Book Review - Mindfulness in eight weeks by Michael Chaskalson

Sorry folks ..this page mysteriously disappeared and so if you want to read some further thoughts on mindfulness and Michael Chaskalsons book please go to:-

Beginners mistakes!  Mindfulness in eight weeks Book Review ...LOST

Ostrich head in the sand- Avoidance tactics.

At The Skansen museum Stockholm, Sweden

 With Easter coming just around the corner I have been thinking about the ostrich egg that I bought from a local farmers shop a few months ago for Christmas breakfast. We blew the contents out, scrambled them up and had a feast to feed 7 adults very easily (probably about 10 portions all in all). I kept the egg safe and have been waiting for an opportunity to do an egg project (I'll show you that a little later). However, it got me thinking about the stereotypical image we have of the ostrich with its head in the sand trying to hide away from its predators. I often feel like acting like that ostrich!

Sanity Space - Project Jar transformation

I think I need a new sign for my craft room?

Last September my eldest son Thomas got married and not only did I gain a lovely daughter in law but I also gained his old bedroom. Over the last six months I have be transforming it  into a craft room/ office. It is a place where I can work on various projects, a place to learn new things, experiment with ideas  and be creative. I have set my sewing machine up so I can use it whenever I like. I can then just leave everything out (what a thought and what a luxury!)  If I want to, shut the door, do something different and then come back and have everything exactly where I left it and get back on track without skipping a beat!
The leaving stuff out works great... but the latter bit about coming back and finding stuff where I left is is not ALWAYS true. I guess I still having a 15 year old and a 12 year old at home means things tend to go "walk about" quite a lot. 


Anyhow, it's MY space, even though it does get invaded from time to time. 

I have found that because I only have short periods of time that I can be out of the house before Heni comes home from college (she is home by 1 pm everyday), I have been getting cabin fever. Fed up of the same 4 walls staring me back in the face. Having my "sanity space" makes me feel like I have escaped for a while to a different place and when I return to caring duties I can return less robot, more human like.

In future posts I'd like to tell you about how the craft room came to "be" and show you some of the transformations that I've done along the way (some by myself, some with the help of hubby). I like searching pinterest and finding projects to do from there. If you want to follow me you can find me here 
https://www.pinterest.com/jadebie/

Today I would like to show you a recent JAR project that I've just finished.

Vitamin D soaking.

Today's sky from the lounger...

This morning spring arrived! (written 24 March) The sky is blue and the sun is out and the white fluffy clouds are floating in the sky. A nice change form England's usual grey.

So today I moved outside and did my stretches and morning workout on the patio to make the most of it. I only managed 15 minutes but that’s better than nothing huh?

 Sunshine. I just love the sunshine. Don’t we all?

I think It’s instinctual for us to want to soak up the warmth of the rays and basque in pure light.   Rightly so. Sunshine provides us with our daily dose of vitamin D which is so important for our immune function and overall health.

Today Heni also decided to throw a “sickie”. Its strange to me how she instinctively knows when a school/college holiday is around the corner and ends up being ill and having an extra week or more off at home. Every single holiday seems to be the same. With Easter approaching, I have been holding my breath hoping that I can be proven wrong.  Not so.

Parking in disabled spots!

So here is my first official rant! 

After having just written the post on "Disabled or handicapped", I thought I would post the exception to the rule that I mentioned!
Writing the blog reminded me of an incident some time ago when I saw a man get out of a van (parked in a handicapped spot) outside the local Homebase store. He was dressed in all his work gear and had no obvious physical impediment. I watched him walk ...just to make sure (remember I'm a physio and studying peoples gaits is one of my favorite pastimes!) and went up to him and asked him if he realized that he had parked in a handicapped spot marked very obviously with a wheelchair. He looked rather taken aback that someone had approached him on the subject and after a moment's hesitation said that he had come to pick someone up who was a blue badge holder. 

So I let him go into the shop...but... I followed him (no I'm not usually a stalker!).

Disability or Handicap?

http://shopringmasters.com/kind-fighting-hard-battle/

 About two years ago I was working on a voluntary project with some of my kids alongside other volunteers from various backgrounds and abilities. One of the volunteers we worked with was a man who I'll call Fred. He had been wheelchair-bound since he was a child with cerebral palsy and various other health issues. During the day we had many pleasant conversations about varying topics but one struck a chord and has stayed with me ever since.

Book Review - The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner

I love to read books related to health, healing, well being and nutrition so when I was recommended The Blue zones recently I thought that I would give it a try. Here is a brief summary of what it's all about.

Dan Buettner (Author and National Geographic Explorer) together with some of the top scientist in the field of longevity traveled around and studied why some people tended to live longer in certain geographical areas in the world.... these areas have been labeled as the "Blue Zones". The areas they researched were Okinawa Japan, Sardinia, Loma Linda California, Costa Rica, and Ikaria Greece. For some reason, each of these regions has a higher than normal density of individuals who have lived to be centenarians.
Dan and his fellow researcher's purpose was to find out why this is the case and to see if they could discover any common factors.

Why Henibean?

Why Henibean?

I mentioned in my introduction that I have four children. My second eldest is a girl named Heni. Hence my nickname for her being Henibean. She is super cute and super special in more ways than one. She is a little miracle. In July we will hopefully be celebrating her 20th birthday. This is no mean feat considering that she has Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18...full form) and considering the statistics have always been against her!
Live birth prevalence is 2.3 babies per 10,000 births.  Only 9% diagnosed pre-term make it to birth. Sadly most babies with Edwards are usually miscarried.

Hello!

Me ...on a "Flat Stanley" adventure! (for those who don't know Flat Stanley... more on that one in a future blog post)

Hello there... and welcome to Henibean!
This is my first ever post on my own blog!  I've read bits from other blogs on my navigation around the web and over the last few months, I've had a gradual kindling of a desire to write one of my own.

"Why a blog?" I hear you say...well, I guess my purpose is in wanting to share some of my thoughts, knowledge, experiences and life adventures with you all.
 I have wondered about what it is that I have to share that is any different from anybody else out there in the ether?  What Will I have to offer? Will it just be the "same old stuff". Guess what? It very well may be....but I hope not!  
However here I am. So let me tell you a little bit about myself.

My name is Jade. I'm a wife and mother of four children....one of which has a "life-limiting condition" (more on that one another time). I trained as a Chartered Physiotherapist many moons ago and through the years have done further studies in my "spare time" on massage therapy, life coaching, and Naturopathic Iridology. You could say that I have a thirst for knowledge on anything to do with health, fitness, nutrition, well being and spirituality. 

The motivation for my studies through the years has been to help my family and disabled daughter and also to try to fix my own declining health (due to caring responsibilities over the last 20 years). Now, I am wanting to share with YOU some of the things I've learned and the things I do to stay sane in this challenging stress-filled world! 

My posts will probably be wildly varied. They may range between my daughter's condition (Edwards Syndrome/Trisomy 18), to problems I've either experienced myself (or have treated in other people)... to things I do to de-stress, be healthy and be creative (like the craft room I'm constructing in my eldest sons old bedroom....he moved out and got married recently!) It may also contain some book reviews, a recipe or two and anything that may take my fancy! There may even be the occasional rant! In general, it may consist of ANYTHING  that I've done or learned to try to create balance in my life and that I think may be of benefit to you.  

So who knows what may appear in front of your eyes? Stay tuned and I hope that you will stick with me along the journey. Ultimately, if this blog gives you a bit more confidence and courage in you trials/challenges and a few ideas to stay strong, be healthy, look to a positive future and feel like you are not alone, it will be worth it.

Hope to see you again real soon.

Jx