Making Homemade Eucalyptus Oil

 
Its the season of  winter sniffles here in New Zealand and my latest adventure is into making my own oils and incense. Its all new to me so I am researching and reading as much as I can. I thought this might be a great place to share with anyone who was interested.

We are very lucky as where we live we are surrounded with large old trees and huge old Eucalyptus trees. This place was settled in the mid 1800's so many of these wonderful trees have age to them and a wonderful sense of being ....if you are a tree person like I am - you will know exactly what I mean. The Eucalyptus tree produces an oil that has a wide variety of therapeutic effects from aromatherapy , to massage as well as a germicide  and disinfectant properties. There is nothing quite like a rub or sniff  of Eucalyptus oil to clear a stuffy nose or soothe a bad cough. Wonderful too is the fact that is works as a great insect repellent...far better than some of the othe stinky things on offer in stores.

So I begin my adventure into home made EucalyptusOil...Here is how it is done.

1. Gather fresh Eucalyptus Leaves -make sure to ask permission of the trees and offer thanks - or a token of appreciation. You can leave a flower or a fruit or best of all pour some water on the tree roots.It is all about appreciating the gift from the tree to you.

2. Grind about 2 cups of the leaves in a blender or mortar and pestle. Use more leaves is you are after a stronger scent.


3.Transfer leaves to a large saucepan ( use one that will not be used for food again) I got a cheap one from a charity shop for $3 with a nice heavy bottom .Add in about 3 cups of olive oil or any carrier oil.

4. Heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl , cover and leave for 3 days.You are dealing with hot oil here so be careful!!!

5. After 3 days - carefully strain the mixture- squeeze out the leaves with your hands .Transfer to clean dark bottles for storage.If you add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar to help preserve it. Store in the fridge to prolong life of the oils.This oil is for external use only and never use on open wounds.


Enjoy..

** Next time ..is how to collect pine resin to make homemade incense.!!

Poetry of Life

Found this lovely poem to share.....

I call upon You, Sisters Three,
You Who sit beneath Life's Tree,
Bless and watch over me this day.
These things of You, I ask and pray.
Mighty Clothos, You Who spin
The thread and yarn of life on whim,
Grant my thread be soft, yet strong
And the essence of my own life's song
Mighty Lachesis, You Who weave
And measure the cloth of Life with ease,
Weave my life beautifully
With color and texture for all to see.
Mighty Atropos, You Who slice
Life's fabric and thread with a snip precise,
Grant me now another day
To return to thank You - this I pray.
Mighty Ones, oh Sisters Three,
You Who sit beneath the Tree,
For each day I awaken to
Accept the thanks I offer You.

~Dorothy Morrison~

Pepper

We thought it was a good time to introduce more of our family here at Mystic Hills Ngaroma.

Meet Pepper...affectionally called PepperDy or Pepper the Pesky Puppy. Greg was toying with the idea of getting me my own dog ...part companion- "part partner in crime" when we chanced upon Pepper. She was advertised as a free puppy from a surprise litter in another part of the country. Born to a Blue Heeler father and a Huntaway mother Pepper is a lovey mix of the dark  glossy black and gray of her parents.

It was  hard to get those initial photos of Pepper as she was a sleepy puppy who was never quite awake at picture taking time. We finally saw her in one photograph via email.....she had just been woken up and looked quite dazed. This we soon came to realise was Pepper's usual look at bedtime.... Greg arranged transport for her via a cattle truck. She would ride in the cabin with  the truck driver in exchange for a box of beer. Not a bad deal. There were however a few problems and delays and Pepper spent the weekend going from one truckie's home to another until finally she arrived to us - after 3 days! The first thing we were told when we were handed this small bundle of fur was - that she had slept the whole way!!

Pepper was suitably named for her gray peppered chest. She tried on the first night to scramble onto the bed with us...but was too fat and short to make it up. Defeated she settled into a ball next to my bed. Then was followed endless weeks of chewing ..anything..hands , fingers....limbs ...

Now Pepper has grown she manages to settle herself in our bed night or between us as we watch TV. She torments the cats...has been soundly smacked a few times by an irate kitty and  butted by the goat. Yet she remains as spunky and as smoochie as ever....We now include Pepper in all our adventures - building her a special Pepper seat in the van with us.....so she has a good view and can bark ( much to Greg's horror) at passing trucks.

 

Paua , Horse Mussels and Seaweed

Its hard to believe that so much time has gone since we last added a post to this blog....life must be goood if we are so busy here.My most favourite time of the year is upon us...as I relish the cold fall evenings and the onset of winter. There is something so wonderfully nuturing about collection firewood and pinecones as a daily ritual and evenings spent by the fire reading or knitting. While the world waited for the "predicted end" to come this weekend, we headed to the beach in The Ginty and spent a lovely afternoon walking on the soft dark sands. Low tide is magnificent with rock pools to explore, seaweed to gather for the garden and the finding of new shells and stones. It always amazes me the colours of seaweed...the rich dark blackness of Kelp and the wonderful pinks the cover the beach at the moment.  I never thought seaweed could be pink!! I try to imagine the colours that must exist below the surface. We always bring a little bag and collect little treasures....paua shells , funny shaped stones...all become part of the altar to life on our window sills. It seems silly at times to worry about the end of the world ....to prepare for time to come and forget to live in this wonderful playground that is provided for us in the now. I  love the quote by Harper Lee in her book " To Kill a Mockingbird " ..this was the general idea of her quote.." some people are so intent in preparing for the next life ..they forget to live in this one..." When was the last  time...this world made you feel a sense of wonder...and amazement....Live deeply today.

Fiber Artist Adventures

I have recently decided to try to expand my skills with art though working on some new techniques and ideas. I have been lucky to come across some great new books in the local library - jam packed with ideas to add texture , interest and uniqueness to fabric . This is great news for someone like me who wants to do more with what stash of supplies I have as well as expand the prospects for upcycled fabrics.

One book I am working my way through my way at the moment is called Hot Textiles by Kim Thittichai. This is a wonderful book that is a great addition to the Fiber artist library. It shows how to use heat tools , like irons, soldering irons , heat guns to melt and dissolve fabrics so that it crinkles and puckers or burns to add interesting holes and textures.This morning I have been experimenting with some organza , tulle and polyester fabric and even lace...using a tea light and flame I have burnt and created holes in the fabric and then layer stitched one on top or the other to create a heavy texture and peep holes fabric that is quite pleasing. I am using this final fabric as part of the skirt to my witch doll as I wanted her to have clothing that was wild and colourful and bohemian . I am quite pleased with the results and the way it has transformed ordinary upcycled fabric  into something quite different and unique..There is also a fun aspect to watching the fabric melt and burn into an interesting shape..I have yet to try experimenting with some other things in the book like melting plastic bags...and other materials but already the possibilities are opening up. If you try any of this or have tried any of these techniques I would love to hear about it...

I will list the completed doll on Etsy  store when she is done....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MysticHillsNgaroma

Bottoms up!!

After yesterdays flippant quip about earthquakes and Beer we had an earthquake last night! Not a big one to be sure but enough to shake the bed and wake the dogs with its rumble.
So I lay there in the dark waiting for an aftershock or something bigger thinking-Damn, I didn't stockpile any Beer. Actually I'm not a big beer drinker and I am a little nervous about natural disasters but realise that I have to go on living today and tomorrow no matter what may occur so I may as well not worry about it and enjoy every moment I have.
Here's hoping you have a great day no matter what may occur in your world. Peace really is an inner state.

Peace in a shaking World

The Moment the quake struck Christchurch

Fallen buildings, displaced people, grief and destruction on a massive scale assaults us every time we turn on the TV or Radio these past few weeks. Christchurch is not far from where we live, we felt the shakes albeit at a much lessened intensity and the destruction there has affected our lives in many ways. Disruption of mail and food distribution, an increased population as refugees flee to our part of the country and beneath it all the disquieting realisation that our world is not as solid as we would like to believe.
Then Japan and its terrible tsunami's, the effects of which where evident along our shores and now the ongoing nuclear disaster.  It is easy to become alarmed and afraid under such circumstances so how do we continue life as normal? Or should we make sudden and drastic changes to our lives in an effort to find safety in troublesome times?

These are big questions and I do not presume to answer them for you, rather I share my own response to these tragedies as one human to another. Let me begin by saying that we have been hosting a refugee from Christchurch who was forced from her house by the damage from the February 22 quake and it would be fair to say that her nerves were somewhat less than settled. Aftershocks, constant news footage and public discussion of earthquakes and the damage suffered is our daily fare. Add to that the fact that I write this within site of the biggest fault line in NZ on a site that has been severely shaken more than once in the past 100 years and you begin to get a sense of the uncertainty we are living with day to day. The tragic loss of life and property should not be taken lightly yet nor should we succumb to depression in our grief. There has also been a prediction of a big quake in the next few days for our area-one that has been hotly debated as to its authenticity.
 All that aside, the question remains, does my security and personal peace come from external circumstances or can I find a stability within myself despite chaos all around?

There are some shining examples throughout history of those who have walked in peace in the midst of turmoil  and you don't have to look far to find writings describing one way or another to achieve this state of internal peace. As for myself I had this conversation with a local tradesman today and asked him if he had prepared in any way for the predicted big one. His answer.... Yeah, I've stocked up on Beer!
I reckon if you're the type that thinks the world is coming to an end you could ease up a bit and stock up on Beer,. It's probably at least as effective as worrying.

Cheers.