There is this special beaded necklace from India called the “Empowerment Mala”. As described by the merchants at Organic India as:
“Filled with clarity & beauty, this Mala makes a heart warming gift. Quartz Crystals (Center Stone and beads): Has a cooling effect on the body, and increases stamina and self confidence. Protects wearer from negativity. Helps to focus the mind and aids in decision making. Carnelian (beads): Increase spiritual wisdom, insight and clarity of thought. Increasing intuition and amplifies prayers. Like rose quartz, it has also been said to be useful in helping to heal emotional wounds. Fresh Water Pearls: Symbolizes purity and stimulates the mind in clarity and wisdom. It has been said to enhance personal integrity, help to focus ones attention, and to increase physical vitality.”

Wow, I wonder if I could just put some beads together and make my own Mala. I haven’t used my beading kit for so long. Back in 2006, I probably spent at least $200 on all the beads, etc. But M’s mom ending up purchasing about $150 worth of it. It was fun and well worth the time and effort. But just not very profitable for me.

The Mala from India sells for $50, comes with one free box of tea and a nice jewelry bag too. The tea selection does look good, as I am definitely a tea drinker.

Also called acai berries is all the rage at the health food scene these days. It has also made itself known in the cosmetic industry too. Ikove Amazonian Açaí Berry Shampoo sells 8.5 fl oz for $6.00, described in ad: “Açaí (Euterpe Oleracea): Açaí is the Amazon palm berry, and is a source of natural energy that is harvested in the rainforests of Brazil. It provides a remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help to combat premature aging, such as high quality protein (an almost perfect essential amino acid complex) in conjunction with valuable trace minerals.” I have healthy hair, so I don’t need to worry about it.

But I am interested in either dried acai berries which I can make into tea. Or the powder form I can make into my own cosmetic blends, such as soap or lotions. I found some at Texas Natural Supply - $4 per oz. And Acerola berries (Barbados cherry) powder at $2 per oz. I love acerola, for the vitamin C factor. I need to come up with a recipe soon!

One of my favorite springtime flowers. These bright pink quince flowers come only once a year. This photo was taken at Walker Hill Cherry Blossoms in Seoul via flicrk.

A nice picture of an Irish countryside. I am not Irish but find Ireland to be very enchanting. Especially the music, landscape, and Celtic art. This photo of grazing sheep taken by Paul Brians & Paula Elliot upon their travel to Ireland. This is a peaceful sight to see. Sometimes I drive the back roads of the bay area and find scenes like this, it always makes my heart swell with happiness.

You can also get a nice wallpaper for your computer at American Greetings: “Capturing a bit of the magic of the Irish countryside, this wallpaper features a striking image of a rainbow hovering over a riverside castle.” Click here for more info.

I Am Of Ireland

by William Butler Yeats

‘I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,’ cried she.
‘Come out of charity,
Come dance with me in Ireland.’

One man, one man alone
In that outlandish gear,
One solitary man
Of all that rambled there
Had turned his stately head.
That is a long way off,
And time runs on,’ he said,
‘And the night grows rough.’

‘I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,’ cried she.
‘Come out of charity
And dance with me in Ireland.’

‘The fiddlers are all thumbs,
Or the fiddle-string accursed,
The drums and the kettledrums
And the trumpets all are burst,
And the trombone,’ cried he,
‘The trumpet and trombone,’
And cocked a malicious eye,
‘But time runs on, runs on.’

I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,’ cried she.
“Come out of charity
And dance with me in Ireland.’

I found a listing of this luxury home for sale in Piedmont, California for $2.5 million. It has 4 bedroom, 3.5 baths. And it isn’t the best looking luxury home I’ve seen, but the inside seem spacious as well as the garden in the back.

But the front yard definitely need a new landscaping design. I would add some citrus trees, climbing bouganvilla and wisteria for the entry. Someting more like from the island of Capri or Portofino, Italy. And there’s something not right about the doorway too. A bit off and spooky!

For a down payment of $500K and 30 year 6% interest rate, your monthly payment would be roughly $11K a month. So if you make a fortune, this could all be yours.

Updated 5/27/08: This one is listed for $2 million and located in San Clemente with ocean view. It looks much much better and built in 2001. Has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths.  3800 SqFt. Lot 10500 SqFt.  But I’m just not into living in SoCal unless it’s Santa Barbara. But very Mediterrean.

I was able to get two cuttings of yellow minature climbing roses from a friend of my mom. They weren’t like ordinary bushy climbing roses, but really neat ones that climb upward into the trees growing along the fence. An usual plant with tons of beautiful minature blooms. The best part is that there aren’t any thorns on them. Just loved it so much that I asked for some clippings. Tomorrow I will take a picture and track how I’m going to propagate this plant. In the meantime, here is the same type of rose but more bushy rather then climbing.

For rooting hormone, you can use 1 cup of willow twigs (fresh bark) soaked in 1 gallon hot water overnight. Or just use honey.

garden-helper.com has a great article on propagating roses, here’s an excerpt: “

For Stem Cuttings : Treat stem cuttings just as you do for leaf cuttings. The one exception is that you cut off a stem with three to five leaves instead of cutting just one leaf. Remove the bottom leaves closest to the cut and leave the remaining ones at the top intact. Otherwise handling is the same as for leaf cuttings.

In both types of rooting cover the pot with a plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect and keep the cutting from wilting. Keep the newly planted cutting in a warm location but out of direct sunlight. Plenty of diffused sunlight is best.

After about three to five weeks you should begin to see evidence of growth. As new plants emerge you can safely transplant these to new soil. Continue to provide a humid environment for the new plants until active and vigorous growth begins.” www.garden-helper.com/Articles/Make-Your-Own-Rooting-Hormone.asp