Dandelion Fluff

I used to be a very positive and vivacious person. This past year..or two..or three has given me immense challenges with some joyous moments sprinkled in between to keep me going. The after-effect of all this is that I don't really have the lustre and sparkle to me that I used to have. If you saw me in, let's say, December 2004 and December 2010 simultaneously, you would see huge differences portrayed both on the outside and the inside.

Then....

And now.....
Oh, right-there aren't any pictures of me from nowadays, unless you count giving birth to my second baby 3 months ago (THAT was worth photographing! Beautiful, beautiful day).

Maia a few seconds old!

The point is, I haven't felt like having my photo taken because not only am I not me inside, I am not me outside. And having had bouts of low self-esteem since childhood, the outside counts too.
2011 will be a year of development. Professionally, we have goals to achieve for our business. On the home-front, we have much needed adjustments to make the space in our beloved house more effective for us as a family of four. We will be intentionally taking time to relax and actually holiday this year (including seeing my family, who I haven't been able to visit in 3 1/2 years). And I will be working on me.
Academically, I have studies I'm currently undertaking (a higher level of my childcare qualification), plus a language course to do on the side (brushing up on my Italian! I love it but have never had time to do much with it since high school).
I have some inner-loving to do, which will be a first. This will be courtesy of the beautiful Goddess Leonie's tools (she is amazing).
The outter-me will be the largest job (in all ways!!). Years of eating-on-the-go and lacking in motivation have resulted in the unhealthiest me I have ever known. And I am 100% certain that this effects everything else in my day-to-day life. It's not so much the weight loss that is the point (although it is necessary), but the optimum health required to be functioning on full cylinders. I need to spend time changing my ways back to the vegan, full-of-energy, happy, laughing, positive Liz I was...

For now, may the preparation for that begin by heading to bed at a decent time, so baby's wake-ups and feeds tonight don't make me too sleep deprived :)

Back soon...nighty night!x

This Moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama).

Something I Needed To Read Today..

Galatians 5:22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This Moment..

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama).

This Moment...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama).

This Moment..

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama).

Due Date Today...

This Moment..

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama).

Light From Above

The Harbour Tank, MacDuff Aquarium.

 

 

 

 

I have had a non-conventional journey on my path to spiritual enlightenment (so to speak). I was raised within a fairly laid-back Catholic family, where you had your Holy Communion etc. because it was the done thing in keeping with family tradition, but had you asked anyone in the family what it all meant there would be a rote answer or blank faces all round. I don't mean to have a dig at my family-it's just how things work in a not very religious yet ancestrally traditional familial group. You don't want to offend anyone, so you do the necessary but haven't a clue what it's about (or care very much).
I took religion to heart. I was fascinated and quite studious about it from quite a young age, but still didn't get the answers I was looking for, despite avid searching. I asked many. The parish priests, the convent nuns (who I had a great relationship with, wanting to be one of them at one point), other people in my church group..nobody seemed to know anything concrete that they could back up, and that really annoyed me.
So when I was 11 and my best friend started speaking to me about Bible teachings I pricked up my primary school ears. She carried a small Bible in her backpack. She knew where to locate scriptures. She could back up her words with biblical evidence. And she was only 12.
This got me thinking. How was this possible? She was just a kid, like me...but she knew the answers. There must be something more to her religion, I reasoned, so much to my family's distress, I began learning more and understanding more. I was getting more information about concrete biblical teachings in a half hour with my friend than I got in years of kneel-stand-pray-sit-kneel Mass attendance. It wasn't just "this is what we do because it's just the way it's done"..it was "this is the truth because here in the Bible, God says..". Answers. Answers. Not just tradition based on shaky teachings. So I researched and found my own, non-hand-me-down faith from then on with years and years of Bible study, despite quite harsh opposition and persecution from friends and family.
I was baptized at 18, when I was old enough to know my own head :) after taking myself out of the Catholic religion. And I truly, truly believe everyone has the right to do so themselves. Why would you accept a passed-on religion without the facts? Why would you deem yourself a certain religion just because your parents are?
My belief system has since altered again, as I found more facts to resonate with me, so my approach and mindset were slightly altered again.
Today my 4 1/2 year old daughter brought home a school pupil questionnaire with a question asking what her religion was. I wrote "she is too young to have decided yet :)". And it is what I believe to be true.
I can tell her my thoughts, or show her how to look for answers when the time comes to question, still have a family value system in place, but she is her own person. And a true, solid faith in my eyes is worth so much more than a hand-me-down faith I know very little about.

Something relevant to me right now..

With the arrival of Tiny D being quite imminent and the start of Big School this week, Mini D has raised the question as to how 'Taddy' and I will manage to love both she and her little sister equally..I love her with all my heart & soul, and this above list really made me think about how I could be making this even more obvious to her little 4 3/4 old self . The changes going on around her must be causing a deep-down glimmer of uncertainty in my normally so confident, outgoing little girl. Has anyone else experienced this?

This Moment...

"This Moment" - A Friday ritual. 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. What is your moment? Inspired by Soulemama

News From Prego..

Just a quickie of a link before I give you the run-down of Mini D's first day of Big School, my emotional meltdown and other fun topics (surprisingly, the first two were not related).

My new-found obsession with food (well, new-found this 3rd trimester after 6 months or so of retching) has resulted in recipes being perused on the good ole web..my faithful Tasty Kitchen site (hello Ree!!) posted this fabby breakfast post today. Yummm...guess what 4-Weeks-Til-Baby here will be having tomorrow morning??

Just a quick dash of love...

"The most precious gems you'll ever put around your neck are the arms of your children."

 Happy Sunday Everyone :)

Some More Summer Yummies!

Rhubarb & Blueberry Cobbler
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 sticks of rhubarb — approximately 200g (1 1/4 cup)
200g (1 1/4 cup) fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons of sugar

For the cobbler top:
100g (3/4 cup) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
100g (3/4 cup) Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons of melted, then cooled butter (approx 25g solid weight)
Oats for topping — optional
Brown sugar for sprinkling
Method:
Preheat your oven to gas mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F

Wash and drain your fruit. Arrange your blueberries in a 12 cm wide,  shallow tart pan or pie dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the blueberries. Chop your rhubarb into 2.5 cm pieces and arrange in a layer over the top of the blueberries. Sprinkle over the rest of sugar. Set aside whilst you make the topping.

Combine your flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Make a well in the centre and add in your egg. Mix and then stir in your yoghurt. Mix well before adding in the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. You are aiming for the consistency of a very thick cake batter, not a dough. If it seems too dry or too wet, add more flour or a splash of milk, respectively.

Spoon heaped tablespoons of cobbler batter over your fruit. You want about 4-5 spoonfuls of batter in total. Leave some little gaps as the topping will expand, and you also want the fruit to bubble up nicely over the sides. Sprinkle with oats if you'd like and a little more brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the topping is cooked through and the rhubarb is nicely tender.

Cobbler is lovely served topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/uk-edition-rhubarb-and-blueberry-cobbler-9923/?ref=fp_article_title

"This Moment" - A Friday ritual. 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. What is your moment? Inspired by Soulemama

Ready for Primary 1...

A week until this tiny person -who is now actually 4 1/2-is all ready for Big School..the question is, am I??

This Moment

"This Moment" - A Friday ritual. 
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. What is your momentthis week? 
Inspired by Soulemama

  At J.M. Barrie's desk, Kirriemuir.

A Touch of Summer...

Give me the joys of summer,

of summer queen so fair,

with wealth of lovely flowers

and fruits and sun-kissed air!

Talk not to me of winter

with ice and frost and snow,

nor changing spring and autumn

when howling winds will blow.

No, I will take the joys

of summer every time,

so to this queen of seasons

I dedicate my rhyme.

~ by Winifred Sackville Stoner

Blueberry, I Love You!

I had a pretty hectic weekend (as much as can be hectic when you're 8 1/2 months pregnant and can't move a lot due to various niggles!). I really enjoyed it all, as we got to witness two great friends marry, had a girl-only shopping trip and a hair appointment (always nice)..BUT I overdid it.
Siiiiigh...
Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted beyond belief, in loads of pain (sciatica & SPD...fun!) and had that getting-a-cold-achey-body-sore-throat-swollen-glands thing. And all because I am run down, immunity has dropped, and body desperately trying to sort itself out. What to do? Superfoods!! (By the way, does it mean you're weird if your 4 year old daughter can list Superfoods...?Just wondering...)
I have had two spirulina tablets (magic from the sea!) an apple, kiwi and lime smoothie, and now have plans for...
Berry and Buttermilk Cake, Adapted from "Apples for Jam" by Tessa Kiros.
1.5 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
freshly ground nutmeg - a few grinds
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh berries
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk eggs until fluffy in another bowl, then add all wet ingredients. Mix dry and wet gently until combined. Spoon mixture into a 12x8x2 inch pan. Sprinkle blueberries on top. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool in pan before cutting.
**This adaptation courtesy of the amazing Soulemama :)

Yummy yummerson...blueberries are by far my fave Superfood!! What do you do when you're feeling a bit under the weather? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Like a Kid in a Candy Store..

Ohhh....too cute! I opened the post today to receive the first lot of my nappies for Baby To Be. They are candy pink, and just fluff, fluff, fluff :-) More colours to come, which funnily enough gets me quite excited. Maybe it's because they're not plain, chemical-smelling white things. Maybe it's because they are so soft to the touch, so well made, and so good for baby's new skin. Heavenly..now we just need Baby D to arrive, though she is making her presence known and seems to be preparing to pack her bags for departure from her uterine-home!! Aches, shooting pains and all the last-few-weeks-of-pregnancy symptoms I had first time round are here. 6 1/2 weeks to go! :-)

A Hungarian Doula...

Hello Everyone!
For all that don't know this about me, I'm the Membership Coordinator for the National Childbirth Trust in our area. This is a cause very dear to my heart, as choice in childbirth and support during this time and the time surrounding it are, to me, vital.
I am originally from Hungary (though born in Australia).
I received an e-mail today from an old friend back home in Hungary asking for help. For a little background info, Hungary was a communist-bloc country up until 1989 and has been striving ferociously ever since to regain some of it's economical status that was depleted to almost nothing during the Communist years. So finances, although better than they were then, are still very thin on the ground (part of the reason I moved countries years ago-there was absolutely no way of making a living at the time).
A lot of what we call 'western' ideas had been unknown to anyone in communist-bloc countries so the thought of any choice in childbirth was-and for the huge part-still is unknown. I have heard many a horror story (to my 'western' ears anyway!) about childbirth at home from cousins, aunts etc. So when my friend told me his wife is one of the very few women in Hungary wanting choice, and change, and training as an actual Doula, my heart jumped for joy.
Reka Dezsi has a blog where she details her experiences-although in Hungarian (google translator does big chunks at a time if you're interested :)) called Holdanya (MoonMother).
Reka has been invited to the USA (Albuquerque)for a huge Doula training event (by DONA International) in the beginning of August, but obviously, needs to be able to fund this in order to make the trip (international travel is a huge deal from Hungary to most people). She & her husband have asked for my help, in order to possibly see if anyone could make a donation to Reka's travel fund. Any,any little would help (I'm talking even £1 here!). The details to make a direct transfer (account details) are posted at the top of her blog. If there's anything further I personally can help with in regard to this worthy cause, please let me know. For now-thank you for reading, and thank you even more if you pass this on to otehrs or are moved to help with a donation. I will keep you updated on Reka's progress! Much love! :))

The Turning Of The Tides

And here we are with less than 8 weeks to go before our new baby's birth...time has flown by unbelievably. In the past months, transformations have taken place in every part of our lives. Our business has a very healthy waiting list in place for our future childcare enrollments, thank the universe. We have had to look more realistically than ever at expansion and full private day nursery registration (and all that involves--eek! so much work!). We have had to realise that the only "baby" in our little family until now-Mini D-is actually old enough and mature enough to start school in August (so emotional for me). That whilst our families are part of us genetically, we do not actually have to force a relationship with them if it is clearly to our detriment emotionally or mentally. That being on the same page as your spouse is the nicest feeling in the world. That health is everything. That there is more to the world and the universe than we think. That rest is vital. That we need time out as a family to recharge, rather than just always trying to catch up on "jobs". That "this moment only once" is something very important to remember.
That we are so lucky to have what we have, this loving family unit of 3 (soon to be 4!).

Us, 2006....stayed tuned for the new version!

Whirlwind Winter!!

Well, I have not visited Blog Domain in over a month, but it has really and truly been a crazy, outta this world beginning to the year! I think the most notable was around Mini D's 4th birthday when I realised I felt like absolute c**p and it was NOT going away. Some calculating and testing later, realised we were going to have a Tiny D by the autumn. You think that's ages away? It is!! But I knew, knew from possibly conception that this little peanut was on it's way-which is how we have known since I was 4 1/2 weeks along...a long time until we get to meet Tiny D, but one day at a time.
Meantime, very first Midwife appointment today-Mr D can't get out of work, so Mini D & my Bestie, Di are coming with me (Di is hopefully going to be at the delivery with Mr D).
I am sick as a dog with this little one, and feel/look awful compared to Pregnancy Number 1 where I was all aglow and energetic and well, relaxed..now it's more along the lines of greasy hair, lethargy, constant nausea and hormonal moodswings. Isn't my husband a lucky man???
More to come as I get more used to my current state-and hopefully more info on the Twin Rumours.'Cos there's a chance it's twins...