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~ my life in sevilla

casa azahar

Category Archives: health & happiness

ya es primavera

17 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by azahar in health & happiness, plants, sevilla, spain

≈ 10 Comments

blossom

This weekend the first orange blossom (azahar) was spotted in the centre of Sevilla. This is always the first sign of spring for me, though it never becomes “official” until you see the ya es primavera banners across the windows of El Corte Inglés.

For the next three weeks or so the streets of Seville will smell like heaven. I used to wonder why I found the fragrance of orange blossom so soothing until I found out that azahar has many therapeutic qualities, including its use as a natural sedative. Other therapeutic properties of orange blossom oil (aka Neroli) are antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-infectious, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, cordial, deodorant, digestive, emollient, and tonic. It takes about 1000 lbs. of orange blossoms to make 1 lb. of Neroli oil, which no doubt accounts for its rather hefty price tag.

But as lovely as Neroli is, it is no comparison for the delicate scent of orange blossom in the fresh spring air. Wish you could be here…

[ from azahar’s Sevilla ]

here comes the sun…

16 Monday Mar 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, friends, health & happiness, life stuff

≈ 11 Comments

sunny-weather

I’m afraid the black clouds were back this weekend.

I think the oncologist visit on Friday kind of threw me, as well as some other info I’ve been reading elsewhere. It suddenly hit home that I am in a remission state at the moment that I’ve been taking way too much for granted. Which at first felt like a bit of a wake up call, and I set about making sure that I didn’t waste any more days. Then I totally collapsed about half-way through my “wonderful day” and I realised that I need to do things differently.  It seems that even taking things one day at a time is still more than I can handle, so I dunno … take things by the hour? Seriously, I think making lists and then just focusing on the job at hand is probably going to be the best way of coping for now. A little therapeutic tunnel vision. Hour by hour. Because trying to deal with a whole day is sometimes just too overwhelming.

So I’ll be starting today off with an hour of coffee & reading in bed, then an hour of yoga, and then … well then we’ll see if I can get the sun to come out. One hour at a time. . .

so now what?

13 Friday Mar 2009

Posted by azahar in cancer, health & happiness, hospitals, rants

≈ 22 Comments

confused

Met with my new oncologist this morning.

First of all I have to say that Ana is fabulous. Very patient, very straightforward, very clear … in fact, I spent over an hour talking things over with her. Given that she is the “sub-directora” (what’s that in English?) of the oncology department at my hospital, part of me felt a bit guilty about taking up so much of her time. But if I hadn’t kept asking questions we would never have got to the place we are now with my treatment. Which is still very confusing but, as Ana said, at least I will feel like I am doing everything possible…

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a lovely day…

12 Thursday Mar 2009

Posted by azahar in blogging, films, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, holidays, photos, restaurants, sevilla, tapas, wine

≈ 7 Comments

slumdog
I mentioned over here, after having seen my third or fourth meh film in a row, that I couldn’t actually remember the last time I saw a film that really wowed me. Well, it finally happened a couple of weeks ago when Susan & I had another “girls’ Saturday night out”. Except this time we started with lunch …
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pardon my absence

10 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by azahar in blogging, friends, health & happiness, hope, life stuff, work

≈ 10 Comments

chair

For those of you who may have noticed…

I haven’t been around the ol’ blogosphere much of late, though I have actually been spending even more time than usual in front of the computer.  When I have had some time to do a little blog reading (usually in bed on the iPhone with Azar on my head) I mostly catch up without leaving comments. Which I know is really bad of me because I know how much I love getting comments, and that you gotta give in order to receive, and all that jazz. But it’ll probably be like this for the next couple of weeks anyhow, while I desperately try to get work and other stuff sorted out.

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