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Friday, July 31, 2009

Judgment & eco cleaning

No they have nothing to do together, however saw these 2 articles which I was sure would be of interest to all. So the first site is care2.com and it has this article of 5 basic nontoxic cleaning products which you might want to visit!


The 2nd site is yoga journal and has this article on judgement of which you can see a segment below.

Sometimes that judgmental state feels like a sword driven right into
the delicate fabric of your consciousness. Any feelings of love or relaxation or
peace that you might have been nurturing are chopped to bits. Whether you're
judging others or yourself, it's impossible to aim negative judgments in any
direction without experiencing the sharp edges of judgment within yourself.
Doubly so, in fact, since the faults we judge most harshly in other people
usually turn out to be our own negativities projected outward

Thursday, July 30, 2009

5 things I can't live without

Today, on the radio station they asked their listeners what are the 5 things they can't live without. So I thought of sharing what are my most important things in life and what about you what are your 5 important things?

  1. The air that I breathe - without which I can't live!
  2. The love that surrounds me - without which there is no real life!
  3. The warmth of the sun - because it brings me joy!
  4. The cold of the wind - because it carries away the bad moments and gives me a new cool beginning
  5. Life - an honour to have and experience in this wonderful world we were given.

Maybe my things are not the normal lot we hear or maybe they are. Maybe its just me and my soul searching that I have been doing and discovering and maybe not but I do believe that these simple things which we take for granted a lot are the things I truly in every sense can't live without :)

Namaste to all!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

wordless wednesday

yesterday my puppy ate rice cereal...here is the result...but he did love it, it was simply that he fed himself erm and everything else around!














Feeding at 6 months

Greg today ate some rice cereal we made at home. He loves eating solids (as long as it's not actual baby food). We are mainly using the baby led weaning technique, which have found good though you must be so extra careful he doesn't choke. We tried feeding him pureed foods as well mainly to get him the hang of swallowing more but is not interested in it at all!! So far he enjoys raw tomatoes, melons, rice cereal with tomatoes, onions & garlic, banana, pizza, bread, roasted potatoes, his grandmas' soups..... his tastes though vary because today he would eat the banana and the next day he doesn't want it. Other than that he is a great eater hehe and prefers to feed himself rather than us feeding him, which I like as he controls the amount of food he takes.

Apart for the feeding, our little puppy is sitting for a long while without actually toppling over which is fantastic and he tries his best to crawl and stand up on his own. He isn't actually crawling yet but I am quite sure he will be by the end of Summer. Also he can get himself to stand up with something to hold on to, but will topple over within a few seconds :) We give him a lot of tummy time so he gets the opportunity to try and crawl especially with his toys just out of his reach.

In this month he has made sudden progresses which impressed me a lot and I am looking forward to seeing more! And when I get home, it fills me with so much joy when he smiles and opens up his hands for me to take him in my arms. Or the way he wraps his arms round my neck or his smile when he would have just woken up.....

Monday, July 27, 2009

love, nothing lives without it.

We say I love you far to often and casually. We believe that marriage is for keeps and even though divorce is common nowadays its still somewhat a scandal. We are taught that you can only love one person at a time and dreams are just that an unreachable object to think about and make life more bearable when it is not.

Unconditional love is quoted in many aspects of life and especially marriage. However, I think (me included) we don't really know its meaning. Love should fill our existance, not just in marriage but in every day life. Love is elusive as the wind, you can feel it fleetingly or for a long while but you can't catch it or hold it or actually see it unless in the trees, grass, flowers or simply our hair is rustled by it.

We get frustrated with our partner, friends or other family members, because we have expectations but these don't always manifest themselves and so we get angry, disappointed, annoyed.....real love has no boundaries, no expectness.....it just happens spontaneously and if only we look at these gestures and not our idea of love, we would be overwelmed by the unlimited amount of love given freely.

Quoting a part from the book The Zahir by Paolo Coelho, sometimes marriage becomes like a rail track. You have 2 straight lines going in the same direction which can't be changed at all otherwise the train derails. In reality, since we change all the time, the lines can't be straight......sometimes we overlap our paths, other times we are very far from each other but if we stay pure in our love and accept such changes, our marriage can't be destroyed.

Every religion that exists quotes love as the most important tool that one needs in life. That is true and all we have to do is open our hearts, forget what we were taught, let our heart guide us. Such simplicity, that in our complicated and materialistic world is near to impossible to do. Last Sunday in church, during the sermon, the priest said that because of our egoistic selves, because we think first and foremost about ourselves, we do not share, love or help and so we have wars, quarrels.......and I felt so sad inside knowing how true his words are and how the people in the congregation were hearing but not listening, seeing but not observing, thinking but not deeply. That most will leave after the service and forget every single word as soon as they open the church door and start speaking to their neighbour, friend, partner.....

To live in a perpetual state of love, we must forget our past. Remember the emotions but not the details. We must live every day as if it might be our last so as to live it to the max. Love! Someone talks to you in the street and you don't know him...talk back and not walk on. Someone is asking for money, don't think that he should try find a job or that you have more need of it yourself, just share what you got. Someone does you a bad deed, smile, forgive and pray for him to open his heart to you because no matter how bad and deep the wound is, it simply is not worth thinking and worrying about since it only brings misery. If we say I forgive you but will never forget.....ask yourself are you truly forgiving? If you don't forget, you have kept it in your heart, you haven't let go of your past and the past will haunt you and make you sad and heavy.

Love is very difficult to understand and difficult to understand how it effects our lives....but sometimes there are things that for some reason makes us look inside and think and understand. My such moments come from reading, and The Zahir by Paolo Coelho is one such book. Whenever I read it I understand something new, something that fills me with peace and lets me carry on, on my quest and journey of finding myself and truly understand my reason for being.

Let love fill your body
Let it seep into your soul
Love is what keeps us happy
Love is what keeps us alive.

Friday, July 24, 2009

history recall with award

Blogging was never on my mind, I actually didn't even know it existed until a friend of mine told me she had a blog to keep us all updated on their life, went in it and saw what it actually was.

Although Malta is quite small, we don't meet as often as we'd like to with friends and family, so I thought it nice to send them updates on Greg's growth and our own life (or more correctly my thoughts). Besides, I was at the time searching a lot on parenting since the normal style used in Malta was not to my liking and so I stumbled on 5 minutes for parenting and through there on other blogs and even more blogs. I was actually surprised at the many mummy blogs I found and the info in them. My original idea evolved somewhat as I saw other blogs and their input in them etc. Yet I still keep my simple ways as much as possible and therefore, this award by Karie at The Five Fish came as a nice surprise.








I think I met Karie through SITS (not sure) and somehow, we clicked and apart for comments on our blogs we also email each other now and then. I really do hope to get to know her even more and to one day meet as she herself said :). Blogging showed me a different life. One where I can be more myself and meet other mothers who pass through the same moments and so you feel less isolated. One where you can make friends and exchange ideas. I am thankful to all those who follow my blog and to those who pass by now and then and even more thankful to all those moms who have helped me in one way or another. A special thank you goes most naturally to Karie and I hope you pass a great day and weekend.


I am meant to pass this award on and I chose 3 bloggers to pass it to.


Magaly @ Pagan Culture: I love learning new things and I like a lot paganism, witches etc and her blog is very interesting and I really enjoy the debate type questions she puts on it.


Alicia @ It ain't easy being cheesy: Her posts makes me laugh so much :) and she always comes by to say hi!


Stephanie @ Adventures in babywearing: She answered my questions on cloth diapering and baby carriers within 24 hrs when I asked and she has so much to give to new moms that her blog is a wonderful resource. Her blog is a dedication to her children with all the photo posts and always great to see :)


I hope you all have a great weekend and to speak to you soon! HUGS to all.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

wake up call

It's round about 5 am and I am sleeping happily, when a sudden tug in my hair wakes me up followed by more such tugs! My sweet 6 month old has woken up and wants me to know and to get up and to play-ugh-. I try breastfeeding him in the hope he drinks and sleeps, but, he is not interested so I try and ignore him but nothing do, so I wake up hubby and by 5.45 a m, we give up and get out of bed.

So now we decided to join for an early morning walk with my in laws (which they have been doing for years). At 6 with the air still cool, the sun warm but not hot, the stillness of the waking village and the smell of freshness all around us, we wind up through the country roads in our village. I love this time for a walk as very few people are around and the quietness gives you a sweet slow waking of the senses. By 7 we are home for breakfast, wash and work preparation.

Greg, sometimes sleeps half way through the walk and at other times he doesn't sleep before 9 am! He loves the fresh air and looking at the outside world; having a shower with his mama and playing (of course) at this time of the day. The only problem is that like today I still felt woolley headed .... even after the walk and shower and breakfast and only now at midday do I feel any better!

And yet, I love my wake up call....what better way to start the day than looking at your son and have him giving you the widest and biggest smile possible (although, I wouldn't mind if sometimes he lets me sleep that extra hour!)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

wordless wednesday

Computer geek already!



The three cousins

Monday, July 20, 2009

Let's be honest

I read this article on yoga philosphy which I think is quite true and decided to share it with you. Hereunder is an abstract from it and should you wish to read the whole article please click here.

On a 1 to 10 scale, with polite lies ("No, that dress doesn't make you look fat") at the low end, and outrageous, destructive lies like the Russian accountant's at the high end, your worst falsehoods would probably rate no more than a 3 or 4. Yet those lies are probably lodged in your psyche, still giving off smoke. You can justify them, but some part of you feels the effect of every lie you've told. How? In the cynicism, distrust, and doubt that you feel toward yourself, and in your own tendencies to suspect other people of either lying or concealing the truth from you........

......As I've said, balancing the relative value of, say, truth and kindness, is not always easy, and it requires a high degree of honesty—especially about your own deep inner motives. If the compulsion to be relentlessly honest sometimes conceals aggression, the decision to hide the truth because of kindness, or because the time is wrong, can be a cover for your fears or for the desire to stay inside of your comfort zone. Radical truth telling is simple. You just plunge in and do it, regardless of the effect it has on others. Discriminating truth telling demands far more attentiveness, emotional intelligence, and self-understanding...

Will you try a week of complete no lying? Maybe we should, it would be interesting to see what we learn!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Greg the fish

Here are a few pics taken yesterday as promised, and if you ngoon my flickr at the side of the blog, you can see him eating banana!

sitting in the afternoon sun after the swim
me and hubby D

loving it out of his tyre


big smile...lovely cool water ma!


saw someone jumping and was awed













Friday, July 17, 2009

Maltese Bread Pudding


1 kg bread less the crust (preferably bread that has a hard crust)


1 pkt of mixed fruit or sultanas or both should you desire


50 gr sugar


milk


cocoa powder


1 tablespoon vanilla


pinch nutmeg


1 teaspoon mixed spice


50 gr butter




So this is very simple first heat oven 200 celsius and grease an oven dish. Than soak the bread in the milk for 20 mins add the rest of the ingredients mix well put in the dish and bake till the top is crusty and it feel firm inside. Ain't that one simple recipe? I didn't put the amount for milk or cocoa the reason being that milk you pour enough to cover the bread and the cocoa ou do as much as you like it chocolatey....




Happy baking people!

Beachy weekend & more

Today, is another beautiful day of 30 celsius something from our endless Summer. So, it was decided we go to the beach since our little puppy loves so much to splash in the water (and also drinking the salty water). I hope to have some great pics taken since last time round, we had a coldish wind which he didn't like and so didn't smile for the camera!

We planned to go to the beach again tomorrow and Sunday (sorry to all those that don't have a beach nearby we will have a swim on your behalf) and have BBQs these 3 days as well if possible. I also plan to do some baking at home and some nice aromatherapy treatments for myself. I'd also like to find some aromatherapy recipes to do for body wash and especially hair wash since my hair is getting verrrrry dry in this hot weather...anyone who knows of any I would aprreciate if you let me know!

Yesterday evening I baked a traditional Maltese dish- it's called Maltese bread pudding- because essentially we use Maltese bread in it. However, i am sure it would taste just as fine without the Maltese bread so will have to post it later today for you all to try out!

I wish you all pass a great weekend.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

are you programmed?

We live life the way someone projected it...for example most of use microsoft on our computers it is a programme that you can up to a certain level change to your liking but at the end of the day its a conformity that everyone uses. The same thing seems to have happened with our lives. Once upon a time some one or people decided on a code of ethics for our lives. How we should conduct ourselves, what's acceptable, what right and so on. So in a way we are all clones to this code of ethics and at some point in our lives we will feel unfullfilled, something missing, not right, bored, sad, angry maybe. Most of us don't really know why we feel this way- a passing phase-but in reality it is always there under the surface. In trying not to conform nowadays, people expect a lot for nothing or do things, like take drugs, get drunk, do daring things and more....just for the sake of feeling fullfilled; different but still the same.
I used to try to be the same as the rest to feel I belong and fit in with the rest of the world but I never managed. Nowadays, I hardly try. Sometimes, I can't help but try to fit in but most of the time, I don't care. I am me! I love being in the country for walks, to relax. I love travelling to places where I can see the wildlife. I am not interested in buying clothes or using make up or buying shoes. I never enjoyed partying in bars and clubs. I never tried to hide all this really and so I never had a lot of friends (to be more accurate close friends). I love the environment and try to be eco friendly - people laugh at me. I enjoy yoga and I find it helpful to deal with my life, it also has helped me understand more my religion believe it or not and discover my deepest thoughts and dreams- people think me crazy coz that is all bullshit they say! I don't know what to tell them, beacuse they are not interested in my life and I falter trying to be interested in theirs. I am determined to be fullfilled with my life and not conform to strict rules passed by god knows who. I love life and it has so much to offer but a lot see only the material things. You don't need a lot to start getting there. Listen to what others are saying but really listen and listen to the silence around you. See what others are seeing without judging and see the beauty in everything and everyone. Respect not just other human beings but the earth you walk on, the trees you sit under, the rocks you kick, the birds you watch flying, the soil that gives you veggies... and love! Love because without love nothing works. love the person you don't like, love every day you live, love whatever comes your way because that came for a reason.
I am trying to live by those rules :) I hope to find more of myself in this extraordinary journey I decided to take and I hope more people will be closer to me and believe in me. What about you? what do you think/believe?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

thinking, thoughts, too much of them

Got a heavy heart and a bad mood. The black hole is near to bug
me. I know it is but I do nothing to ward it off, to fight it. Life
sometimes needs a bit of black to see the beauty of the white at the end of that
tunnel. So many things clutter my head but no cohesive thought come
by....I wanted badly to gush out so many things driving back home from work, but
now my mind is a blank. Have these half formed thoughts that I know I want
to share but I can't express them into anything. When I try, they
disappear like rays of sun hiding behind the clouds.
Sounds quite depressing.....I haven't written something inspiring for a
bit, my moodiness is taking over. I had no possibility of travelling this
year, no time on my own (apart for a day yoga retreat which wasn't really alone
anyway) and its Summer so my energy levels are down!
Summer should be fun with a lot of things to go to and do....beach, feasts,
festivals, concerts, bbqs... but Summer was never my friend :) I prefer Winter,
with its cold yet sunny weather. Walks in the country, a picnic, hot
chocolate in a cafe, dvd nights with friends.....friends oh yes one of the
things cluttering my mind -sigh-have I changed so much since my pup was born? or is it that finally the real me is truly coming to the surface and find certain things tedious, annoying? I wonder...maybe tomorrow I will remember what I was meant to really write and have something more cheerful or at least less jumbled to post.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Ball in the middle

Have you ever felt like a ball being thrown in the middle? Well it's how I feel at the moment! At one side is the girl that has worked for my company for over 10 yrs, on the other, is the new girl that came in while I was on maternity. They clearly have issues and don't like each other. So much so, that prior to me going back to work I was told that the new girl was stuck up. AND she, told me as soon as the first possibility arose how the other has been trying to say that we would not get on together etc. Every other word between them is either full of sarcasm or simply said to annoy the other.
Its gets boring after a while hearing them and tiring as well. When one of them is not in the office, I am spoken to in the sense of trying to get me in their grace or something.....like "did you see what she did? she is so...." and today it kinda struck me that I was like a ball being thrown in the middle. I thought how sad it must be for those people thinking they might buy me like that and be their friend. How not interested I am in being either's friend and how I am not happy in being a ball. So I said the easiest is to simply ignore which is actually easier said than done. However, I guess eventually I will simply have to tell them straight and plain that I am not interested in being their ball and to sort their sad lives between them. For now though I won't.....I am too lazy to get into such discussions or maybe too timid to do it face to face....which ever it is they make work time a bit more annoying that it was 5 months ago or so.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Updates & pics

I haven't quite posted since Wednesday and as my friend Karie wrote it's a funk! Working everyday from 8.30 to 5, well, nothing of note happens that is worth of mention and in the evening I end up busy making up for the lost time with my puppy, which usually ends up with us both asleep while him taking his last feed around 9 pm.

My highlight during the week was Monday actually when my cousin passed by after work and we all went for a nice long walk in Ghar Lapsi (no photos taken sorry). It wasn't too hot when we left and by the time we got back to the car the sun was setting. We then got to my house for a nice dinner and chat. The next evening I enjoyed was Friday; while Dave went for a bbq with his pals, me and puppy went to the beach with my mom. Although we got there at 7 pm, the sea warm and the sunhadn't yet set either. Greg loved his swim, and loved playing on the sand with his grandma or as we say in Malta nanna. Saturday was the same story .... i.e we went to the beach, only after the beach, we remained there for a bbq with friends. The weather however yesterday changed a bit and got windy so Greg didn't enjoy his swimming as usual as got cold quickly. We had fun at the bbq especially since we hadn't met with some of our friends for months! A beach bbq is always fun and Greg slept throughout so we could really enjoy a relaxed night. And than today we visited with my parents and also my grandparents before making our way back to our little abode. The original idea ws to go again to the beach this afternoon, however, we all feel tired so prefered to come and relax home. I hope your weekend has been as fullfilling as mine :)

Here are some pics of the week!


















Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wordless wednesday


tombs in the country
Originally uploaded by equidae1


Roman tombs found in the Maltese countryside

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A week already passed

Already a week passed since I went back to work....it actually passed quite quickly. The days at the office seem to be flying (possibly coz i am busy!) and I quickly reunite with my puppy, who waits for me with open arms as soon as I get home(well I think he is more waiting for my boob as that is the first thing he wants from me and only gives me a smile after he is satisfied!).
David is doing a great job at home - lots of hugs to you - and I am convinced more than ever before of the good decision that we took of him taking over as prime care giver for 3 months. Our puppy is also growing in leaps and bounds as he is suddenly sitting on his own and he isn't loosing balance as often as before. He is also as I said opening his arms towards us whenever he wants to be held. When he is in displeasure of something he makes it known with a lot of grunts and whines haha and when happy he laughs out loud to us (a laugh which I never tire of hearing).
Working is so much easier really than caring for a baby isn't it? I come home and I don't feel tired and look forward to my time with Greg and yet, I wish I were home with him just now instead of stuck in this office (where I am supposed to be working but decided to take a break). In fact, although I was welcomed with open arms and relief (it seems quite a few people missed me), and although I now feel slightly guilty, I will still pass my notice at the end of Summer. Looking so much forward for Christmas as after the holidays, I will stop working (please God) and Greg will also have his 1st birthday :) and a whole new life would be opening up for me.

Recipe corner

I haven't given you a recipe for a while and yesterday I did this Sicilian cheesecake which was really scrumptious and so I thought of passing it on. Now if there is someone from Sicily out there I would love to know if this is really something they do there but anyway its how it is named on my recipe book....

125 gr crushed plain chocolate biscuits
90gr melted butter
2 tsp gelatin
1 tbs water
1kg rikotta or some cottage cheese
110 gr icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
120 gr grated dark chocolate

Line the base and sides of a cake pan with baking paper. combine crumbs and butter and press firmly over the pan base. REfrigirate. Sprinkle gelatin over water, stand over a pan of simmering water till dissolved and cool slightly ( I never use gelatin instead I freeze the whole cake for 2 hrs and its the same result), Beat cheese, sugar and vanilla, add the grated chocolate and if using the gelatin, spoon over base of cake pan and refrigirate or freeze for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

swimming is fun

Here are a couple of pics taken fter Gregory's 2nd swim in the sea. As you can see he is super happy :)


















Thursday, July 2, 2009

Chakras

My overdue info on chakras is finally here. This is only a very short version of the many things you can get to know on chakras. I would also recommend you this book which I found very helpful - Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith for more in depth study of them.

Chakras according to Eastern tradition, are energy vortexes found in our body that when balanced lead to a healthy phyiscal and mental being. We have 7 chakras in total and hereunder is the name and some info on all of them.


  • 1st chakra or the root chakra known as Muladhara - this is located at the base of the spine & pubic bone. As the name suggest, this chakra is what keeps us grounded, feeling safe. When in balance we get the feeling of belonging. Its associated with our basic needs of food, shelter, safety- in otherwords, survival.



  • 2nd or sacral chakra known as Svadhisthana - this is located just below the navel. Its associated with pleasure, sensuality and feelings. When balanced our emotions are free to flow and their fluidty seems like water which is their element.



  • 3rd or solar pelux chakra also known as Manipura - this is located above the navel. here is where we develop a sense of self.



  • 4th or heart chakra also known as Anahata - this is located near the heart as the name implies. It creates compassion and unconditional love in us.



  • 5th or Throat chakra also known as Visuddha - this is of course located at the throat. It is associated with our voice, i.e. we give voice to our opinions without fear and listening and so our communication skills.



  • 6th or Brow chakra also known as Ajna - this is known as the third eye and located between the eyes behind the forehead. If deficient we will suffer from poor memory, lack of imagination and also bad eyesight. It is associated with creativity and inutition.



  • 7th or Crown chakra also known as Sahasrara - this is located at the top of the head. Its meaning is thousandfold because when open it is never ending. Its symbolises the highest state of enlightenment possible. Associated with thought, it develops our mind.

For each chakra there are also physical dysfunctions as well as physcological, if you found this interesting, let me know and I will give more details on each chakra either to you personally by email or through further posts.


Hope you enjoy this reading and I wish you all a good weekend.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

how it felt going back to work

After a weekend with sudden bursts of frustrated anger, I realised it probably was due to my imminent return to work. Tuesday, that is yesterday evening, it suddenly dawned at me that the following day I was off to work., and my breath became shallow and I tensed up horribly. Thankfully, I had my yoga class which worked wonders. This morning, it seemed like a normal one and I felt ok! Than on my way to work, hot tears trickled down my cheeks and my heart seemed to burst....I had left my puppy! True he was with his dad but I worried that I forgot to tell him something or that Greg will cry like he sometimes does and won't manage to calm him or or....... horrible moments!
By the time I got to work I was fine and had periodic updates throughout and Greg was fine and Dave felt fine and I sighed with relief. It was an uneventful day back in the office as if I never been away. People asked how I felt... my answer? Great never felt better! I'd rather have been at home with my boy but both my boys were doing fine today and so I felt great and proud for some reason.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Judgment & eco cleaning

No they have nothing to do together, however saw these 2 articles which I was sure would be of interest to all. So the first site is care2.com and it has this article of 5 basic nontoxic cleaning products which you might want to visit!


The 2nd site is yoga journal and has this article on judgement of which you can see a segment below.

Sometimes that judgmental state feels like a sword driven right into
the delicate fabric of your consciousness. Any feelings of love or relaxation or
peace that you might have been nurturing are chopped to bits. Whether you're
judging others or yourself, it's impossible to aim negative judgments in any
direction without experiencing the sharp edges of judgment within yourself.
Doubly so, in fact, since the faults we judge most harshly in other people
usually turn out to be our own negativities projected outward

Thursday, July 30, 2009

5 things I can't live without

Today, on the radio station they asked their listeners what are the 5 things they can't live without. So I thought of sharing what are my most important things in life and what about you what are your 5 important things?

  1. The air that I breathe - without which I can't live!
  2. The love that surrounds me - without which there is no real life!
  3. The warmth of the sun - because it brings me joy!
  4. The cold of the wind - because it carries away the bad moments and gives me a new cool beginning
  5. Life - an honour to have and experience in this wonderful world we were given.

Maybe my things are not the normal lot we hear or maybe they are. Maybe its just me and my soul searching that I have been doing and discovering and maybe not but I do believe that these simple things which we take for granted a lot are the things I truly in every sense can't live without :)

Namaste to all!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

wordless wednesday

yesterday my puppy ate rice cereal...here is the result...but he did love it, it was simply that he fed himself erm and everything else around!














Feeding at 6 months

Greg today ate some rice cereal we made at home. He loves eating solids (as long as it's not actual baby food). We are mainly using the baby led weaning technique, which have found good though you must be so extra careful he doesn't choke. We tried feeding him pureed foods as well mainly to get him the hang of swallowing more but is not interested in it at all!! So far he enjoys raw tomatoes, melons, rice cereal with tomatoes, onions & garlic, banana, pizza, bread, roasted potatoes, his grandmas' soups..... his tastes though vary because today he would eat the banana and the next day he doesn't want it. Other than that he is a great eater hehe and prefers to feed himself rather than us feeding him, which I like as he controls the amount of food he takes.

Apart for the feeding, our little puppy is sitting for a long while without actually toppling over which is fantastic and he tries his best to crawl and stand up on his own. He isn't actually crawling yet but I am quite sure he will be by the end of Summer. Also he can get himself to stand up with something to hold on to, but will topple over within a few seconds :) We give him a lot of tummy time so he gets the opportunity to try and crawl especially with his toys just out of his reach.

In this month he has made sudden progresses which impressed me a lot and I am looking forward to seeing more! And when I get home, it fills me with so much joy when he smiles and opens up his hands for me to take him in my arms. Or the way he wraps his arms round my neck or his smile when he would have just woken up.....

Monday, July 27, 2009

love, nothing lives without it.

We say I love you far to often and casually. We believe that marriage is for keeps and even though divorce is common nowadays its still somewhat a scandal. We are taught that you can only love one person at a time and dreams are just that an unreachable object to think about and make life more bearable when it is not.

Unconditional love is quoted in many aspects of life and especially marriage. However, I think (me included) we don't really know its meaning. Love should fill our existance, not just in marriage but in every day life. Love is elusive as the wind, you can feel it fleetingly or for a long while but you can't catch it or hold it or actually see it unless in the trees, grass, flowers or simply our hair is rustled by it.

We get frustrated with our partner, friends or other family members, because we have expectations but these don't always manifest themselves and so we get angry, disappointed, annoyed.....real love has no boundaries, no expectness.....it just happens spontaneously and if only we look at these gestures and not our idea of love, we would be overwelmed by the unlimited amount of love given freely.

Quoting a part from the book The Zahir by Paolo Coelho, sometimes marriage becomes like a rail track. You have 2 straight lines going in the same direction which can't be changed at all otherwise the train derails. In reality, since we change all the time, the lines can't be straight......sometimes we overlap our paths, other times we are very far from each other but if we stay pure in our love and accept such changes, our marriage can't be destroyed.

Every religion that exists quotes love as the most important tool that one needs in life. That is true and all we have to do is open our hearts, forget what we were taught, let our heart guide us. Such simplicity, that in our complicated and materialistic world is near to impossible to do. Last Sunday in church, during the sermon, the priest said that because of our egoistic selves, because we think first and foremost about ourselves, we do not share, love or help and so we have wars, quarrels.......and I felt so sad inside knowing how true his words are and how the people in the congregation were hearing but not listening, seeing but not observing, thinking but not deeply. That most will leave after the service and forget every single word as soon as they open the church door and start speaking to their neighbour, friend, partner.....

To live in a perpetual state of love, we must forget our past. Remember the emotions but not the details. We must live every day as if it might be our last so as to live it to the max. Love! Someone talks to you in the street and you don't know him...talk back and not walk on. Someone is asking for money, don't think that he should try find a job or that you have more need of it yourself, just share what you got. Someone does you a bad deed, smile, forgive and pray for him to open his heart to you because no matter how bad and deep the wound is, it simply is not worth thinking and worrying about since it only brings misery. If we say I forgive you but will never forget.....ask yourself are you truly forgiving? If you don't forget, you have kept it in your heart, you haven't let go of your past and the past will haunt you and make you sad and heavy.

Love is very difficult to understand and difficult to understand how it effects our lives....but sometimes there are things that for some reason makes us look inside and think and understand. My such moments come from reading, and The Zahir by Paolo Coelho is one such book. Whenever I read it I understand something new, something that fills me with peace and lets me carry on, on my quest and journey of finding myself and truly understand my reason for being.

Let love fill your body
Let it seep into your soul
Love is what keeps us happy
Love is what keeps us alive.

Friday, July 24, 2009

history recall with award

Blogging was never on my mind, I actually didn't even know it existed until a friend of mine told me she had a blog to keep us all updated on their life, went in it and saw what it actually was.

Although Malta is quite small, we don't meet as often as we'd like to with friends and family, so I thought it nice to send them updates on Greg's growth and our own life (or more correctly my thoughts). Besides, I was at the time searching a lot on parenting since the normal style used in Malta was not to my liking and so I stumbled on 5 minutes for parenting and through there on other blogs and even more blogs. I was actually surprised at the many mummy blogs I found and the info in them. My original idea evolved somewhat as I saw other blogs and their input in them etc. Yet I still keep my simple ways as much as possible and therefore, this award by Karie at The Five Fish came as a nice surprise.








I think I met Karie through SITS (not sure) and somehow, we clicked and apart for comments on our blogs we also email each other now and then. I really do hope to get to know her even more and to one day meet as she herself said :). Blogging showed me a different life. One where I can be more myself and meet other mothers who pass through the same moments and so you feel less isolated. One where you can make friends and exchange ideas. I am thankful to all those who follow my blog and to those who pass by now and then and even more thankful to all those moms who have helped me in one way or another. A special thank you goes most naturally to Karie and I hope you pass a great day and weekend.


I am meant to pass this award on and I chose 3 bloggers to pass it to.


Magaly @ Pagan Culture: I love learning new things and I like a lot paganism, witches etc and her blog is very interesting and I really enjoy the debate type questions she puts on it.


Alicia @ It ain't easy being cheesy: Her posts makes me laugh so much :) and she always comes by to say hi!


Stephanie @ Adventures in babywearing: She answered my questions on cloth diapering and baby carriers within 24 hrs when I asked and she has so much to give to new moms that her blog is a wonderful resource. Her blog is a dedication to her children with all the photo posts and always great to see :)


I hope you all have a great weekend and to speak to you soon! HUGS to all.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

wake up call

It's round about 5 am and I am sleeping happily, when a sudden tug in my hair wakes me up followed by more such tugs! My sweet 6 month old has woken up and wants me to know and to get up and to play-ugh-. I try breastfeeding him in the hope he drinks and sleeps, but, he is not interested so I try and ignore him but nothing do, so I wake up hubby and by 5.45 a m, we give up and get out of bed.

So now we decided to join for an early morning walk with my in laws (which they have been doing for years). At 6 with the air still cool, the sun warm but not hot, the stillness of the waking village and the smell of freshness all around us, we wind up through the country roads in our village. I love this time for a walk as very few people are around and the quietness gives you a sweet slow waking of the senses. By 7 we are home for breakfast, wash and work preparation.

Greg, sometimes sleeps half way through the walk and at other times he doesn't sleep before 9 am! He loves the fresh air and looking at the outside world; having a shower with his mama and playing (of course) at this time of the day. The only problem is that like today I still felt woolley headed .... even after the walk and shower and breakfast and only now at midday do I feel any better!

And yet, I love my wake up call....what better way to start the day than looking at your son and have him giving you the widest and biggest smile possible (although, I wouldn't mind if sometimes he lets me sleep that extra hour!)

Monday, July 20, 2009

Let's be honest

I read this article on yoga philosphy which I think is quite true and decided to share it with you. Hereunder is an abstract from it and should you wish to read the whole article please click here.

On a 1 to 10 scale, with polite lies ("No, that dress doesn't make you look fat") at the low end, and outrageous, destructive lies like the Russian accountant's at the high end, your worst falsehoods would probably rate no more than a 3 or 4. Yet those lies are probably lodged in your psyche, still giving off smoke. You can justify them, but some part of you feels the effect of every lie you've told. How? In the cynicism, distrust, and doubt that you feel toward yourself, and in your own tendencies to suspect other people of either lying or concealing the truth from you........

......As I've said, balancing the relative value of, say, truth and kindness, is not always easy, and it requires a high degree of honesty—especially about your own deep inner motives. If the compulsion to be relentlessly honest sometimes conceals aggression, the decision to hide the truth because of kindness, or because the time is wrong, can be a cover for your fears or for the desire to stay inside of your comfort zone. Radical truth telling is simple. You just plunge in and do it, regardless of the effect it has on others. Discriminating truth telling demands far more attentiveness, emotional intelligence, and self-understanding...

Will you try a week of complete no lying? Maybe we should, it would be interesting to see what we learn!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Greg the fish

Here are a few pics taken yesterday as promised, and if you ngoon my flickr at the side of the blog, you can see him eating banana!

sitting in the afternoon sun after the swim
me and hubby D

loving it out of his tyre


big smile...lovely cool water ma!


saw someone jumping and was awed













Friday, July 17, 2009

Maltese Bread Pudding


1 kg bread less the crust (preferably bread that has a hard crust)


1 pkt of mixed fruit or sultanas or both should you desire


50 gr sugar


milk


cocoa powder


1 tablespoon vanilla


pinch nutmeg


1 teaspoon mixed spice


50 gr butter




So this is very simple first heat oven 200 celsius and grease an oven dish. Than soak the bread in the milk for 20 mins add the rest of the ingredients mix well put in the dish and bake till the top is crusty and it feel firm inside. Ain't that one simple recipe? I didn't put the amount for milk or cocoa the reason being that milk you pour enough to cover the bread and the cocoa ou do as much as you like it chocolatey....




Happy baking people!

Beachy weekend & more

Today, is another beautiful day of 30 celsius something from our endless Summer. So, it was decided we go to the beach since our little puppy loves so much to splash in the water (and also drinking the salty water). I hope to have some great pics taken since last time round, we had a coldish wind which he didn't like and so didn't smile for the camera!

We planned to go to the beach again tomorrow and Sunday (sorry to all those that don't have a beach nearby we will have a swim on your behalf) and have BBQs these 3 days as well if possible. I also plan to do some baking at home and some nice aromatherapy treatments for myself. I'd also like to find some aromatherapy recipes to do for body wash and especially hair wash since my hair is getting verrrrry dry in this hot weather...anyone who knows of any I would aprreciate if you let me know!

Yesterday evening I baked a traditional Maltese dish- it's called Maltese bread pudding- because essentially we use Maltese bread in it. However, i am sure it would taste just as fine without the Maltese bread so will have to post it later today for you all to try out!

I wish you all pass a great weekend.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

are you programmed?

We live life the way someone projected it...for example most of use microsoft on our computers it is a programme that you can up to a certain level change to your liking but at the end of the day its a conformity that everyone uses. The same thing seems to have happened with our lives. Once upon a time some one or people decided on a code of ethics for our lives. How we should conduct ourselves, what's acceptable, what right and so on. So in a way we are all clones to this code of ethics and at some point in our lives we will feel unfullfilled, something missing, not right, bored, sad, angry maybe. Most of us don't really know why we feel this way- a passing phase-but in reality it is always there under the surface. In trying not to conform nowadays, people expect a lot for nothing or do things, like take drugs, get drunk, do daring things and more....just for the sake of feeling fullfilled; different but still the same.
I used to try to be the same as the rest to feel I belong and fit in with the rest of the world but I never managed. Nowadays, I hardly try. Sometimes, I can't help but try to fit in but most of the time, I don't care. I am me! I love being in the country for walks, to relax. I love travelling to places where I can see the wildlife. I am not interested in buying clothes or using make up or buying shoes. I never enjoyed partying in bars and clubs. I never tried to hide all this really and so I never had a lot of friends (to be more accurate close friends). I love the environment and try to be eco friendly - people laugh at me. I enjoy yoga and I find it helpful to deal with my life, it also has helped me understand more my religion believe it or not and discover my deepest thoughts and dreams- people think me crazy coz that is all bullshit they say! I don't know what to tell them, beacuse they are not interested in my life and I falter trying to be interested in theirs. I am determined to be fullfilled with my life and not conform to strict rules passed by god knows who. I love life and it has so much to offer but a lot see only the material things. You don't need a lot to start getting there. Listen to what others are saying but really listen and listen to the silence around you. See what others are seeing without judging and see the beauty in everything and everyone. Respect not just other human beings but the earth you walk on, the trees you sit under, the rocks you kick, the birds you watch flying, the soil that gives you veggies... and love! Love because without love nothing works. love the person you don't like, love every day you live, love whatever comes your way because that came for a reason.
I am trying to live by those rules :) I hope to find more of myself in this extraordinary journey I decided to take and I hope more people will be closer to me and believe in me. What about you? what do you think/believe?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

thinking, thoughts, too much of them

Got a heavy heart and a bad mood. The black hole is near to bug
me. I know it is but I do nothing to ward it off, to fight it. Life
sometimes needs a bit of black to see the beauty of the white at the end of that
tunnel. So many things clutter my head but no cohesive thought come
by....I wanted badly to gush out so many things driving back home from work, but
now my mind is a blank. Have these half formed thoughts that I know I want
to share but I can't express them into anything. When I try, they
disappear like rays of sun hiding behind the clouds.
Sounds quite depressing.....I haven't written something inspiring for a
bit, my moodiness is taking over. I had no possibility of travelling this
year, no time on my own (apart for a day yoga retreat which wasn't really alone
anyway) and its Summer so my energy levels are down!
Summer should be fun with a lot of things to go to and do....beach, feasts,
festivals, concerts, bbqs... but Summer was never my friend :) I prefer Winter,
with its cold yet sunny weather. Walks in the country, a picnic, hot
chocolate in a cafe, dvd nights with friends.....friends oh yes one of the
things cluttering my mind -sigh-have I changed so much since my pup was born? or is it that finally the real me is truly coming to the surface and find certain things tedious, annoying? I wonder...maybe tomorrow I will remember what I was meant to really write and have something more cheerful or at least less jumbled to post.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Ball in the middle

Have you ever felt like a ball being thrown in the middle? Well it's how I feel at the moment! At one side is the girl that has worked for my company for over 10 yrs, on the other, is the new girl that came in while I was on maternity. They clearly have issues and don't like each other. So much so, that prior to me going back to work I was told that the new girl was stuck up. AND she, told me as soon as the first possibility arose how the other has been trying to say that we would not get on together etc. Every other word between them is either full of sarcasm or simply said to annoy the other.
Its gets boring after a while hearing them and tiring as well. When one of them is not in the office, I am spoken to in the sense of trying to get me in their grace or something.....like "did you see what she did? she is so...." and today it kinda struck me that I was like a ball being thrown in the middle. I thought how sad it must be for those people thinking they might buy me like that and be their friend. How not interested I am in being either's friend and how I am not happy in being a ball. So I said the easiest is to simply ignore which is actually easier said than done. However, I guess eventually I will simply have to tell them straight and plain that I am not interested in being their ball and to sort their sad lives between them. For now though I won't.....I am too lazy to get into such discussions or maybe too timid to do it face to face....which ever it is they make work time a bit more annoying that it was 5 months ago or so.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Updates & pics

I haven't quite posted since Wednesday and as my friend Karie wrote it's a funk! Working everyday from 8.30 to 5, well, nothing of note happens that is worth of mention and in the evening I end up busy making up for the lost time with my puppy, which usually ends up with us both asleep while him taking his last feed around 9 pm.

My highlight during the week was Monday actually when my cousin passed by after work and we all went for a nice long walk in Ghar Lapsi (no photos taken sorry). It wasn't too hot when we left and by the time we got back to the car the sun was setting. We then got to my house for a nice dinner and chat. The next evening I enjoyed was Friday; while Dave went for a bbq with his pals, me and puppy went to the beach with my mom. Although we got there at 7 pm, the sea warm and the sunhadn't yet set either. Greg loved his swim, and loved playing on the sand with his grandma or as we say in Malta nanna. Saturday was the same story .... i.e we went to the beach, only after the beach, we remained there for a bbq with friends. The weather however yesterday changed a bit and got windy so Greg didn't enjoy his swimming as usual as got cold quickly. We had fun at the bbq especially since we hadn't met with some of our friends for months! A beach bbq is always fun and Greg slept throughout so we could really enjoy a relaxed night. And than today we visited with my parents and also my grandparents before making our way back to our little abode. The original idea ws to go again to the beach this afternoon, however, we all feel tired so prefered to come and relax home. I hope your weekend has been as fullfilling as mine :)

Here are some pics of the week!


















Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A week already passed

Already a week passed since I went back to work....it actually passed quite quickly. The days at the office seem to be flying (possibly coz i am busy!) and I quickly reunite with my puppy, who waits for me with open arms as soon as I get home(well I think he is more waiting for my boob as that is the first thing he wants from me and only gives me a smile after he is satisfied!).
David is doing a great job at home - lots of hugs to you - and I am convinced more than ever before of the good decision that we took of him taking over as prime care giver for 3 months. Our puppy is also growing in leaps and bounds as he is suddenly sitting on his own and he isn't loosing balance as often as before. He is also as I said opening his arms towards us whenever he wants to be held. When he is in displeasure of something he makes it known with a lot of grunts and whines haha and when happy he laughs out loud to us (a laugh which I never tire of hearing).
Working is so much easier really than caring for a baby isn't it? I come home and I don't feel tired and look forward to my time with Greg and yet, I wish I were home with him just now instead of stuck in this office (where I am supposed to be working but decided to take a break). In fact, although I was welcomed with open arms and relief (it seems quite a few people missed me), and although I now feel slightly guilty, I will still pass my notice at the end of Summer. Looking so much forward for Christmas as after the holidays, I will stop working (please God) and Greg will also have his 1st birthday :) and a whole new life would be opening up for me.

Recipe corner

I haven't given you a recipe for a while and yesterday I did this Sicilian cheesecake which was really scrumptious and so I thought of passing it on. Now if there is someone from Sicily out there I would love to know if this is really something they do there but anyway its how it is named on my recipe book....

125 gr crushed plain chocolate biscuits
90gr melted butter
2 tsp gelatin
1 tbs water
1kg rikotta or some cottage cheese
110 gr icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
120 gr grated dark chocolate

Line the base and sides of a cake pan with baking paper. combine crumbs and butter and press firmly over the pan base. REfrigirate. Sprinkle gelatin over water, stand over a pan of simmering water till dissolved and cool slightly ( I never use gelatin instead I freeze the whole cake for 2 hrs and its the same result), Beat cheese, sugar and vanilla, add the grated chocolate and if using the gelatin, spoon over base of cake pan and refrigirate or freeze for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

swimming is fun

Here are a couple of pics taken fter Gregory's 2nd swim in the sea. As you can see he is super happy :)


















Thursday, July 2, 2009

Chakras

My overdue info on chakras is finally here. This is only a very short version of the many things you can get to know on chakras. I would also recommend you this book which I found very helpful - Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith for more in depth study of them.

Chakras according to Eastern tradition, are energy vortexes found in our body that when balanced lead to a healthy phyiscal and mental being. We have 7 chakras in total and hereunder is the name and some info on all of them.


  • 1st chakra or the root chakra known as Muladhara - this is located at the base of the spine & pubic bone. As the name suggest, this chakra is what keeps us grounded, feeling safe. When in balance we get the feeling of belonging. Its associated with our basic needs of food, shelter, safety- in otherwords, survival.



  • 2nd or sacral chakra known as Svadhisthana - this is located just below the navel. Its associated with pleasure, sensuality and feelings. When balanced our emotions are free to flow and their fluidty seems like water which is their element.



  • 3rd or solar pelux chakra also known as Manipura - this is located above the navel. here is where we develop a sense of self.



  • 4th or heart chakra also known as Anahata - this is located near the heart as the name implies. It creates compassion and unconditional love in us.



  • 5th or Throat chakra also known as Visuddha - this is of course located at the throat. It is associated with our voice, i.e. we give voice to our opinions without fear and listening and so our communication skills.



  • 6th or Brow chakra also known as Ajna - this is known as the third eye and located between the eyes behind the forehead. If deficient we will suffer from poor memory, lack of imagination and also bad eyesight. It is associated with creativity and inutition.



  • 7th or Crown chakra also known as Sahasrara - this is located at the top of the head. Its meaning is thousandfold because when open it is never ending. Its symbolises the highest state of enlightenment possible. Associated with thought, it develops our mind.

For each chakra there are also physical dysfunctions as well as physcological, if you found this interesting, let me know and I will give more details on each chakra either to you personally by email or through further posts.


Hope you enjoy this reading and I wish you all a good weekend.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

how it felt going back to work

After a weekend with sudden bursts of frustrated anger, I realised it probably was due to my imminent return to work. Tuesday, that is yesterday evening, it suddenly dawned at me that the following day I was off to work., and my breath became shallow and I tensed up horribly. Thankfully, I had my yoga class which worked wonders. This morning, it seemed like a normal one and I felt ok! Than on my way to work, hot tears trickled down my cheeks and my heart seemed to burst....I had left my puppy! True he was with his dad but I worried that I forgot to tell him something or that Greg will cry like he sometimes does and won't manage to calm him or or....... horrible moments!
By the time I got to work I was fine and had periodic updates throughout and Greg was fine and Dave felt fine and I sighed with relief. It was an uneventful day back in the office as if I never been away. People asked how I felt... my answer? Great never felt better! I'd rather have been at home with my boy but both my boys were doing fine today and so I felt great and proud for some reason.