Have you cleaned your diffuser lately?

We all talk about wonderful diffuser recipes, but I really don’t see discussions on diffuser care.   You do realize you need to take regular care of your diffuser, right?

Each week, take time to wipe your diffuser down, inside and out.  If you’re a fanatical cleaner, after each use is best, but who has time for that?  Wish I did….

First unplug your diffuse — leave cord in the wall and unplug at the diffuser point.  By wipe down, I mean take a cloth and put a bit of alcohol on it and wipe the inside and out of the diffuser.  Get those fingerprints off and the oil drops, as well as the dust that has collected.  Use a cotton swap dipped in alcohol to get inside really good – the nooks and crannies as well as the ultrasonic plate or chip in the bottom.  That’s the minimum you should do.

Once a month it’s a great idea to clean it a bit deeper, like you would your coffee pot.  Fill the diffuser about halfway with water and add about 10 drops of white vinegar.  Turn on the diffuser and run for about 10 minutes.  Unplug and wipe it all down.  Voila!

Ever hear your diffuser start to make grinding noises or sound like a little choo choo train starting up?  Yup….deep cleaning time, you’ve waited a bit too long.  Regular care and five minutes a week can extend the life of your diffuser.  You are doing so much good for yourself using it, give it a bit of TLC as well.

.....petunia peppercorn, what the heck?

I actually bought my own domain and signed up for webhosting and created a website, PETUNIA PEPPERCORN.  For years, I had wanted to purchase that domain as that was my nickname growing up (see below).  I thought that basically transferring everything from Musings would be my goal and add in "so much more" that you can do with a website.  Well.  PIA in my opinion.  Just another thing to do, monitor spam, add programs that filter and block spam, and I got a headache trying to get Pinterest to verify my site or whatever they do.  Never achieved that one.  Anyway.....I realized that however off and on this blog is, it has recorded periods of my life and I don't want to lose that.  I let go of my hosted website and simply pointed PETUNIAPEPPERCORN.COM here since I own it.  Not sure I'll keep it, but it does exist.  And back to blogging I go.

What is below was my "ABOUT" portion and explains why the name.  I'm back.  Again.

I’m Sandy Underwood from San Antonio, Texas. I’ve only been in Texas 13 years, don’t think I’m anything close to a native. My husband (John Stacy, he goes by Stacy) is a native though. We met in 2012 online and eloped in 2014, two years to the date after we first met F2F. I’m a librarian, mom of two grown daughters, and a constant knowledge seeker.

Growing up, my mom nicknamed me Petunia Peppercorn.  Where in the world it came from, I have no clue.  I just know that you say that name to one of my siblings and they know just who you are talking about.  My older brother often refers to me as simply “Petunia” and I’m sure that on Facebook, people wonder what that’s all about.  As a teen in the 70’s I had a leather bracelet with Petunia tooled on it.  The name has always just been “me” and special.

Years ago I found that the domain PetuniaPeppercorn.com was available for purchase and I was tempted.  It’s been in the back of my mind for years to purchase it, but…..”it’s too long”  rang in my brain repeatedly.  Too bad, it’s me.  Bitly and other great URL shortness exist just for me!  So, low and behold, this odd, icy, snowy San Antonio day, I purchased the website and jumped on the website bandwagon for myself.  I’ve created two websites for government entities in the past and now it’s time for my own.

I’m interested in so many things, but what is so important in my life comes down to saving memories via pictures and words (blogging), Essential Oils (EOs), Mindfulness, and simply stuff that rattles around in my mind … like recipes and why I can’t find the perfect recipe “box” online.  Yes, my mind rambles.  A LOT.  I’m a librarian. Knowledge and constantly learning is important to me, so I’ll be recording my ramblings here and I’m sure we will all watch the tabs expand in topics.

Comment, react, share.  I’d love some interaction and to hear hear your thoughts.  I simply ask you be open to ideas.  I’m always open to changing my mind if you can convince me.  Deep conversation welcome, shallow small talk….not so much.

Welcome…..to Petunia Peppercorn.

Maui on my Mind

This song Maui On My Mind, has been running through my head since I arrived on Maui a few days ago.  I lived in Hawaii from age 11 through 18, graduating high school from Kalaheo High on the windward side of Oahu.  These years growing up were so unlike any of my other friends that I currently have, and kind of were buried.  My husband once asked me what music I listened to in high school since it didn't seem I had listened to anything he had (Pink Floyd for example).  At the time he asked, I couldn't answer because I just didn't know for some reason.

Now that I'm in Maui and back in the islands, things are coming back that I had buried.  I have no idea why they were buried except that when I went to college, the second time I said I was from Hawaii, one of my sorority sisters gave me a really hard time and told me no I wasn't because my mom lived in Lincoln (she had moved to same city I went to school in - Lincoln, Nebraska - shortly after I had moved for school).  I was told I was a Lincoln Girl and I was lying when I said I was from Hawaii.  It didn't seem to matter that I had spent the last seven years of my life in Hawaii and that my dad and brother lived there still.  I was pressured into never mentioning it.  That was the start of my hate of college.  And unfortunately I will never forget who it was that said all that and made me feel like this.  Not only the words, but she went through my greek yearbook and crossed out Hawaii by my name.  I'm sorry, but at this point in my life, I'm going to say "what a bitch".  I'm sure she's not, now, but it's a great lesson on words and how they affect others.  

So.....I never mentioned or thought about where I came from that often.  And that makes me incredibly sad that I was influenced so much and let her do that to me.  

As we've been on Maui, memories from over 37 years ago are flooding back and the tears are at the surface.  I tear up often for seemingly no reason.  I so want to just quit my life as it is and stay here.  The beauty that had surrounded me for years is still here and the laid back attitude is so far from what I live on a day to day basis.  I want peace.  I want happy.  I want tranquility and beauty.  Daily.  And to appreciate and remember them always.  

Arriving on Maui and driving....so different from San Antonio.  In SA everyone is so aggressive (me included) and out to be faster, not let people in.  Here...dang, I made a mistake, slow down, try to figure out if I'm to turn left.....the person coming at me is driving maybe 20, slows and stops.....waiting for me to turn if that's what I need to do.  People anticipate, drive slow, give the right of way to others constantly.  Kindness.  So nice. Made me feel so happy that there is a land where people are genuinely kind.  And no, I wasn't in tourist area at the time.  We had taken a detour to Wailea to a very local area to stop by a shop we wanted to hit before going to the resort.  Believe me, I know that the locals realize where the money comes from and who to be nice to.  That is tourism.  

Any time I've taken a vacation before, I've had a hard time letting life go and relaxing immediately. NOT SO this time.  I'm not sure how I'm going to handle going back to work.  I think we are going to have to start talking about lifestyle and where we truly want to live.  What our sacrifices are going to be. Timeline.  Life is too short to live the way I have been.  I need to truly feel and enjoy.  Let the people and crap go that aren't truly beneficial.  Live a life I love.  Come along for the ride if you are willing to do same.....leave the crap behind....drama, game playing, fakeness.  I can't do this anymore.  I need the peace and beauty back in my life that I once had and was too young to appreciate.  It's not too late.

What did I listen to in high school?  Kalpana, Cecelio & Kapono, The Beamers, Olomana.  Bob Scaggs, Loggins & Messina, Elton John.  A lot of local influence.  I missed a lot of what the mainland kids grew up on, but I had incredible local talent in my ears as well that the mainland didn't have like we did.

Keep on going....

Sometimes it's hard to keep going. I'm not sure there are any good reasons to honestly. I'm trying but oh so tired of it. 

....familiar

I'm desperately missing the familiar tonight.  I had always looked forward to the day I would be in a home I'd been in for years, having raised my children there.  It would be their childhood home, the one they'd come back to and bring their children to.  I didn't grow up with that and it was the one thing I wanted in life.  

Life can be cruel.  I was blindsided by divorce, never saw it coming.  I built a brick wall around me and lost myself for a year or possibly more online. Online friends, games.  Things to take my  mind off the fact that everything I ever knew or dreamed of was gone forever.  My life had changed dramatically yet again.

Fine.  I went on with life and found a wonderful and kind man.  Remarried.  My kids grew up, although difficultly.  I've changed, outlook and many of my interests.  However, I have a deep need  to be grounded.  I love trips and adventures but I always need to get home to be grounded and comfortable.  Too long away is hard on me.

I've been in Texas for over 13 years now.  My sister Sally came to visit me about 10 years ago.  My niece Lisa came to visit about 5 years ago.  My high school friend Sharon came to visit 8 years ago or so  That is it.  No one else has come to visit me.  13 years.  Pity party on my part, I know.  My life for the last 13 years has had only the familiar of my children.  Yet...they've grown up and gone off.  Not cool to hang out with mom and there's often irritation at me.  

The familiar is missing and it hurts.  This is a nice life, but not what i had imagined or dreamt of.  Sometimes I just need the familiar.  The smells, memories, shared laughter.  People.  My people are not around me and i don't see a time they will be.  They've not been to visit and that hurts.  I love my husband and my life.  I only wish that I wasn't so isolated and that my people might come visit some day.  But I don't hold any hope.  What makes it so much harder is that my husband has all his people near.  I'm the one that had to fit in. No one knows my people and my life and my past.  What I love.  What is cozy and familiar to me.  No shared memories from years ago.  

Sometimes life is so lonely and isolated even in a home with a man I love and in a metropolitan city.  Familiar.  I wish. 

Positivity

I've been called a PollyAnna when I go for the positive.  Dated myself, didn't I, with that PollyAnna reference.  Go ahead and refer to me that way.  But the above is truth.

It's all about choice.  You can choose to gripe about the rain and mud puddles, or you can be thrilled with the wonderful clean, moist scent of the earth and the fact that the garden is getting watered and it's not cutting into your water bill!  Why choose the dark and gloomy route?  I do understand that some people are prone to negativity.  You CAN make a choice about your attitude and outlook.

It's the simple things in life that mean the most, people and memories.  We tend to make things too complicated and place money and material objects in the seat of importance.  Wrong.  Simple.  The warm, snuggly baby on your lap that just melts into you and is full of love.  The knowledge that someone is on your side unconditionally.  The daily waking up.  The scent of the damp earth in the rain.

Life is simple and precious, look for the good and appreciate it.

Yes....this is a semi pep talk for those times I get frustrated with people and down.  We all need to rise above it.

Positivity

I've been called a PollyAnna when I go for the positive.  Dated myself, didn't I, with that PollyAnna reference.  Go ahead and refer to me that way.  But the above is truth.

It's all about choice.  You can choose to gripe about the rain and mud puddles, or you can be thrilled with the wonderful clean, moist scent of the earth and the fact that the garden is getting watered and it's not cutting into your water bill!  Why choose the dark and gloomy route?  I do understand that some people are prone to negativity.  You CAN make a choice about your attitude and outlook.

It's the simple things in life that mean the most, people and memories.  We tend to make things too complicated and place money and material objects in the seat of importance.  Wrong.  Simple.  The warm, snuggly baby on your lap that just melts into you and is full of love.  The knowledge that someone is on your side unconditionally.  The daily waking up.  The scent of the damp earth in the rain.

Life is simple and precious, look for the good and appreciate it.

Yes....this is a semi pep talk for those times I get frustrated with people and down.  We all need to rise above it.