off!” I will enjoy each and every night she wants to stay with us.

So after a blissful start to my day I continued to wonder at how, it is really, the little things in my life that really capture my heart now, now, that I have let myself be vulnerable and we have manifested such a simple life for our first months with Lily.

I notice the little things, I am grateful for the little things, I am so happy for this time, to get to notice Denis whispering into Lily’s ear and her leaning ever so slightly towards him like they are sharing secrets. The new way she is super burrowing her head into my neck and cheek when she is giving snuggles. How Denis does the most thoughtful things for us all. The kind words. All of it.

I find another part of this positivity is it really is self perpetuating, the more I feel it the more it grows! There is less negative talk (internal and external), less snapping at the little things, when things are done differently to the way I would do it. I find I worry less about others opinions. I can stand in someone else’s fire and not be burned. I can hold the space for them and truly be present for them. I have learned how to have true empathy. A real gift. I knew this to be true but getting the ball rolling was hard work, years of work but now that it is firmly on the move.

I get to live a life of abundance! I get to show all those I care for how to live a life of abundance. I get to be the mom, friend, lover/wife, teacher I want to be. I am proud of my life.

Last week I made a new recipe, coconut whip cream, from a recipe I found on Facebook. I didn’t have the coconut milk it asked for but I did have coconut cream. It worked great. I was not fond of the taste but Denis was an instant fan. I am doing my best to find a few recipes that are healthier versions of the dairy, sugar or grain filled ones we used to enjoy. Not many, just for when we want or feel the need to celebrate something.

This week I had purchased coconut milk expecting the same result, maybe a little less thick but still workable. No luck. My first attempt was a disaster as far as whipped anything goes. It was liquid with tiny little bits of coconut fat. Not so good to mix with fresh fruit but beautiful in a fruit smoothie. Undaunted, I wanted to know why my dreamy dessert failed when I followed the recipe but had worked when I substituted, it did call for coconut milk. A little bit of searching on the internet kept telling me I was right with the coconut milk, but full fat was all I could get for details, until I happened upon this lovely lady who made a little video. You chill the coconut milk in the fridge so to only use the cream that separates to the top. You use the clear liquid for whatever else you want but not for the whip topping. Duh!

Funny how things like that happen, when someone points out the problem it seems so obvious. Like if I had stopped and listened to my own inner voice I would have known, but no, I read the recipe and went looking for an external source to tell me what was wrong with the externally found recipe. I could have figured it out on my own and I was close but it seemed easier to have another opinion, so I searched the internet.

Not that it really matters it is just a interesting note about my current character I should be aware of. It could become a problem but I doubt it, I have worked hard on learning to trust myself, now I just have to be careful not to be lazy and look for others to provide answers I could figure out if there was no internet at my fingertips. Keep my mind nimble and entertained with puzzles outside my normal jungle gym.

We did use the internet to research something that was important to get someone else’s knowledge on though, how to turn our front carry baby wrap into a back wrap carrier. We found a good style which, I happily modified to make a little more secure for our Lily. She loved it, both Denis and I took her for a spin on our backs today, Denis even took her working with him while I just made smoothies (with the aforementioned coconut disaster).

Love these two so much.

One of my meandering thoughts today wandered across the idea of getting a new haircut.

I am the type of woman who has rarely cut her hair, I had long hair for years, almost always pulled back in a pony tail or a braid. For a few Halloweens it was teased into ears of a cat in the manner of the broadway show “Cats”. However, other than that and a few other occasions, my hair has simply been pulled back out of my face. Why do I keep it long? It is a pain, it is thin and fine and since I lost some a few years ago in the wreck I was in you can see my scalp.

I guess I took long hair as a badge of honour. Something people liked, my father loved long hair, and other people would comment on it as well. So I kept it, and fought with it and had brief moments of pride with it followed by annoyance and absentmindedness about it. A friend of mine has cut my hair twice, the first time it was just below the shoulders and the last time it was a cute short cut, that was two years ago this September. It has not seen a pair of scissors since. But it will in the  next two months. No longer will I be afraid of my hair, or let others opinions influence me. It seems silly, many ladies go through this stage at puberty, I guess I am just a little more cautions than some.

Anyways, I am very excited to go super short, like Jamie Lee Curtis short. My hair will be sexy, it will be feminine, it will be powerful, all because I am finally confident enough to have that shocking look at me hair and stand proud.

This morning we ‘checked in’ with each other. We do this randomly, it is never a planned thing, but it is a good thing to do and I hope we never stop doing it.

You’d think with all the time we spend together that we would not have to do that. We talk everyday, about all sorts of things we even talk about future plans but ‘checking in’ is different. It is when we stop and really make sure we are still supporting each other the way we promised to. That our goals are still the same (as in the same for our family not the same as when we met) that we have not lost track of our greater dream while we take the steps to get there. I think that happens a lot to people.

It is shown in the cartoon “Up” how life can get in the way of bigger dreams. The cartoon shows how one can still have a life that is fulfilling and lived without regrets but at the beginning of the movie only one character had that, the other had to have a big adventure to get to the same place of peace. So, we ‘check in’ to make sure we are both content with where we are going.

One of the big things for us is that Denis eventually has no other ‘job’ than to raise our kid(s) and take care of our family. I get to spend as much time as I want with my practice/studies as I desire, from home, so that I too get to enjoy everyones company. Travel or at least the ability to move easily is important, and I think being in a tropical climate at some point would be nice. Have a little cottage on a beach somewhere peaceful and with warm water… ooohhh, must take a moment to just enjoy that part of our vision.

Today we touched on what time frame we are looking at for the parts closest to our hearts to become a reality. Presto! We have a five year plan. I never thought of us as a five year plan kind of couple but… that is the beauty of the ‘checking in’. We are not traditional planners, we are simply saying how long we are wanting to give this next stage of our life to develop into whatever it develops into before we change if it is not what we envision for ourselves. It is one way in which we honour each other. How we strengthen our marriage.

The beach is about 10 years away in this current plan.

Thank you Jamie Oliver for inspiring me today, or better put, focusing me to one topic. There are so many things I want to write about and as Denis says… in time grasshopper, in time.

Today is Food Revolution Day. Jamie wants the kids of the world to be taught about food, where is comes from, how to grow it and how to make good healthy food. He is concerned about the obesity epidemic that is effecting kids now, how this is the first generation of kids that are not expected to outlive their parents age. Yikes! He is using his voice to rally everyone who will join him into pressuring the governments to make it part of public education curriculum. He feels (and I 100% agree) it is a child’s human right to be taught about food.

My worry is that if governments do it, it can be corrupted. I think food education should begin at home but I love the energy behind Jamie’s movement. The problem with the government being in charge of educating the children is; who will say what is taught? Who will say what is correct to teach about growing your own food? How will it incorporate different beliefs/standards? So many questions, some harder than others to answer, especially since Jamie is looking for a global movement.

Do I think he should stop because there are no easy answers? Absolutely not. I think if inspired people allowed themselves to be stopped simply because they were not sure of the details of how their dream will take flight, very few things would change. We need the big dreamers to bring the idea, and we need the doers who come behind them and make it real. For us, we are already doing what Jamie is asking for for all kids, and we educate anyone who will listen about the life we have chosen and why we chose it. Not because Jamie wants it to happen, it just so happens that we have the same thoughts on the importance of food education.

I was raised in a family where food was part of life, we grew vegetables and harvested and prepared them for later use. We got our meat once a year from the butcher, and we watched while it was packaged. We made our meals from scratch, we ate together at the table each night with no TV, no phone calls, no texts, nothing to distract us. I had no idea, at the time, that the family meal was becoming rare. I am grateful my mom taught me how to truly feed myself (from seed to plate) and I am grateful for my education, that taught me all the details/science about eating for optimal health. Best of all, Denis is just as excited about living an authentic life as I am and so together we have a solid foundation to raise Lily on.