Herbal Amanda's Rant

...Peeking around corners

2011-04-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogosphere! I assume really that no one was listening since I inadvertantly took a year off from blogging, but in case anyone sees this I will make an announcement. I am returning to the internets. Just not yet. See I have decided to go back to school, this time in the exciting field of Women's and Gender Studies at my local Eastern Washington University. Why, you say, Women's Studies? Aren't you an Herbalist? And I say, yes and yes! How does that relate, you ask? Very well actually. I am interested in studying how alternative medicines are marketed to people in general and woman in particular. From what I see in most health magazines woman are getting bombarded with all sorts of health advice, some is actually sound but a lot ins't. So once I get this degree done, sometime this summer if all goes as planned, I will return with posts at the intersection of Herbal Medicine and Gender Studies. Until then I will try to make a few posts when I am not completely swamped with work and school! Stay Groovy! Herbal Amanda

BIKING!

2010-03-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, I gave into peer pressure and bought a new bike! Here are some pictures of me on my maiden voyage.

It turns out Sean took a video as well.

Maybe it's the idea rather than the follow through

2010-03-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

I sparked a heated debate at my book club meeting tonight. One I wasn't really expecting, but perhaps should have. I had an idea while reading our book, 'Seven Days in the Art World', by Sarah Thornton, about conducting interviews with ordinary people "shop girls" and the like about what they wanted from their lives and what the craziest dream of theirs was. I wanted to interview them and blog about it, they could be named or be annonymous their choice.

I told this idea to my two book clubbers, and one loved the idea and the other wanted to know what the purpose of the interview process was. I guess I had viewed it as an art project, but also toyed with the idea of it as a sociological experiement. The only problem being what the purpose of the experiment might be.

Some part of me is just interested in the story. What people are about, and where they are, where they came from and/or where they are going. But my one friend brings up a good point, What is the purpose of the experiment? Why interview these people? What is your criteria. Unfortunately I didn't have an answer. I was just telling them an unfinished, unthoughtout idea that I came across.

Maybe I was just being narcissictic and wanted someone to come by and ask me those questions. Maybe it's an awful idea. Maybe I just wanted to go through the thought experiment, like so many of my other ideas. MaybeI should just keep my mouth shut. Maybe I wanted some controversy in my life.

Whatever the reason, I really only brought it up to discuss our book. To tell a crazy modern art idea I had while reading about art. I regret that that the discussion was cut short and we couldn't resolve it more satifactorily.

Oh, where, oh, where has my Honda gone?

2009-12-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's a curious feeling to walk outside and go to your car, only to discover it missing. My first reaction was to laugh. I mean really what else am I going to do. It's an old car, nothing valuable (other than a blanket a friend made and a external frame backpack) was really inside and it was all paid off. Still, it seems I should feel outrage or hurt or something, but I really don't. I just feel like it's some cosmic joke. I felt more violated the two times my stereo was stolen than I do over this. I suppose it is because there is nothing to react to. I guess it's time to buy a new car. We had been sort of planning to anyway.

2009-11-09T11:10:00.001-08:00

Also found a coupon for Dr. Kilmers Swamp-Root tonic! Here is a link to the modern day manufacturer. I will post a copy of the coupon too.

http://www.go4fur.com/site/785133/page/840326

Dandelion Wine

2009-11-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

My mother and my aunt are lookin g through old family papers and documents and just stumbled across this old recipe for dandelion wine. I wil have to try this come spring.

Dandelion Wine
5 qrts Dandelion flowers.
2 gals boiling water, let stand over night and strain. Add 4lbs
white sugar. 6 lemons, boil one
hour. Strain into a stone jar and
let stand 2 to 3 weeks. Add 1/2
pint whiskey and strain into
bottles. 1 pound raisins.

The one pound raisins is added as an afterthought in a different leaded pencil. This is great! I love it. I will add a scan of this once we get it into the computer.

2009-10-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

"The qualities, almost emotional, palpably artistic, heroic, of a tree; so innocent and harmless, yet so savage. It is, yet says nothing. How it rebukes by its tough and equable serenity all weathers." — Walt Whitman

The night before

2009-09-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

So I am lounging there in bed, lazily sketching in a notebook falling asleep, when it dawns on me that it's Thursday night. That mean one thing, garbage pickup in the morning. My mind leaps to the large overflowing Rosauers bag next to the kitchen counter. Then to the fact that I will have to take out said garbage now or at some god-awful time in the morning, because Sean is out camping. Then to the more daunting and horrifying realization that with Sean gone no one is here to actually put out the garbage cans to the side of the road.

Now this may seem like a small problem, but trust me. This is a monumental task. Not that I fully realized it in the moment. At that time all I thought was: "shit, I'm going to have to do that."

Taking a cue from that morning's attempt to rise early, and its subsequent and epic failure, I decided to pull myself out of bed and complete the task of taking out the trash myself. It was what a responsible human being would do. I was responsible I would do it. If only because Sean did it every week since the giant snow storm and somehow our landlord thought this sufficient excuse to shirk his erstwhile duties. (By the way I don't think that is a good excuse. He took out the garbage every week before that snowstorm, why can't he do it now?)

I threw on some clothes, turned the house lights back on and found my cell phone (in case someone tried to attack me) and my keys (to lock my door behind me in case someone saw my momentarily empty house as sackable) and grabbed the overflowing sticky brown bagged mess of a garbage. Really this was important, I mean look at the state of this garbage! Taking a deep fortifying breathe (luckily the garbage, though full and sticky, was at least not stinky) I plunged outside in my over thick brown sweater. I ran around the corner of the porch to see if by some fair bit of fortune, someone, anyone in our apartments might have seen it in their hearts to actually pull their weight and take out the cans, but alas and alack, no. So I trudged up the other side of the 1890's mansion and found the two lonely garbage cans, twin brown squares of smelliness, sitting under the buzzing alley lamps. I opened the one that wasn't sticking a tongue of garbage at the neighbors recycle bins (we don't have recycle bins, but Sean sneaks stuff into the neighbors per out landlords instructions) and contemplated my next move.

Now our bins rest on the highest point of a very steep, rocky and crevassed slope that is difficult to walk down, let alone with two awkward brown barrels rolling behind you. Now add about 300 pounds of garbage to the equation and you have a mess...no pun intended. I just have to say that my first attempt at moving the larger of the canister failed, not because I couldn't move it, but I had failed to estimate the proper force. That thing was HEAVY! With a hefty pull of my arms and a little help at the bottom with my foot I manged to get the canister onto its wheels and mwde my way to the hill, the part where flat ground becomes the rollercoaster from hell. I had a wild moment where the can tried to wrestle out of my hands, aided and abetted by a large rock jutting from a particularly well established crevasse, before turning the can around and getting it to stop for a moment. I then had a crazy notion that I could somehow drag both of the garbage cans at the same time, but I regained sanity after moving the other one next to the first and realizing that was a one way ticket to being stampeded. The next couple minutes were ridiculously scary as I dragged the larger can behind me, feeling like a hostage being push along at gunpoint by a three hundred pound thug, until I could finally turn it around in the alley's mouth. Then I had to go back UP the alley to retrieve the other can. God I hated garbage day eve.

The other can I decided to let run in front of me, but this didn't turn out to feel any safer as it jostled and jumped along dirt sand rocks and, obviously, magical springs that made it possible to be completely airborne at certain moments. That garbage can too managed to make it to the bottom of the Hill of Absolute Terror and Certain Death, without running me over or getting away from me and killing someone. I breathed a heavy, but not too heavy, sigh of relief and, keeping my hands from touching any part of myself, jumped-ran up the steps and to my front door, I fumbled for the keys, wishing I hadn't had to touch them with greasy garbage smelling hands, and I was inside. Done and Done.

Sean, I now appreciate the hell you go through on a weekly basis, from now on I will try to remember and come help you in you Sisyphean task. Wish you were here!

Goodbye Mary Travers

2009-09-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

It seems like a lot of celebrities have died this summer, but so far none of them really affected me with much more than a tinge of sadness, (and sometimes annoyance for the overdone publicity) until this evening when I read that Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary passed away.

When I was a kid I used to listen ad infinitum to the album Peter, Paul and Mommy. It was a collection of children's songs including Puff the Magic Dragon and The Marvelous Toy. I loved that album so much that as an adult I purchased a compact disc of the music as well, I am listening to it now and thinking my childhood wouldn't have been the same without it. I used to sit in front of the record player and carefully set the needle on the record, the speakers would crackle for a moment then spring to life with music. I remember the record had an olive green label in the center and that when it was dark it was hard to see which side the record was on, so sometimes I would have to flip the record over to play "the Marvelous Toy" side rather than the "Going to the Zoo" side, since you had to play Marvelous toy first cause that was side A. I could sing any song from that album at the drop of a hat, they are so much a part of who I am.

The minute I said Mary Travers had died out loud, I started in on my favorite song, "Leatherwing Bat" I hadn't heard the song in a few years, but I could almost sing the whole thing from memory. Hearing that Mary is gone really affects me. I don't know what else to say except thank you for all you gave me and you will be missed.

Ally, Ally in free...

2009-09-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is an impossible time to start projects. Especially large cumbersome and scary ones like starting a business, there are just too many distractions for serious focus and responsibility. The sun is out, go out and play. That said summer is a great time to gather herbs and resources and look around at farmer's markets.

So as summer winds down I find that I am left with a large plate of things to do, but it isn't so overwhelming because I have basket loads of herbs and veggies, I have half of the major equipment I need including a blender, a gram scale and an tincture/oil press (I still nee a mini fridge, a proper grinder that can powder herbs and a (wishful thinking) new computer for business purposes) I could also use an industrial kitchen with a gas stove, a heavy duty counter, a percolation unit and a distillery, but that could be pushing the limits of the word 'need' at this point.

I started, and amazingly finished, a batch of comfrey oil. I had to powder the herbs which was a fun process and startlingly loud, I had to use two different blenders in small batches. It got kind of dangerous with all the powder in the air so we had to go find our dust masks in the basement halfway through the process. I let the oil sit for three weeks (it's usually just two, but I got busy so it got an extra week) and then I got to use my brand spanking new herb press! It's so shiny and new, though its quite a lot of work to use it, our hands and wrists were aching and that was only two pressings! I cannot imagine when we are processing several batches in a day. I hope I have a more efficient set up by then.

Also, a cautionary tale about popping pimples. Sean, my love, popped a pimple on his eyebrow and it got infected and his eye swelled up. I had to give him the witch doctor treatment, you can see him here with clay mixed with plantain leaves, and whole boiled bee balm leaves on his eye. (I also tried boiled carrots) The best treament turned out to be french green clay with echinacea and st. john's wort tinctures mixed in and applied to the area like a plaster. This pulled all the fluid from the area around the eye and didn't get leaf juice in his eyes so much. Though it didn't look quite as cool.

I just hit send on a large (the largest) order of herbs and some other supplies (cocoa butter and wax) so production should start soon. Now all I need is labels and some more tins. I will buy those of course at the last possible second just to cause myself a little strife, but also because I can only stretch the budget so far so fast. Luckily it looks like I will be putting in more hours of paper flower making soon, and then aNeMonE will be opening the new Downtown store in Octocber, so I will be back to retail as well! Fun, fun and more fun!

Field Trip!

2009-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Went on an unexpected trip to Priest Lake this morning, to deliver some flowers to a wedding. Sean and I woke at the crack of dawn and were on the road by 5:47, we arrived at 8 or so and made a bride and groom happy :)

It was kind of chilly this morning so we didn't want to go swimming, but we did find elderberries in bloom, elderberry flowers, which was strange since most of the elders were in full berry, Mullien and St. John's Wort! I could have gotten some Tansy as well, but I forgot to grab some before we left our gathering site.

So without further ado, pictures:

Me picking some St. Johns Wort

St. John's Wort, closeup

Elder Flowers

Elder Berries in front of the lake

I picked these elderberries and the only place we had to put them was an old blackberry jam container we had in the trunk. It was clean and everything...strange. Next time we go out to the woods I am making sure I bring scissors, paper bags and of course my camera. I was almost completely unprepared today!

Oh and we also stopped for breakfast at a lovely little cafe called Ardy's in Coolin, ID.

Amanda's Herbal Apothecary, Batch 1

2009-08-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

I received two gallons of grape seed oil and a brand spanking new oil press in the mail this week (the press would have arrived on the same day but it was delivered to my parents neighbor), so I have begun the process of processing.

I have been gathering Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) all summer from my mom's, bosses and friends yards so I had plenty to start a batch of oils macerating. I decided after my last batch of oils that I should powder the herbs first. This was a much more involved, loud and hazardous prospect than I would have believed before. At school we only did small individual sized batches, but i was planning on filling a half gallon jar with herbs and oil! We used half of a garbage bag full of whole leaves of comfrey, it took two different blenders to get the leaf down to powder and I don't know how many small batches that was; at least ten. The blender was way noisier than I anticipated (my poor parents were trying to watch TV in the next room) and the powder that came off each batch was sort of noxious, we finally got smart about three batches of blending in and grabbed some face masks. And still after all this only managd to fill the jar a thrid of the way through! Whew~

We decided we'd had enough and poured 1200 ml of the emerald green oil over the lovely garden green powder, shook it up to make sure all the particles were covered, and then we left in a hurry because that was hard work!

I think I may ordered the rest of the herbs in powdered form, it's not that much more expensive to have them do it for me and my time is somewhat precious. It took a good hour for one third of a half gallon jar of powdered herb and I am just not sure i want to deal with that every time!

Picture to come, I forgot my camera ;)

Lightning storms and backaches

2009-08-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

This long weekend started off with a bang (more like boom) the lightning was so close and the storm lasted so long and brought in a much needed cool breeze. Three days of below 90's temperatures and I feel like a person again. I have brain space, I am less exhausted and I am in touch with herbs once more. I always forget how much heat affects my brain. The only thing that could have been better was my back could not be killing me. Then again pain is a lovely reminder to slow down. Take it easy stop trying so hard. Lay down and rest for awhile.

I only took two ibuprofen and that was to go to work on thursday. My bosses are the coolest people ever and let me stay home thursday afternoon and friday and I am feeling much better. Ice and kava. Motherwort leaves; valerian and dandelion roots. Epson salt baths with rosemary and geranium and lavender essential oils. Beer and water and naps. These are my medicines and these are my loves. Without them my life is bland and painful and tense and stressful.

Just woke from a nap with my husband (of eight years today) and am planning on making a chocolate mousse. Three more glasses of ice cold water and I should be able to do so.

Ahhh Summer

2009-07-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten you blog. I just had a little time off this year. Now that my mini vacation is over I am thinking I will have less time for book writing (sorry book) and more time for short bursts of inspiration...blog style!

It's been an excitingly lush summer, with all the rain we had in the spring everything is staying green so far and it's all really pretty all over Spokane. I think more and more people are gardening these days and it shows. Everyone I know with a house has a garden and even some of us that don't have houses are finding ways to grow things! ( for instance our apartment house got together and created it's own garden plot).

Been spending some time drying herbs but haven't made it to step two with the processing. Been sort of preoccupied with writing this month, but I am noticing I really need to harvest most of my parent's yard this week so I might have to buckle down and harvest all day tomorrow, in between peeling paint from the porch... that should be fun. Maybe it will be less hot tomorrow? Please?

This time next week I will be either as exhausted as I am today or really energized after a full weeks work. It depends on how I take back to the water of working again.

Freaking out Wednesday~

2009-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

So I have to be all professional today, drive to Connell, meet with an oil producer and, hopefully, get a contract to sell him some stuff. Should I bring a receipt book? Do I have a reciept book? I probably need a cooler for the oil if he gives me any. I am writing up a brochure as we speak that I should have finished a week ago.... AHHHH!!!! Business is nerve wracking.

Trying to stay calm and have fun with this. This is what I want to do with my life after all :) Why do I love to Tango with deadlines? It's just not safe!

Breathe....

Busy as a bee and stealing wax and honey while I am at it!

2009-05-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Working soooo much on products! I think I have figured out the salves and creams are pretty much there, though I am having seconds thoughts about them and may quickly try a new recipe, before I am satisfied completely. Trying to write up a brochure with a comprehensive product list with prices, but its as tedious as it sounds and its so sunny and I am easily distract-...oh look, shiny thing!...

The good news is, I think everything is coming together and I may even have a semi complete product line up and ready by mid summer. I may even try my hand at a Farmer's Market or two before the summer is over. I will try and get my official store website up by then as well with the chance to order certain products online.

So sorry I have neglected the blog, but once i get all official I will try my hardest to actually update here! I may even try the video stuff again, but that might be too much for this camera shy girl. ;)

It's My Birthday!

2009-05-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

So far so good, listening to my new cd's (Hank Green's So Jokes and Kate Nash's Foundations and Made of Bricks) and trying to figure out what to do with myself since everyone in my life is working today...

Crepe- eaten
Latte- drunk
New shirt from Denmark -Cute as hell on me (and sparkly to boot)
CD's found after rigorous scavenger hunt ala Sean's cryptic notes
Free Espresso shake from Kate- devoured

It's a lovely day

I always like to say that the whole world celebrates my birthday and here is why:

Netherlands and Denmark: Liberation Day, China, Japan and South Korea: Children's Day, Japan: Boys Day, Internation Midwives' Day, Albania: Martyrs' Day, Ethiopia: Patriots' Victory Day, Palau: Senior Citizens Day, Guyana: Indian Arrival Day, Kyrgyzstan: Constitution Day, Community of Portugese-Speaking countries: Lusaphone Culture Day, Council of Europe: Europe Day, Mexico: Cinco de Mayo (celebrated by more americans that Mexicans), UK: Bank Holiday!

So there you have it the whole world celebrates my birthday!

Tension Headache

2009-04-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

I get these a lot, though much less often than say three years ago before the knowledge I learned at Bastyr started to kick in. I started to kick the things when I straightened out my diet a bit and got some chiropractic care, but a few choice herbs have helped in the struggle.
Namely: Lobelia, Valerian, Cramp Bark, (all of these are muscle relaxants and most likely wouldn't work for most headaches) and if its hormonally relevent, Motherwort. (Motherwort is good for any sort of menstrual pain and headache due to hormone imbalances) Oh and drinking lots of water since if the headache is that bad I must be dehydrated something awful.

Unfortunately nothing seems to be an instant cure all and the side affects of each of them make it a not so great cure for you know getting rid of a headache (one that will turn into a monster or pain and crying and sleeping it off until the next day are the only options left sort) before going to work in two hours.

Lobelia makes you nauseuas (depending on the dose and the person, some people can take up to a droppful before getting sick, some people can't handle a drop, unfortunately for me, the worse my headache the more sensitive I am to it and can usually only handle a couple drops), Valerian makes you sleepy. The other two aren't so bad but don't always work, Cramp Bark isn't really strong enough in one dose, motherwort tastes awful, though if it works it actually works.

I also use Lobelia, Valerian and Cramp bark topically by adding a few drops of each tincture to a little lotion and rubbing it into the tight muscles of my shoulders and back, this only seems to work if someone else applies it and I get a massage, and frankly it never seems to help me 100%, though I know people that this is the best thing for them. I guess I am an exceptionally tense person or something.

Hence, despite three years of knowing what to do and how to prevent these things if I have one a comin' the only medicine I take is ibuprofen and a hell of a lot of water. How ridiculous is that? If I don't catch it soon enough it doesn't matter I often end up throwing Ibuprofen up anyway, but if I get it in time I can have my muscles give me a break enough to let me have a life for a few hours.

I am on drop two of the lobelia and really not feeling that much better, and my stomach is already protesting. I hope this stupid pill kicks in before work or I am screwed.

Infestation!

2009-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

My house plants are all sort of dying. Spring has brought on a full on infestation of white flies (that have been there for a couple months, but now that its warm there is a swarm) and a new infestation of aphids: which must have been here for a week or two because I notice that some are already sprouting wings which means they are out to spread their seed to other plants. Lovely.

So I am doing major damage control starting with the Cardamom (Elletaria cardamomum) and the Angel Wing Begonia (Begonia spp hybrid) since they aren't really being affected yet, just a few stray white flies. The rest of the 'window bunch' have been banished outside until I can bury them or rid them of the little parasites. (I am sort of hoping that the cold will help me get rid of most of the problem, even if a couple of the plants bite it too it will be better than my entire garden dying.)

I am using soapy water with lavender essential oil to clean off the plants as best I can then lavender essential oil with water in a spray bottle for keeping the bugs off afterward. I am thinking I will lose the basil (almost dead anyway) and the lemon balm (which is where the white fly infestation originated) I hope I can save the geranium from the aphids, it washing doesn't work I may go out scouting for some lady bugs to help out.

Also, my husband chose this week to place our stuffed moose and bear in the window and they are now host to many (dead looking) white flies. joy. It looks like my bear has lice...ewwwww.
Update: Also found really creepy spider under one of the plants. Sean says its not poisonous. But I don't like the creepy skull marking on its back. Hopefully its just for the flies benefit ("no, I would not say benefit")

Life List

2009-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Jill over at thinklikeajillian.blogspot.com started this (as usual!). Check out 43things.com to make your own list!

1. Move to Italy

2. Finish writing a book

3. Make a scientific herb garden

4. travel all around the world

5. make wine

6. Start my own business

7. Sculpt

8. Cook more

9. Become fluent in another language

10. Use herbal medicine

11. Drink tea every day

12. Play Flute more

13. Learn to play a stringed instrument

14. Paint

15. Experience more diverse things

16. learn to kayak

17. Memorize all the countries so I have a mental map of the world.

18. Write 1 page a day

19. Publish many books

20. Learn Latin

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2009-03-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Aboca

2009-03-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

Aboca is an herbal company in Tuscany, Italy that makes a wide variety of products. I found they have a little introductory video I thought I would share.

here (requires quicktime to run :)

Sean and I are discussing moving to Italy for a year so its now a race to see who can get a placement at our prospective places of study.

Thyme Honey How To

2009-02-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hi. So I am a bit nervous about this, but here goes nothing. Be kind to me please I have no acting experience or video editing know how.

Tell me what you think.

Thyme and all its lovelyness

2009-02-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Thyme is one of my favorite herbs. It is such a favorite I picked it to be my personal plant which I lovingly tended for a year and journaled about it for a school project. Thyme or Thymus vulgaris is a low growing ground cover that can be found most anywhere in the world, though (according to Culpeper) originated in india. Thyme loves the sun, but stays low to the ground for extra warmth, it is often wise to plant a rock next to a thyme plant to keep it warm. Despite this Thyme is extremely hardy and will last far into the winter in most climates and can be harvested most times of the year. (unless of course it is buried beneath 4 feet of never melting snow like here in Spokane).

Thyme always makes me happy to look at and its scent is wonderful and can sometimes be overwhelming if there is enough of it. Thyme is said in folklore to give one courage and I always feel more able to accomplish things after a cup or two under my belt. Laying in a bed of thyme is supposed to bring fairy's visiting your dreams. I suspect you would have pretty vivid dreams laying in this highly aromatic plant.

Thyme is warming and I often drink it in the winter when I feel chilled or sick. One strong cup of the stuff can warm cold extremities and can even induce sweating and break a fever if used in a bath. (If I have a fever I sometimes drink one cup of thyme tea and also infuse a hot bath with thyme to get my fever to break) Thyme is specific to the lungs. It aids in breaking up and moving mucous, and also aids is the healing of the lungs after infection or damage from smoking.

Thyme is also known for curing headaches and even helps migraines with the aid of rosemary. For headaches make a thyme vinegar and rub on your temples.

Like other plants in the mint family this herb is also associated with digestive health and is used for upset stomach, gas and even the expulsion of worms.

Thyme has a lovely taste, spicey, earthy and minty. Added to honey it makes a wonderful wintertime remedy for cough and other respiratory ailments it has a uniquely wonderful flavor. Just take a jar full of thyme (fresh) and pour honey over it. Make sure you keep a chopstick next to the jar and push the thyme under the honey level for it will keep rising in the jar. Leave this for six weeks and then strain. You can use the honey before six weeks just be sure to keep the level of honey above the thyme. The thyme will thin the honey quite a bit, but the results are amazing and will last for as long as you need. You can then add the thyme honey to your tea or just take it by the spoonful. I find it can also make a lovely spice if you use this instead of sugar to things like muffins.

References
Herbal Rituals, by Judith Berger
Culpeper's Complete Herbal, Culpeper

February Maladies

2009-02-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

The grey daze of January is over. I didn't weather this one particularly well and for the first week of february was sick with a rather nasty rhino-virus. I am thinking the fact that I got sick is due not just to the fact that my husband is a teacher and brings home bugs, but because of February's quixotic nature. Let me explain. February is the month for awakenings, for false spring, for warmer weather (relatively), for the desire to move outside after being huddled inside for what seems like an eternity. Everyone is now outside running around and passing germs that we had been keeping to ourselves for awhile. Contrary to popular belief early spring is the most viral time of year, not in the deep dark winter of December and January, but the more thawed, wet muddy times of year. So while Punxatawni Phil may have seen his shadow its warm enough in our spring hungry minds to go out and catch a cold.

Midnight Concoctions

2009-02-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

So I woke yesterday morning at around 2am or so and my throat was killing me, my tonsils swollen and hard. I really don't enjoy being sick, and in the last few years my throat has been the hot spot for ailments. I had one naturapath tell me its because I never speak up for myself so I tend to shove my stress into my vocal area. Whether that is true or not (I tend to like it for its poetic ring of half truth) I once more am fighting a throat bug and hoping strongly that it isn't strep and will not live long enough to become so. So immediately after feeling this throat monster rearing its ugly head I got up and concocted the "Get out of my throat you bastard bug" tea.

Here is what I think I remember putting in said tea. I vaguely remember telling Sean that it actually tasted good at the time, but sick people are not objective about medicine tasting good. (and I cannot imagine that these ingredients would make the most lovely flavor, but you never know!)

Ginger root (driver, heating, and specific to healing throat ailments)
Calendula petals (lymphogogue)
Valerian (I also had a seriously torked back at the time which is why I chose the muscle relaxant and sedative aspect of this)
Elder flower (febrifuge and antiviral agent)
Sage (astringent, aromatic -opens passages ways, antibacterial, warming)
Oregon Grape root (antibacterial, antiviral)
and an astringent tea blend with rose petals, white oak, blackberry leaf, and more sage in it (to tighten the mucous membranes in my throat. ) I have no idea the measurements because I threw it together in the dark (impressive no?) but it was generally equal parts. Oh and a bag of echinacea tea. I let it steep for ten minutes and then spent another ten minutes attempting to guzzle it but being forced to sip due to its extreme temperature. Felt better afterwards and fell right asleep.

When I woke my throat was still sore of course, but the tonsils were less hardened which is good. I then spent the rest of the day watching movies and guzzling in round robin style, Traditional Medicinal teas, Throat Coat, Echinacea with elder and breathe easy. I think I went through ten tea bags today. I also procured some of the Throat Coat Lozenges that I love so much and pack a powerful punch and relieve the throaty angst.

My throat is less sore, I can drink cold water now (which I couldn't touch all day without agony) My nose is now acting up, sneezing and general snottiness, but I think its a good sign that I am pushing this thing out of me now.

Writing Exercise #1

2009-01-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have been writing a lot and not anything for this blog, so I thought I would use one to feed the other, so to speak. I found a website called Golden Buddha that has 364 days of five minute writing exercises. I did not do todays assignment, but made up my own and here are the results.

Peanut Butter Toast

The lid of the peanut butter jar made a tin noise as I twirled it off with my left hand, a metalic ring briefly hung in the air. I set the lid with a small clang on the mottled gray counter and dipped my silver butter knife into the brown chunky spread. I set the jar down and lifted my perfectly dark brown toast, 100% whole wheat bread with a touch of honey,proclaimed the bag, now in the fridge. I carefully spread the dollop of nutty (legumey!) goodness on the toast. It made a pleasant rasping sounds as the knife touched the burnt surface of the bread, still hot from the toaster. I watched as the chunks of Adam's chunky peanut butter were left at random intervals on the surface, the golden brown of the buttered peanuts covering the darker shades of burnt bread. I set the knife on the top of the jar where I always left it, knowing I should put the lid on and the knife in the sink, but not caring. There were more important things to worry about. Like biting into this beautiful concoction and breaking my nights fast. The crunch of toasted bread differed in quality and length from the smaller crunch of the chunks of peanuts. The sensation of brittle toast on my tongue contrasted with the feeling of smooth peanut butter on my palette. The salty, smooth, rich, nutty flavor of the peanut butter complemented the sweet, grainy, burnt, smokey, umami-ness of the toasted bread. I reveled in the perfection that is peanut butter toast and walked into the living room.

Samurai Rabbits Fighting Ninja Pigs!

2009-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Lazy Blogger

2008-12-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ok so I realize I have completely slacked off blogging for quite awhile now. I apologize to anyone who even bothers to read this anymore! I have you see been writing. Writing like there is a deadline and loving every minute of it. I just hit the 65,000 word milestone this morning and I am still going. Hopefully the draft will be done by the new year and I can resume my blogging duties. For now, however, you will just have to wait.

Ok here is a picture you might like in the meantime.

Once again Kermit the stocking holder bites the dust. See you again next year Kermit!

UPDATE: I have since hit the 72,000 word mark. Maybe I am getting good at writing, or at the very least fast at typing.

White Lion Cubs!

2008-12-10T11:39:00.001-08:00

White Lion Cubs born!

Monday Mix

2008-11-24T11:37:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: So I finally figured out what was wrong with the mixed tape and I think I fixed it. So if you tried to listen and it didn't work, try again and now it should be fun, instead of mildly annoying and not worth the trouble.

Spicy!

2008-11-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well, its November. It's cold and rainy and we elected Barack Obama to be our president (way to go us)! How could things be better? In the spirit of November-- which we will associate with Thanksgiving dinners, turkeys, sweet potato's and apples (trust me, we will)-- obviously its also time for mulling spices! I am a bit addicted to apple cider I have to admit. I blame this on the fact that good apple cider is only available this time of year (not all the time) and that I live in "the apple state" so I get the really good stuff. My favorite way to enjoy it is hot(!) with spices. I heat the cider in a pan on the stovetop, and usually confine the spices in a tea-ball while the brew steeps. You can also add mulling spices to wine, but I find it a little to harsh for my tastes. Maybe I just don't think wine should be hot.

There are many recipes for mulling spices, I admit I have never actually looked up a recipe simply looked in a can of spices I got from a store and made my own. But I also have a few ideas on how to mix things up a bit.

Traditional mulling spices:
1 oz Cinnamon sticks, Cinnamomum spp.
1 oz Clove, Syzygium aromaticum
1 oz Allspice berries, Pimenta dioica
1 oz Orange peel, Citrus sinensis
I also add 3 drops of sweet orange essential oil which I find gives it a nice punch. But this recipe works just fine without.

Pretty much, you just need to pour all these ingredients into a bowl, with the exception of the cinnamon which needs to be broken from sticks into smaller chunks first. Add about 1 tablespoon per four cups of cider, if you want the spices to last longer you can use less and let it boil longer. Also you can crack open the allspice berries before you boil them to release more essential oils, but do this right before you boil it. If you crack them open and them let them sit in the tin all winter they will lose flavor.

You can vary this recipe in a few ways.
Add Cayenne powder, Capsicum anuum (a little goes a LONG way so be cautious, I would only add about a 1/8 teaspoon to a 4oz batch)
Nutmeg, ground, Myristca spp. (same rule applies--nutmeg is always a low dose spice it can be harmful above a teaspoon serving, so keep it to a 1/8 teaspoon per 4oz batch)
Substitute or add lemon peel
Add small chunks of ginger root, Zingiber officinale

Feel free to experiment however you like but keep in mind the kinds of plants I am using here! You are going to boil this in a pan with apple cider so leafy herbs are not what we are looking for. Most leafy herbs are slightly bitter, but these spices are chock full of essential oils and resins which is what gives them such a potent bundle of flavor. Cinnamon is a bark, allspice is a dried berry, clove is a dried flower bud, cayenne is a dried pepper, ginger is a root, nutmeg is a nutshell, etc.

Mulling spices aren't merely for the sake of flavor. No, no! These spices can aid you in other ways. That cup of mulled cider or wine after dinner is actually helping you keep warm and digest that fatty dinner you just ate. That warm fuzzy feeling you get when drinking mulled cider or wine isn't just because it tastes good.

Cinnamon increases circulation, aides in digestion and helps your body assimilate sugars. It is currently being studied for use with diabetics and having positive results. A teaspoon of cinnamon a day for diabetics has been shown to be beneficial.
Orange peel, allspice, nutmeg and cloves are all very good digestives. They are also all aromatic and stimulating.
Ginger is a circulatory stimulant and powerful anti emetic (keeps you from throwing up). It is warming and spicy and specific to the throat, add this to your mulling spices when you have a sore throat.
Cayenne is a powerful circulation stimulant and is very warming. Like I said before, a little goes a long way.

I think you see the theme by now. This drink is for increasing circulation and digestion. Perfect for winter and after eating fat rich meals. So go get out some spices and whip up a batch. I just know you wont regret it.

Vote!

2008-10-29T19:18:00.001-07:00

Food Matters

2008-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Jonah Lehrer for bringing this article to my attention.

Micheal Pollan:

This, in brief, is the bad news: the food and agriculture policies you’ve inherited — designed to maximize production at all costs and relying on cheap energy to do so — are in shambles, and the need to address the problems they have caused is acute. The good news is that the twinned crises in food and energy are creating a political environment in which real reform of the food system may actually be possible for the first time in a generation. The American people are paying more attention to food today than they have in decades, worrying not only about its price but about its safety, its provenance and its healthfulness. There is a gathering sense among the public that the industrial-food system is broken. Markets for alternative kinds of food — organic, local, pasture-based, humane — are thriving as never before. All this suggests that a political constituency for change is building and not only on the left: lately, conservative voices have also been raised in support of reform. Writing of the movement back to local food economies, traditional foods (and family meals) and more sustainable farming, The American Conservative magazine editorialized last summer that “this is a conservative cause if ever there was one.”

Read the whole article!

Immune fortifications

2008-10-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well its that time of year again, the time to get sick. Everyone I know has been sick lately (even me!) and while I was puttering around the kitchen trying desperately to force myself to drink even MORE fluids I invented a yummy immune fortifying drink. (Ok maybe invent is a stretch since I saw the juice at work first, but I decided to make it myself instead of relying on a commercial brand that was mostly grape juice*.)

So take two tea bags of echinacea (if you have the root its probably about 8 tsp. ) 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger. Pour 4 cups hot just boiling water over echinacea and ginger and let steep for 2 hours in a closed container (or at least something you can place a plate over to keep the heat in). Pour tea into a container ( I used an old glass juice jar, but a pitcher will work fine) with room and add 1/4 cup lime juice and 3 cups lemonade, or to taste (I use Simply brand lemonade even though its not organic because they use sugar not high fructose corn syrup like other brands). Pour over ice and enjoy!

Now of course the dose of echinacea in this drink is still fairly low. You could up the dose** of echinacea in the tea portion, or just drink this in between cups of hot echinacea tea (of which you should have about 4-5 cups daily).

*My drink doesn't even HAVE any grape juice in it!

** the recipe I have here is exactly what I made so I know it tastes good, I haven't checked on a mega dose yet mostly because I am still drinking the original juice I made.

October

2008-09-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

With it being 85 degrees out in the afternoons it is hard to believe that it is almost (less than five hours!) from being October. But there you have it. I am sure by the end of the month we will all be shivering in our cloaks (blatant Halloween reference!). I love october. I love watching the leaves fall and having to find all the boxes of winter clothes. I love the smells in the air (sweet smell of decay!), increasing wind and the start of the cold cold rain. I love harvest time! I love pumpkins and apples and potatoes!

So welcome October! I hope you bring in a plethora ("Jefe, do you know what a plethora is?"*) of benefits from the harvest for all!

*ten points if you know the movie quote! (20 if you can say the next line!)

Being Productive VS Having Fun

2008-09-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

I am working in a pretty stressful work environment these days. A product of being in a rapidly growing company that only employs about eleven people. So when I get home I tend towards playing around instead of focusing on getting my other projects or chores done. Case and point my coworker let me borrow Guitar Hero for my Wii this week and I have spent about 6 hours over the last three days playing. I am finding it quite fun though it seems to take me about three songs to relax into playing well. But when I am done I inevitably feel a bit of remorse for the time lost to playing instead of writing my book, drawing what will eventually become my company logo, writing my business plan or reading the next installment of Harry Potter (not to mention chores around the house!). Then again my brain loves the intensity of playing video games because for the 3 minutes and 5 seconds I can completlely zone out of my stress and focus on hitting notes and 'strumming' in time to the music. How much down time is too much downtime and how much work is too much work? Is work really work when you find it fun (such as my writing?). And where does blogging fit into my schedule?

I think looking over it if I play only a set amount of time a night and then work on my other projects I will get enough down time to enjoy the other 'work' I need to do to push my life forward and (hopefully) into my real career path. In the meantime I think I will try and not turn on Guitar Hero when I get home tonight and curl up with Harry Potter for awhile.

Comfrey!

2008-09-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Reread some stuff about comfrey this week and feeling warm and snugly with the plant again*. Comfrey is the true witch of the herbal world, doing wondrous good green things for people but is nothing but persecuted for it!

More later...

*which is amazing cause snuggling comfrey isn't the wisest choice of action, its kind of prickly

Speaking of alien abductions....

2008-09-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Cooking like and Extra terrestrial or perhaps more like a well rounded earthling. I just made nachos. Normal right? It was except it look like a meal from outer space. I had blue corn ships, chocolate peppers, yellow ice peppers and white cheddar cheese. So what is usually a familiar blend of yellow chips, red and green peppers all topped with yellow cheese was a strange concoction of blue, maroon and spring green, all topped with melty white goodness. When I added the tomato and the avocado it made it look all the weirder. I think there is something to say for food that look familiar, because I focused a lot on what it looked like I don't think I enjoyed it as much as my regular nachos.* Are nachos then, more than the ingredients themselves (they were essentially the same as always) or does the look of the food matter as well?

Then again it was kind of fun to think of eating an alien version of nachos. So I wont complain.

*It might have been the fact that I have no sour cream in my new apartment! Nachos without sour cream what WAS I thinking! (Besides aliens that is)

--this post reminds me a little too much of my husband's style of blogging...

I forgot!

2008-09-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Also! The Dr. Horrible Soundtrack is available on itunes!

Go and get it. NOW!

(I know I know, nothing then three posts in one day. Crazy huh?)

..speaking of Matthew Wood

2008-09-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

he totally has a new book out that I really want! Its called the Earthwise Herbal and its a 2 volume compendium. I think only the first volume is out right now, the second volume coming out in April. I should just go and splurge on it already, but I am such a bibliophile that I really have to limit my book spending or risk financial ruin. I suppose if it got out of hand I could sell my books on ebay or something.

September Chaos

2008-09-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lameness of Herbal Amanda's Rant lately, but new job + new apartment + no internet service = no blogging! I would shoot the poor thing, but I think if I use a little herbal magic voodoo I could save its leg.

... ok maybe that metaphor went a little farther than made sense. Anyways I am here to blog the heck out of this place! Woo!!!!

I have determined that this months herbal remedy will be Stress Relief, of which I could probably fill an entire book of information, so I will try and keep in simple and focus on one herb and build some stuff around it. I am picking this subject for the obvious reason that now that I am gainfully employed I am of course visiting the land of stress again and need to remind myself (and you all) how to calm the heck down! (I almost swore there, see how I am not the calm rational me I was before employment?)*

The herb in question for this month is... drum roll please... Wood Betony, Stachys betonica! This is my favorite herb and has a lot of meaning for me. I was introduced to this herb by my professor and Naturopathic Physician Robin Dipasquale and it is one of the herbs that my particular brand of nervous tension responded to quite well.

Wood betony is a small herbaceous plant from the mint family that grows in moist areas (like most mints). It is hard to grow, for it doesn't get very big, but also the seeds need to be stratified (frozen more than once over the winter) since they aren't a 'domesticated' plant. It has a pleasant floral taste and makes an excellent tea on its own or in combination. I often pair it with other mild/restorative nervines such as: lemon balm, oat pods, nettles, or with sleep aids such as lavender, california poppy or valerian. I find even the tincture is pleasant in taste for those floral notes dominate and drown out the bitter alcohol flavor. This is a mild herb and can be taken daily for mild anxiety, or for peopler who find they are too often in their head daydreaming. But can be used for more serious problems such as dementia, alien abduction and full on anxiety disorders. It works well on depression when paired with St. John's (Joan's?) wort since they both work well with anxiety laden depression.

I am the anxious, worry filled, tension headache type stressor that lives in my head a little too much. Wood betony is the calminf bring you back down to earth herb that is just perfect for this type of person. Wood Betony has been used by Mathew Wood for people who think they have been abducted by aliens. He states in his Book "The Book of Herbal Wisdom" that the use of this herb in small doses over time the patients no longer fear another abduction, though they often still think they were abducted in the past. The implications of this herb are that it brings a person back into themself and out of the air, or their heads, putting them firmly in the present and not so disconnected with reality. Yes there are times when one wants to be disconnected, but I find even though I spend a lot of time writing and 'in my head' this herb grounds me in a way that still allows me to imagine a great deal, but leaves me focused so I can actually put my thoughts down on paper. It takes negative spirals where you focus on the negative and puts them into clearer foucs, calming tension and making things easier to deal with. This herb is also great for older patients with dementia to connect with what is going on who are extrememly nervous when they cannot remember things.

So that is Wood Betony in a nutshell.

*Calm? Rational? ...right.

Head whipping around to see where it went

2008-08-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure where the 20 days went without a single post and a grand total of 5 twitters to show for it. I guess I can only blame the incredible combination of my new job overlapping with my old one and lots of my free time actually spent doing things that don't involve computers in any way shape or form. I do not promise more regular posting from here on in however, I will try to make blogging again part of my schedule.

I am excited for fall, though a little sad to see that summer is fading since I didn't get to really enjoy it as much as I would have liked -we just didn't have as many hot days as usual this year. Its been cold and rainy the last few days and I am in that strange place working leaves you where you are anxious for next weekend, yet wishing time wouldn't run away so fast.

I need to start thinking about packing for the move next week. I am so exited about our new apartment, but its hard for me to get exited for packing just yet. Actually watching my friends pack for their camping trip thursday night helped a little. I am sure by wednesday I will be more in the mood. But since we will likely just be moving one pickup truck load and then trickling everything in by car its not like it really matters if everything is boxed and ready. Heck half our stuff is still in boxes from a year and a half ago! I think once I have signed the lease and really know we are going to live there will make it less of a chore :)

I will start thinking about an herb for fall. Stay tuned!

Augustly Robust Digestion

2008-08-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

I noticed today that August is in the air, but so is fall which I really don't understand since they aren't usually friends. I wish that fall would go back to his room and leave us be till September arrives, but alas and alack the weird weather of 2008 persists. In keeping with weird choices I have decided to not go with an obvious herb for August but am settling on a beautiful blue flowered herbaceous plant called gentian (Gentiana lutea). My mom planted a gentian last year and this year it is actually blooming and its quite pretty.

Gentian is in the family named after itself Gentianaceae. The part of gentian used is the root and rhizome. (which means I will not probably be harvesting any this year so that the plant has a few years to establish itself before I start dividing roots-luckily a little gentian root goes a long way!) Gentians main action is as a bitter, it is also a sialagogue* (meaning it makes you salivate), hepatic, cholagogue, antihelmintic, and an emmenagogue. Bitters are herbs that aid in digestion via the stimulation of many or all digestive juices. Bitters actually work through the tongues response to bitter taste. The tongue tells the body to increase secretions of saliva (sialagogue), gastric juices (HCL, pepsin etc.), and bile (cholagogue). It also accelerates the stomachs ability to empty. Gentian is most commonly used as a general appetite stimulant and digestive aid and is used for people with sluggish digestion, acid reflux and flatulence. It can be helpful for people that are generally sluggish, have lost their appetite (anorexia, depression), jaundice and liver dysfunction or congestion (Do not use for gallstones, the moving/stimulating nature of gentian can cause gallstones to become lodged in the hepatic portal). Bitters also stimulate te self repair mechanisms of the gut lining.

Gentian is one of the most bitter 'bitters' though I think hops is more bitter on the contiuum, however gentians secndary actions (cholagogue, sialagogue etc) make it a much better all around bitter and is usually my number one choice. Gentian pairs well with fennel and ginger which can slightly aid with the taste (keep in mind you must taste the bitter to get the affects!). Also fennel is an excellent aromatic digestive aid which will help with cramping and flatulence, and ginger will aid as a stimulant and anti-emetic (anti-nausea).

Bitters should be taken an hour before a meal, though you can take it after a meal if you feel you aren't digesting something properly.

*sialagogue is my old professor Sheila Kingbury's favorite word, and one of my favorites as well :)

Resources
Memory
Hoffman, David- Medical Herbalism, Healing arts press, 2003

Update on Dandelion

2008-07-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok so I found an article in a Country Homes Magazine circa 1987 that had an article about Dandelions! Thanks mom for never throwing any magazines away. Anyway it said that dandelions should be harvested early spring before they flower, not in the middle of July. Which I knew...really I did, but my life isn't exactly in tune with the seasonal nature of plants yet. I am hoping that sort of thing comes with experience harvesting over the years. Also my plan to rinse it in a series of bowl filled with water was exactly what it suggested, so go me! It also contained a recipe for hot dandelion green salad which sounds quite yummy actually, which I will type up here.

Hot Dandelion Salad

makes 3 servings
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup red wine or apple cider vinager
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound dandelion greens, trimmed and washed
12 cup thinly cut green onions

In a large heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Discard all but 1/4 cup fat. To bacon fat in skillet, add vinager, salt, sugar and pepper. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove from heat one suagr is dissolved and add greens. Sitr quickly until green wilt stir in bacon and onions. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve warm.

As for Dandelion roots (or really almost any root you are harvesting) harvest after the plant has flowered and the plant is making ready for wintering. This ensures that the plant is storing nutrients in the root, when in flower all the plants energy (nutrients) are going to the seeds. Fall is usually the best time, but you can also harvest roots in early spring before the plant sends up shoots and flowers if you need to. July works too since it isn't in bloom and its had more than a month to be storing energy.

Dent-de-lion

2008-07-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

So I harvested all that Dandelion and I suppose you are wondering why? Maybe not, but since nobody leaves comments anymore I can just assume for myself what you all are thinking. Dandelion has different uses when you are talking about leaf or root (or flower*), though I often find I use both leaf and root together for certain things.

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) were brought to the states by the Irish who knew that dandelion was one of the most nutritous, easy to grow foods out there. Having just been wiped out by the potato famine they weren't willing to starve anymore. Dandelions are now grow in every temperate region of the world (and in every backyard, har, har) . Dandelions are known to be high in potassium, iron, calcium and vitamin C (if eaten right after picking!).

Dandelion leaf is an amazing diuretic because it not only increases flow of water through the kidneys but in a gentle way. Diuretic drugs often strip the body of potassium, but Dandelion is one of the best sources for potassium in the plant world (better than banana's!). I find this combination of good diuretic packed with minerals and vitamins affect in Stinging Nettles as well and I often use them in combination when looking at kidney function.

The best way to utilize Dandelion is in a long cold infusion. (take 2 tsp for every cup of water and pour boiling water over the top, then let the tea steep for 4-8 hours in the fridge before straining and drinking) Or you can simply eat the leaves in a salad. Dandelion leaves can be bitter (especially after the flowers have died back) so it is best to eat them in the spring! I use the more bitter leaves for a digestive aid, so the batch I just picked will go in a seperate jar.

Dandelion roots have a seperate function and work more with the liver and gallbladder, though they retain a fair amount of diuretic action as well, though not as strongly as the leaf. For liver troubles I pair dandelion root with burdock expecially when their are skin complaints associated with the liver congestion. (this is also where the more bitter leaves can come into play!)

Dandelion is often paired with yellow dock for anemia. Dandelion is very high in iron, however yellow dock has very little, or none. In tests it has been proven that yellow dock may increase the absorption of iron without actually containing any itself.

List of Actions: Diuretic, hepatic (improves liver function), cholagogue(makes your bile flow more easily--do not use when you have gall stones!!!), antirhuematic (improves arthritis), laxative (see cholagogue), tonic and a bitter.

The thing I notice the most about Dandelion is its actions are all related. It improves flow of water and bile through the body and feeds the body as it pushes things out.

Combinations: I most often use Dandelion with Nettles, Burdock and Milk Thistle.

Safety note: As with all plants in the Asteraceae family their may be a sensitivity issue with this plant caused by a reaction that is similar to an allergy. It is rare but if you have aster sensitivity avoid this plant. Also the latex in the stem of the plant can be irritating if handled for long periods of time.

*primary use of flowers is for Dandelion wine, which isn't exactly medicinal except as a diuretic like everything else in the dandelion

Map of where I have been and where I am going

2008-07-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hey, so Jillian found another cool thing to put on the blogs. Its a map that shows where you have visited(blue), lived(red) and where you want to go (green). As Jill said the list of where I want to go is massive, but I narrowed it down to where I plan to visit in the next five years or so. Its certainly not a comprehensive list by any means and frankly I know the list will change as opportunity, money etc presents itself. Its down at the bottom of the page if you want to check it out :)

Dandelion - Taraxacum officinalis

2008-07-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

I decided to harvest dandelion root and leaf today since I avoided mowing the lawn for two weeks and the leaves are still happy and lush. It didn't take very long and it was quite satisfying when I managed to pull up the whole taproot. I also noted how the soil around the dandelions is nice and loose, due to dandelions knack for aerating. I will actually hang the dandelion leaves later, for now I was being too lazy to do more than place them on the drying rack (under the flour sack towel).

My one concern with the whole process was how much water I wasted in cleaning. I am sure their must be a less wasteful way to process roots and leaves - maybe just leave the dirt on them?- but the dirt was wet so it stuck really well to the roots and since they were in the grass the leaves were covered with grass and slugs, not exactly appetizing to keep that sort of debris on them. I think I will try soaking them in a pan of water to remove the dirt and slugs, and have a second pan of clean water to rinse them through a second time. I never have this problems with anything in the mint family! Geeze.

Now I need to figure out how to get rid of those tiny bugs all over my Calendula. Any advice is welcome, for now I am hoping those bugs just go away once the flowers are dried. (go away is a relative term since I just noticed three crawling across my laptop screen...I need to stop drying herbs in my bedroom.)

Dr. Horrible Is Online!

2008-07-16T09:28:00.001-07:00

So after too many people went to go watch Dr. Horribles Sing-along Blog yesterday and crashed the site, I went by the site today to see if it was up yet. I just got done watching it and it is genius....evil genius at that! I think I will buy the season from iTunes so I can download it properly so that tomorrow when part two come out tomorrow I don't have to hit pause every 5 seconds.

For updates about what's going on check out their twitter page, and there is also a fan site already up that is holding updates.

Go watch it. NOW!

UPDATE: site is working now!

July is Here!

2008-07-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

...and you all know what that means. That's right its time for a new Herb of the Month. This month I have chosen Tilia commonly called Linden in North America, or Lime Blossom in Europe.
Linden is a deciduous tree that is native to Europe, Asia, and eastern North America, here in the west it is a non-native imported from Europe. Tilia's are often planted along roadways and in parks. It's distinctive blossoms are easy to distinguish once you know what to look for and they are in full bloom right now.
Linden is most often utilized as a nerve tonic tea. It is a common remedy for frayed nerves and inability to sleep. It is specifically for those that are nervous, don't trust anything and want to be in control. It is also very useful in relaxing one to sleep, especially children. Linden has a pleasant aroma (it really does smell like limes) and tastes floral, sweet and tangy.

Vespa

2008-07-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have taken it into my head that I want a Vespa scooter. I like this one in midnight blue.

I really don't know what else to say about it. I blame Paris.

Biosphere Art

2008-07-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite blogs has an interesting interview about an artist in Seattle who is creating self contained biosphere's as art,her name is Vaughn Bell. It is a very fascinating subject to me, I am interested in peoples relationship to plants and the psychological response, which seems to be her focus.

My friend Brianna from Bastyr did a report once on the fact that driving out to the woods and just being in nature actually has a calming psychological affect and is being used as a treatment for children with ADHD and hyperactive disorders. Maybe the real reason for the epidemic of this disorder is disconnection from nature, not anything else. If I did research I think it would relate to such things.

I am also interested in the subject of how houseplants affect on our psyche, but also affect our health, since they can removed toxins from the air and oxygenate and moisturize a room. Houses and offices with live plants are healthier environments.

As an extrapolation on that idea I have also been exploring the idea in a futuristic fashion in my novel, how houseplants become vital commodities in the future and no building or vessel would dream of being without them. Humans try, but they can never truly escape nature, and really they shouldn't want to.

Anyway go check out the interview, also check out this book I found called How to Grow Fresh Air, by Dr. B.C. Wolverton to learn more about how vital houseplants are from research done at NASA for the space program.

Random Name = Random Story

2008-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was thinking that it would be fun to use the Random Name Generator for a less mundane purpose than just clicking reload over and over again, but for actual literary purposes when i am stuck for a name when creating a bit character. In that vein I propose a writing game. Write a short story surrounding a character whose name is picked by the random generator.
Today's name is Charlie Cole. Feel free to click "generate another" to get a cast of characters. No names should come from your own head. Anyone else who wants to play along can post in comments or email me.

Get writing!

P.S. If its a sci-fi you can also utilize the Random Technobabble Generator for help

UPDATE:(7/7/08) Apparently there is also a Random Word Generator out there, though not by the same people! Even more fun with randomness! :)

Dr. Horribles Sing-Along Blog

2008-06-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Found this teaser trailer for a new Joss Whedon Project. Its a three part online movie(?). It looks absolutely fabulous and since I am a hopeless nerd and Joss Whedon fan I am promoting said video. Apparently the show airs on July 15, the second episode on the 17th and the last the 19th, after the 20th the videos will only be available for a small fee. So enjoy the video! and support online ventures!

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Climbing!

2008-06-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after selling bread to people that like bread at the farmers market I headed over to Eastern to climb with Sean, Jill and Gordon. So it had been probably 12 years since I last went to a climbing wall so I wasn't as good as I was when I was a teenager. Mostly though that was because my arm strength has diminished so greatly I just couldn't do much. Despite that I had lots of fun and I will be going back. Maybe lift some weights in the meantime so I can have even MORE fun next time :) Not surprisingly Sean took to climbing like a fish to water, must be all those years climbing trees. Here are some pictures you may enjoy!

Me bouldering (meaning climbing without a rope)

Me climbing again, I did climb with ropes for a bit, but my arms gave up.

Sean horizontal.

Jill climbing with Gordon balaying.

Sean Attempting a really difficult climb.

Gordon tries to show him up.

And gets a little farther than Sean, notice where his left leg is!

Sean climbing.

Sean making it to the top.

Gordon Showing us how it should be done in his badass Climbing Staff Shirt.

The Garden

2008-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

My garden is in full bloom right now. My seedlings were big enough, finally, to transplant this weekend and because the intermittent rain we've been getting everything is growing really nicely. I took some photos this morning to show.

baby Calendula (Calendula offcinalis)

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)

Seedlings of Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

One lonely Snow Pea (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon)

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)

Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Veronica Speedwell (Veronica spp.)

Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum)

Blue Flax (Linum perenne)

Raspberry (Rubus ideaus)

Driftwood and Barnacle Brick

2008-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I was naming photos from my trip to Seattle last week and as I named this picture I decided that these two must be some kind of superhero team.

Cat Faucet

2008-06-19T06:33:00.001-07:00

This morning I found a whisker attached to the faucet in the bathroom. The question remains as to whether the cat was in the bathroom sink, or whether the faucet itself is turning into an animal.

Answers; though no one took the test

2008-06-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hawthorne - To calm my heart Palpatations
Wood Betony - To ground my mind so I am not in the stars
Nettles - Allergies (told you it was a trick)
Rosemary - To aid my memory so I remember the right things to say
And a tincture with a mixture of: Eluethro, Licorice root, Oats, sarsaparilla and prickly ash - An adrenal tonic to give me strength and fortification, but also to calm any hormones that may be out of balance.

There's the answer... no one played my game though. Oh well.

As for the Haiku...
Well, you just don't get one now
since nobody played

Pop Quiz

2008-06-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

I am taking a tincture to calm my nerves for my impending interview.
Hawthorne
Wood Betony
Nettles
Rosemary
And a tincture with a mixture of: Eluethro, Licorice root, Oats, sarsaparilla and prickly ash

First to tell me what each ingredient is for... gets the satisfaction of a job well done.

I will post the correct answers tomorrow whether or not there is a response...

*(nettles is a trick!)

UPDATE: My Husband says that no one will bother answering without a prize. So if someone answers correctly I will be like Jillian and write you a Haiku...or something resembling poetry.

Raspberry Wordle

2008-06-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

I found this website called Wordle, via Hodgman and Coulton. Here is the monograph of Raspberry below as Word Art. Enjoy!

This Post is for My Brother... all others look away... or read it , you might find it interesting

2008-06-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was following a mission on PMOG* and stumbled upon a website all about home made technology! It's called Make: technology on your time. I haven't had to explore it fully, but it looks like a nice collection of strange things you can make in your spare time. Enjoy!

*I just joined PMOG about five days ago and I am sort of addicted. It's a (hehe) Passively Multi-player Online Game and you get points for surfing the internet!

We now resume normal blogging. Thank you for your time.

I Win!

2008-06-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wandered over to Think Like a Jillian and there was a Pop Quiz!I studied the picture and recognized those sneaky hills as the ones I had fallen down many times at Sitzmark Ski Hill in Havillah, Washington. I wrote in my answer and as a prize I won a personalized Haiku.

HAIKU:

Oh no! A pop quiz!
Will Anyone Answer? Yes!
Herbal Amanda!

Thanks Jillian!

Raspberry

2008-06-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know I know, two post in the same day! Crazyness. Anyway, its June now so its time for the newest Herb of the month. (May doesn't get on this time, if you must blame something blame Paris.) This month I have chosen Raspberry as my plant for a couple of reasons, one i saw one in Paris, two my own personal stunted little Raspberry is in full bloom and starting to show signs of berry-ing*. Mostly I must own though I am doing raspberry because I already have all the research for it and since I am in the midst of job hunting I didn't want to have to do a new plant! Its my blog I can do what I want :)

This is all taken from an intensive paper called a Monograph that I did for school in the fall of 2006. I took out all the overly technical sections and pared it down a bit. Let me know if you all think this is too technical, or if you have any questions about anything!

Rubus idaeus

Other common names: Raspberry, Raspbis, Hindberry, Bramble of Mount Ida, Brambleberry, framboises

Family: Rosaceae

Parts used: Leaves, berries.

Botanical description: Culpepper claims that raspberry, he calls it brambleberry, is “... is so wel known that it needeth no Description.”³ However, this doesn't truly seem sufficient. Raspberry is a shrubby plant with long bent over canes with leaves off the stems in threes. The leaves are ovate in shape with a serrate edge, green on top and silver underneath. The flowers are white with five petals, five sepals, and many stamens. The fruit is a red aggregate of drupelets. Each drupelet contains a single seed. The aggregate berry when picked leaves behind a white conical core. The stems become woody with age and display prickles in profusion.

Habitat: Raspberries grow most often in areas where the soil has been disturbed, such as forest clearings or fields. Native to Canada and North America, it grows from British Columbia down to New Mexico. Grows well in moist temperate regions, and will spread easily unless cut back. Raspberry is very beloved and is grown worldwide for its tangy little berries

Taste: Hot infusion of the leaf: Bitter, astringent, sweet, green, full and oily, cooling. Raspberry leaf tea is often said to taste a lot like black tea due to its high tannin content, and is said to be a good substitute if you are sensitive to caffeine. I think this is partly true, but the green oily taste that overlies the black tea taste is hard to ignore.

Berry: Sour and tangy, sweet, cooling and extremely tasty over vanilla ice cream

Energetic properties: Cooling, drying and soothing; strongly associated with female energy.

Doctrine of Signatures-(this section is taking the look of a plant and associting it with its properties to aid in memory) The arrangement of raspberry leaves off the stem is that of one large leaf representing the uterus flanked by two smaller leaves that represent the ovaries; this reminds us that raspberry leaves work on the womb. The undersides of raspberry leaves are silvery, giving us insight that the leaves also have a connection to the moon and therefore woman and the menstrual cycle.

Constituents: Flavonoids: Kaemperferol and Quercitin as well as many glycosides of both; tannins: including gallotannins and ellagitannins; fruit sugar: notably xylitol; volatile oil; pectin; citric acid; malic acid; calcium, magnesium, thiamine, niacin, carotenes and trace minerals. A few sources list an alkaloid called fragarine, but more recent research has not found this molecule. (Fragarine was thought to be the 'active' constituent of raspberry leaf, the one that cause uterine muscle tissues to strengthen, but it is now postulated that is a more complex reaction that isn't due to any one constituent, but a combination of many. This particular conclusion seems to be more and more excepted for most herbal medicines, as main constituents are usually found to not work, or have different actions when isolated.)

Actions: Berries: Nutritive, antioxidant and laxative Leaves: Nutritive, astringent, antioxidant, parturient, uterine tonic, and emmenagogue

Indications and effects: Traditional use of Rubus Idaeus has been to aid in childbirth. Raspberry leaf acts on the tone of the uterus, increasing the contractility of the uterine walls.^1,9,11 This action on the uterus makes for more useful contractions during labor, as well as helps the uterus return back to its normal shape and elasticity afterwards.^1,11 The mechanism for this action is unknown though it has been speculated to be due to the tannins. However, since tannins are largely unabsorbed into systemic flow this is still not completely understood. There is some postulation that it is a reflex action, since the tannins cause the lining of the intestines to contract it makes the body contract the lining of the uterus. More research needs to be done in this area.
Rich in vitamin C complex, thiamine, niacin, carotenes, calcium, magnesium and trace minerals, R. idaeus is nutritive and aids in the health of the fetus and mother, and also increases and enriches milk flow after birth.¹ This same action on the uterus acts as an emmenagogue and can be used for restoring weak or absent menstrual cycles.
The tannins act as a parturient, toning the membranes in the gut by binding to proteins in the intestinal wall, its mild action is especially good for children with diarrhea. The tannins also contribute to healing canker sores in the mouth, bleeding gums and other mouth complaints mainly through astringent action. Both the fruits and leaves have antioxidant properties due to high flavonoid content, which can heal oxidative damage to blood vessels and other tissue. The fruit is a mild laxative if taken in high quantities. Judith Berger mentions its use as a black tea substitute for those trying to lower their caffeine intake due to its similar taste and high tannin content.¹

Safety/Contraindications: No safety issues have been reported with the toxicity of the plant. However there is a slight worry taking too much in the first trimester of pregnancy which may cause ‘over toning’ of the uterus so that the placenta has a hard time detaching from the uterine wall. It is therefore recommended limiting the use of raspberry leaves to the second and third trimester.¹²This advice comes with its own problems since raspberry is also used to counteract morning sickness. Th solution may reside in using it for morning sickness, but stopping use in the the second trimester and starting again in the third so that the over toning doesn't occur.

Classic formulas:

Raspberry Brandy

Pick fine dry fruit, put it into a stone jar, and the jar into a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth, till the juice will run; strain, and to every pint add 1/2 lb. of sugar, give one boil and skim it; when cold, put equal quantities of juice and brandy, shake well and bottle. Some people prefer it stronger of the brandy. -----(Old Cookery-Book.) (botanical.com)

Combinations: A good pairing for Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves would be Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) leaves. Both display emmenagogue affects, which frees the flow of blood form a stagnant or blocked uterus and can regulate mentrual cycles that are erratic.

Preparations and doses: Leaves are usually prepared in an infusion, 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoon of dried leaf and let steep for 10-15 minutes, or long cold infusion for 4-8 hours to extract more of the mineral nutrients. I 8 ounce cup 3 times a day for toning the uterus during last trimester of pregnancy. In tincture form 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.² The berries are best as food source of flavonoids.

Works Cited

Berger, Judith. Herbal Rituals. New York: St. Martins Griffin Press, 1998.

Bone, Kerry A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs. Elsevier Science, 2003

Culpepper, Nicolas Retrieved 10/09/06 <http://www.med.yale.edu/library/historical/culpeper/b.htm>

Grieve, Maude Retrieved 10/08/06 <http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/raspbe05.html>

Hoffmann, David FNIMH, AHG. Medical Herbalism: The Science and practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press, 2003

Kress, Henriette “Rubus idaeus photo” Retrieved 10/08/06

“Raspberry”, Retrieved 10/08/06 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry>

Moore, Michael “Rubus idaeus: distribution map”, Retrieved 10/08/06 <http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Rubus_idaeus.gif >

Tilgner, Sharol ND. Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth. Wise Acres Press, INC, 1999

Yarnell, Eric ND, RH Phytochemistry and Pharmacy for Practitioners of Botanical Medicine. Healing Mountain Publishing, Inc., 2004

Rosemary, Gladstar Family Herbal: a guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality Storey Books, North Adams, Massachusetts, 2001.

*I made that verb up, yes i realize I could say fruiting, but I wanted to be more specific.

Enviromental Health vs. Pollution

2008-06-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Jillian posted today about the fact that statically big cities are actually more environmentally healthy than rural areas. I agree with this and I think the reason that it is so shocking has to do with our perceptions. We are an egocentric race and it is commonly accepted that cities are bad for our health. We translate this to mean that it is bad for the world, the larger environment without even thinking. Our brains really like to make such connections even when, if we took a moment to analyze it, the connection doesn't actually make sense.

I think the main problem may stem from our use of the word environment. We talk about environment in the sense of our immediate surroundings but we also use the word to mean the entire planet as well. These ideas are actually quite separate. Our environment, when speaking about immediate surroundings, be quite toxic due to toxins that reside in our houses and the emotional atmosphere and lack of nature, but it could be perfectly fine when talking about pollution.

How could a house that is toxic to us not be a pollutant you ask? It lies in the fact that the toxins are confined within the structure. One of the shocking things that has come out in recent years is the fact that indoor pollution is now worse than outdoor pollution, mostly due to the fact that there is no airflow to remove toxins from our midst. But since there is no airflow these toxins are quite nicely contained indoors and only escape slowly into the outdoor environment so aren't really a problem. So in this way our environment (indoors) is highly toxic for us, while it really has no affect on the larger (outdoor) environment.

Not to mention the other environmental toxins one may encounter in a city, sewer gases, close proximity to car emissions, more exposure to viruses and bacterial infections, emotional stresses due to the working nature of cities, the lack of plant life. All these things seem like major detrimental affects, but none of them are bad for the worldly environment. They are simply bad for human health. Humans are bad for the world health because they tend to ruin the environment they are in with their waste and utilization of every available resource, animal mineral and vegetable. Put them all in one big area and that waste is reduced.

Cities tend to build upwards once outwards becomes limited. Large cities such as New York or Paris fill more people per square foot. Because everyone is so crowded together it makes a central hub for food distribution, more people can walk or bike to work, public transportation is more cost effective and readily available using less energy and gas to move people around.

Having spent two weeks in Paris I noticed this difference was huge when I got back to Spokane. In Paris I could walk almost anyway, or jump on the metro. Grocery stores were small but abundant and I could find almost anything I needed easily. Coming back to Spokane I was immediately forced to drive to get to the normal places I go because the distance was greater to get everywhere. Central hubs in Spokane are larger but more spread out. Yes you can get all your shopping done in one store, but you have to travel farther to get there and you need a car to utilize the store because you did all your shopping at once.

I think if this country was really serious about 'saving the planet' we would put a complete halt to urban sprawl and start building upwards, localizing food sources so that we weren't needing to travel so far (this would also create jobs since more shops would need employees). People could not only walk to the stores, but walk to work etc. Not to mention using more local farms not shipping food from all around the world. The government cannot do all this. It needs to start like all things start, from the bottom up. Support local business, walk, bike or bus to work when possible (get a job closer to home if its a long commute!) start a local grocery in your suburb.

Go, Fight, WIN!

I feel this way too sometimes...

2008-06-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

Wetherobots.com

WoWaholics Anoymous

2008-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Amanda and I am a wow-aholic. I have been sober for six days and 12 hours and I must say its been a great change. I have been sleeping better, dreaming more, reading like its going out of style and I have written 9,000 words in my, much neglected, novel. I even finally wrote a blog post about herbs. Lets hope I can survive the next 2 weeks until my subscription runs out. Your support in this would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Herbs I Found in Paris (and a brief summary of there most comon usage)

2008-06-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

While we were in Paris I found some familiar faces, herbs!

Gaillet gratteron, Cleavers (Galium aparine) - Galium is a small upright herb that is covered in tiny stiff hairs. Its tiny hairs make it stick to clothing and hair, which is where its name cleavers comes from. Galium's main action is a Lymphogogue; meaning it makes the fluid in your lymph system flow.

Aubepine, Hawthorne (Crataegus spp.) - Crataegus is a small tree in the Rosaceae family. We saw this one in the Jardin des Plantes, in full bloom. Hawthorne is most known for its action on the heart. Not only does it calm rapid heart beats, and lower high blood pressure, its also been shown to speed a sluggish heart.

Gingko (Gingko biloba) Gingko is the only genus in the gingko family, and has only one species. It is an amazing tree with unique botanical properties. Medicinally gingko leaves are used to increase circulation to the brain, increasing mental focus and memory. In Traditional Chinese medicine however the fruit is utilized and has completely different applications.

Narrow Leaved Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) - Plantain small herb often found along roadways and paths. It prefers compact soil and was called the 'white man's herb' by native americans, who noticed its spread by the boots of soldiers. Plantago is highly nutritive and is a very useful for wound healing as it acts as an antiseptic, vulnerary and draws infectious agents from wounds.

Framboises, Raspberry (Rubus ideaus) - Raspberry is a large shrubby plant covered with sharp thorns called prickles (thorns are part of a branch, whereas prickles are only part of the skin of the branches). Like all rubus plants the leaves are highly astringent (that feeling of dryness or puckering when you eat it) which makes them very good vulnerary's. Raspberry also tonifies the uterus and is used in pregnancy to strengthen the uterus.

Bourse a pastour, Shepard's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) - Capsella is recognizable by its heart shaped siliques (seed pods). This herbs primary action is that of a vulnerary. It is extrememly effective, a dropperful internally can be enough to stop a major hemmorage and it often utilized by midwives during birth.

Celendine (Cheledonium majus) - Celendine was introduced to me first in an autobiography of Maurice Messigue, an herbalist from Gers, France. So when I spotted this specimen hidden in the woods among the nettles I was very pleased. Celendine is used only externally as its latex is caustic. The whole plant can be in a foot bath for pulling out toxins in the body. The latex can also be used to kill off worts, but be careful not to get any on healthy skin.

I also found a museum that had a small collection of botanical texts and prints, here is a line drawing of a strawberry plant.

Getting back on Track

2008-05-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had a discussion this morning and if the conversation had a name it would be "What the hell do we want to do with our lives and why are we hell bent on doing things that stress ourselves out and make us unhappy." Both of came to the conclusion that we are bent on finding the jobs we are trained for: him the Teacher and me the Herbalist. (and money, the necessary evil that it is) Both of us are happier when we have stress free jobs and can come home relax and be creative. He asked me if I still felt like an herbalist if all I had was my blog and made medicine for people when they needed. The answer I think is yes. Is this really all I need? Well maybe if I actually start blogging about herbs again :)

Speaking of pertinent entries, Think Like a Jillian has a guest post about the Gaia theory, you should check it out!

Slowly Coming back to Reality

2008-05-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I know I promised many pictures of France, and much ado about Paris. Frankly this has not happened, mostly do to lingering tiredness, job hunting and various other stresses and distractions. Plus I have been pondering this blog which despite my initial set out to be about Herbs, Gardening, Green living and what not has ended up being more just.. well... stuff about me. Which I had pointed out to me also this week is typical for a blog, but not maybe all that interesting to the rest of the world. So I will spend today working on remedying both problems with a venture into herbs i met in Paris and then perhaps move on with more of what I set out to do which in affect is be informative about alternative medicine/living. Does that sound ok with everyone?

Be careful, I am contagious

2008-05-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hey folks so apparently I have been tagged with a virus. A blogger virus. Not only that but I have been tagged with it twice! Once from my friend Jillian and also from my husband Sean. This particular virus was engineered by Splotchy, whom until this moment I did not even know existed. Way to go internet interconnectedness!

Here's the story:

***
I had been shuffling around the house for a few hours and already felt tired. The doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw a figure striding away from the house, quickly and purposefully. I looked down and saw a bulky envelope. I picked it up. The handwriting was smudged and cramped, and I could only make out a few words.
***
"Interesting", I thought to myself, "I don't know anybody named Ted Kaczynski." Unless it's going to clear this damn sinus infection in my head, I'll have to open it later.I set it on the kitchen table, and prepared my tincture of herbal tea remedies.
***
As I watched the lengthy glossop of honey slather into my tea I heard a rustling noise behind me. Having spent my childhood in a rotating house (due to some awkward foundations) I am quite adept at craning my neck and utilized this skill in the current situation, looking behind myself like a six-foot-tall owl.
***
The envelope - so stationary seconds before - had started to move, an event that I found somewhat odd, given that I was four days away from celebrating a year of sobriety. I picked up the nearest implement of swatting size without thinking, and slowly approached the bubble-wrapped delivery.The envelope continued to shuffle and shake as I stood poised with the potato masher held in readiness over my head. A small bead of sweat edged down my temple, hitting the floor at the same time as a lump of congealed potato from my weapon. There was a tearing sound, and I froze, unable to move, as a disembodied hand broke through my mysterious delivery. I blinked, and the thumb and forefinger of the hand formed a mouth.
***
"Hey, dude, what's up?" The Hand/Mouth said. I just stared, perplexed and terrified. "You got any grub? I'm starving!"
At this point, my fear got the better of me and I swung the potato masher down fiercely, knocking the hand/mouth (still partially in the packaging) off the counter and onto the floor. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I ran to the kitchen stool and stood on top of it, still grasping the potato masher with white-knuckled terror.
"Not cool, man," said the thing.
***
I stood transfixed in horror. The hand now started to inch across the floor towards my stool.
Ring, ring! On the wall across the kitchen the telephone began to ring, breaking me free from the icy grip of fear.

I had been in the middle of moving into a new home, in a fairly clean neighborhood. Kids on bikes, 2 cars in every garage. This hand was not something I had expected to be dealing with.

Ring! The phone rang again.
Cautiously, I climbed onto the counter, stepping over boxes and the empty sink to answer. "Hello?" I shouted into the receiver, intently aware of the scrabbling fingers below me.

"Mr. Newman, I have a proposition to make."
***
"Wha- what do you want?" I babbled into the phone as I sat on the counter, knees to my chin, feet in the sink, phone tucked between my ear and shoulder, my potato masher still firmly clutched in my hand keeping the creature at bay as it attempted to climb the drawer handles to the counter.

"Nothing much Mr. Newman. Just the hand back."

I was just about to answer the man when I saw it. Inside the envelope, still wrapped around the hand things wrist, was a piece of paper. It was halfway out of the envelope, if I could only grab it.
***

Ok virus I know very few bloggers and unfortunately the two I know best got me first. So this virus goes onto Wil Wheaton because he is the one who got me started blogging and I read his stuff everyday. I know you are uber famous Wil, but I am hoping your blogger instincts will make this imperative to continue passing this deadly virus around.

We are back

2008-05-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone we are back in the States, but since we are exhausted, working, and constantly catching up with friends and family I haven't' had a chance to do much consolidations of Paris pictures. I will attempt to do so by the weekend so stay tuned!

Last Night In Paris

2008-05-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

So tonight is our last. We just got home from a jaunt in the rain for ice cream on the Champs Elysees (the Worlds Best, Berthillion brand no less!) and a glass of wine, at one of the restaurants on the block where we live (Cote Vignes). We had a full day of exploring, shopping, eating, drinking and walking in the blistering sun. Much like the rest of our visit here :) Only difference today was we knew we couldn't go back later to places we fell in love with, (which may account for the rash spending) and the lovely bit of rain that occurred towards evening (the one I have been wishing for since i got my sunburn last week). All in all it was a lovely day and a good note to end the trip on.

I will be posting Paris in retropect all next week as I rummage through photos and my wayword journal, and scan in some sketches Sean and I drew while here. So don't think Paris talk is through! For those of you awaiting our return in Spokane, we will be home tomorrow night! (though don't expect much from us, we will be traveling for 18+ hours tomorrow and arrive at 6am Paris time). Au revoir Paris!

Just Another Day in Paris....

2008-05-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today started out like any other the sun was shining the grass was growing and the buildings were wobbling...wait that's not right. Something was definitely wrong about the wobbly building...

Not to mention the strange trip into infinity on the british flag... and we weren't even in London!

Sean tells me that at some point I completely disappeared from view when I was right in front of him!

I do seem to remember some mushrooms somewhere... maybe they had something to do with it...

Of course that foxglove we passed could have been the culprit as well...

Oh I know what it was... it was our last day in Paris...

Lessons Learned in Paris

2008-05-12T02:10:00.000-07:00

So I learned a few things while I have been here such as: don't stop and let someone make a bracelet on your arm or expect to lose 5 euros, always watch which stop occurs next on the subway so you don't end up riding the wrong way for too long, always be polite, don't ask too many questions in english to waiters and waitresses (learned vicariously through Sean), and never order a medium drink...

....or expect to be sitting at the restaurant a long time.

Notre Dame and Little Taste of Paris

2008-05-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Despite my protestations about going up the Notre Dame tower (I must admit I threatened to leave the tour line more than once) it was actually something I enjoyed. I will also say though that 400 stairs is a lot, Gargoyles, chimeras and grotesues aren't nearly as interesting from behind steel cables (erected for our protection and theirs I am sure), and 30 people on a winding staircase makes it hot cramped and airless. I had two distinct "oh my gawd, I think I am going to have a panic attack." moments... but they passed thanks to breathtaking views and a cool refreshing breeze. I doubt I will want to do it again, but it is something I will remember and I certainly know Sean had fun and really wanted to see it. Thank goodness he can be persistent.

Sean and I after we climbed to the top and back down

After the Cathedral we went to the crypts below, but it wasn't really much to see, interesting for an archeaology student, but not much for an overstimulated person whose been to 7 museums in the last 5 days. We had both been expecting skulls and bones, but found out that that is the Catacombs. We will go there next monday or tuesday instead :)

On a completely different subject Sean and I have been married now for 81 months and we celebrated our Lunaversary by going out to lunch at our favorite spot yet in Paris. Le Cheveau de La Colombe, 4 Rue De La Colombe, 75004 Paris, France. The food, superb! the wine... oh the wine... ahhhh! service was excellent the server was really friendly and spoke really fluent english, it was quite nice, all that I expected from Paris and More. We may have to go back there before we leave.

The rest of the day we spent at the Pompidou, but alas our camera had died by then so we don't have any pictures to share tonight. We found, however, a new artist to love. Her name is Louise Bourgeious, and she is the real deal!

Hope your Friday is going well!

Give her a Hug for me Dad

2008-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

So it was just brought to my attention, by my friend Jillian, that Sunday is Mothers Day. I had sort of forgot, though now that i know I do think I have been seeing Mothers Days advertisements all over Paris. Just didn't connect that it would be before I got back to the States. I guess I will have to go shopping...

in Paris...

some more...

truly my life is so hard!

Versailles

2008-05-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sean and I got up early and fled to Versailles today. It was crowded, but not so bad as it could have been, I wouldn't want to be there in summer when I am sure that gigantic parking lot is full and the metro must be like a sardine can; it was bad enough in the 80 degree whether, with at least three school groups flooding the Chateau and gardens. Suffice to say we had fun, the garden was simply breathtaking in its scope and beauty.

Sculptures, fountains (I wish that they had been functioning, they just aren't as pretty when switched off), hedges of every shape and size, avenues lined with trees that arched overhead, in the distance you could see forests where it would be easy to imagine the King taking his retinue hunting. All very magical.

Some distracting features were that: (as mentioned above) the fountains were off, some sculptures were hidden behind metal screens as they were under restoration (a couple were even missing, obviously needing some very desperate care), there was lots of construction, scaffolds, and of course, our luck, it was lawn mowing day. All seemed abuzz with restorations, and as I said, though it was distracting, it wasn't horrible and needed. Historical sites need to be maintained after all.
My favorite part of the day, besides just strolling the gardens, was us taking a rowboat and navigating the cross shaped canal at the far end from the Chateau itself. We had lots of fun trying to row straight and through thick cinquefoil that bogged the whole canal. It was a blessing and a curse that it was so windy, blessing because it was so hot, and curse cause it always seemed to be blowing out poor boat the opposite direction to which we wanted to go. Anyway we had fun, saw ducks and people watched, and even saw some HUGE gray carp. I even managed to catch a picture of one, which wasn't easy cause they were skittish, mostly we just saw the water splashing after they jumped for bugs on the waters surface.

We headed back for Paris after this, feeling utterly exhausted for some reason, and didn't realize till we stopped for something to drink, at a cafe near the Eiffel Tower, that it was because we were both badly sunburned. I have to say despite being in the sun all day it never once crossed my mind that we should have sunscreen. I think I am of the opinion that it is still spring. Today in France however I will say it was definitely summer. I do hope however that the forecast is right and it will be cloudy and possibly rain of Friday so my poor sunburned shoulders get a break. Anyway we asked at the Pharmacie (the pharmacy stores are everywhere, distinguished by green and blue florescent crosses, often there are two on the same street. They sell creams and such and behind the counter have all manner of powerful stuff; what in America is often over-the-counter) and they recommended a burn cream and sunscreen. The cream is wonderful and I will surely be glad of the sunscreen tomorrow, though I intend to stay inside as much as possible.

Ok its after midnight again, better go to sleep.

Stuff

2008-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sleepy. Very Long Day. Good though. Took so many pictures, camera dead. Me talk more later. You look at pretty tower.

The Tour Eiffel, dusk, view from Arc de Triomphe.

Tomorrow's My Birthday!

2008-05-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

...and I am in Paris! We plan to go shopping, go to a couple museums and have a drink at the Jules Verne Restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower (probably one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris!). I am going to sleep now so I don't miss out on anything tomorrow...

View of of Eiffel Tower from Jardin de Luxembourg, as you can see the park is very busy on Sunday afternoon.

Bonjour From Paris!

2008-04-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Allo! I hope you guys are enjoying Wednesday. I assure you it will be fabulous even if it started out rough. At least that was our experience :) I will spare you the boring details of traveling since (amazingly enough) they are already fading from my memory as insignificant. Right now it is 22:43 according to the clock here and Sean and I are getting ready for bed (trying to convince our bodies that it is indeed night and not two in the afternoon). Despite all the good advice from friends to stay up all day we ended up taking a nap after breakfast and getting up around five to go explore some more. Hopefully that wont mess us up tomorrow.

(The below picture is our first sight of Paris after we exited the Metro at the Arc de Triomphe).

You can see our first meal here it was soooo delicious.

We started out the day so tired we could barely remember any French and mostly ended up using English for most every interaction. However after our nap we brushed up on our approach and I completed my first complete transaction entirely en Francaise. I was very proud of myself, though he did help by quoting the price in English. Everyone speaks a little English so far that we have talked to and most seem to prefer talking to us in English despite our efforts (and often before we even open our mouths!) I guess Americans stand out.

We have taken a ton of photos and already spent a lot of euros and I don't even feel like we are really here yet! Above is Sean in front of the Place de Geffre stitched into a panorama, I love my new camera. Ok, I am going to watch the rest of French Idol (Nouvelle Star) and drink my tea before bed.

Tomorrow our plan is to hit the Musee Rodin and the Ile-de-Cite. We will keep you all posted! Bon Nuit!

Bon Voyage

2008-04-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, slightly buzzed from too much wine and in a calm panic, realizing that in less than 30 hours I will be in Paris, France, I wonder; am I really going to France? Wasn't that just some weird dream I keep having? But no, no. I am going to France in the morning and I am going to like it dammit! I mean I could not go. I could over sleep and decide to skip the whole thing. After all it has been an eventful week, who needs to add traveling to a foreign country where you barely speak any of the language?> I doubt that will happen.

So au revoir mes ami! I will see you when I return!

Lost in Remodeling Hell

2008-04-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello blogosphere, I see that it has been more than a week since my last post. I apologize, but right now I have a loooooooooooooooonnnggg list of things to do. In a nutshell I have to finish remodeling a bathroom, move furniture around the house, clean EVERYTHING, plan for my mother 60th birthday party and pack my bags for Paris; pretty much all by thursday. This is going to be an interesting week.

Violet Elixir Walkthrough

2008-04-13T17:06:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this is the time (at least here in Spokane!) to pick violets. Why pick violets you ask? Check my previous post on violets here. The best time to pick flowers is the morning before the heat of the day, but after the dew has dried (if you have any dew).

Here is a step by step guide on how to make the Violet Syrup (which is actually an elixir!):

Pick 1 quart jar full of violet blossoms. You can fill the jar loosely, no need to press the flowers tightly, I just pick them using the jar as my container. As long as the place your picking from has low or no foot traffic and isn't sprayed you should be fine without washing them.

Pour hot water (let teapot come to a boil but wait till bubbling stops to pour) over till the jar is full and the water covers all the blossoms (also, check the water level after about five minutes the blossoms will have soaked some of the water up and you will need to pour a little bit more so that the blossoms are indeed covered).

Cover the jar with a plate or its lid (this will not only keep put unwanted things such as flour and sawdust that may be floating around your house as well as keeping in all that heat which is extracting all the medicinal molecules) and let it steep for 2 hours (i usually stick it in the windowsill to add the suns help in extracting the compounds from the violets). Watch the water underneath the violets as it will bleed a rich blue violet color.

When the violet blossoms have steeped for two hours they should look like this:

Strain the liquid off into a small sauce pan. Make sure you use a spoon to press out the violets! Turn the burner on medium to medium-high heat and let reduce by half, this will take about 45 minutes to a couple hours, but it will depend on your burner so keep an eye on it. Do not let the water boil! The liquid should move a little with convection currents and steam slightly so that you know its reducing, but if you start to see bubbles turn down the heat. You don't need to stir it and I recommend you don't.

When the liquid is reduced by half, add the honey and let it dissolve into the liquid. I usually add about 3 tablespoons honey which makes it sweet, but not cloying. (you can substitute sugar for honey if you prefer, but keep in mind that Honey is medicinal in and of itself acting as an antimicrobial) Next add 2 teaspoons of brandy to help preserve (the honey acts as a preservative as well if you want to avoid using alcohol you can simply add more honey.) Adding brandy to this is what makes this an elixir instead of a mere syrup. Also if you don't have brandy available you can substitute with vodka, but you will need to add 3 teaspoons, as vodka is only 40 proof and brandy is 50 proof (usually).

Pour liquid once more through a strainer to catch any blossoms that may have slipped through the first strainer and pour into sterile jars. I am using 2, 8oz and one 4 oz jar. Make sure all the jars have lids that fit! (as you can see below my 4oz jar is lidless). Also make sure to label your jars with not only the title of your concoction (you get to make that up yourself) as well as the ingredients and the date it was made. Elixirs have about a year shelf life, so this should last you all year and through the winter unless you have a lot of coughs to contend with :)

Hope you enjoyed this step by step guide to making the Violet Blossom Cough Elixir. Feel free to leave comments or questions.

Update : partie deux

2008-04-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Also, today is my lunaversary! Sean and I have now been married for 80 months! Can you believe that? Me neither. Every month we celebrate by going on date and being nice to each other (even if we haven't been lately). It seems to work, makes us get out together even if we have limited funds and forces us to recall why we married each other in the first place. So Happy Lunavesary! J'taime Sean!

Update

2008-04-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

So the bathtub is in place, the window is (finally) installed and it is my job today to install the insulation and measure where to cut the cement and wall boards. If I have time (and the patience) I will actually attempt to cut out the boards and install them, but its not on my to do list :)

In other news, my friends Jillian (from thinklikeajillian.blogspot.com), Gordon and Jaima, are headed to Japan tomorrow! I am very excited for them, but not jealous since Sean and I are headed to France in three weeks time. Really, I'm not jealous...ok maybe a little. So I am bidding them all Bon Voyage or the Japanese equivalent thereof :) zen (good) tokou (voyage)? Somehow I think the online translation could be wrong. Ok, at the very least 幸せな旅行 which roughly translates to "Happy Travelling" :) Ok, how about Japlish: happi-toraberingu!

Also the violets are now taking over the lawn:

Unfortunately I don't think harvesting them is on my to do list today either.

The Bathroom Project continues....

2008-04-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

My husband said this morning, on the fact that we still don't have the bathtub in place: "It's like camping, but without the fun and more sawdust."

Viola odorata

2008-04-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well it's now April, so it is time for the herb of the month!* I picked one of my favorite herbs for this month for a couple of reasons. First of all violets just started popping up in the lawn and because my father is suffering from bronchitis. (coincidence? I think not!)

Viola odorata is a small little purple flower with four petals and heart shaped leaves. It likes shady wet places and often hides in lawns (if you don't spray nasty chemicals on them anyway). It starts to bloom mid-march to mid april depending on the weather and what area you live in. I wait impatiently every year for them to pop up and if I am not quick they are all gone by the time I get out to harvest them (I am afraid that with all this snow that keeps covering them up I will miss them again this year). Hopefully tomorrow will be nice enough for a first harvest.

Violets are expectorant (make you spit and move phlegm out of your lungs), alterative (get your lymph moving and clear out the blood), anti-inflammatory, and diuretic (make you pee). The actions together make for an excellent remedy when sick with Bronchitis (especially), colds, coughs and influenza, for they move your immune system through the body and remove waste from the blood and urinary tract more quickly. Violets have also recently come into the scientific spotlight as one of only a handful of herbs that contains a substance called cyclotides. These compounds are disulfide rich proteins that make up an exceptionally stable ring structure that are being explored for therapeutic use in HIV and cancer drugs. You can read more here on the cyclotide.com website.

Violets are one of the wild edibles that should be on your stop, pick and eat list. Violets are rich is ascorbic acid and minerals that are especially needed in the spring to get us over our winter deficiencies. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C is a highly unstable molecule that is easily lost by exposure to heat, light or air, but if you eat fresh (just picked less than 2 minutes before) it will not be degraded.

Violets heart shaped leaves are a reminder that violet is also used to ease the heart. In fact one of violets names is hearts-ease (usually referring to the Viola tricolor species). Violet has been used through the centuries to cure the broken heart and to lighten moods.

The leaves and flowers can be made into a tea (2 tsp to 1 cup of water, let it steep for 10-15 minutes) or as a 40% alcohol tincture.

A good way to make yourself remember that violets are used for bronchitis would be to make them into a cough syrup. I took this recipe from Judith Berger's Herbal Rituals:

Violet Blossom Syrup
lots of violet blossoms
1 quart jar
boiling water
honey
brandy

Gather lots of violet blossoms. Fill your jar halfway with blossoms and fill jar with boiling water. Let steep for 2 hours and strain out blossoms (keeping the liquid. Put the liquid in a pan and reduce by half (on low heat). Add honey to taste and 2 teaspoons of brandy as a preservative. Use by the teaspoon for bronchitis, sore throats and sore hearts.

You can also combine it with other herbs, such as thyme Thymus vulgaris for its warming and anti-viral activity; garden sage Salvia officinalis for its cleansing and ability to break up phlegm; and black elder berries Sambucus nigra for their anti-viral activity and ability to induce a fever (febrifuge).

References
Medical Herbalism, David Hoffman
Cyclotides.com
Herbal Rituals, Judith Berger

*No I didn't put up an herb for March. Sue me!

Amanda: Demolition Woman!

2008-04-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

I got up today and went on a magical journey to Lowes, where I bought cement board, wall board, tape and grout. I transported it home and put it away and walked into the bathroom where I proceeded to TEAR DOWN THE FREAKING WALLS!!!! WOOHOOO!!!
I don't know the last time I had such fun. The old wallboard was all water damaged and moldy so most of it tore right out, but I had to resort to a crowbar and hammers to get the parts of the wall that were undamaged. I also discovered the source of the water damage which turned out to be the window.

See when they* installed the newer (smaller) window they had simply placed a piece of plywood in front of the gaping hole and forgot** to seal it at all so there was a nice 1/4 inch exposed seam into the wall that has been there for 20+ years. No wonder its always too cold to take a bath in there.

Anyway I am tired and covered in mold and plaster dust and really loonging for a shower which I will not get until tomorrow at a friends house. It's just poetic justice that the reason I need a shower is because I demolished it.

*The identity of 'they' has been concealed to protect the innocent or not so innocent
**Neglected?

Illness makes the Herbalist

2008-03-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

So my Dad has been sick with a cough all week and for the last two nights his coughing (and his TV) have kept me awake. This is partly to do with the noise, but mostly to do with my own guilty conscience. I mean I am an herbalist the ones closest to me should be getting the best and fastest treatment right? But noooo I have to wait till 5am on day three of the cough to get up and make up some medicine for him (which consisted of a facial steam with sage, peppermint, rose petals, lavender and calendula, and a cup of gypsy cold care tea from Traditional Medicinals, it worked too cause he stopped coughing after that).

So I find that my family gets treatment in a sporadic and untimely fashion hinging mostly on how much it is affecting me. This is partly due to the fact that I am extremely lazy, and partly because I have been giving them advice for years and somehow expect them to know everything that I do about their current illness (which of course they don't! Duh). Perhaps this weeks escapades into letting my Dad suffer longer than necessary will straighten me up so I can become a better healer. Let's hope so.

Traveling Like A True American

2008-03-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

So my husband and I are going to France. This in and of itself is amazing and I am excited and nothing could get me down... except the more we look around the more this trip is going to cost a fortune. Yes I already knew that, but its going to cost a fortune just outside of our actual money in the bank. Though it is looking like we have a choice. Spend all of our money and stay in Paris and not travel anywhere else, but maybe get closer to actually seeing a large proportion of things on our Paris sites list. Or spend all of our money, and about half again as much again, that we don't have (yes I mean credit card debt!) and stay in Paris half the time and in a little village near Dijon (that is so small it doesn't have a store!) for the other half. We would have already made the sane choice to stay in Paris alone except we got ourselves so excited about the Dijon area now we are torn.

I have a feeling I am going to be paying back this trip to France for a long time...
I also have the feeling that I wont care :)

Apple or Sour Cream Lemon?

2008-03-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well it only happens once a year, but todays the day! That's right it's Pi day! By that token I am going to spend the afternoon making an actual pie, just don't know which kind yet. I just have to get through the problem of figuring out whether pie are square or if pie are round....

Spokane Hot Zone

2008-03-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

So I went down to Aunties bookstore this morning and browsed around then decided to sit and have some coffee at Liberty Cafe. I pulled out my computer and my maps and books on France was ready to dive into making up our itinerary. I never got to even start, because long ago in a Spokane before I moved away I signed up for Spokane Hot Zone and have long since lost track of my password. Now on the surface this may seem trivial, however, in this case it is not. Spokane Hot zone has no "I forgot my password" button and even if it did you could never retrieve the damned thing anyway because you have to have internet access to get the new one from your e-mail account. So I went the other route and tried to register a new account. This turned into a whole new lesson on betrayal, annoyance and general homicidal urgings that started with "your password choice does not follow indicated format or contains illegal characters" and ended with "Our database indicates you already have an account please login using your password." I tried signing myslef up again, I tried signing up my husband I tried signing up with my old address, and nothing. Obviously they use the computers ISP address so it has nothing to do with e-mail address, name, or actual address.

I have never seen such tight security! My bank doesn't have this kind of crazy clearance. Defeated I looked on the Spokane Hot Zone website (the only one I can access without logging in) and tried to find a missing password link or a technical support number, all I could find was a contact page filled with names of the marketers, presidents and vice presidents of the company and not a single helpful job title among them.

I finally gave up shut my computer and went home feeling crabby and muttering curse words at a "Free Wireless" set up that is completely unusable. I appreciate the offer of free wireless Spokane, but could you please, when I forget my password that you require to be case sensitive, have one capital letter, one lowercase letter and one digit (not two or you wont accept the password as 'legal'), give me some more options for getting online? I would appreciate it.

I'm Going To Paris!

2008-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well we did it. We pushed the little virtual "confirm" button and we are now officially going to Paris!
Oh my gosh I can hardly believe it! I can't believe we can afford this...

I feel tres mal.... i think I am going to be sick....

Jonathan Coulton and the T-shirt Contest

2008-03-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I entered a t-shirt design contest over on pixish for this guy whose kinda famous in a big way on the internets even if he will probably never be played on the radio. I suggest you go check him out and while your at it vote for my t-shirt design, its called I Crush Everything by Amanda :) Thanks!

Spring, maybe

2008-02-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

I got home from coffee with my mother to discover that crocuses had decided to pop there heads out of the ground. With all the precipitation we've had this winter and the sun for the last week it isn't surprising that they think it is spring, but for some perspective at the strangeness, here is the state of the yard:

Despite all the cold hard, icy, dirty snow on the ground I think maybe these little purple darlings are a sign that spring is actually on the way. I guess its time to start planning the garden.

My Name is Jonas....

2008-02-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

My week has been all about music. My husband downloaded The Proclaimers "Sunshine on Leith" album and I fell in love with it! I already knew the "I'm gonna be" song from well being alive for the last 20 years, but the rest of the album is equally fantastic, soulful and funny. I am now convinced I must own all there music, now if I only had the funds to buy all of them. For those of you saying hey you could just torrent it all, I say this: Once I fall in love with a band for free, ie, one album, I tend to try and buy the rest for the simple reason that I want them to make more and supporting them monetarily is a way to ensure that.

My husband also borrowed some music from our friend and with it brought Weezer's "Blue Album" (is that capitalized since its not actually the title, just the color?), which I used to own but lost during a computer crash years ago*. I went on a nostalgia trip last night and had to listen through three times to get my fix. I remember my brother letting me listen to it in his bedroom when he was a teenager, a rare invitation. The only other times he let me come in his room to listen to music was to introduce me to Primus and Pink Floyd. I used to listen to that album over and over. Funny how that sums up almost every album I have fallen in love with. I tend to listen to it till everyone around me is ready to kill me.

*That makes it sound like the computer crashed and blew up all my CD's, actually I only had the copy on my computer from my brothers CD collection and he has the hard copy, but lives in California.

Pop Quixote

2008-02-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

So my test went ok, only three people voted ( I will admit I was one of them!) and I suspect I know who the other two were (I'm looking at you Toni and Briana!). Good job everyone cause you got the right answer! I was going to do blog all about arbutin, but well since everyone* seems to know the answer I wont bother, unless I get bored later today, which I probably will.

*everyone?

February Brings Desire

2008-02-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

When did it get be be February? I mean I completely missed the first and didn't realize till halfway through the 2nd that the month had changed. I think this just proves how completely removed from reality I have become. Sitting here day in and day out writing my book and contemplating how to start a business and, well, fretting really, has made it so I barely know what day of the week it is let alone which month.

Irregardless of this, it is February and it is the time of year to start thinking about spring. (Yes I realize Punxsutawney Phill said six more weeks of winter.) Yet now is the time of awakenings! Judith Berger in her Book Herbal Rituals states it thusly:

Come February, the blushing light of dawn insinuates itself more boldly across the landscape of the day, and as our eyes absorb the increasing brightness of the sun, subtle tremors rise from within us to meet a broadening glow. Though the air still contains winter's crisp bite, all the creatures begin to shiver, and our trembling is caused not purely by the cold but by an excitement that begins to blossom down deep in the gut, an instinctive knowing response to the coming renewal heralded by the expanding light.

No wonder February holds in its heart Valentines day. Yes, yes, I know it's a commercial holiday made so people will spend ridiculous amounts of money on chocolate and diamonds, but you can turn that around and make it more about a waking desire for spring, rather than a culturally induced attempt at romantic love.

February is desire. Desire for spring, for fertility, for lush growth and love. So the herb I am picking for this month is Turnera diffusa var. aphrodisiaca (yes aphrodisiac is part of its scientific name), commonly known as Damiana.

Damiana is an interesting herb. I met it about two years ago in lab while we were learning how to percolate our herbs. I had never really heard of it and really just picked up a jar at random and upon smelling it decided I would use it. My teacher thought this was highly amusing and explained to me a that its main uses were as a stimulating nervine and as an aphrodiasiac (A nervine is anything that acts on the nervous system, other nervines include, lemon balm, catnip, oats and the like). These two uses are actually more intertwined than at first glance. Damiana is basically a stimulant, but of an order different from caffeine or sugar. Whereas caffeine blocks the bodies ability to know when its tired, and sugar gives the body a source of energy to burn, damiana acts more directly with the nervous system. Damiana, like February itself, wakes you up and reminds you of your desires.

Damiana is most often indicated for people who have become indifferent to sex or who though interested cannot seem to 'get into the mood.' However I also recommend it to anyone wanted to spice up there love life. My favorite recipe for Damiana is Rosemary Gladstars Chocolate Love Liqueur, from her book Rosemary Galdstar's Family Herbal A guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality. There are two ways to make it, the fast, I need it tonight, version and the slow, this will be ready just in time for Valentines day, version. The recipes are the same the processes slightly different.

Damiana Chocolate Love Liqueur

1 oz. damiana leaves (dried)
2 cups brandy (or vodka)
1 ½ cups spring water ( any water will do but spring or filtered will bring out the taste more)
1 cup honey or sugar
Vanilla extract
Almond extract (if desired, I like it without personally)
Rose water
Chocolate syrup

Long version

Soak damiana leaves in brandy for 5 days, strain, reserve liquid and leaves.
Soak alcohol-drenched leaves in spring water for 3 days, strain, reserve liquid.
Gently warm water extract over low heat, add honey. Remove from heat once honey is dissolved, and add alcohol extract. Stir well. Pour into clean bottle and add vanilla and rose water to taste. Let mellow for as long as possible. It gets smoother with age.
Add ½ cup chocolate syrup, 2-3 drops of almond extract, and more rose water to each cup of liquor, upon serving.

Short version

Decoct (decoct means simmer on low heat in a pan) herbs in water enough to cover herbs completely, for one hour (or until liquid is halved)
Remove leaves (gently pressing them to extract all the juices you can).
Add honey or sugar to the hot liquid and stir in. When honey or sugar is dissolved remove from heat.
Add brandy and chocolate syrup.
Add vanilla to taste.

Make sure that you have more brandy than water in this recipe, as it and the sugar will act as the preservatives. Not that the Chocolate Love Liqueur will last that long :)

Of course I don't want you using store bought chocolate syrup! So here is a recipe for how to make some at home. I don't have a recipe that I make I just sort of throw it together so I snatched this one from Epicurious.com.

Simple Chocolate Syrup Recipe
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Bring water and sugar to a boil, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in cocoa and salt and simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, then cool (syrup will continue to thicken as it cools).
(Recipe from www.epicurious.com)

Also Rose water can be made at home: basically make a rose petal tea! Add boiling hot water over rose petals and let steep for 5 minutes.

This recipe is great for getting in the mood! It makes you very silly and happy and lightens the mood. I recommend cooking it up in the kitchen together making silly innuendo and laughing a lot. For those of you trying to get pregnant Damiana increases flow to the uterus and testes and has been used in Mexico as a fertility enhancer since Mayan times.

I cannot talk about this without some warnings. Damiana is not for everyone! All stimulants are not recommended if you are pregnant and Damiana is a stimulant and an emmenagogue (meaning it can make you start your period). I would also keep the dose down for anyone with Hypertension (high blood pressure).

Welcome in February this year with some renewed feeling! And remind yourself that spring is on the way! And when you see all the cupid displays and cartoon red hearts, try to think about the awakening desires heralded and not just the commercial hype. Instead of corn syrup filled chocolates and little candy hearts, make something for yourself and your loved ones, and spice it up your way.

Please let me know how your experiments with this recipe turn out!

Indecision

2008-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

I had a dream last night where I was contemplating going back to school. I was at a school and a bunch of students were having a big science show. I was wandering through the tables picking up pamphlets and such, like you do at a science show at a school, getting more and more agitated. Partially this was because people around me were inferring my degree wasn't scientific enough, to which my answer was "I have a degree in Herbal Science! Science is in the title of my degree!", or at least that is the answer in my head. I left the fair and walked into a tiny kitchen and started to wonder if I should go back to school. I pulled out a computer chair that was about 12 feet high ,when fully extended, and sat and spun in circles (very dangerous and wobbly circles I might add) weighing the options. "Well," I thought, "I wanted to take that botanical illustrations class...I could add couple science classes to it."

In the dream I pondered it out further and started pulling my hair back as if trying to put it into a pony tail. My hair right now isn't long enough to do this, but as I pulled, my hair kept getting longer and longer until, once I had fretted and pulled for long enough, my hair was halfway down my back. Not sure if it's because time was moving rapidly in the dream, or if I was trying to pull out my thoughts, but I thought a metaphor might be in there somewhere.

When I woke up I was actually contemplating going to school. I was convinced it was a good idea, but as the dream fog lifted I wasn't so sure. Not that I had been sure in the dream, far from it but I was even less exited about the prospect when I woke. The dream revolved around science classes, how prestigious it would be to have a proper science degree. It bothers me to think that even my subconscious doesn't appreciate everything I learned at Bastyr. Perhaps it's just a projection of how I feel most people see my degree. I mean really Herbal Science doesn't really sound that real does it?

What would I take? I would like to take a class that would actually aide me in my Herbal Medicine focus and honestly the offerings in that department are scarce. Its not like I can, or want, to go back to Bastyr. Taking the Botanical Illustrations class seems like an ok solution, but I have to pay out of pocket. Also, one class for me has never been a great option because I tend to skip when I don't have two reasons to be on campus.

The thing is, no matter how vividly I was dreaming about school, I was still dreaming. In the dream the thought of a science class was a direction, a purpose, a focus. Which is what I desperately want right now. I felt school would make me a whole person and everything would be better, but that just isn't the reality. School will be stressful and a hassle, not to mention adding some financial strain.

I do want to take the one class. But I hesitate to commit to more. At least it would get me out of the house more and I wouldn't feel useless all the time. Of course by then it will be spring and I won't be in the seasonally depressed mode I am in now anyway. I hope spring comes quickly this year. I miss my plants.