Lifting the Migraine and Feeling Lighter

I noticed today how much lighter my recycling bin is without all the wine bottles. Its been nearly 2 weeks now and I am also feeling noticeably lighter, my waistline slightly smaller. Of course I have also been having a salad a day and minimal bread consumption which helps with beating the bloat. I've minimised my coffee intake, but still have lots of tea throughout the day, mixing in Green and Rooibos along with copious amounts of Earl Grey. I've adjusted my habits not because I'm an alcoholic, but because of a ferocious Migraine that gripped me last week. I had been slowly upping my wine consumption and I attributed some of that as a trigger.

Having suffered with regular Migraines as a teen, my last full blown one had been in my early twenties (that's..ahem..nearly 20 years ago), and I thought my vegetarian lifestyle had safely eliminated them. That was until 2010, the year of their reappearance. I've only had two this year, not alot to complain about I know, but anyone who suffers with Migraines knows its much more than a simple headache. Its a neurological revolt against your entire body.

A week ago today I lay in bed recovering from one that hit its peak at about 3am. I awoke with a vice-like head and nausea that prompted  me to run to the bathroom. Except once I sat up, the vice-like head began feeling like a big balloon with a vice on it, about to burst. Standing up my knees buckled as my balance was off and I struggled to focus wayward eyes. Thankfully I did manage to get back to sleep without vomiting, because vomiting has to be my least desirable thing in the world and blotches up my face with broken capillaries for two days.

Back to sleep meant sleeping for the next 18 hours or so. Still feeling weak and a little disoriented with a dull ache in my head, it really was about two days total recovery after the fact. This is very debilitating and prompted me to make serious changes in my diet and stress management to try and stave off a third attack.

Migraines tend to be hereditary, and they are in my family, so I know I am always subject to a sneak attack, but I also know there are ways to reduce the likelihood, reduce the triggers. Its hard because I enjoy the taste of wine, especially red, which is especially bad for migraines. I also love chocolate and coffee. Meditation helps, of course I know it helps with all sorts of things, but I have to keep reminding myself. Even after 15 +/- years as a Buddhist practitioner I still have to remember to give more time to meditation. I am a full fledged mindfulness practitioner, that is, bringing awareness to daily life, but actually sitting and meditating and doing nothing else for 30 minutes is a harder task.  I am coping without wine and enjoying my new found lightness and looking forward to the side effect of additional weight loss!!

Birthday girl

It was an eventful weekend in our house with my daughter celebrating her second birthday! I also attended a day-long aromatherapy massage course which was the first time I have actually been away from my daughter for an entire day. But as I am moving toward a new career/life path, into holistic healing, which has certainly been in my realm of ideas for many, many years, this course provided the perfect test. It was a good course, hard work for sure, especially considering I've been suffering with a dull headache, neck ache for the entire week, which could be related to the fact that my son had tonsillitis this week (I no longer have my tonsils).

Despite the illness, the weekend ended on a good note with a decadent chocolate cake surrounded by rose petals. We also took advantage of the sunny (yes I said SUNNY) day and went for a walk with the grandparents, and then a brief stint in the pub (with kids, hence brief).

Quiz night first

Last night was a first... the first time my husband and I have been out together alone in 7 years. We may have had one night somewhere before my daughter was born, but I honestly can't remember it, and doubt it very much. We never wanted to leave our son with a stranger, and family options for babysitting never seem to materialise, but last night, we finally managed it.

A local teenager has become our babysitter for the first time, and last night we went to our pub quiz night. This works out well since its only around the corner, and the kids are already asleep at that time.. or supposed to be. Of course they didn't want this arrangement to happen and took great pains to botch up our plans!!

In the end though it worked out well, we finished second in the quiz and had a great night with me finally meeting some of the neighbors!

My New Year Messege to the Universe

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer. -Zora Neale Hurston

I can scarcely believe it is already the end of the year , and while I thought about writing a ' best of' roundup, I really don't have it in me. This week has been a series of ups and downs, especially for my dear little daughter, who simply fell over her own feet yesterday (in our small living room) and hit the base of the computer chair, damaging her two top front teeth. I have 'saved' her on many occasions from damaging her over-confident little self, although sometimes it just happens in the blink of an eye. I am of course racked with guilt, feeling terribly sad for her (its very hard seeing her in pain) and also a bundle of nerves. Yesterday we went to A & E (emergency room) but they couldn't do anything for her. And today it was an emergency dental visit, but they also said there was nothing to be done due to her age and the baby teeth.

One tooth has been broken and both have been pushed up into her gums. They may come back down, they may go black and fall out, or they may need extracting at a later date. We have to wait and see when they fall out around age 6 or so, to determine if her permenant teeth have been damaged. So last night was one of the worst I've had in a long time. As I lay in bed hating everything and feeling extremely down, I forced my mind out of its slump and began to look toward the positive changes I can bring about.

So with the law of attraction in mind, and the philosophy of ask and it is given, and the power of positive thinking, I'm sending out my wishlist to the universe. For me, the new year will be about reclaiming that which has been put on hiatus. I will be focusing on my holistic training, furthering my long held beliefs into action, I will learn to drive (over here!!) and drive to some places like London and Edinburgh. I am visualising our own home, or one that we can adapt to us, one that has adequate space, a large kitchen for gathering and cooking, views of the countryside, friendly neighbors and won't break the bank.

Each person has to decide what's right for themselves, but in my thoughts I am also wishing for more fulfilling and less back-breaking work with my husband's business, for each of my children to become that much happier, confident and content in the new year, and of course for all my friends near or far to have that which their hearts most desire. Blessed Be. Happy New Year.

My informal market survey

You may have noticed the poll above, and I would greatly appreciate your participation in my informal market survey. Depending on the response, I may follow with another poll more specific about online shopping. This will be helping me with some business plans in the works. Thanking you all in advance!!

Summer surprises

That's a toad that appeared just outside our doorstep (here in my husband's hands). This week has been wonderfully sunny and feeling more like summer. I haven't been feeling too philosophical lately, not entirely inspired either, just coasting along. This weekend we will be visiting Manchester and taking in the long-awaited (for my son, that is) Doctor Who exhibit at MOSI.. so by Monday I should have more blog fodder.

Me, in a word.

My sister emailed me this:
..It is said that friends are our best mirrors...Describe me in one word.... Just one single word.Send it back to me and to Me only.
Then send this message to all your friends and see how many Strange and interesting things they say about you.

And this is what my some of my friends had to say -thank you. So for those who don't know me, this is Me in one word (well.. a few now) Passionate, Courageous, Loving, Authentic, Compassionate.