stress relief, hurricane relief

This is a tough time in the U.S. There is an overall feeling of stress, too much news, survivor guilt, and the feeling of needing to do something - yet being overwhelmed by the mountain of need. There are many good herbs that can help us cope with this feeling. One of the first things to try might be relaxing herb tea blends. There are many pre-mixed available in herb shops, grocery stores and even pharmacies. Look for ingredients like chamomile, valerian, passion flower, skullcap, lemon balm, and oat seeds. Stress can also be addressed with herbs like Siberian Ginseng, St. John's Wort, Ashwagandha, and Astragalus. Because stress is so hard on the immune system, be sure to get plenty of rest and consider some Echinacea or Astragalus to stay on top of the stress. A couple tea blends sent for the Blending Herbal Teas book from Gail Faith Edwards of Blessed Maine Herbs

Balance and Well Being Herb Tea - Super nourishing, vitality building. Offers an abundance of calcuim and magnesium, B complex, vitamins E and K, and folic acid. Hormonal balancing, bone building, nerve strengthening, libido enhancing, fertility promoting, and.... great taste. Blend equal parts red clover blossoms, red raspberry leaves, flowering tops of oatstraw and peppermint.

Comfort and Joy Herb Tea - Mystical, magical, highly nourishing, calming, nerve soothing, uplifting to the spirit, hormonal balancing, anti-viral, and immune enhancing. An entirely delightful and delicious brew! Mix equal parts of oatstraw flowering tops and lemon balm leaves. Toss in some St. John's wort flowering tops and sprinkle with rose petals.

I wrote last week that we were ordering Mardi Gras beads for a fund raising idea. They arrived a full week ahead of schedule, and they are really cool. Great colors, and I think they'll fly! In fact my friend Sarah Campbell of Herbs from the Labyrinth has offered to set them up for sale at a festival she is participating in over the weekend. Molly is struggling to get the okay from school officials, since the service clubs at her high school are doing their own thing. Either way, we will get these sold, and if necessary, order more (hope so!!!).

Just wanted to show you how gorgeous they are. The strands are longer than I expected too - which is a good thing :-). I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but the money will be going to the Mennonite Disaster Services in nearby Akron, PA. We chose them because they use 100% of the money for the victims, and they stay after others leave, helping the victims rebuild their lives. They jumped into service before the levees even broke.