Grateful Heart

You cannot see the wind, but we all know it is there. There are other things in life like that

Horizons

Momma these orchids are from my yard. They fill the cottage with a sweet perfume. You would love these

Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.- Rossiter Worthington Raymond

Mourning is not forgetting... It is an undoing. Every minute tie has to be untied and something permanent and valuable recovered and assimilated from the dust.- Margery Allingham

Having just lost my dear Mother, I am learning that when someone dies that you love dearly, there are so many stages of grieving you go through. How can anyone really understands how complex grieving a death is? Death is not something that is talked about much in this culture. In the media it is usually depicted as something that doesn't really affect us emotionally, or something that the deceased one can come back from.

The Bible declares however that we are spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and that, for a Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

This brings me a bit of comfort and hope for today.

The love Bug

Check out This beautiful blog

Want some eye candy check out Myrna's beautiful blog, and enter her giveaway!!

http://more-than-heirlooms.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-time.html

creek cleaning & road grading

Mt Pu'u iliahi

ginger

ginger

have been clearing the weeds out of this hillside, now is ready for "good plants"

fragrant ginger

Deck will go off the slider

New canopy to protect the truck from the sun taken from road looking over creek into the property

I love this mountian

Hillside cleared of weeds ready for good plants

cleared creek

grading so water runs into creek instead of down the driveway

cleared creek

from a different angle

my neighbors put up that sign. The birds like to sit and slice there

Orchids below Come on in for a visit!

Rooster Party

The island I live on is known for their roosters. Roosters and families of baby chicks are everywhere, running through parking lots, backyards, roads, jungles and even the golf courses. The roosters are a beautiful multi color, with geourgous plumes. They do not sound their cock-a-doodle-doo at first light like most people expect, and are known to crow at night, morning, day time. The Rooster sound their song as a way to mark their territory
The story here On Kauai about where they came from is that early Polynesians and Europeans brought chickens to Kauai. The Filipinos brought the brightly colored fighting cocks, and Walla, the wild chickens. It is said that with Hurricane ‘Iniki, the domestic chickens and fighting roosters were freed from their cages to roam and multiply. Jungle fowl have been known to inhabit the tahitian islands as well. So the question always comes, why so many?? I hope you enjoy my little tour of our island Roosters. A few have even made it into my home :-)

JEHOVAH

Unchangeable intimate GOD

First occurrence of JEHOVAH is in Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
A full revelation of the meaning and character of the Name Jehovah is not given by God until Exodus 3
JEHOVAH "Defined"In Exodus 3
God said to Moses "I AM WHO I AM" and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Ex 3:14)

Psalm 91:2-4 (King James Version)
2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Jeremiah 32:38-40 (King James Version)
38And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
39And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
40And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

ELOHIM

God our sovereign, Mighty Creator.

Psalm 91:2-4 (New Living Translation)
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Jeremiah 32:38-40 (New Living Translation)
38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.

For by Him (Jesus Christ) all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible & invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16 (New Living Translation)
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

Centered in spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.--Galatians 5:22
I am at peace when I think lovingly that I am supported by Spirit. Sometimes I may get caught up in the drama's of life or someone else's experiences and lose my sense of inner peace. When it becomes apparent that my mind has wandered from Spirit, it's helpful if I take a deep breath. As I focus my attention on my breathing, and mindfully turning my thoughts towards Gods spirit, I become centered.
"The Latin origin of the word spirit, literally means "breath." Breathing allows my body to relax and enter into calmness. Breathing quiets my mind, and allows me to wait, listen, and trust. I listen for the voice within that knows what is mine to do. I can correct my thinking, and heart. When my mind is centered on Spirit, I am at peace.

Centered in Spirit, I am at peace, Inner Peace.

Letting Go and Letting God

Letting go and letting God. I am confident. peaceful, and strong.

As a child my favorite blanket would go with me , when ever I was scared or tired. My "security blanket" was comforting. As I grew up I grew out of needing that blanket, and learned how to cope with being scared or tired, lonely etc., all these unsettling feelings.

As an adult I may revert to fear, doubt, anger, anxiety, when I am faced with life's challenges. The safety of old thought patterns may be a familiar comfort to me than taking a different path. As I learn to let go and let GOD, I realize that God has instilled in me all that I need to face life with confidence, safety and grace.

Today I set aside those old familiar patterns. I let go and I let GOD. I am at peace

Do not worry about anything ~ Philippians 4:6

Aloha to my tea time friends

Last night I watched the movie "Invictus". A line from the movie really spoke to me. Nelson Mandela was serving a visitor tea. He said we have gotten many a customs from the English, one of the best is Tea Time!!!! I couldn't agree with him more!!!! How many of you have shared "Tea Time" with a friend? Whether is be a shared cup with cookies, and good conversation, or a phone call to a friend during afternoon "tea time." To take time in the afternoon, to pause, sip a delicious hot tea, ponder on all that is good in life, is a blessing. I am so grateful for my tea time, and my tea time friends!!!!!!

Do any of you have any tea time rituals or routines? Do you savour it by yourself, or share it with friends? Drop me a little comment, to let me know!

And after your done sipping your afternoon tea, and want to visit another tea time friend, check out Barb over at Bella Vista, and her tea time giveaway. http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/06/tea-time-giveaway-hello-bloggy-buddies.html

Banana Coconut Pancakes

Lately you hear a lot of talk of folks trying to eat a bit healthier. So in that personal journey myself I have been learning to cook more with coconut oil. It is a healthier alternative to good ole butter. Love my butter, but a lot of it is not so good for you ;-) One of my coconut journey's led me to Banana Coconut Pancakes!

So here is the recipe for my Banana Pancakes. Below I will add my notes of how I changed it up a bit to make it a little healthier. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

OR1 tablespoon butter and 5 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup diced bananas (2 large)

1/8 cup finely shredded coconut (you can do sweetened if you want, or not, coconut comes in many different types of shreds, fine, ribbons, sweetened or plain. I go for the unsweetened fine shred, because I get my sweetness from all the real maple syrup that I add on top!!!!!

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter. Here is where I add my coconut oil. This morning I used one tablespoon of butter and 5 tablespoons of the coconut oil.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined — don't worry if there are a few lumps.

Stir in the bananas and coconut.
Lightly grease a large sauté pan or griddle with the nonstick spray or butter or coconut oil. Heat the pan until hot and then spoon out 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake.

Cook the pancakes until the tops look dull and a few of the bubbles pop, about 3 minutes.

Turn the pancakes over and cook for another minute.

You can top them with so many yummy toppings. Real maple syrup, yogurt, strawberries

On another note, when I make oatmeal, the old fashion gotta cook it for ten minutes kind. I will add a generous tablesppon or two of the coconut oil to my oats while they are cooking. It's really tasty. I have pretty dry skin and by adding coconut oil to my diet it helps that issue. You can google all the health properties of coconut oils.

Next I am learning how to use the sweetner that is made from coconut. A simple cane sugar alternative that is naturally low on the Glycemic Index (GI), which has benefits for weight control and improving glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2).
Coconut Sugar is produced from the sweet juices of tropical coconut palm blossoms.
Coconut Sugar is a natural, high energy food source made from the sweet sap of the flowering stem at the top of the coconut tree.
It is slowly bent for collection and this sweet sap oozing out from the inflorescence is collected, boiled, and concentrated to form a granulated sugar. Our Coconut Sap Sugar is wet and has an oyster-white translucent color when first gathered. After boiling, the sweet sap turns into a light brown color. Once collected, the nectars are kettle-boiled into a thick caramel and ground to a fine crystal. Sounds exotic doesnt it???? :-)Here are some other really awesome factoids about coconut sugar;
Coconut Sugar is rated as a GI 35. By comparison, most commercial Honeys are GI 55 and Cane Sugars are GI 68.
Coconut Sugar has a nutritional content far richer than all other commercially available sweeteners.
Coconut Sugar is especially high in Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Iron and is a natural source of the vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C.
Coconut Sugar is a 100% Organic, unprocessed, unfiltered, and unbleached natural sweetener. And contains no preservatives.
Coconut sugar is produced by smallholder farmers. 100% of the money from growing, harvesting and primary processing of this ingredient stays in the local communities.
Through market access and production training, smallholder sugar tappers have risen well above the poverty line and are able to earn an increase in personal income of close to 200%, while maintaining a competitive market price as a cane sugar alternative!
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the World Bank has reported that palm sweeteners like this coconut sugar are the single most sustainable sweetener in the world!
Coconut Sugars are not produced from the same palm species as is used for the production of Palm Oil.
Coconut Palms produce an average of 50-75% more sugar per acre than Sugar Cane and use less than 1/5th the nutrients for that production.
Tropical palms are an ecologically beneficial tree crop that grows in diverse, wild-life supportive agro-ecosystems, restore damaged soils and require very little water.
Coconut Palms are considered the “Tree of Life” by many traditional communities throughout the world as they provide over 100 smallholder accessible products from which to make livelihoods. The production of Coconut Sugar has the single highest potential for lifting these farmers into a better life while creating a net benefit to their surrounding environment.

So where do I find it?

You can find coconut oil & sugars in healthfood stores. Larger chain stores are providing consumer demand for organic, natural, and sustainable products. The brand of oil I like to use is Spectrum. This is from their web site: "Coconut Oil, Virgen Unrefined, OrganicSize: 14oz This oil is best for sautéing at medium heat where the oil’s full flavor is intended as an integral part of the finished dish or, because of its unique flavor, for baking. IngredientsNaturally unrefined expeller pressed virgin organic coconut oil".http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=87

Coconut sugars are not as main stream yet, but are soon to be!!! I use Coconut Secret, raw coconut crystals.

So it's sweet, Can be used for cooking and baking, it's healthier for you, healthier for the environment, sustainable. Don't you just love coconuts??????
Now go and Enjoy you some pancakes :-)
With Fond Aloha

"She gets up while it is still dark"

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies". Proverbs 31:10
"She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day". Proverbs 31:15
So reveling in my rubacious character, I arose before the sun and made up a batch of Lemon, Rosemary, Lavender, muffins. Now don't wrinkle your nose!! They were absolutely delicious! Quality control, isn't that a part of being an able helpmate????? LOL!!! Have a blessed day. Aloha!

When Family comes a calling

One of the redeeming qualities of Facebook, is it allows you to contact people you havent seen in years. Recently several of my cousins, and my Aunties, have had an opportunity to connect with me online via facebook, and I am a loving it. We have had a chance to catch up and share our lives with each other, and make plans to connect. One cousin was arriving on Kauai with her kids, and grandchildren. I invited them up to our place for lunch, then we went out to take in this beautiful North Shore of Kauai. If I did not use Facebook, I would not have had a chance to connect and find out that they were in my neck of the woods!! Oh I mean OCEAN!!!!! Thank you Marianne, Karmen, Kyle, Sawyer, and Delaney for stopping by and spending the day with me. It was a joy and a real blessing. Aloha!!!!

Bufo marinus

here are some of our other friends

What happened to your tail? I call this one Lester. For less is more!

Lester gets very territorial around his corner of the deck

I want to introduce you to a new critter on Keelerkai. It is not new to science, just to my blog. I have been sharing with you some of the creatures that live on this island, and most of them have been critters that can be caught on camera during the day. But tonight I braved all the night flying insects ( and believe me there is a lot when you venture out at night here with a flashlight). This little Bufo was a bit tricky to catch, and I was learning how to use the night feature on my camera, so I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the pictures. These fellas are so cute the way they appear to be up on their hind legs. A word of caution , they are toxic to animals and children, so they are best to observe, and let be!

Cute little fella isnt he?