The Rest of the Trip - Odds and Ends.

We were on the 19th floor, but went up to the 32nd floor where we could go out on the roof. The rooftop has planters, lovely built in benches, and nice sturdy guard rails. From the roof, the East river is right "over there", and there are ships docked on this side - New Jersey on the other. It was a bit windy up there, but we stayed a while to look at the various landmarks that were visible, and the tiny little cars on the roof of the gray building, and the equally tiny people on the streets below. I found it particularly funny to find some juicy green chickweed happily growing in one of the planters on the roof, and some daylilies a couple inches out of the ground in another. Laura got a kick out of watching me snuffle around the plants and the ground in the park. There were some dry tree leaves unlike any I'd seen before, but the trees don't have markers - darn it.
Then there was the flower shop. We were walking past this window, and it just stopped me in my tracks. If you look at the pink and yellow spray in the picture, you'll see what I mean. I was absolutely certain that they were made of wood and painted, until we noticed that you could see the seeds inside of a few near the top that are open a bit.
Finally, one of the other memorable things we did was dinner at Strada on 57th. It was just a couple of short blocks, and the food was scrumptious! I had cappelini with shrimp and a yummy cauliflower soup. Laura had lobster ravioli, and I can't remember what Rob and Molly had. For dessert, we all had cappuchino and shared a slice of chocolate mousse cake and another of tiramisu. Sigh.... delicious.
The train was late again bringing us home. I watched out the windows, seeing that the mullein is healthy and prevalent this year, and there are huge patches of tiger lily out there. On the way there, we even passed a "mud sale" held in the neighboring countryside to benefit the small town volunteer fire companies.
It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm refreshed - ready to tackle the upcoming deadline and May/June issue.

4 Seasons of Woman

Spring , Summer, Fall, and Winter. These sculptures hold a giant ring above their heads, and are in the center of a large plaza, surrounded by 4 small restaurants with lots of outdoor seating. Each sculpture is about 15 feet tall. It is breathtaking.

Did I mention that I thoroughly enjoyed all the artwork in the streets?

I think Winter was my favorite because of the mystery enfolded in her robes.

Weekend in NYC - Part One

We had a great weekend walking all over Manhattan. Molly and I visited with our friends Laura and Rob. Our train was very late getting in, so we missed the possibility of seeing Avenue Q, but it really wasn't a big deal.
Laura took us on a walking tour for a good part of Saturday. If I haven't mentioned my Crocs, let me tell you right now that they saved the day. Molly and I both wore them, and not being accustomed to walking 30 or 40 blocks in a given day, they made quite a difference. At the same time, it was a real wake-up that I am getting entirely too sedentary.
Anyhow, we started with brunch, and then headed out visit some thrift shops, etc. The first place we stopped was Backwoods. They had some great gauzy beaded mirrored '70's Indian stuff at very nice prices. The jacket I'm wearing below (standing in the fountain) came from that shop. I was really excited to see the jackets, because we sold them at our old shop, and they are so comfy and colorful. The price was also around the same as we used to get them wholesale! Molly found some things she loved, too.
From there, we headed across Central Park to the 70's and 80's where we found several thrift shops. They had some very cool stuff, but the prices gave me sticker shock. For instance, used shoes were between $20 and $40. Naturally, Molly found a pair of jeans that she fell in love with - and they were very unusual.
These pictures were all taken in Central Park. I took lots of photos of the trees, etc... but these are my favorites. The top picture is a gorgeous bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland.
The next shot is Molly and Laura under a budding tree. Things were just beginning to come to life.
Then Laura and I stood under this guy right at the entrace at Columbus Circle. I really loved all the sculpture and statuary in the park, and the old ornate gates and such. Lastly, we went to the lake in the park. I took the picture across the lake, which looked so interesting because to me it could be either Spring OR Fall, because the colors are so similar.
Walking along 5th Avenue, there were many areas that still had the greens stuck in window boxes and planters from the holiday season. We gather some dried juniper berries, and I rolled them in my fingers from time to time to smell that fresh, juicy fragrance. It wasn't quite as good as the coffee we stopped for mid-afternoon, but it was very refreshing. There's more to come... Blogger doesn't seem to like more than 4 pictures at a time.

Lancaster Farmer's Market

The Farmer's Market in the city of Lancaster is the longest continuously operating inland farmers market in the country. Ever since I was a child, the market has been filled with the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish, along with flowers for the table and baked goods that just cannot be described. As times have changed and time itself is less available, delis have popped up offering delectable pasta salads and pre-cooked meals that make your mouth water just thinking about them. In case you can't tell, I've been having a blast going all over the county this spring helping my sister find wholesale outlets for her Lancaster County Soaps. Even though this area has been my home nearly my whole life, it never ceases to be a joy and a pleasure to me. The availability of fresh foods used to be something I took for granted until I traveled a bit and found that this is not the norm.We are very fortunate here. There are also some booths with jellies and jams, coffees and teas, dips, and OH MY the candies, hot soft pretzels, hotdogs, home made breads, baklava. It can be a very dangerous place to the uninitiated. One of the very first rules is to walk all of the aisles before buying. The prices can be quite a bit different from aisle to aisle - depending on how close to an entrance the booth is. Many of the purchases come from tourists on buses, so some of the vendors price accordingly.It is a favorite place to take visitors from out of the area- especially because it gives me an excuse, but also it is great fun for my daughter and me on easygoing Saturday mornings. The surrounding area of the city is full of little shops with interesting items and crafts. One of them, the Lancaster County Heritage Museum has some incredible redware. And the very best greeting cards can be purchased at Zanzibar, and Molly wouldn't consider a trip to town complete without stopping for brunch at Aroma Borealis. These pictures were all taken strolling through market today. Can't wait to try the newest find - mini mangoes... They sure sound good. We'll have to see!

The Tanger Arboretum is behind Wheatland, the Lancaster home of James Buchanan and the adjacent Lancaster County Historical Association. At the arboretum, there are many unusual trees, not often seen in this area. Visiting in very late fall or early spring will reward one with unusual cones or pods.
I love wandering under the trees and seeing conifers that I’ve not seen before, and the very odd deciduous trees that have grown very large over the years. Last year several of us did a weed walk through the neighborhood in late April and were amazed with the specimens and the German four square garden behind the presidential residence.Here are a few shots I took the other day….
There is the Atlas Cedar which is enormous, and then a Beech tree with branches that are curly. And then, a weeping beech. There is an entire grove of different beech trees, and I look forward to arriving during just the right time to collect and taste beechnuts from these trees. The pods are very attractive.
Now if I can accomplish that in the fall, and then get out to the Environmental Center in the spring to help with the maple syrup… gather bayberries in the winter… Trees are just as interesting as smaller herbs.
The grounds of Wheatland and the Tanger Arboretum are both under-utilized areas that are filled with enough to keep a plant lover busy for a good long time. Last year we were stunned to find Marsh Marigolds and a long hedge of a fragrant flowering shrub that we still haven't identified. If you are in the area, it's worth your while to check it out.

Quilts in the Country

There are so many things I take for granted on a daily basis, living here in PA Dutch Country. As the editor of The Essential Herbal, rarely does a month go by that I don't hear how lucky I am to be in an area surrounded by people interested and involved in herbs. That's very true. Back in the early 90's when the idea to put together a state herb association came up, there were many, many herb businesses willing to drive to get together and share ideas and expertise. Most of them still exist.

Even more so though is the fortune of being around the crafts people here in Lancaster County!
We went out to deliver an order of soap into the tourist area of the county today, and stopped to see an old friend Sylvia Petersheim in Smoketown. Sylvia has a quilt shop, and a fabric shop. Her stuff is magnificent. These quilts were *some* of the ones hanging outside today. There are stacks and stacks of them inside the shop. She has a very keen eye for coordinating fabrics for a quilt top.
In addition to the quilts and the fabrics, her husband Omar cares for the grounds of their home, and they are stunning. There is a creek running through the back yard, and the mature landscaping is breath-taking. Actually, I've not been there when things are fully green and blooming, so I can only imagine.

Philadelphia Flower Show

Today I represented The Essential Herbal with at the Garden Writers' Breakfast meeting with Maureen Rogers of Herbal Connection. This allowed us on to the floor to see the displays before the doors opened. Being short, that was very cool.
The lighting was pretty tough for me to work with - as you can see with the top picture. The next one, I really loved. This is a very small part of the "Spring has Sprung" display by Haddonfield. They used flex duct, and tons of colorful slinkies to show off their gorgeous arrangements. This particular "bouquet" would be about 5' tall.
This was the display at the booth for Cramer's Posy Patch. I love their display, the way the cover the ceiling with the statice, larkspur, celosia, etc. It is so pretty. Lots of "sticks", too, like pussy willow and the like.
This table set for a fairy tea party was but a tiny portion of the very large display that won a prize, by Lamsback. The full display included gigantic bugs - a spider and a dragonfly come to mind - made of flowers, with big red floral eyes. There was a 5 or 6 foot fairy on the hillside made of flowers, looking over the pond in the middle of this display. It was a joy to look at.
These hanging baskets are an exotic plant called Nepenthes. The reddish pouches grow down under the planters and are approximately 6" in length. It appears that they would gather water for the plant. Lovely.
This little imp has just caught a fish from the pond. I'd like to point out that the price is over $11,000. Really nice work, and the expression is wonderful.
There were orchids everywhere. I would have liked a few more spring flowers, but the orchids really were lovely. They were in every color of the rainbow and in sizes ranging from teensy to dinner plate. It made up for missing the fragrant spring bulbs.

Spring Tonic

In the old days people would look forward to a spring tonic to boost the indigestion after a winter of eating foods from the winter larder, and to get the "juices running". Tonics are bitters, which stimulate the liver to porduce bile to help the body digest fats and improve the digestive process.

SPRING TONIC (from Tonics by Robert A. Barnett)

1/2 cup dried Sarsaparilla root
1/2 cup dried Burdock root
2 Tbsp. dried Dandelion root
2 Tbsp. dried Orange peel
8 whole Cardamom pods, cracked open
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 2" piece fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Honey
1 1/2 cup fresh Lemon juice
4 cups Apple Cider
1/2 tsp freshly ground Pepper
16 oz. Seltzer or other carbonated water (optional)

Bring 5 cups water to boil in a covered saucepan. Meanwhile combine the Sarsaparilla root, Burdock root, Dandelion root, Orange peel, Cardamom pods and Cinnamon in a heat-proof bowl. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and leave to steep for 15-20 minutes.
Combine the Ginger, 1/2 c Lemon juice, and the Honey in a blender. Process until smooth. Add the remaining Lemon juice and the Pepper, and blend until well combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula.
When the root mixture is ready, strain it through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all of the flavorful tea. Discard the solids. Add 1 cup of this tea to the blender and whirl just to combine. Scrape the contents of the blender into a large pitcher. Stir in the remaining tea and the apple cider.
Chill well. Serve over ice, adding the seltzer for a lighter drink.
This can be frozen for up to 3 months or keeps in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Use a blender to reincorporate the materials.
If using fresh roots of Sarsaparilla, Burdock, or Dandelion, double the amount.

When (Nursing) Mommy Gets Sick

Since there is so much going around right now, it seemed like a good time to roll out this excerpt from the Mar/Apr '05 issue of The Essential Herbal from Pam Ferry. Her link is listed at the end of the article.

When Mommy Gets Sick

You are a mother, with a young, nursing child, who becomes ill. What do you do? Do you continue breastfeeding, or do you stop? First, any anger, or disappointment you may feel, is normal and to beexpected; you don't have the time or energy to be sick. All you want to do is be able to take care of your baby and be able to get through the day, with a minimum of fuss, while getting some things (like laundry) accomplished. If you have any kind of support, now is the time to ask for help. You do NOT want to use the strength you have doing all the laundry and dishes, and possibly taking care of other children without help. The most important answer is yes, you can breastfeed your child. Towards the end of pregnancy the fetus has received immunity from the mother; the baby is therefore, born with the mother's immunities. Breastfed infants acquire additional antibodies to influenza, mumps, chickenpox, and other viruses either through mom's previous exposure or immunization (mom's). This passive immunity lasts from 3 to 6 months and protects the child from childhood diseases. Except for herpetic lesions, HIV positive and in unusual cases (up to your care provider) chicken pox and hepatitis, you CAN and SHOULD breastfeed your child. Things like frequent hand washing and keeping the child limited to outside contaminants (like everyone in the neighborhood, that wants to kiss the cute baby!!), will help prevent illness.
The question of what herbs are best to take while sick and nursing is a valid one. Although it is advised by lactation experts not to take any unnecessary medication while nursing, including herbal medications, there are herbs that are safe for both mother and infant.
First, you want sufficient milk production for which there are common herbs to use which include: Simple teas or infusions of nourishing herbs such as Comfrey, Raspberry leaf, Nettles, Alfalfa, or Red Clover and Fenugreek encourage a plentiful supply of breast milk and a relaxed, healthy mother. These mineral rich herbs also protect you from mineral loss during the stress of nursing and infant care. Rotate, using one for a week, to derive the unique benefits that each offers.
Second, you want to increase the vitamins and minerals that are normally depleted during viral illness. Vitamins C (to fight inflammation and infections) and A (for eyes, and cell health) can be obtained from elderberries (my personal favorite), dandelion leaves, watercress, parsley, cayenne and comfrey, to name a few of the commonly used herbs. Comfrey and parsley also provides you with a B complex (to nourish nerves and provide energy).
Another commonly depleted nutrient while ill, is potassium (depleted by excessive urination or perspiration, vomiting, diarrhea); you can supplement this mineral by taking comfrey, watercress, dandelion, parsley and mints. For nausea, drink Fennel/Barley Water. A combination of the two herbs not only increases the breast milk, but eases after pains and settles the digestion of mom and babe.
Prepare barley water by soaking ½ cup of pearled (regular) barley in 3 cups cold water overnight or by boiling for 25 minutes. Strain out the barley and add to soup or discard. Heat a cup or two of the barley water to boiling as needed, store the rest in the refrigerator. Pour 1 cup boiling barley water over 1 tsp. Fennel seeds and steep for no longer than 30 minutes.
And of course, always remember to increase your intake of water.
So, the way a breastfeeding mom can survive the flu is to have plenty of nourishing herbal teas on hand, a quiet room where you and your nursing infant can both remain lying down as much as possible (with all needed baby supplies within reaching distance), and hopefully a loving partner to bring you soup, snacks or other “feel good” foods.
Stay well!!

Pam Ferry, RN, Herbalist, Doula (DONA) and Lactation Educator
Mother’s Circle and Healing Herbals
www.healingherbals.net

editor's note: Comfrey is currently frowned on for internal use by the FDA.

another day in Lancaster County PA

Somedays, I can forget how lucky I am to live here. Somedays, things might conspire to keep me in the house all day without even walking down to the mailbox. Then there are the days that are really no different that any other - they are just full of beauty and peace.
The other day I rode along on a "sales blitz", passing out literature to tourist shops in the area. We went to Gap, Intercourse, Strasburg, and Bird-in-Hand. Previously we'd been to Lititz and New Holland. There are a few other little villages that we need to stop in, but we've been fairly thorough about it.
Monday was an interesting day weather-wise. In the morning the snow was nearly white-out in its severity, but didn't stick around. It stayed very cold and the wind was wicked. We parked the car in the towns and walked a bit, choosing stores
that had the right tone. Some of the things that I didn't take pictures of were: recess at the Amish school, long colorful lines of laundry stretching from the second floor of the house out to a tall pole, meadows full of the gorgeous workhorses wearing their thick winter coats, the buggy parked at the convenience store, the tidy farms with the extensions built on to the houses to welcome additional generations.
There were so many things I saw, and they can either be noticed and noted or just become part of the unseen scenery that passes by.
So... we have the old mill, in great condition. The willow trees that are budded out in gold was striking. The horse hitched to the buggy, waiting
patiently to be driven home after the shopping trip.
This is what it's like to live around here. There was also the stop into a convenience store for a drink. In the corner were four men sitting at a chrome table, smoking like chimneys. The women working there flirted and joked around with them. The feel of the store was like stepping back about 30+ years.
It was an interesting day.

Snowdrops

What is it about snowdrops? They peek out from the ground at a time when our spirit is so in need of that bit of magic. Is it any wonder that when doing an image search for the flower, I was happily surprised to find many images of snowdrop fairies? I also found that in older versions, Snow White (of the 7 dwarf fame) is known as Snow Drop.
Snow drops are made into many different kinds of jewelry. They are embroidered, quilted, and etchings. This tiny twinkler is obviously a delight for many of us, and bring out our creative sides.
They are out early here because of the very mild winter. Last year, I recall specifically that they weren't out until mid-March. They usually show up along with the crocus, but they are breaking out alone this year.

Last week I turned a corner and was greeted by a yard covered with them. Reaching my sister's house, we lifted some leaves and found that they had poked up through the ground there, too.
Tomorrow we are expecting some snow flurries, but spring is almost here....

The Essential Herbal March/April 2006

The Mar/Apr '06 issue of The Essential Herbal is in the mail and should start reaching subscribers in another week or so. It is so full of spring, and the dreams and hopefulness of the awakening earth that it was a BIG letdown for me when the temperatures took a nosedive this week. However, I did see my first snowdrop in bloom the other day!

So...we have so much good stuff in this issue. To begin with, there is the obligatory crossword puzzle :-). On the back cover, Barbara Poole writes about poke salad, and the lessons her grandmother taught her.

Geri Burgert agreed to become our "Suburban Herbie", and I'm very excited about that. Geri has such a refreshing take on plants, nature, and the world in general.

Susanna Reppert Brill's column - "Never Enough Thyme" talks about the dandelion and gives several tempting options for serving them. Then, regular writer Susan Evans really surprised me with an article on sea vegetables. It was a surprise because I'd been thinking of that very subject for a few days. Mary Ellen Wilcox sent us something on the bitter herbs of Passover, and also an article on Ginger - The Oldest Spice. We got some lovely recipes using Lemon Herbs from Barbara Steele, and some ideas for starting a garden journal from Karen Creel. After a brief discussion of Albizzia on the yahoo list, Maureen Rogers sent us a profile of "The Happiness Herb". Maryanne Schwartz wrote about Spring Cleaning, but without all the chemicals we're used to using. Karen Hegre sent an awesome dip.

Oh! But that's not all! Barbara Will sent information on the *real* patron saint of gardening. There is information on Soap Felting from Tracy Westbury, and a marketing minute from Rachel Johnston. The Yahoo list came up with a fabulous article on the uses of edible flowers, and Dr. Tamara Hartley-Hunt compiled a wonderful listing describing the flavors and colors of many, many flowers. Cindy Jones gives us information on why we need to have our products tested before selling them, and Betty Pillsbury writes of the wisdon of growing sage in the garden.

We also had lots of new (and also our regular) advertisers. This issue will be gracing the shelves of several new shops, along with the books and kits. It's been an interesting year so far!

Snow! Finally!

Over the weekend, the North East was covered with a thick blanket of snow. Storms that bring a foot or more of snow are never "convenient", but this one was as unobtrusive as possible. The timing was perfect for me, because the newest issue of The Essential Herbal needed to be prepared for mailing, so being trapped in the house was exactly what I needed.
It could have been so much worse. Arriving late Saturday and falling into Sunday, there was ample time to clear the roads and vehicles before Monday morning. The magazines were at the post office by noon on Monday! Additionally, the warm ground made removal much easier - although it was the perfectly packable type snow, so it was hard to resist making a fort while shoveling out the car.
As the first storm of the season finally approached, I made sure there was lots of fresh fruit and salad fixin's - along with the mandatory cocoa that Molly has associated with snow since she was old enough to drink it. I also pondered the low grade excitement I felt. Why, I wondered, did it feel so exciting? I work from home, so it wasn't the excitement of staying home from work. I gave up sledding a good decade or so ago, so that wasn't it... and my baby plants are probably going to suffer, so that certainly isn't it. My sweetie is cloistered away working for the next month or so, so it wasn't even the thought of time alone with him.
So I came up with a theory (as I often do, based solely on the wanderings of my mind on that particular day) that storms force us to admit that we are powerless for a little while. Having grown up and lived here most of my life, winters are supposed to include several short periods of time where nature imposes her will, and we submit.
For instance, there was one full week a few years back where nobody went anywhere. That week, I built my website. Couldn't do anything else, so.... Sometimes storms mean reading a book that's been waiting too long, watching sappy movies, or doing something Norman Rockwell with the kid. The storms force us to focus on home or allow us to take on a task we are normally too busy to do.
Either way, it is a part of the rhythm of the year for me. It was exhausting to enjoy the eternally spring-like weather that went on and on this winter! Somewhere in my gut, there was something wrong, and I think I know what it was. Apparently, I've become accustomed to getting these windows of time each winter, where nature lets me off the hook, lets me bail on the whole responsibility thing, allows me to just give up the race for a day or two.
Now I've been refreshed. All is right with the natural world again. It was a beautiful snow!

Sleeping again

This may sound like bragging, but I've always been one to fall asleep before my head hit the pillow. A dear friend of mine is not so lucky, so back in August when I was visiting The Rosemary House I looked for some sort of tincture. Susanna Reppert recommended their "Rosemary's Relaxing Tea". The ingredients are pretty incredible - valerian, passion flower, scullcap, and lady slipper root, to begin with.
The next day, I took the entire ounce of dry herbal tea blend, dumped it into an 8 oz. mayo jar and covered it with vodka. It sat for months, because my friend isn't as comfy with herbs as I am.
So, as life often does, it changed. Working from home means a much (!!!) more flexible schedule. Nights were getting later, and so were mornings. Suddenly, I found myself staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.
I'm embarrassed to admit that it never really dawned on me how miserable it is to go without sleep...and really, I only got a small taste of it. That was enough!
That tincture worked like a dream. After taking it for 3 days, everything is back on track. Whew! Other than the vodka, it was just a few dollars for over 4 ounces.
At the same time, I had quit smoking and am determined to at least maintain my weight. There were other changes I made that contributed to the tincture working so well.

They were:
I set the alarm for 7 a.m. and forced myself to get up and get to work.
Working out 1/2 hour each day really helps.
No more staying awake until there is nothing else on tv. 11:30 it's time for bed.
No night-time food.

February Frolic -BAH Groundhogs!!!

Yesterday we had a good soaking rain in the early morning hours, but by the time the hard copy printer's sample of the next issue was shooting out of the computer, it was just perfect for a walk in the woods. In spite of all the groundhog prognostications, it was still spring here. I would like to mention that all the groundhog boys in this state gave us the thumbs down, however "Patty" - the sole girl, whose location eluded me said that spring is here. Anyhow, I had my boots on, and took along "Rudy the wonder dog" who tried to keep me on the trail - silly dog. The creek was running pretty fast. I stood on the mushy bank and watched the water rush over the fallen logs and rocks in the streambed. There are lots of baby plants poking up. The garlic mustard doesn't seem to have been phased by the cold weather to date. The moss on the bank was sending out tiny "feelers" - maybe it's in bloom? All along the way, that crazy dog was snuffling under the leaves, rushing ahead on the path, and then coming back at full steam to skid to a stop in front of me. He is great company on a woods walk. Much better than the goats we had in VA, who would go along but eat anything one stooped to observe. Much, much better. We also found a little gnome's home. Well, at least the entrance. There is a shelf mushroom over the porch. The mossy sides of the house, and the porch itself are almost hidden by oak leaves and debris from autumn, but it was as clear as a bell to me. Sorry for the run-on paragraph. For some reason, I am unable to get this program to work properly today. Some people might just wait and come back another time when it worked properly, but...Nooooooooo.

JINX! This ought to bring the winter :-)

Earlier this year, after we got a few inches of snow in ... was it November? ... I picked up a new snow shovel. My old one was heavy, rusty metal, and I actually ditched it last spring.
Today I took this shot of the still brand new shovel next to a beat up pot of hyacinth bulbs that were left out from last spring. They have no idea that it is January - even though they are completely without shelter.
I've considered taking this picture for a few days, knowing that the it would be the one thing that would shift the weather patterns back to the way they should be (I'm not really that delusional, it just seems that way). I'm thinking how nice it would be to put away a brand new shovel in the spring without worrying about scraping off any muck or salt.
Judging from the way things have been going, it won't be very long before we'll have lots of herbs popping their heads up, and lots of herbal news to speak of.

For those of you who have never been in Hershey, PA I thought you might like to see what the streetlights look like. Some are like this, some are plain brown, and some are silver with no "ribbon". I've loved them since I was a kid - even though I really prefer Wilbur chocolate from Lititz (they supply Godiva!).
We drove through Hershey on our way to do some shopping for Molly's birthday, and I snapped this shot.

Only a few more days until the deadline for the March/April issue of The Essential Herbal. We've gotten some really unusual articles already and the Yahoo list put together a great feature on edible flowers.
I absolutely love the week before the deadline, watching the items stream in, considering how it will all fit together, and wondering how the potpourri that is the magazine will shake out again.

The Endoscope and the humor in life.

Well I had to have an endoscopic (upper gi) procedure done this yesterday. It really doesn't bother me, because the meds they use to knock you out are so gentle. My first experience as a child involved ether - which smells (and tastes - yuck, yuck, yuck) exactly like those Easter egg dyes that come in the little glass bottles. Later I went through some sodium pentathol, and the following 2 decades of various anesthesia.
Anyhow...
So there I am, on the gurney, IV in, Oxygen in, clamps and wire harnesses on, propped into the perfect position with the one nurse poised to insert the mouthpiece, and the anesthesiologist poised to stick the sleepy juice into the iv .... when the fire alarm goes off.
Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh.
Now, I don't know what sort of face I made, but the doctor found the situation practically hysterical. He could not stop laughing.
I said... ya know, I'd like to wait a few minutes to be sure this is a false alarm.
He said, ah don't worry about it.
I said, but....but.... and with that they strapped the mouthpiece on and knocked me out.
Afterwards, he was still laughing, and said he would have thrown a water blanket over me had there been a real fire. Oh yeah, I'm still laughing about that one.
Seriously though, life IS funny.
There is never a bad moment that isn't sweetened with the absurd, the bizarre, or the silly.
When my mom died last year, we had a gathering at her house. I'm certain that some of her friends went away scratching their heads because we (her children) were fairly cheerful, partly because we had each other. She taught us to see the humor amidst the horror, and I hope they knew her well enough to see that in us. And her death was such a freak accident - combined with the fact that her only brother had died the day before her accident.... what do you DO with something like that?
In one of Stephen King's books (Rose Madder?) the bad guy eventually goes really over the edge, and at some point uses a sock puppet to inform the victim that they are in trouble. The sock puppet says, "OH OH". My sister and I laughed over that one for a long time, till our sides hurt. Now when something goes horribly wrong, one of us will hold up our hand as if it were a sock puppet, and make it say "OH OH".
I'm not going to list bad things that happen. Here's hoping that you are one of the people who can find the humor in everyday. I'm so grateful that I am.

Mid winter blues

Did you know that Candlemas is also Groundhog Day? This is coming up on Feb 2, btw ( Easy for me to remember my brother in law's birthday, because it is Groundhog Day Eve). The ancient Celts celebrated February 2nd as the mid point of winter. It was considered a good omen for farmers if the sky was clouded over.
"If Candlemas Day be stormy and black, it carries the winter away on its back".
So.....
It can't just be me. In fact I know that it isn't just me, because I'm on lots of lists on the internet - including the Essential Herbal Yahoo list - and they are all very quiet right now. Nobody feels much like chatting.
I needed some pretty, bright flowers. How bout you?
So what is it that's going on out there? I have some suspicions that have to do with politics, but won't bother writing them here.
Another thing is that the weather has been so mild and nice that it almost makes me feel guilty to want to hibernate. And I DO want to hibernate. I've stuck to all of my resolutions so far, and expect to stay with it. No cigarettes whatsoever, and the patches fell by the wayside a week ago. Also eating in a new, more healthful way and drinking lots of water. Yep, I'm being very good. But it gets tiresome, you know? I'm just happy to not gain weight while quitting, but adding the morning work-outs is really helping too.
But where is the energy? Does this happen every year? Do we always hibernate so clearly? I can't remember. Certainly I've never seen the internet so quiet for such a long time. Here's hoping that we all wake up soon... or get some regular winter weather so that it "feels" normal.

In the meantime, how bout some COCOA? From the Jan/Feb '03 Essential Herbal

Whip up some great simple mIn ixes for when the kids come in from sledding or when the hearth is crackling.

Basic recipe:
1/4 c. powdered non-dairy creamer
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. instant coffee
2 T. powdered baking cocoa

Place in blender, and blend fully. Store mix in a well sealed container.
1 1/2 T. mix per 8 oz. cup of boiling water.

Add ins: A drop or two orange essential oil
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
a drop or two peppermint essential oil and a candy cane.
of course whipped cream and/or marshmallows.

Postal Service

This has been an uncomfortable shift in rates for the USPS. Personally, I think that what we get in exchange for the money is well worth the money.
This last change, however, was poorly executed.
On the 9th I had some packages to mail, and thought I'd also pick up some stamps for postcards and some 3 oz. stamps for subscriptions that come in between bulk mailings.
I drove right past the main office in Lancaster, since cars were lined up clear onto the roadway in front of the long driveway leading to the facility.
I drove out to Landisville, where we have the mailing permit for The Essential Herbal. The people who work in this office are wonderful. They always send me on my way with a smile on my face. Some visits involve conversation, singing, and once there was even a rendition of a peanut vendor at a baseball stadium - but I digress. The point here is that these people treat their customers like friends, calling many of us by name.
As I approached the front door I noticed a hand-written sign to let people know that 1 and 2 cent stamps had sold out. There was a second sign on the inner door. There was a long line. Since I had to park in the back of the building and walk around (as opposed to being able to park right outside at the curb) that there would be a line - but a line in this office never bothers me.
As I stood in line waiting, I heard people taking their frustrations out on the clerks. They kept their cool and remained friendly, but I felt so bad for them. At that time I assumed that they had under-ordered the stamps. There were no postcard stamps available yet, nor were there any stamps for the 3 oz. pieces. They apologized profusely and asked me to please return in a few days for them.
I returned several days later to ask again. The clerk told me that postcard stamps wouldn't be available until March, and she didn't know when they'd have the 3 oz. stamps. She sold me the old stamps plus some 2 cent stamps. While this seems like a little thing, I mail a lot of postcards, and it takes twice as long to stamp them... it is an inconvenience - but at least I don't need to lick them anymore. And it wasn't that the Landisville office had under ordered - there just wasn't anything for them to order!
This isn't huge for me. It won't ruin my life or cause me any major problem. I do use the postal service a lot, visiting several times a week - but I'll live. My problem is more with the idea that a company this huge has no problem inconveniencing so many, nor with putting their employees out there to take so much flak. How many other companies could do something so badly and continue in business?

Turning 50

Here at The Essential Herbal, I've been pondering this entry for a few days, having turned 50 in the beginning of the week. I've been waiting for the walls to cave in... waiting to feel whatever it is that I've watched some of my friends struggle with at this juncture. So far, so good. Being almost the baby of the family, it was easy to sit and listen to the obligatory jokes about aging from my siblings - after all, they're older than me.
More than that though, were the resolutions I made for the new year. Last spring brought some rough moments. Foolishly, I started smoking again, and decided to end that on the first of January. At the same time, weight gain was absolutely out of the question (I'm NOT going to buy larger clothing, no how, no way), so I decided to instead try to drop some poundage. They say it is almost impossible, but something clicked for me, and I want to be healthier. Again, so far, so good.
A friend had given me a book over the holidays that has really helped put my head in the right place. It is Younger by the Day, by Victoria Moran. There are short essays for each day of the year. Each one is a thought, action, or lesson on being healthier - inside or out. At first, I thought it would be about make-up, or chin exercises, or how to dress to cover up, and only started reading out of idle curiousity. Instead, it is really about how to value each day, savor each experience, and look at life as the gift it truly is. It may be just where my head is right now, but something about this book struck a chord, and it is making the whole process of eating healthy/quitting smoking seem like a natural progression, like a treat rather than deprivation.
A couple other things that seem to be helping are natural remedies. I got a kombucha mushroom from a friend, and have been drinking the tea. We always "blamed" kombucha tea for making us open our full-time shop because it seems to fortify the backbone and support the gumption function.
I also got some Albizzia Tincture from The Green Spiral. This herb is nicknamed the "happiness herb". I wanted to try it out to see if it was worth recommending, and it seems to be a nice addition to my overall plan. Albizzia will be covered in the upcoming issue with an excerpt from the Herbalpedia - which is also available in the book section of The Essential Herbal.
I'm walking more, drinking oceans of water, and Molly and I work out together at the gym.
It has been almost 2 weeks. I haven't smoked, and I've lost a few pounds (compared to the 5 or 6 I have gained in the first couple of weeks when quitting before). So as I begin this year at the age of 50, it looks like I just might wind up getting younger by the day.
Just thought I'd let you know that it looks to me that these two changes really might be possible to do together. Its early, I know.... but so far, so good.