January 2021
New Year – New Beginnings. I had high hopes for 2021 that we would end the coronavirus once and for all which would ease everybody’s anxiety and/or depression.
But it seems my neighbours didn’t get the memo. One neighbour was massively domestically abused this week – I knew when they moved in, she was a very skittish little thing too eager to do what her husband said and sure enough within months the first session of abuse started, and during coronavirus it’s only gotten worse. The way he abused her this week was disgusting and I felt useless to do anything but call the police simply for her protection. But luckily he stopped finally as I was calling the police.
The other, she prided herself on being the Queen of the neighbourhood, welcoming new neighbours and all that, when in reality she was a bitchy two faced bogan stirring the pot constantly. She kills local wildlife to protect her show pets. They had friends over this week and sure enough in turned into a shit show when a male visitor with wife and two tiny kids was abused by her until he started yelling back and carrying on and it was close to a very violent outcome which she further enabled by yelling abuse through her security door etc as only a true bogan coward can. My son had to yell out we are calling the police to try and stop this violence right on our doorstep. The Queen of the neighbourhood has turned out to be the scum of the neighbourhood.
All I can do is continue to be mindful, compassionate and understanding towards these wretched souls who are obviously not coping. I myself suffer anxiety, so I know how upsetting things can become. If only these folk can get a handle on their problems and insecurities and love and help one another instead of making WW3 over nothing.
I had high hopes for 2021 – let’s hope things improve this year not get worse..
As 2020 draws to a close, I look back over the last year and what I have done to help others where I can and I am proud of being there to help. Can you say the same? Look back over the last year and see if and where you have done things selflessly for another human in need or who is suffering..
I admit I look at my neighbours and see nothing but them looking out for themselves and what they want, they never do anything to help others. All that did was make me want to do more to make up for their shitty selfishness.
In 2021, vow with me now to continue to look after those around you and any new friends/neighbours in need. We can be the change the world needs to see.. Let’s make 2021 a better year for everyone…
‘Whatever it is, don’t let yourself go. Love the skin you are in. Look after it and your hair. It need not take a lot of time or money. Embrace your changing self by looking after yourself.
Focus on looking after yourself, your skin, your hair, embrace the feminine within instead of turning your back on it..
The Garden of Mindfulness 03.10.20
I have a large bedroom. large enough that I can have a two seater couch and side table as well as Queen Bed and bedside tables. So I spend a fair bit of time in my room..
I have a small verandah outside my bedroom about 3.5m x 1.5 m. A couple of years ago I decided to make small potted garden out there, with my favourite plants – a few varieties of Pothos, Sword ferns, Monstera, Elephant Ears, Geraniums for spot of colour and the odd crystal and statue, hidden amongst the leaves.. I wanted the sword ferns raised to railing height so when I looked out my window I don’t see houses and people’s backyards, I just see a small wannabe rainforest.
I call some of the pots I’ve created ‘living art’ and below is a pic of what I see looking out the window…
I call it the Garden Of Mindfulness, each day because it’s all potted they usually get a small drink by watering can and I sweep the tiles if needed and trim off any browning leaves etc. I am mindful that you must maintain a ‘indoor’ garden so over the years of gardening, I am already being mindful, focusing on maintaining the plants lives etc.
Being 2020 the year of COVID-19 and lockdowns all over the world, Walking Meditation became a bit of an obstacle, so I wasn’t worried, besides my own back garden I also have my Mindfulness Garden to escape to and get that walking in nature (walking Meditation) feel when I really need to feel mindfulness and breathe, I go to m=The Mindfulness Garden for my sojourn into nature without leaving the safety of my home.
I have found it to be a real life saver for me, watching the new leaf of a Monstera unfurl is a moment of mindfulness in itself.. I can simply look out my window and be reminded that I want to be mindful. I am reminded to come back to myself and lose those unwanted feelings of anger, sadness, fear, social loneliness and whatever else affects us during these crazy Coronavirus days.
With the fact the garden on the verandah is so small I still managed with thought and patience to grow a little Mindfulness Sanctuary for myself, a place to retreat and gather self and thoughts and feed the wild birds and cockatoos that come to visit each day.
Perhaps some of you would benefit from doing the same..
I am a 50+ woman and I sit back and take note of all the women my age (neighbours and some friends) going grey, getting more wrinkles etc and they seem resigned to it. Ok, they are getting old now and can’t afford to do anything to fix their looks etc so they will just give up and be wrinkly and grey as is fitting and the norm for our age.
NO! Don’t give up – all you need do is embrace a basic skin care regime and colour your hair with a basic chemist hair colour, to either uniform the grey or cover it up.
The reason we are aging visibly is lack of collagen being made and naturally plumping the skin (not allowing the wrinkles to show).
I have made the Diamond Rejuvenation Serum which is rich in Anti Oxidants, Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C. It is a simple treatment that you can use as part of a basic skin care.
‘Cleanse, Serum and then Moisturize.‘
Using Diamond Rejuvenation Serum is a cheap and simple addition to your basic skin care routine that is not going to break the bank.
‘So stick with your skin care regime, add in Diamond Rejuvenation Serum and colour your hair as needed.
There is no need to give up, embrace your midlife changes and the fact that you are now a beautiful natural mother of the Earth and you are becoming a crone, which is one of the most beautiful feminine creatures on the planet.
50+ is not a time to give up trying to be your best inside and out, become the midlife Goddess you are meant to be, there really is no excuse in women that do not look after themselves. Skincare need not cost big $$ and need not be a long tirade of applying different creams and serums. A cleanser, serum and moisturiser and the odd hair colour or toner is all any woman needs to put her best face forward to the world each day..
11th August, 2020
Today I am musing about what more we can do to help others during this Pandemic. So many people are not coping.
Online I see locals, people I know interstate all getting depressed, bored, anxious, angry or weird in some way. They are becoming argumentative. People are getting greedy and are buying up everything to ‘feel better’. They are getting unnecessary things installed in their homes or yards. They care about how they look more than before with endless selfies.
To say nothing of the neighbourhood idiots who broke self isolation constantly and joked about it verbally and online. Other neighbourhood people struggle every day – posting nonsense trying to validate themselves. This Pandemic is taking it’s toll on many of us.
One couple started a video blog to show off to folks back home, even though the family back home have said stop showing off – they continue to do so. They didn’t send money to their family stuck OS with no food. The OS family shared photos of their child being underweight and having to go on vitamins cos they weren’t eating enough, because of food shortages where they were. And the family in Australia did nothing, just made a vlog about how good THEIR life is.
The media are not helping either during all this – they scour Instagram for someone who did something wrong and then it is in the papers here in Australia the next day. Seriously they should be sharing stories of hope, of beating the odds (surviving covid).
I saw in December 2019 this Epidemic was coming in Wuhan and found myself needing to do something – to not just sit by and wait to catch COVID and die? So I poured myself into my Thich Nhat Hanh Quote Collective page in IG @thichnhathanhquotecollective (which now has over 276K in followers. I studied essential oils and their benefits, I learnt how to make my own toothpaste, disinfectant, Hand sanitising gel, Bread etc. which then led me to sharing with elderly neighbours in shutdown who were going without because they couldn’t get to shops etc. Even so, I still want to do more.
A simple way to start perhaps is to become a new age prepper, gradually stocking up on things you and your family will need if there are empty shelves in the supermarket.
The act of making a ‘Pantry’ or “prepping’ keeps you busy for weeks, buying containers to store stuff in and buying said products gradually a few items each time you shop certainly helps you mentally and emotionally. You feel you are doing something then, not just waiting to get sick. I can attest to that.
Perhaps start a veggie garden, food for your family but also food you can take to an elderly neighbour who can’t get to shops, or family friends who have been out of work for 6 months, they could probably use a little help feeding their families.
We need to join together as a community and fight these negative affects (almost a Post Traumatic Stress). What more can I do? What more can YOU do? If you haven’t already, now maybe is the time, to gather your knowledge and strength, and work on what you can do to help ease either the physical or emotional suffering of family, friends and neighbours in these ongoing, seemingly never ending hard times.
And please remember if you or someone you know is really down and perhaps not rational or needs to talk to someone, please call some of the mental health/care lines in your own country.
And hopefully people will see you as a living example of compassion, caring, understanding and hope during this pandemic and in the aftermath of it all.
Now, more than ever, we have to be the change we wish to see in the world….
The fact that I hope this Serum develops a life and wanting of it’s own has now come to pass.
I learnt over the years all about the benefits of each herb for the skin and eventually made this Serum that does what I have promised below over a period of time.
I have grown to love working with the oils and a friend is already in love with my Serum so I hope to sell a few bottles on the side in the days, months, years to come.
I believe it was my dear Dad that taught me many years ago about being in service to those in need when in need, saying Thankyou, giving back, paying it forward. Then as an adult my interest in Buddhism and Kuan Yin only confirmed I was on the right path all along. We have all clearly seen how things can fall apart and helping those who need it where I can is very necessary and will remain in place until this pandemic is really over.
I have also been dabbling in making Skin Care, Scented Candles, Disinfectant Wipes, Arthritis Balm, Sanitizing Hand Gel, Disinfectant, Anti-Bacterial Soap etc and sharing these with elderly neighbours that couldn’t get out to get food and groceries when we were in lockdown.
Besides food, so many things became unavailable because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, with a diabetic in the house, a self care and hygiene Prep became a necessity.
Thich Nhat Hanh Quote Collectiveॐ 