Scrubs

So, in Bali, we had a bottle of olive oil going spare. I think we cooked just the once, but it was so much easier (and cheaper) to eat out, so we had some ingredients to spare.

I did not want this oil to go to waste. I was convinced that we could do something better with it than throw it down the sink.

So, I started googling like crazy!

I found many options.

Olive oil makes for a great conditioner for the scalp. You can simply massage it in for 5 or 10 minutes and then leave it to do its work. You should wear a shower cap to a) style it out and b) (most importantly) not get anything covered with oil.

Now, here is where it gets exciting.

Olive oil and sugar together form a great body (and face, according to some) scrub.

Olive oil & Sugar

I use it on my lips. It scrubs, but it's gentle enough not to make your lips sore or go bright red.

It is great for the body too (especially the legs). The oil hydrates the skin and the sugar gently exfoliates, leaving a very polished feel. Not only is it cheap, but it is simply divine. You can add essential oils too for that extra scent.

Honey, lemon & sugar

Another lovely body scrub is the very simple mix of honey, lemon juice (fresh, of course! Orange also works well.) and sugar, once again.

This is lovely and smells great in the morning; the citrus is vibrant, the honey is soothing and the sugar, well, scrubs.

You need good pots!

Flowers outdoors

My sunflower is sooo tall, but still no flower in September!!

Wild flower addiction!

Looks great in an egg container!

Don't know what they are, but the are pretty!

one pink petal 

wild flowers

Things that go bump in the night...

There's a typhoon heading this way and I wait until after dusk to walk Elbi...alone.

The wind is picking up slowly but surely and you can see the clouds moving swiftly through the night sky.

The walk begins with a small toad, dead on the road. Poor thing. Was he eaten? Was he hit?

We walk on. The bats are out in full force, as always. They hover overhead threatening to fly into your face, but never doing so (unless you are my husband!). While, my face is safe, I don't feel safe.

To say that the mood is ominous is such an understatement. The wind blows just as I steady my pace, but a cyclist without lights creeps up behind me knocking my sense of balance and judgement.

a glimpse of the moon through the fast moving clouds...

From that moment on, my heart is weak and even a leaf blowing over my toe, (or at least I am hoping it was a leaf), scares me silly.

We have to walk through a hedged path. To my left, the thick of trees, leaves and bushes hides the unknown. To my right, a dip down to an overgrown dry part of the lake, more unknown, only a small trip away.

I hum some random tune, not too high pitched, I am no longer a soprano anyway, but low enough for the bats to hear and to steer clear.

We bump into two dogs and their owner turning a corner. My heart jumps again.

Perhaps, Elbi is as nervous as me. He pulls to go home. The wind pushes us along a road that may as well be a deserted highway, although it is only five minutes from our house.

We walk past the front of the scrapyard from where many creaks and squeaks emerge. Once the lights disappear, we are left alone in the dark street passing some plots of land.

Elbi stops to sniff the earth, but the strings marking the land suddenly shake with vigour as the wind reminds us of its presence.

We both jump with such a fright that we start a quick shuffle back.

One huge lorry comes towards us, lights beaming in my eyes reminding me of far too many a horror film I have seen.

We dart in front of a second lorry, turning into our drive to avoid it.

I can breath a sigh of relief now I am home, but then I remember we have typhoon lock-down and we have rented some thrillers and screamers!

Brace yourself.

Stealing nails!

Not my nails, but worth keeping the pictures for future references, although I doubt my capabilities would stretch to such great artistic endeavours.

Rehousing animals

It is almost 6 months since the Great Eastern earthquake, and only now, can we bring you news that people are being supportive to the face that there were animals involved too.

Here is an article printed yesterday. So many animals have already died or suffered unnecessarily. At least something is being done, even if it is so very late.

Stray Sendai kittens seek Tokyo homes

Kyodo

The government in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, is promoting the adoption of stray kittens born in Sendai following the March 11 quake and tsunami.

The first 15 kittens were brought to Tokyo on July 21 and owners for most of them have already been found, with Chiyoda Ward hoping that about 50 kittens will be accepted in the capital or its vicinity by the end of the year. Volunteers are caring for them.

The number of stray pets in Sendai has more than doubled compared with usual years.

Many kittens have also been born to runaway house cats that apparently panicked and left their homes after the disaster.

On a positive note, Selena, from JEARS, who works so very hard to feed and look after so many of the animals at the Fukushima base, just forwarded this picture. She has a driving companion! You see, you look after the animals, they look after you!

Books

I need books, so many books.

There is so much (too much?) to learn and realise that I have a lot of catching up to do.

It starts with the Japanese study. But I already have those books, I just choose not to pick them up so often. (All changing this week...honest!)

But, then there's the hobbies.

If I were in the UK, I would pop into a store and just pick up something quickly. It's not so easy here. And it's not a Japan thing, more a Kasukabe thing.

I need to get online.

...or I need to get to the local book store, but then, I need to understand more Japanese....do you see the circle?


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More nail stuff

Just some more nail designs so I remember them!

A flower and stem on each finger. Was a bit 'green-dot-crazy' but cute.

Box o' delights!

Sold as a pair, one black polish, then one silver, sparkly polish