Goals, dreams and aspirations…Whats yours?

I have been reading some amazing blogs lately and they have got me thinking. I read about people finishing novels, conquering fears, cooking excellent, unique meals, running 5k and getting further than they had ever dreamed possible and looking to take part in an adventure, be it climbing Kilimanjaro or taking a road trip across the US.

They all utterly fascinate me. People achieving dreams and goals. This is where it got me to thinking about mine. I have them in my head, but not down on paper, like you’re supposed to do (if you’re goal setting) so I thought I would share my list of goals and dreams with you, as this is after all supposed to be a journal!

Finish my novel. (It was supposed to be finished a little while ago at 350 pages, but it took a life of it’s own and became a lot more! Next week some of that is going to cut down while I edit, re-edit and edit again)

Send it to the editor for composition editing (more of it on the ‘cutting room floor’)

Once the first professional editing is done then it needs to grammatically edited.

Choose a final design for the cover.

Ask for reviews to be placed onto the cover.

Have it ebooked and printed ‘for on demand’

Keep up with my Facebook, blog and Twitter.

Do a blog tour

Hopefully do a tour of the UK with it, (I was asked if I’d like to do one with a large organization over there)

Have it translated into Spanish.

Okay, above is what my dreams and goals are for my book, now my own personal goals and dreams.

Spend time with my kids before Christmas and hopefully at Christmas. (That’s my big one )

Go to the Full Moon Party in Thailand.

Road trip around the US, several places need a stop off, Portland, Oregon (Don’t why but it’s calling me for some reason!) California, Sedona, Arizona, New Orleans, Kentucky, Alabama, Key West, Georgia and the Carolina’s, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont…these places ‘tweak me’ and I need to go!

Take a course in French and brush up on it.

Go ski-ing in the Alps next winter, been too long since I was last there.

Have a wedding blessing with friends and family.

Travel around the world like the movie “Last stop for Paul”

Buy a little old cottage on the south coast in the UK to share with my friends and family.

So there’s this years “Bucket List” of goals and dreams!

Did I miss anything out? Don’t know, let me know if I should add anything to the list that I might have forgotten … maybe learn scuba diving finally with my husband… that would be good for a panic attack at least! Lol Please leave a comment and let me know what you think…

Don’t know why… But just lovin’ it!

Enjoy, I tried to find one without a trailer bit, but pfft… I guess you can’t win every time

Stress, Anxiety, Psoriasis? Loving Neem!

Animal section of a rural Punjabi home under neem tree (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today I have one word for you: Neem! “What is Neem?” I hear you ask. I discovered it by accident when I was given a little bag with essentials oils in it. It looked different and I had never heard of it, til then.

Out of curiosity, I Googled it. The results came back that it could help Psoriasis. Hmm, really? So I trekked to my local health store, 2 months ago and there it sat next to the body moisturizers. It was all alone and looked rather uninteresting, mixed with Aloe Vera. Not much of a description, no warnings on the slender tall bottle… so of course I had to try it!

I have suffered from various types of Psoriasis since I was 18, first on my elbows and knees. I tried every ointment the doctors were willing to prescribe. It was red, itched and flaked and was annoying more than anything.

It always happened or became worse when I was going through a stressful situation. Six months before I left Yorkshire I had a sore throat, didn’t think anything about it. I just thought I was fighting a bad cold, four weeks later I broke out, in what looked like Chicken Pox, but I’d had Chicken Pox, so off I went to the docs asking for ointment again for my elbows and knees and something for the rash that had developed. I was told it was Scabies… Huh?

I had never heard of that til she explained and I was horrified. The doctor explained I must have shaken hands with someone carrying it, probably after signing them up for a mortgage…! Urgh. Then she kindly told me I was contagious… What?! No! She gave me an ointment and told me to slather it in and shower it off in the morning and all would be well again. It wasn’t. I went back and was given a different make of ointment, did it again. It didn’t help and it itched like hell! On the third visit, it turned she was too busy and I had to see another doctor in the practice. He asked me if I’d had a sore throat.. well, yes… He then asked me a couple of other questions and guess what? It turned out to be Guttermans Psoriasis ! Several coal tar baths and ointment later and within a week it was gone! Hurray!

Azadirachta indica in flower (Photo credit: Scamperdale)

I moved to the south coast of England and the weather being warmer cleared my knees and elbows too! So happy, until I walked into someone’s house three years ago and unknown to me they had fleas, which bit me around my ankles and… yes hello Psoriasis again. To cap it off last summer the soles of my feet started to hurt. My husband said it looked like I had Athletes foot, so I soaked them in cider vinegar, bought various sprays etc. Nothing worked. I wash and powdered my socks and shoes daily, then my poor feet started to bleed and crack, not much fun when you’re walking in the summer heat in NYC.

I’d had enough, I hate going to the doctors but I was at a loss. It turned out I had developed Pustular Psoriasis… seriously? I mean how many different kinds are there? Turns out quiet a few! So here I was slathering on steroid ointment and wrapping my poor feet in clingfilm plastic food wrap before going to bed at night. It worked to a degree, it stopped hurting… and then with this little gift of a bag of little bottle of essential oils it was all transformed! I found Neem and Aloe Vera.

Not people know of the benefits of Neem and there are a lot, from Psoriasis to diabetes, anxiety, stress, mouth and gum problems, insecticide and ringworm and, well… the list goes on! But for the first time since being 18 I actually feel so much better. My feet have healed and I’m just left with a small patch on my right ankle… Hurray! I have tried everything in the past and all it did was help calm the skin a little so it didn’t itch… but this? This had taken away something the doctor told me I would have for years on my feet!

I love Neem!:) You can get it in ointments, tea, shampoos, toothpaste, mouthwash and essential oil drops

Neem, Margosa, Neeb, Nimtree, Nimba, Vepu, Vempu, Vepa, Bevu, Veppam, Aarya Veppu or Indian-lilac Azadirachta indica in Hyderabad, India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know my Psoriasis flare ups stem from stress and anxiety. I had heard of Ayurvedic complimentary and alternative medicine, but hadn’t taken much notice of it. Now I do. I understand it’s not well known or heard of, but it worked for me. I also understand that there is good and bad to everything, that in some of the practices of it are frowned upon because of different techniques and the use of metals. I see it there is a place for different remedies for different ailments.

I read in a group, posting about Psoriasis about a man, who had lost his wife and child because she couldn’t bear to look at him anymore because he had it so bad. Not only was this poor guy dealing with the itching and burning of it, but now he was suffering the loss of his wife too. He was literally crying out for help! If someone had mentioned Neem to him, maybe it might have helped him. It is out on the sidelines that not many people know of it or it’s potential. Psoriasis effects relationships, marriages. People don’t get too close… just in case it’s contagious. Little realizing it isn’t which then makes the person who has feel isolated and lonely.

Neem, however like everything it can have side effects and can be deadly to children.

Never ever give Neem to a child!

The possible side effects of Neem for adults are:

• Kidney damage.
• Low or no urine production.
• Liver damage.
• Yellow skin (jaundice).
• Destruction of red blood cells.
• Allergic reaction like rash, itching, swelling of the throat or mouth, wheezing.
• Difficulty breathing.

For children if they are accidentally given it are:

• Loose stools
• Vomiting
• Acidic blood
• Drowsiness
• Anemia
• Seizures
• High levels of white blood cells
• Loss of consciousness
• Brain swelling
• Coma Loss of life

For me it has worked miracles, if you are suffering from an ailment and have tried everything, I say to you read about it fully and make the decision as to whether to try it.

I have given you the side effects which are known, here is the list it purports to heal:

• Diabetes
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• IBS
• Burns
• Bruises
• Allergies
• Earache
• Immune system
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Bacterial and fungal Infections
• Snake bits
• Hair loss
• Hives
• Toothache and gum disease
• Acne
• Wrinkles
• Warts
• Scabies
• Eczema
• Dandruff

And this is the short list!

I have included links, as always. Do your research and see if Neem can help you, as it has helped me

http://www.neemamerica.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda

http://www.neem-products.com

Alone in my Anarchy

Alone in my Anarchy

Alone in my anarchy in my feelings

of misery

Someone once told me that everyone

has angels

But no, mine abandoned me left me here

in misery

Now I know just what Hell can be!

Alone in my anarchy in my feelings

Of misery

Even with souls around me I know I’m

alone

They say some people you see reach

A feeling of ecstasy

But I know that’s something that will

Never be for me

Alone in my anarchy in my feelings

Of misery

The spirit that haunts my soul makes

me walk this Earth alone

The hate that’s inside of me from a life

That use to be and you can’t see that’s

Its dead and cold!

Alone in my anarchy in my feelings

Of misery

Someone once told me that

everyone has angels!

But no mine abandoned me left me

here in misery!

Now I know just what Hell can be!

by

Vincent Cappetta

Earth Day yesterday

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. One that was stress free, one free of troubled drama.

I wonder how many of us understood it was Earth Day, the start of Earth week.

Did you take part? Did you turn your lights off for a while or plant in your garden? Install any energy saving light bulbs?

Do you sit in peace and tranquility? Did you spend a day healing and taking take of yourself and nature around you?

I understand it’s sometimes hard to take time out for ourselves, but we need to. To understand ourselves and the world around us.

Beautiful Blog Award

Today I woke to find I had been nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award by lost up above, Steph’s blog is inspiring and uplifting with poems and suggestions of books to read which is always accompanied with beautiful photographs and I want to thank her for thinking of me with this award.

Instructions for the award:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Paste the award on your blog
3. Link the person who nominated you for the award
4. Nominate 7 bloggers or less
5. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominated

I’ve chosen to nominate the following blogs :

LadyBlueRose’s Thoughts Into Words

Zen and Genki

cloudoflace

thejourneyofmyhealing

Renée Vos de Wael

Tracy

Julie

Wishing everyone a wonderful day

To simply inspire

I discovered these today and wanted to share them with you. I’m not one usually for inspirational videos but these I thought were inspiring and uplifting and I hope you find them that way too.

I hope you have a wonderful, adventurous and inspiring week

Sexual assault in relationships

Do you know what sexual assault really is? Do you know how to define it? For a long while I didn’t. Did it mean someone gave me a quick grope? or become more physical where you are fighting someone off you?

The definition of sexual assault is rape, sodomy, sexual penetration and unwanted contact of a sexual nature against a person, man, woman or child. This means touching of a sexual area, even over clothing i.e. fondling. A perpetrator will use coercion, violence, threats, manipulation and tricks.

Sexual assault effects women, men and children, anyone can assaulted. Women generally are assaulted by a boyfriend, acquaintance, someone close to them, where as male sexual assault is usually perpetrated by by multiple assailants and multiple times. The effect on men is usually more physical than women due to the amount of assailants involved. However the mental traumatic effects are the same and usually show as symptoms of RTS (Rape Trauma Syndrome) or RR-PTSD Rape Related Post traumatic Stress Syndrome, which I covered in a previous blog: Rape Trauma Syndrome; There is light at the end of the tunnel

I could give you all of the statistics but you can read those at the links I have provided at the bottom, lets break it down to a personal level, because statistics are interesting, but I always want to bring you in on a discussion.

Ask yourself this, “Were you ever fondled inappropriately?” “Where you ever coerced into an act you didn’t want to do?” Think about it… a kiss you didn’t want to either receive or give? Did someones hands stray on you when they shouldn’t? Or make you watch porn, when you didn’t want to? Yes, it includes rape, sodomy, oral but it’s a subject which covers so much more, including verbal pressure, wolf-whistles even!

Most people can tell what happened to them, here’s mine:

I ran a mortgage company back in the UK specializing in residential and commercial loans which were hard to place, non-conforming basically. The rates for clients were amazing, some cheaper than the “High Street” Banks and with less redemption. I loved it! Especially helping people which, for me is really what it was about. Those suffering financially after a divorce or split, losing a job or a loved one, every one of my clients had a heartfelt story and just needed to be placed back into the marketplace again as a good consumer with their lives pieced back together. I worked with several lenders, each had their own specialty.

One evening, I received a fax to say one of them had gone out of business, that was it… overnight! I had clients completing their purchases the next day, boxes packed and ready to move as soon as the confirmation came through that the wire transfer had hit. It was a difficult time. I re-arranged the loans and people moved but the company kept telling me how they were coming back after an 8 week re-group. Okay, not a problem I thought and invited one of the directors down of a weekend , which had been done previously many times. We got on well, we were “work family” after all!

I cooked a nice meal, he was staying in our house. We visited the local fair. It was a wonderful evening. I sat next to him on the sofa, my boyfriend sat in chair, because he would go to fetch things constantly, until one time when he walked out of the room and the director pounced on me! I’ve thought back over this and the only way to describe it was “pounce”, hands everywhere, telling me he loved and I had the “x factor” which at the time was just to weird to comprehend! My boyfriend would walk back into the room and the director would behave like nothing had happened. I was stunned because although telling him to stop, he’d try something different. The last time my boyfriend walked out, when I was giving him the signals to “Stay!”, but he didn’t see me. The last time he walked out of the room the “director” offered me a “Quid pro quo”, which was sleep with him that night … in the bedroom next to mine, I shared with my boyfriend or… I wouldn’t get his mortgage funding when he came back into the marketplace.

You like that?! I was stunned… and his hands had been everywhere and had tried to kiss me! Urgh!

The Police informed me when I went to see them it was classed as “Sexual Assault” I started the process of pressing charges. The director even had to drive the 250 miles back to make a statement, but my employees panicked that every lender would drop us. To keep my happy workplace, and my employees who were like family to me and needed wages to survive, I dropped the case, needless to say… I didn’t get funding when they did come back into the marketplace! And neither did I want it!

Now I don’t just yell assault for the sake of it, but you’re going to fight with me physically, using your fists, try to kiss me, when I already said no and place your hands on my breasts and squeeze? After what I had been through already? I think not!

Now I know there are men, women and children suffering from this everyday, day in and day out. If you have been assaulted say something! To someone! It’s not you’re fault, you are not alone. There is help out there, get it. Don’t clean up or brush your teeth, your hair or cover the bruises… GET HELP! You cannot deal with this alone. Go to the Police, call a helpline, you will need help both physically and emotionally!

www.rainn.org

http://www.ncvc.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_assault

www.childhelp.org

http://www.batteredmen.com

~The Creative Chaos Award~

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rules:
Firstly: Thank the person who gave you the award. – Thank you very much to The Dainty Damsel/ TheStm198 .
Secondly: Take your best shots at three tasks.
Thirdly: Nominate  people who recently followed your blog. -

Nominations: -

1. txbluebonnet
2. cynthia
3. Marjorie Vasquez
4. Virginia
5. joehinojosa
6. Cassy

Three Tasks:

First Task: Three strange things I do.

1. Talk to the cat like she understands me…duh.
2. I do psychic readings one night at week at the local coffee shop, which I’m stopping soon due to lack of time.
3. I love Ramen soup boiled down to just the noodles with 2 over easy eggs on top, Comfort food..yum

Second Task: You must tell why you look at the “glass half full” scenario and ask “what? No coffee?” -

There’s always coffee so the cup is always more than half full!

Third Task: You find yourself in a desolate place when your car breaks down. You have no cellphone service, no Walmart,and only a candy bar for food. It is 150 miles to the closest town.
I’ve watched Bear Grylls, so strip down the car for usable stuff and pretend I’m Bear lol

~ Love Comes ~

~Love Comes~

Love comes into my life

It fills my soul, my heart

Everyday I long for it’s passion, it’s thrill

It fills me with everything,

My life has missed all it’s beauty

It fills me with a sense of hope

In a world that has gone astray

Love comes into my life each and every day

For I know that you will stay

by

Vincent Cappetta