Remind, Everything and Dawn.

October – such a lovely month – smack bang in the middle of Spring in the southern hemisphere and Fall (Autumn) in the northern hemisphere. In my humble opinion, perfect in every way! The mornings are still crisp, but the days are enchanting. I enjoy dawn as it is the best time to watch the sunrise. Everything is bathed in a special type of light, and I have to keep reminding myself, that for all the traumas in the world, and in my life, this Earth is beautiful and deserves our undivided care and love.

Once again, this blog gives you a story to read, a free recipe to cook and eat, and a dream that all of us aspire to. Please enjoy.

***

The crash

The crash to the ground had winded him. He tried to move, but his body felt as if every bone in it had been broken. He wasn’t aware of pain, but something pushed at his face and he wondered what it was.

He cautiously opened his eyes. A black mass was in front of his helmet. What on earth?

In the distant he could hear voices. They were laughing and chattering. Wasn’t anyone going to help? They seemed not to care.

Slowly he became aware that the black mass was an animal’s nose. That confused him. Where was he? Why had he fallen? Why was he so heavy? Why was he wearing a helmet?

The black nose pushed at him again and he groaned. He turned his head slightly and tried to see through the eye-slit of the helmet. There was grass in his face, and in the distance, he could just see some colourful tents, with people wandering around. They looked to be in long dresses and peasant clothing. He concluded that he must be at a fair of some kind.

He pushed his hands into the ground and tried to sit up. The black nose breathed over him and he smelled horse. It nickered.

The heaviness he felt was from head to toe. He clanked as he tried to move but it was useless.

He heard a young male’s voice almost in his ear.

“Master, are you orright?”

He rolled his eyes. He was on the ground and couldn’t get up – of course he wasn’t alright.

A pair of hands tugged at his arms. He grunted and so did the boy.

‘Oi, I need ‘elp ‘ere,” the boy yelled.

More running footsteps approached. Whoever was there helped the boy to manoeuvre him into a better position, then they yanked him to his feet. He wobbled dangerously, but he took a breath and began to walk – carefully. He was in full armour.

Then he realised what had happened.

He had fallen off his horse. No bones were broken, no-one was worried. He’d merely been practicing at lance work for the upcoming event.

***

Mykey’s Basic Muffin Mix:

2 ½ cup wholemeal/SR Flour mix

1 ¼ cup milk

90g melted butter

¾ cup caster sugar

1 beaten egg
Additions:

Dates
dried apricots
mashed banana
grated apple
blueberries
sultanas/etc
coffee powder
choc chips – etc

Pre-heat oven to 180-200°C.
Prepare greased muffin tins.
Mix flour and sugar.
Add milk, egg and melted butter and mix together until just combined.
Mix flour/sugar and milk/egg/butter mixtures together with any of the options you desire.
Spoon into muffin tin or patty papers until ¾ full.
Cook for approx 25 mins. Put on rack and cool. Ice if desired.

***

The dream for this month is something we can try and achieve. Good health is a combination of healthy, nutritious food, gentle exercise and a happy and hopeful attitude. My Aunt turns 98 this month, and still smiles and looks forward to a better day tomorrow. She has always been the same – working at keeping stress at bay and looking at life as the gift that it is. As with everyone, there have been hiccoughs along the way, but these have been overcome with an uncomplaining smile. Hopefully, you will take this advice on board and improve your health.

A couple of my children’s picture books talk about health – how easy it is to catch a cold, and how stress can play havoc with your physical and mental well-being. They are available from me at AU$18 each (plus postage. Email me at maureenlarter@gmail.com if you require more information.