Herbal Studies

[baymule]

She can take the AC's (I guess you are referring to window units) and wash them down with the water hose. Tell her to buy some coil cleaner at Lowes (spray can) and soak down the coils, then rinse with water hose. They will clean up and she can put them back.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Thats pretty much the plan, but for now they are out of her room. My sister just left and is mad as a hornet. Apparently the absolute only good it did for her daughter....my godchild, to go to the ER was to be diagnosed with pneumonia. She received no meds, treatments, prescriptions....nothing. I'd like to know what, exactly they think they did for her. Sister told me that when I text or call, she hurries up and reads my orders and does a breathing treatment, just in case I run over to the house....she laughs about it. I'm the oldest child in my family and my siblings paint a real stern picture of me; plus my parents consult me for everything, which is kinda good, cuz my nieces and nephews never cross me. So as it stands, it looks like I, alone am treating pneumonia. Hope thats not a sign of things to come, but its good if I can succeed with a serious illness....even though all my text books tell me not to play around with a serious illness; but, hey...its not like a doctor wasn't included. She was sick and on antibiotics before I even got my hands on her and she was diagnosed last night, so I don't feel I am holding her in a backwoods cabin, playing witch doctor or anything.
Her son has autism....but he is at the extreme high end of the spectrum. Well he apparently got sick too and there is no medicating him, unless you give him a shot. He will spit and cry and vomit and do it again and again. Well he loves bread, biscuits and pancakes. I added healing herbs to pancakes tonight before sending him home. I'm out of white bread, so I think I will start a fresh bread first thing tomorrow. It will most likely have lots of herbs in it and on it.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

It has taken all this time for me to get back into some kind of normal study mode. My last post claimed that my godchild had pneumonia. Well apparently Momma did too....or something that acted like it. Unfortunately she either waited too long, I wasn't aggressive enough with my interventions or it was just Momma's time, but she died February 4th and my chores have increased dramatically ever since.
Well, here I am finally and I've just taken my 7th test and made a 100%. Also, I've found something that may be helpful to me. Like a lot of women my age, I have hypothyroidism and have found it impossible to lose weight. Well on the textbook I'm just finished with the 13th chapter is entitled the Materia Medica and one of the herbs is called Bladderwrack. The text claims this herb to be valueable to people that cannot lose weight due to low thyroid hormone, so ......I ordered 4 bottles. If I like what it does for me, I'll see about growing it, provided I have the right growing conditions. Have any of you ever heard about it? Its also supposed to be good for rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis.
I have gotten my 2 older children....who reside with me to save me some glass bottles. They have taken a liking to a certain bottled coffee and a tea that both comes in glass and individual serving sizes. I'm of the feeling that this would be the perfect size for me to get started making a few tinctures or vinegars. I've only made a vinegar with goldenrod, which I origionally wanted to use to prepare for flu season, but it has now come to my attention that it does have antibiotic properties, so I plan on using it for my next cold virus that seems to have caused a secondary infection. I'm trying to mentally begin a list of all the tintures I am able to start on my own. Right off hand the list is small because I"m not sure what all I have that would best go in a tincture. I know for sure I want to make one with blackberry root for loose bowels, but it would be nice if I can start 5 or 6 tinctures on the same day....all being for different ailments. If I can find out for sure what my mystery plant is....which I really think it is wild indigo, then I know I can use the root as an antibiotic and apparently a strong one at that.
The more I study, the more I realize that my doctor probably doesn't want me to know this stuff. I'm kinda in a relaxed mood about the info. There is no way I will remember all of this stuff, but I am reading it, keeping in mind my own ailments and the ailments that are of particular interest to me...such as if a loved one suffers from it and then when I land on something that seems valueable to me, I highlight it and dive deeper (like I might pull out other books or search online), so I have good hope of being useful to myself and my family/friends.
My tax preparer had given me a recipe book with herbal remedies, written by one of our local pharamacists and when I took Daddy to have his taxes done last week, we began talking about a remedy I tried to cure my DD's ringworm and Daddy jumped into our conversation, saying,"I tell you what, that cornsilk tea sure did me some good." I then admitted to our tax lady that I'm playing doctor with my family members. I guess Daddy didn't mind claiming herbals doing him some good, if it would possibly make a CPA happy. I didn't tell him that that wasn't where I got the recipe.
I knew I had paid far in advance, so I asked for my balance and found out it was $51, so I am now all paid up for the whole course and I hope to finish by the middle of summer, so I actually will be back on track. Life just didn't work out for me lately. I don't think it will be a problem though. They got their money and I"m more finished than not. Having said that, I think I can hereby claim for whoever is interested that I am glad I enrolled in this study. I know sometimes you should go see your doctor, buy you don't have to run to him/her with ever single ailment, if you know how to treat a few things; esp if its something that you suffer from several times a year. I have access to lots of healing herbs.....wild and cultivated. I live in an area rich in green matter. I already had a great deal of knowledge about both medicine and plants, so it just felt right. The hobbies DH and I were already into (beekeeping, winemaking, gardening and outdoor exploration) have assisted me thus far with my studies. So, I feel I should encourage anyone that feels they might want to learn more about healing herbs to go for it. If money is a problem, by all means, try buying the books used and teach yourself, but if you can swing $39/month and want the certification, then get yourself enrolled. If you normally read about 45 minutes at night, to put yourself to sleep, just change out your reading material for study equipment. Believe me, it won't be long before you find a few things you can fix.....so long as you don't try to fix everything.

 

[ORChick]

Rhoda, to the best of my knowledge (though I admit that I haven't looked it up) bladderwrack is a seaweed. Which makes sense if it is recommended for thyroid issues, as I imagine it would have iodine in it. Tough to grow in the garden, though .

I have had a long time interest in herbs - for food and medicine - and have a shelf full of books on the subject. But, as you say, remembering it all is difficult. And there is so much information. So I have finally decided to make up a notebook, with a section for each of the herbs that I have easy access to - either I already grow it, or it is found nearby in the wild, or I have bought it for a particular purpose and so have it on hand. I will make a list of these herbs, and make a study of each of them in turn, keeping notes in my notebook. This way it shouldn't be too overwhelming, and I will end up with a useful handbook. Once I've gone through the ones that are easily accessible now, then I can add one at a time, learning about it as I go. Its a good idea in theory; we'll see if I actually carry through with it

Edited to add that I am sorry about your friend. That has got to have been a shock.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Online Bladderwrack is claimed to be a seaweed....which is where I ordered the stuff, but in my herbal studies text, it didn't really say. This particular book is more concerned with what is good for what, rather than having me grow the stuff as a lot of my other books suggest...which may be why I haven't run into it thus far. IDK. I'll give it a try, but I can tell you that kelp didn't tough my thyroid problem, so hoping bladderwrack really does what the book says it will.
Had a little trouble finding my next textbook because the actual title of the book wasn't really what the assignment called it, but mystery solved. This one will be a challenge. Hate to discourage anyone, but it isn't geared at the average person. It was written for people already in the medical profession to read it. If anyone takes the plunge, they might want to either have a medical dictionary nearby or only read it when the computer is on so they can get the feel of the terminology for the first few chapters. I, myself, feel like I will have to reach deep into the recesses of my mind to recall a few lessons that were learned, but unused for a decade or 2. I decided to read through the self-tests first, answer all questions....even if I had to search thru real quick and then I can read the book without worrying myself about those questions. Hopefully it serves me well. I didn't realize it was getting so late in my shift. I knew I had boats coming to me, but I thought they were almost on me. I didn't have to open the bridge until 3am and I was studying all that time. Time really does fly sometimes.
Thanx about my friend....but I"m assuming you referring to my journal. I lost my mother on February 4th and she lost hers a few weeks later. My godchild is my niece, so my mother is her grandmother. Just clarifying. I can see where someone may have thought I meant her mother.

 

[ORChick]

Oops! Yes, it did sound like your godchild's mother. In that case then, condolences to you on the death of your grandmother. Perhaps it was her "time", but that doesn't make it any easier on those who will miss her.

Coincidentally, I was looking through one of my books just last night, for something else entirely, and came upon bladderwrack. This is an English book from the early '90s ( The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody), which I have found very informative. Bladderwrack was the only seaweed mentioned, although I know that the British and Irish use (used to use) several others for food, and perhaps for medicine. As it was the only one mentioned I assume it is important enough to have made the cut in a book which, obviously, cannot cover everything.

My herb notebook project has had a beginning. The Douglas fir (which is everywhere in western Oregon, with several examples on our property) will have new green tips to its branches within the week. Last year I waited too long to research whether these were good for anything, and found that they are (lots of vit. C; tea or syrup is good for URIs, sore throats - and they make an interesting caper substitute in cooking; I also found an interesting looking recipe for salmon cured with spruce/fir tips, which I look forward to trying) (the sources usually mention spruce, with pines and Douglas fir as secondary choices if spruce isn't available I have lots of one, and none of the other). So I looked through many sources last night, making notes, and will harvest some when they are ready.
The next entry in my notebook will be comfrey, as that is growing like mad in the herb garden.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My last test had to do with the older population...over 50. Its the first time I've come across bladderwrack. I only hope the promises hold true for my case. I've been able to lose weight in the past, just by making good food choices and proper exercises, but the weight won't leave, even with partial starvation. Its making no kinda sense. Its not like I don't know what I'm doing. I've done it successfully twice.
I don't have spruce or fir trees. We didn't even have many pines until the past couple of decades and they were all imported. Some things just don't grow here. Like I tried apple, but it only lived about 4 years and slowly died.....I guess its too hot and wet. I'd like to get a walnut, because I'd like to use the hulls for a few recipes I've seen. Not sure its gonna happen though.
I think the ideal thing is a sister live in the north and another in the south and every year when they visiting, they exchange the goods they can't grow....but alas...my sister lives nextdoor. No biggie....its not goods I need right now...its time.

 

[ORChick]

Oh, I understand about not being able to grow certain things. My mother lived in paradise - I know this because I grew up there . Zone 10, she could grow anything, and most of it year round. Except ... she grew up in Michigan. There are certain things that absolutely have to have a frost. They don't care about paradise; they want a certain amount of cold. My mother longed for and coveted lilac. It was part of her childhood, and she needed that comfort, especially as she grew older. Didn't matter that rosemary and lavender and lemon trees grew year round; she wanted lilac. Tulips would have been nice too. She would douse the lilac bush with ice cubes to make it think that it was really winter. It never believed her Tulips were grown as annuals. There are down sides, even to paradise
As an aside: When DH and I moved to Oregon we promised ourselves lilac. And the property we bought has a row of them, from white through lilac to deep purple. We call it the Mother-In-Law row - because my mother longed for them so, and his mother, in Germany, loved them but had no land to grow them.
Our particular paradise was on the central coast of California - it was right at the mid point - apples grow, and oranges grow, and neither does very well commercially. Not too far north there are commercial apple orchards. Not too far south there are commercial citrus orchards. Wonderful for the home orchardist, not so great for the person looking to sell.
I don't have any idea how walnuts would do in the south, though I believe that they are more of a northern tree.
I hear you about having siblings/friends to fill in the blank spots. Your sister lives nearby ... and mine lives in England! Both kind of useless for the wished for exchange

 

[rhoda_bruce]

You know there is a town about 30 miles away from me called Paradise. But we don't really call it like you probably would pronounce it. Again....I can't spell in French so don't even imagine I'll attempt to spell it the way we pronounce it. But I certainly do live in zone 10. I could cry about the few things I can't grow, but considering the hundreds of things I can grow, that most of the US can't, I'll just suck it up. There are always alternatives if you can't find a certain herb anyway.
Oh well, I gotta get myself clocked in at work.......(study time. YeeHaa!)

 

[rhoda_bruce]

A while back I joked about ya'll getting Penn Foster to cut me a deal on my tuition for referrals.....Guess what. April is $50/$50 month. I just checked my e-mails and they say if someone refers a friend/relative that both parties the referring and referree both get $50 taken off of their tuition. Well one more guess what.....I ALREADY PAID MY BALANCE OFF!!! Kick me!! I'm somehow wondering if one of ya'll who have been with me thru my studies are behind this.