A Beautiful Heart

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly ...but it was full of scars ...it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in ..but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact ...in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared ...how can he say his heart is more beautiful ...they thought?

The young man looked at the old man's heart ...and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine ..mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes" .. said the old man ..."yours is perfect looking but ...I would never trade with you. You see ... every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love ...I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them ...and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart ...but because the pieces aren't exact ...I have some rough edges ...which I cherish ...because they remind me of the love we shared.

Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away ...and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges ...giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful ..they stay open ...reminding me of the love I have for these people too ..and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man ...reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart ..and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering ...placed it in his heart ..and then took a piece from his old scarred heart ...and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit ...but not perfectly ...as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart ...not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever ...since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.

They embraced and walked away side by side.

Another New Recycled Bag...

Hello lovelies.. we actually have whispers of Summer here today with almost blue skies among the showers :o)

I’ve made another little bag with greenwhispers..





its the same as yesterdays.. well almost..
it’s the same style and size - 11 X 8.5 inch.. with this one I’ve made the outside of the bag with the lilac corduroy, and inside with a very lightweight black stripey cotton, that used to be a wrap skirt bought in Thailand a few year ago. The strap, again, is made from the dark purple, tapestry-upholstery kind of fabric and the underside of the strap is a checked cotton in pale lilac.

All recycled fabrics…











a view of inside...







a close up view of the fabrics...

A New Recycled Bag for Me.......

Hello to you on this blustery, Wintery… Summers day! :o)

I have another little greenwhisper for you today…
I’ve been using up some more of the fabrics from charity shop clothes to make myself this wee bag..





It’s a messenger type bag approx 11 X 8.5 inch.. with a pinstripe cotton fabric on the outside and it's lined with a lilac corduroy, the shoulder length strap is made from a thick, dark purple, tapestry-upholstery kind of fabric.. that used to be a groovy pair of jeans… that I can no longer fit into!! ..and the pinstripe again on the underside of the strap.
I’ve left this one quite simple.. no pockets...
I’ll have a go at adding those on another creation!

A few pics… what do you think of it?











a closer look at the fabrics...

and inside...

a comfy greenwhisper...

On Pain

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses
your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its
heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the
daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem
less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart,
even as you have always accepted the seasons that
pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the
winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within
you heals your sick self.

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy
in silence and tranquillity:

For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by
the tender hand of the Unseen,

And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has
been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has
moistened with His own sacred tears.


~ Khalil Gibran

Wandering...

On the Coast of Anglesey.. jellyfish no longer in their Sea of Destiny!

Three of a Kind...

Good Morning lovelies... and a fine Morning it is too!

Were off camping this weekend so I'll leave you with a few more of my little creations before we get off......... Yes its early... sooo very early!.....
never mind.. I can relax in the open air for the rest of this glorious day... if it stays this way! :-)


three cards, same design, different colours..
This is the 'Namaste Fairy'... Do you like her?









All Cards 8 X 6 inch

The Echo of Life

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly the boy trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Surprised he hears a voice coming from the mountain, "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Filled with curiosity, he screams: "Who are you!" but the only answer he receives is "who are you!" This makes him angry, so he screams: "You are a coward!" and the voice answers "You are a coward!” He looks at his father, asking, "Dad, what is going on!"

"Son," the man replies, "pay attention!" then he screams, "I admire you!" The voice answers "I admire you". The father shouts, "You are wonderful!" and the voice answers: "You are wonderful!"

Then the father explains, "People call this 'Echo'.. but truly it is 'LIFE'! Life always gives you back what you give out! Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love! If you want understanding, give understanding and respect. If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect! This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.“

Life always gives you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own doings.

Recycling Again...

Good Morning to you on this warm wet day..

Today i've just been finishing off some cushion covers to revive my tatty old cushions..

I'm really enjoying making use of the fabrics from charity shop buys, its quite satisfying turning one thing into another..

So continuing with the green theme.. these cushions are made from various items of clothing, that I already had in the house, and were originally from local charity shops...

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Recycled Handmade Bag

This was my first attempt at making a bag.. a gift for my little Sister..












..with a touch of greenwhisper.. this wee 'eco' bag is made with recycled fabric.. from a no longer used, cotton pinstriped skirt, and a silky chinese style top.. the chinese knot cord fastener is also from the top..


I was pleased with it for a first attempt... hope she was too :o) Xx

Little Creations...

A couple more of my little creations, using the same design in different colours...

both cards - 8 X 6 inch

Handmade Cards

Greetings on this bright Monday morning. I'd like to share a few of my handmade cards with you today. For the past few years I’ve been turning my doodling into cards, for friends and family. I love making them so much that I now have many more than I can use. So.. I have been pondering trying to sell some online. I’ve opened an account with http://www.misi.co.uk/ ..now I just need to create a shop, list a few items and see how things go…

Below are a couple of samples of my little creations…




both cards - 8 X 6 inch

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

~ Jalaluddin Rumi

A Mind That Lets Go...

Today.. already, and still so early, I have been filled with a myriad of emotions, getting on with this mornings work and watching them enter my house…

The following quote sprang to mind so I thought this is what I would share with you for today…


Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don’t accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace.

~ Ajahn Chah

Chamomile Facial Toner

Skin Freshener/After Shave Skin Soother
















The following recipe can be used as a facial toner for after cleansing or to soothe and freshen the skin after shaving. I’ve also found it to be very soothing when applied to gnat/insect bites, it greatly relieves the itching applied frequently as needed.

1 tbsp dried Chamomile flowers
½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 small cup (just over half a mug) of water

Put the chamomile flowers and water into a small pan and bring to the boil.
Once its started to boil remove from the heat, place a lid or small plate over it and leave to cool.
When completely cooled remove the chamomile flowers by filtering the liquid through a piece of muslin into a jug, a fine sieve will do if you have no muslin, but the cloth is much better at filtering all the tiny bits.

Then add the apple cider vinegar, give it a good stir and pour it into a small bottle.. about 100ml size.

This will keep for up to a month in the fridge… although in our house it rarely lasts that long.



The apple cider vinegar is added as a preservative..

Chamomile flowers are very calming, soothing and softening for the skin.. great for eczema and irritable skin, and these combined with their antiseptic properties make this very soothing and beneficial for spots.
Apple cider vinegar as well as being a great natural preservative, is also antibacterial, helps to balance the skins natural PH levels and is full of minerals which are very nourishing for the complexion.



The above can also be made up without the apple cider vinegar… I prefer this to use on my face.. just a matter of personal choice, although without the apple cider vinegar it wont keep as long and needs to be made up more frequently, I find like this its ok kept in the fridge for about 5 days, a week at a push… you can usually smell if its going off!


Using this daily, morning and night, after cleansing is a real treat for the skin. When I have an acne rosacea flare its so very soothing and healing.

Emperor Moth

A tale for today...


A man once found a cocoon of the beautiful Emperor Moth and took it home so he could watch the moth emerge from the cocoon.

On the day a small opening appeared, he sat, enthralled, and watched for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole. After a while, it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could go and it could go no further. It just seemed to be stuck.

So the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth.... he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. To his relief, the moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to support the body, which would contract in time -- and the moth would fly away. But it never happened!

In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Freedom and flight could only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of its struggle, he deprived the moth of health and freedom.

If we were to go through our lives without any obstacles or struggles, we too would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every struggle (opportunity) a chance, learn to grow beyond it and fly free of your cocoon -- leave no room for regrets.


~Author Unknown~

Milk and Mint Cleanser

Make-Up Remover


1 small cup (or just over half a mug) of full fat milk
1 tbsp fresh mint (chopped finely)

Mix the chopped mint and milk together, and bring to the boil in a small pan.
Then remove from the heat, and cover the pan with a lid or small plate and leave to cool.
When cooled strain the mint out with muslin/fine cotton or a fine tea strainer.
Put the lovely home made cleanser in a bottle.. glass is best :)


Apply liberally to face with cotton wool.
This is also excellent for removing make-up and is very gentle on the eye area.

Rinse the face with lukewarm water afterwards and pat dry.


This wonderful homemade Cleanser usually lasts about a week if kept in the fridge.



Milk contains lactic acid which is a gentle exfoliant, its also a good source of vitamins A & D.. so nourishes the complexion, and is a wonderful soother for dry, itchy skin.

Mint has great anti-bacterial properties, on par with garlic, is full of Vitamin C so is antioxidant and has significant rejuvenating properties.


I've found that after regular use, morning and night, for the past 4 months, my skin feels much softer and less dry and tight after cleansing. Also having Acne Rosacea, my skin has calmed down considerably, and is loving not having chemical based products smeared all over it on a daily basis!

A Beginning...

On my very first day Blogging the following springs to mind..


Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life ~ American Proverb


There is chance of a new beginning with every second one is breathing...