02/21/08
Dear Wendy:

“I have to say that I am not usually one for follow ups but I felt it necessary to convey my appreciation and thanks for your help and patience. I received all three of the essences you had recommended (Cherry Plum, Red Chestnut,and Star of Bethlehem) and though I admit I was skeptical the results have been tremendous.

Whether it was the opening of my mind itself under duress or simply the inherent nature of herbal science, either way thank you for your time and consideration.”

Sincerely,

Ron

Did you know if you drop just a few drops of Rose Geranium Essential Oil on your dogs collar, it will repel ticks all summer long? Keep re-applying every week or so if the scent becomes too faint. Ticks HATE Geranium.

Did you also know that FRONTLINE and other tick repellent medicines are PESTICIDES?!?!?!?! Don’t poison your doggie this summer, try this natural altenrative that is harmless to your dog and to the environment. (You may have noticed your dog become lethargic after applying these pesticide based medicines in past summers).

This oil is only $13.95 for 10ml - it will last years and years. Get it now >>

Wendy

Well I did the thing that you never think yourself careless enough to do.

I stepped on the rusty old nail. When it happened, it didn’t hurt at all, my brain just said “you just stepped on a nail”. I was carried over the threshold into the house, with blood gushing out, my sock quickly turning from white to red.

My shoe, still standing on the nail, was able to tell me that the nail went 2″ in. GOD! The plank was under leaves and the nail was maliciously sticking itself up just waiting and waiting… like a spindle on a wheel or a poison apple…

Cleared the kitchen counter and threw myself up there, hefting my foot over the sink - first reach was Goldenseal tincture right into the wound, then right into the mouth. Didn’t mind the taste at all when usually it makes me flail and flince like a flounder. Next I am furiously reading through
Matthew Wood’s Book of Herbal Wisdom - tetanus, tetanus, tetanus (I have not
had my tetanus shot) - and its in the index… Plantago Major. Good for blood poisons. OK! Plantain tincture, directly into the puncture, then down the hatch. The tincture burned into my foot, “JESUS!”, well at least I know I’m not in shock anymore and now I am beginning to feel the pain. The stinging told me it went all the way into the wound, sometimes the things that hurt the most are the best for us… After that, we couldn’t find the Hydrogen Peroxide, so straight vodka over the whole wound.

Next comes bandaging issues. I used Carolyn Kelley’s First Aid Powder to make that “herbal skin” in order to close the puncture wound as infection free as
possible. I know her powder has Goldenseal in it so used that each time I
changed the band-aid.

Now the hole is just a scab and the inside of my foot is still tender, I
have no red lines indicative of tetanus. I am definitely staying alkalized
with teas and green foods right along to ensure nothing starts inside.

I did confirm later that Michael Moore recommends Hydrastasis as a standard for puncture wounds (Goldenseal).

I am still watching it and nursing the foot. It slowed me down for sure
which may have been what I needed, something worse could have happened.

That’s the LONG version!

Adventures in Herbalism and Life… affirming my bodily existence in many ways!

This recipe is from OfTheField.com, written by Linda Runyon.

Lamb’s Quarters Fat
Hen Soup
1 lb. lamb’s quarters leaves &
seeds (6-8 cups), washed
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt (optional)
¼ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
½ cup milk (or water)
½ cup sour cream (or water)
2 tsp. pine kernels

She notes when harvesting the Lamb’s Quarters (a.k.a. goosefoot), not to pick any red stemmed as they usually contain nitrates, only the green stemmed. Its an amazing amount of vitamins and nutrients in this wildharvested recipe.

For the full cooking instructions, visit her web site. Linda teaches all about eating wild foods (as simple as pine needle), and how to harvest, clean and prepare these free edible foods.

Hops, the main ingredient in Beer, bears this latin name:

“Humulus lupulus“

If you say this five times fast, it will induce a drunken state. Thanks for the tickle, you silly Latins (am I one of those?).

Wendy

Foods and Herbs High in Magnesium
Alfalfa, Apples, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Black-eyed Peas, Blackstrap molasses, Brown Rice, Cantaloupe, Catnip, Capsicum, Chamomile, Chickweed, Dandelion, Dulse, Eyebright, Figs, Garlic, Grapefruit, Green leafy veggies, Hops, Horsetail, Kelp, Lemons, Licorice, Lima Beans, Mullein, Nuts, Parsley, Peaches, Soybeans, Tofu, Whole Grains

Possible Signs of Magnesium Deficiency
Angina, Asthma, Cardiac Arrhythmia, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Constipation, Depression, Dizziness, Digestive Problems, Heart Attacks (without magnesium, arteries tense up) High Blood Pressure, High LDL Cholesterol Levels, Hypertension, Insomnia, Irritability, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Kidney Stones, Lack of Concentration, Migraines, Muscle Weakness, Nervousness, PMS Symptoms, Pulmonary Disorders, Rapid Heartbeat, Seizures, Spasmodic Pains (especially during women’s monthly cycle), Sugar Cravings, Tantrums, Teeth Grinding, Twitching, Schizophrenia

Things That Increase the Body’s Need for Magnesium
Alcohol, Antibiotics, Diuretics, Diarrhea, Fluoride, Excess Levels of Zinc and Vitamin D

Things That Deplete Magnesium
Large amounts of protein, fats, cod liver oil, calcium,and/or vitamin D. Foods high is oxalic acid, such as almonds, chard, cocoa, rhubarb, spinach, and tea. Stress, refined flour and sugar, chemotherapy.

Oakhurst Dairy, a leading non-hormone milk provider in Portland Maine, announced that they have turned their facility into a solar powered facility! AND they have turned their delivery trucks into bio-diesel trucks!

This is so fantastic, I hope all corporations begin to convert to alternative fuel sources and stop emitting pollution. Oakhurst noted in their report that they will save 5,000 gallons of oil per year(used to heat their facility), in addition to the pollution that burning this oil would create. This is the largest solar installation in New England to date.
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Whats in my fridge? You bet… (big smile)

Wendy

I attended a Native American Healing Circle last night and wanted to share a very compelling thought mentioned by one of the Elders:

“Grandmother Earth has much more power than we could ever imagine. To think that its our job to heal her is presumptuous. Its our job to heal ourSelves. If we heal ourSelves, we are healing Grandmother Earth. We always think we are improving when we are fixing something outside of ourselves, when She wants us to heal ourSelves which is the same as healing her.”

Ah hau, (in truth)
Wendy
www.gardenplum.com

I often look to spiritual messages that the body is sending, and Susun also talks about this. In Susun Weed’s recent article, she talks about looking at symptoms from a spiritual standpoint, and this particular article she cites vaginitis as her example. Is chronic vaginities simply a matter of your body preventing entry from another? Or is it a case of denying what upsets you?

Are these symptoms letting you know that your “deep insides” are being denied by your outer thinking? Have you been expressing your feelings or bottling them up? Where would they go except deep inside?

Does somebody else think you are “dirty”, or even worse, do you believe you are “dirty”? Are you in touch with your deep feminine callings? In her article, she points out that cysts near the exterior may be your ally, as you body is blocking entry… from someone or something.

I believe these ponderings are integral parts of unlocking our whole health. Our thoughts create our reality, and our physical ailments are a result of our personal beliefs. Our most sacred part of our bodies, our woman parts, are to be held in high esteem and honored as creators of life. So many of us feel ugly, abandoned, dirty, used. So many of us want to douche and cleanse and rid… rid ourselves of what? Our own self hatred? Love, love, love.

An ally in this struggle to find self love, crab apple flower essence can help, read more here:

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