Vacation Time
This issue will be kinda short as I am crazy busy getting ready for
a vacation. Alicia and I along with my sister and another friend are
going to spend a fabulous week in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula.
A girls get-a-away....no boyfriends, no TV (by choice), no computers
(how will I survive??? )....just us and nature. In a cabin of course,
let’s not get too carried away. I like my plumbing indoors, thank
you. I’ve done the camping thing, I’m over it.
We are going to the Keewenaw Peninsula area, specifically staying in
Toivola near Twin Lakes. We are a little south of Houghton and Hancock.
We stayed at this same cabin two years ago. It is secluded enough that
there are no neighbors in sight but still close to the highway for safety.
And no bright outdoor lights so we should get a good view of the night
sky while we sit by our campfire.
Our days will consist mainly of visiting sites related to the copper
mining that took place up there in the 1800’s. We’ll go to
mine rock piles to look for treasures of raw copper, green stone, black
garnets, pyrite, and other minerals found in Michigan. Last time we
visited the Delaware
Mine and took the tour, we plan to visit there again. We didn’t
make it to the Adventure
Mine last time and we plan to this year. We’ll go to Copper
Harbor for shopping, museums, and agate hunting. Last time we took a
boat ride to a lighthouse which was really fun.
At the mines that have tours, I usually opt out. When I was younger
my family visited some caves and mines that had tours so I’ve had
the underground experience. I really have no desire to go down to the
dark damp tunnels to get the mining experience. I’ll stay above
ground and check out the gift shops, they are much brighter and rarely
are damp.
At night we’ll have a fire and eat my sister’s delicious
healthy cooking. It’s great having a chef in the group when on
vacation. She’s happy to cook as long as we take care of the dishes
afterward. We may do some spiritual stuff too but last time we got back
to the cabin so late and were so tired from the day’s events that
we never did get around to the rituals we had planned.
Oils for Travel
When I am to be one of the drivers, I’m always sure to bring
some peppermint oil . Peppermint helps wake you up and keeps
you alert. Of course, when you are driving it is not a good idea to
be opening a bottle which requires two hands, at least one should be
on the wheel! If you have a car diffuser you can add the drops to that,
provided everyone in the car likes the smell. Another way is to put
a drop or two on a tissue and keep it on you to occasionally sniff,
or put a drop on your shirt so the scent rises up. Do not put peppermint
directly on the skin without a carrier oil, it is an irritant. Don’t
have the oil? Mint gum or a mint candy will do the trick too.
What if you are not driving and that makes you nervous? I’d reach
for lavender to relax and calm the nerves. It can help you sleep
also to make the trip go quicker. Try not to fill the car with this
one, don’t want the driver to relax too much! If you have a travel
pillow, put a few drops on that, or a few drops on the seat about head
level (if the owner of the car doesn’t mind). Got a nervous passenger?
Pass them the bottle. Lavender can be used on the skin without a carrier,
suggest they put a drop on a wrist or behind ears.
Once there, you might want to freshen up the room you are staying in.
See my October 2009 newsletter for
cleansing incense you might want to bring with you, or scented candles.
A sage bundle can get rid of any weird energy, or use my personal
favorite...dragon’s blood, which takes the energy down to
zero so you can fill the room with your good energy. These also get
rid of any funky smells that are present when you get there.
For your first aid kit, I’d recommend lavender or tea tree,
or both. They are anti-just-about-everything when it comes to bacteria
and germs. Both can be applied right to a cut or wound or bug bite.
The small bottles are easy to carry for any emergency.
Don’t forget my bug spray recipe from the July
2008 newsletter . Especially when visiting anywhere in Michigan
were the bugs are hungry and out in force. You can make an anit-itch
blend in case you do get bit by blending peppermint with either
tea tree or lavender, equal amounts, and putting it in a roller bottle.
Just apply to the bite and not only will the itch go away (peppermint)
but you’ll kill any germs (tea tree or lavender) the little bugger
left too. (since the peppermint, a skin irritant, is mixed with a
safe oil in this blend, it can be applied to the skin with no carrier
unless you are sensitive to mints)
In an area with tons of bugs? Get some unscented skin lotion and add
some of the bug spray blend to it. Use it after your shower and the
oils will stay on your skin making you taste bad when the mosquitoes
and others come to call.
I’ve had the idea in my head to make smelling salts, a more convenient
way to bring aromatherapy with you when you travel. Earlier today I
put some sea salt in a couple of small bottles I had. To one I added
peppermint oil to keep me alert and to another I added eucalyptus and
lime to help if my allergies kick in. I will bring these with me as
testers and if all works well (they keep their scent ) I may just add
these to the products I sell at shows. Of course, you could make your
own. I’ll give amounts in a future newsletter after they have been
tested.
TTFN
"So little to do and so much time.....wait....reverse that
." I think I got the quote right, know what movie that line
is from? It just popped into my head. Anyway, that’s about all
I have time for right now. One more day to pack and finish up the hundred
little chores that need to be done before I go. My boyfriend will be
staying here to take care of Sandy and hopefully fix a few things for
me. I’m leaving some notes so the diva kitty won’t be put
out too much by the temporary help messing up her routine. Ah, to be
a cat....but then I couldn’t go on vacation and visit the mines...unless
I was a cat
named Sneakers...... (click the link and that will make sense).
I did manage to get the properties of stones
A-L that I sell at shows on the website. The grammar may be off
and so is the punctuation. I’ll complete it and fix the errors
after I get back. I took pictures of the stones too, those will have
to wait also until I get back.
Love, Luck and Rocks!
~~~~Rhiannon Rose @--^--
