Now that the clocks have gone forward, the park is open late enough to take a walk after dinner. On my way around yesterday evening I passed a couple of beds packed with Hyacinths. The fragrance was delightful and took me back to the first time I smelt a Hyacinth. I was mooching around a garden centre one evening after work, about four years ago now, when I caught a whiff of something sweet in the air. At first I thought I had imagined it, or perhaps just caught the remnants of someone's perfume on the air; but the more I wandered the more I realised that it was coming from somewhere nearby. So after doing a couple of laps of the nursery area while sniffing the air (I must have looked a bit crazy), I traced the sweet aroma to a small display of Hyacinths. I remember that I was absolutely delighted, though I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because at the time it was a revelation that flowers could smell so lovely. Apart from roses and a vague recollection of the very general floral smell that you find in a florists, I had forgotten that nature was awash with aroma. I bought three small plants, which I kept in my sunny kitchen. So enamoured was I with the aroma that I even tried to capture the scent by immersing the small flower heads in alcohol and then glycerine (soon after getting the plants I had watched the movie Perfume and had become fascinated with the idea of making my own perfume), but all I ended up with was a rather foul-smelling mush. I was dismayed to find that the flowers lost their aroma almost as soon as they were picked. I really believe that that little, seemingly insignificant event - catching an aroma on the breeze - set me on the path that I'm now on, sparking an interest in and love for aromatic plants that I never knew I had.
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Tuesday 29 March 2011
Sunday 27 March 2011
Scenic Sundays - Cornwall Coastline
Several years ago my husband and I visited Cornwall, taking in sights from Padstow to St. Ives and down to Lizard Point. It's been ages since I looked at these pictures and I'm glad to have a reason to revisit them.
Lizard |
Lizard |
Lizard |
Padstow |
Padstow |
St. Ives |
Sunday 20 March 2011
Scenic Sundays - St. Andrews, Scotland
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Ingredient Insight - Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp Seeds (image courtesy of the Good Oil Company www.goodwebsite.co.uk) |
Nutritionally it is considered to be an ideal vegetable oil, containing the perfect balance of Omega 3,6 and 9 for optimum absorption by the body. Its gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) content is good for helping to reduce collagen loss (and hence wrinkles), for reducing skin dryness and soothing dry skin conditions (like eczema and psoriasis), and for reducing brittleness in hair and nails. The oil also provides a host of other benefits for the immune system, joints and cholesterol control.
As healthy skin is as much about what goes in as what goes on, hemp seed oil would make an excellent addition to the store cupboard. With a mild, nutty flavour add it to salad dressings or simply take a couple of teaspoons a day.
We use it in our Restorative Body Oil, Radiance Facial Serum and After-Shave Balm.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Scenic Sundays - Tintern Abbey
Almost exactly two years ago on a beautiful Spring day, we visited Tintern Abbey in the Forest of Dean. Apart from the ruins of the Abbey, we also took a walk up to The Devil's Pulpit from where there were magnificent views of the valley below.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
"Phenomenal Woman"
In honour of International Women's Day, here is the marvellous poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou:
PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing of my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing of my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
from And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou.
copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou.
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