Ocracoke Island 2013

I went to America earlier than normal  and it seems like forever since those few weeks of sun, sea and friends. I've come to the conclusion that I should go twice a year. Once in the summer around May, and the second time in the fall because I love North Carolina at that time of year. But alas at the moment I will have to make do with the one visit!

I visited a lovely island called Ocracoke which is part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina and also is the location of the pirate Blackbeard’s death. The village of Ocracoke is located around a small harbor called Silver Lake. The stunning views only added to the beauty of the whole place from the unique little cottages to the many different types of birds.

The shops were quaint and full of treasures. Most shops close down in winter as the population decreases and the tourists go home. There are no franchises or chains and all the shops, restaurants and hotels are all privately owned.

The size of the island is around 9.6 square miles and the actual island only lies five feet above sea level. The lighthouse has been there since 1823 and is still working. There are only two ways to get on the island, by ferry or airplane where they have their own landing area.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and another wonderful sight for me to see. Every time I visit North Carolina I never need to go to the same place twice because it’s so ginormous and there’s so much to see and so much history to learn.

Silver Lake

Silver Lake

Doesn't it all look very pirate inspired?

Harbor

Harbor...Great looking hotel!

This is where we ate...fabulous food!

Ocracoke lighthouse...still in working order 

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America 2013

America 2013

For the last four years I have been going to America…Moyock North Carolina to be precise. I stay with my long-time friend and her family. Dianne and I have been friends since we went to school together in Scotland forty plus years ago. After not seeing each other for forty years it was a great surprise when my friend contacted me through friends reunite and since then have become even closer.

It’s like my second home and second family where her husband and two sons make me feel so at home I always feel very sad when I leave. Sometimes I stay for six weeks but this time I could only stay for three and a half weeks and one of those weeks was going to be spent at their beach house at Nags Head.

I was so excited to do this, just imagine waking up to the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean on your doorstep and that’s what it was. About a dozen steps took me to the decking area where we stepped onto the beach.

That first morning we got up at 5am to see the sunrise and it was spectacular. There I sat with my coffee, the warmth of the North Carolina sunshine and the melodic sounds of the water lapping at the golden sand and I thought I was in heaven. I breathed in the warm air and closed my eyes and just let all my cares and worries drift away.

There were two great sights I had while I was there, the dolphins playing close to the shore which was mesmeric and an eight foot Butterfly female Stingray which had washed up on the shore. It was enormous, and I made sure I stayed away from its ferocious looking tail until I knew it was dead.

Sunrise

Butterfly Stingray                                                                    

                                                                                 

Nags Head Beach                        

Holiday (Vacation) Time!

So on Wednesday I fly out to stay with my friends in North Carolina. It’s a trip I've made for the last four years. I’m staying for a little under four weeks and I’m very much looking forward to it. We will be spending a week at the beach house which will be fabulous and I’m looking forward to doing this so much.

The early morning sunrise, the golden sands and the soft warm breeze from the Atlantic Ocean…heaven! I've been told that there just might be a sighting of the dolphins first thing in the morning; I’m hoping I’ll be lucky enough to see them.

Dianne, my friend of some forty something years will be at Dulles airport to pick me up with her husband Wynn. It’s a long drive for them from where they live in Moyock but every year they make the trip to meet me of the airplane.

The first few days will be me sleeping, the trip of eighteen hours exhausts me, but they have a fantastic patio where I just laze around in the warm sunshine without a thing to do except…sleep! Then it’s to the beach for a whole week.

My legs are whiter than snow, and the glare will surely have people running for cover, but hopefully they will color quickly. After a winter of boots and thick coats I’m ready for some warmth.

I will be keeping a diary of my time in America with lots of pictures, so keep looking back to see what I've been up to, and perhaps I might be lucky enough to get pictures of those dolphins.

Forgiveness!

What does forgiveness mean?

Forgetting?

Compassion?

Righteous?

A conversation with my daughter reminded me that we are responsible for our own failings and that of forgiving others of those failings.

Forgiveness does not take away, excuse or justify the wrong it means we’re human. We all make a mistake that’s how we learn. It means that even if someone has done something wrong we can forgive.

Forgiveness requires strength and sometimes that strength is pushed to the limits but ultimately we have to have hearts big enough to do this. It’s a gift from one person to another. However I realize this can be too much in the wake of some dreadful things that happen in this world.

 Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. How can one forget, you can’t it will always be there in the back of your mind. This is a human function, a part of our brain that cannot be controlled.

Dwelling on things past is a useless purpose, a waste of our precious time that can be cut to short.

It is part of life that we argue and say things we don’t mean, much of our time is spent getting on with our day to day living, day by day, month by month and year by year. As the clock turns and the years pass suddenly one is reminded of how short our time is and the chance to devour every waking moment overwhelms us.

 Surely there is no time to be anything other than forgiving.

God forgives us every day for all our wrong doings so we surely too should have it in our hearts to do the same.

Carrier Oils for anti-ageing skin care

All skincare preparations need base… carrier oil. Most of these don’t have a scent except perhaps Olive Oil which can be slightly or heavily aromatic. Almost all carrier oils are cold pressed and I would advise buying organic where possible.

I use these to make my body oil which I use while my skin is wet after a shower or bath. Always apply oil to your body when it is still wet. Massage in then dry off with a towel and I guarantee you will have the softest skin ever. I mix all three of the following oils and then add my favotite scent and at the moment its Fresh Garden Cut Roses which I buy from http://www.devonscents.co.uk/ourshop/prod_223736-50-MLS-FRESH-CUT-ROSES-FRAGRANCE-OIL.html the quality is the best I’ve found so far.

Grape seed Oil

Grape seed oil has been around for centuries and was used around 130 million years ago and is a byproduct of wine making. It increases the amount of collagen in the skin and is anti-inflammatory that will heal lesions and will improve skin conditions. The oils has great anti-ageing properties and also has the ability to tighten and tone the skin, so a great way to moisturize your skin after bathing. Will help to improve the texture of stretch marks. A good way to do this is to mix up a balance of oils into a small roller ball bottle and just apply the oil as many times as you can and you will definitely see an improvement on scars etc.

 

Almond Oil

Many of the best skin care preparations contain Sweet Almond Oil, it’s easily absorbed, rich in Vitamin E and also contains magnesium, calcium and vitamin D. Easily combines with almost every other oil…non greasy and just an easy oil to us.

Great oil to use for babies as it mimics the oil babies excrete to keep their skin and hair healthy. It most definitely is a better oil to use than baby oil that has propylene glycol in it which is used in anti-freeze.

Avocado Oil

If you thought avocados was something you put in your salad think again it is a powerful anti-ageing fruit not just to eat but to use the oils as a skin care regime. This oil has a much higher concentration of mono-unsaturated fats and because of this it is able to penetrate the skin to a much deeper level so it is a great oil to blend with others. It protects the skin from sun exposure and most importantly avocado oil contains the only known natural source of the age-reversing ingredient Avocare PFE (all the others are synthetic.



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Ditzy? Who me?

You know I think about how completely ditzy I am and remember my mum's words of “she’ll grow out of it" ...

Well she never did, I'm still as clumsy and ditzy as ever. My head is permanently in the cloud which is not conducive to getting things done.

It's so bad sometimes that my eldest daughter has to resort to calling me by my first name to get my attention. How the heck I ever arrive at Dulles Airport is a miracle on its own.

So many idea's and stories being shaped and lists being mentally ticked off that I'm surprised I ever come out from that fluffiness that surrounds my brain.

This morning in the usual last minute rush to do some grocery shopping before the whole family starves from lack of nourish meant my mind was on chapter five of my final book of four because really that's where I wanted to be ...in my office getting the elusive chapter under my belt and finished.

However getting home in one piece is only viable if you actually get in the right car and when you only realise  something isn't right when the key to the ignition doesn’t fit. Then  you see a cd of Irish folk music and you just no that nowhere in your cd collection is any kind of Irish music.

I can tell you that I exited that car very quickly hoping against hope that no one saw me and praying that I don’t get arrested for trying to steel someone else’s vehicle.

Did I grow out of it mum? Not a cat in hells chance lol

Competition

For a chance to win a copy of my print book 'Her Passionate Protector' and some author goodies please visit my new website.
http://www.dilysjcarnie.com/
Good luck everyone!

Anti-ageing Skin Oils.

Remember what I said in my earlier statements…Use an oil first on your skin at night as it penetrates deep then make it work even harder by using a serum or cream on top If you only use creams on your face it won’t work on the layers of skin…cream cannot penetrate the skin it just lies on top.

Sterols?

Sterols are a common compound found in skin cells.

Plant sterols are called phytosterols and animal sterols are called Zoosterols .

Zoosterols=cholesterol=cell membranes

Phytosterols=soy bean, food grains, vegetables, nuts and trees. These have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol.

Plant sterols have been shown to mimic the effect of cholesterol and provide increased elasticity and anti-wrinkling benefits and aid in the repair of damaged skin. Plant sterols have a similar structure to Cholesterol  sterols however applying cholesterol straight on to the skin results in acne and inflammation.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil

This oil is exceptionally rich in both vitamin E and sterols which help protect the skin from free radicals. Containing fatty acids such as Omega 3 & 6 makes this oil excellent for softening and healing. It is absorbed through the skin, regenerating and restructuring. The slight tightening effect makes it ideal for mature skin.

Borage Oil

                When the body is short of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), it can lead to skin dryness and other problems. This oil is a rich has high amounts of GLA and when massaged into the skin it restores the cellular structure of your skin. Really excellent for skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

Rosacea…It will help reduce redness by producing prostaglandins which stimulate the contraction of blood vessels and reducing redness.

Restores smoothness and increases moisture reducing wrinkles, fine lines and ageing.

Blackcurrant Oil

A natural remedy for acne and scars blackcurrant oil is another one of those oils high in GLA and great for all skin types. It is restorative and replenishing for ageing skin. Add it to facial skin, body and hands to help slow premature ageing.

Use all of these oils on hands and body, we so often forget about our hands and they are often used without thought I:e washing dishes, gardening etc. And quite honestly if you want to know how old someone is just look at their hands because in my experience woman forget to put in as much care and attention to them as they would there face…there hands need it more.

Life!

I find as I get older life seems to go quicker, the beginning of the week very quickly becomes the weekend and the weekend takes me back to the beginning and so on and so forth. Until I sit in the dentist’s chair or visit the doctor then time seems to slow down to a snail’s pace. When I was younger I used to spend so much time worrying about the future but now I realize it’s the here and now that matters.

I think the reason that when we are younger time seems to drag is that everything we do is new until we build a diary of activities. As we get older those activities become less new so making the time go faster.

  Everything is done on a schedule, there doesn't seem to be time to stop and smell the roses. When was the last time you just put the brakes on and just looked around you at this beautiful place we live? Have you ever just stood outside and breathed in? Ever just looked up into the sky at the different hues of blues and greys and at how vast it is?

I read this quote somewhere, ‘Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast; you also miss the sense of where you are going and why’ and I think if ever everything I felt was put into one sentence its this.

Website

Come on over and visit me on my Island for lovers http://www.dilysjcarnie.com/index.html



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Just another day!

What a day... The more I try and write...the more times I get interrupted. The phone is constantly ringing, the dogs seem to be barking at everything and I swear that they can see a fly go past the window. Everyone is in and out like yo yo's and I'm getting more stressed by the minute and would give anything just to be able to shut the door and have my office totally sound proofed.

I lost my glasses down behind my desk and got my arm stuck trying to retrieve them, now I'm sporting a massive bruise on my arm after the humiliation of having my son and daughter try and pull me out...they thought it was funny and my twenty-three year old daughter was actually on her knees she was laughing so much...well I guess it was kinda funny!

Today was meant to be a writing day but that went out the window early on. The dog had an appointment for hydrotherapy, and then off to the vets to have her nails clipped…I swear she is such a diva and completely spoilt. Although only eight she is completely blind and has a slipped disc in her back which completely paralyzed her from the waist down. It has taken many hours of perseverance in the hydro pool and patience on our part getting her to at least be able to walk without a harness.

Now we take each day as it comes and are grateful when we get to the end of the week and she is still with us…

Today has also been a day of lots of skin care advice. This has been an interest of mine forever and a day. My curiosity in anti-ageing skincare is something that I have always loved to experiment with. I am in my element if talking about it and giving ladies and men advice about how best to care for their skin. It doesn't need to cost a lot; it’s about knowing what suits you and sourcing the write ingredients. We all know that the large cosmetic company’s command a fortune for these creams etc. However it's it’s all about the knowledge of what goes with what and what suits your skin type…I love to talk about it and experiment with different ingredients. 

My latest find is Padina Pavonica which is an  algae found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s commonly known as Peacocks tail which is clinically proven collagen boosting seaweed.

Now as a vegetarian I am always looking for alternatives to the bovine collagen that skin care companies tend to use because it is cheap. Unfortunately as we age the collagen in our skin decreases and this is what causes the wrinkles and sagging skin. So to sumerize the brown algae , Padina Pavonica is a seaweed extract that will boost the collagen and will in effect activate the production of your own body’s collagen which will then produce younger firmer looking skin…Well so they say!

Anti-ageing Oils!

For so long woman have been searching for the best anti-ageing solution to treat their skin and it is said that Cleopatra bathed in milk to fight the act of nature that befalls us all at some point.

However I’m not an advocate of creams that promise to make you ten years younger in two weeks , to be honest it’s a load of c**p. There is nothing out there that will ever do this…getting older is a part of life and nothing you can say or do will stop it…Nevertheless we can soften those lines, firm up those jowls by taking care of our skin, exercising and eating properly…healthily. It’s not always about what you put on your skin but what you put inside your body.

Oils will penetrate the skin much more effectively than creams. A greater booster is to apply oil to the skin first then your cream or serum.

Jojoba

Jojoba

Jojoba is an occlusive moisturiser, one of the most protective of all the oils. It is actually a liquid wax and the wax becomes like a transparent film over the skin protecting it from trans epidermal loss. It mimics the sebum of our own skin so it is a vital base for all your oil mixes. It is perfect for adding to creams and lotions to intensify the moisturising effect. Easy to wash out if applying to hair.

pomegranate

Pomegranate

This is oil is highly packed with nutrients. High levels of antioxidants are abundant in this very effective anti-ageing super oil. The ellagic acid found in pomegranate fruit is said to be one of the most potent anti-oxidants applying itself to the demise of free radicals.

It has been studied that Pomegranate seed oil helps encourage the growth and thickening of the epidermis thus helping to soften fine wrinkles and revitalise dull skin.

This is one of the most effective oils to use in your mix, helping to minimise sun damage and achieve strong, elastic, healthy skin.

Marula

Marula

This oil is extracted from the kernels of the Marula tree and is very new to the skin care industry becoming very popular. High in essential fatty acids which are absorbed into the skin very quickly and efficiently they have an anti-oxidant action (free radical scavenging). This multi-purpose oil contains nutrients that are fast absorbing which improves skin tone and firmness.

Blog hop,authors and prizes!

Secret Cravings Publishing. Delicious Blog Hop. March 9 & 10, 2013
Lots of authors and prizes!