Working Mom Blues and The Medicine Woman

The other day, after my husband bought me my bike, he brought it upstairs in the living room to work on. I didn't mind. I'm getting used to having him work on bikes in the living room. It seems to keep him happy while he's watching re-runs of The Beverley Hillbillies, The A Team, or whatever semi-wholesome tape or dvd we can get a hold of. This memory is a particularly fond one because after he put a new tire on it, he put the baby seat on for me. Then Miss Moona wanted to sit in it. Then he decided to give her a ride. Through the dining room, down the hall and back into the living room he peddled her while I watched half amused. A couple of years ago, maybe even a couple of months ago I would have protested loudly. Now I couldn't have cared less. Its funny how our perspectives change. Miss Moona was happy. My husband was happy. I was happy. Can't think of anybody who wasn't happy at the time, so who cares if my husband is riding the baby through the house on my new (used) bicycle?! :-) Its stuff like that that just sticks with me.......
So anyway, I don't usually write about ailments, but i'm undergoing another one of those ironies, so I had to tell about it. Almost a month ago, my daughter went running in the rain. She runs 5-10 miles at a pop. The girl is just incredible. Anyhow, she came home with muddy feet from the holes in her shoes (which I have since thrown away and replaced). When she got home she had a rash across her toes. For the first few days we sprayed her toes with anti fungal spray. Within a week, it had turned into a full blown cellulitis with swollen reddened toes and feet and ankles and pain going up her calves. Scared the crap out of me. I took her into prompt care and she got on keflex. Within days the cellulitis left her feet and legs but her toes remained red and giant bloody blisters formed on the top of each toe. I showed pictures to the Doctors at work who thought it was maybe a staff or strep bacterial infection. They recommended to continue on antibiotics and do foot soaks which I did. On the 7th and last day of antibiotics I took her back again because it was still there. It had been weeks since she could wear shoes, go for a walk or even be out in the sun without an outbreak. Thats when we got a referral to a dermatologist. We drove her to a big city where they put her on stronger antibiotics and steroids. Would you believe new, smaller blisters formed the other day?! Prayers of many, scripture confessions, foot soaks, elevation, antibiotics, steroids..... what else do I do?
So anyhow, I have prayed daily for God to heal this awful malady on my beautiful girl. Today, a possible answer came from an unexpected source. I talked to a very wise co-worker who has spent years studying medicine on many levels. With more confidence than ANYBODY I've talked to, she says continual poultices of ecchnicia and plantain will heal her along with elevation. Now the last time I heard about poultices was from Granny Clampet, but I had to consider that modern medicine with all its remedies has not been successful. Our Mist, also suggested poltices which I poopooed (sorry Mist). Thinking back, thyme healed me last year from an ailment I'd had off and on for years. I felt humbled and dumbfounded. Would simple weeds really help heal those toes? I don't know. Generous Georgia, after detailed instructions, went outside and brought me back in some plantain leaves from the hospital grounds. Then she instructed me to go out and pick the rest that were growing there. Sheepishly I ambled out into the fresh, warm air. I looked all over where she told me to go but I couldn't see any. I even retraced her direction steps no less than five times. I began to panic so I prayed. "Look down" gently came to me and I realized I had tromped through the stuff five times - lol!! I felt really really silly. It occurred to me how ironic it was that I, the nurse, was outside the hospital harvesting free weeds to treat my daughter with when even the best specialists hadn't helped her. A whole hospital of things were available inside but none of them seemed right. Would the weeds growing outside be the key? Generous Georgia seemed pretty convinced they would. So as the cars drove by, I ignored my brain telling me that I was crazy to be doing this, and harvested a big bag of plantain............ Now to keep trusting in God and try this ancient remedy.

Theme Park Pics

Here are some pics from our recent trip to a Theme Park. I wrote a long story about it but decided not to post it. Seems like I am scratching a lot of my work these days. Just one of those moods I've been in!! Heres some interesting information that I've been saving from my herbal studies I wanted to post though :

Thyme is utterly shocking! This mightly little leaf is packed with power! There is so much information on this, I simply could not compile it all, but if there is any one plant you should grow this is the one. In Ancient Roman times, it was believed to give courage. Roman soldiers bathed in it and women gave them sprigs to wear into battle. Consequently it is also believed to stop nightmares in children. Thyme, rich in thymol, is a powerful antiseptic, antibacterial, strong antioxidant, antifungal. In fact, one source I found said that listerine originated from thyme as well as it being used in surgical wool and dressings. It treats a gigantic gammit of problems including GI disorders of many kinds including irritable bowel, Respiritory tract disorders - upper respiratory, whooping cough, expectorant aid, Anti-cancer properties, Eye infections, skin infections, menstral complaints, immune system strengthener. Every site I visited echoed a common theme - it kills germs - bacterial and fungal, internal and topical. Studies even added it to raw food, such as salads and found it could make your food safer to eat!! Besides Thymol, it is rich in Vitamin K and maganese. Other uses included using thyme as an insect repellant and natural cleaning agent!! Just one tsp dried = 1 cup h2o for tea (or 1 tbsp fresh).

Due to all this research I decided to try it first hand. I had a persistent rash that I applied thyme leaves to. It almost INSTANTLY stopped itching and felt soothed. I tried some on my babies diaper rash and that also looked better in a short time. Wow am I convinced :-) I would not hesitate to try using it on other problems in the future.



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Rosehips contain more vitamin C than a citrus fruit!! It was so high, in fact, that Great Britian harvested tons of them to use as a syrup C supplement for children when ships could not come in. Indians also harvested them. Besides making tea, they added the remaining pulp to stews. According to my research online, they also have vitamins A, D, E, Antioxidants, K, calcium, citric acid, iron, niacin, phospherus, tannin, B1,B2. A study was done on them for treatment of arthritis due to their anti-inflammatory properties in which patients required less pain medication after a few months. They are also found to help prevent bladder infections and prevent kidney stones, protect against cancer and cardiovascular heart disease. In fact, after reading many sites on rose hips I got tired of writing down all the possible health benefits. Sufficient to say, something so readily free and available growing wild all over with so many benefits, its a shame not to go pick and dry a few!! You only need 5 = 1 cup h2O to make tea.

*As with all plants and herbs please use them in moderation.

spicy benefits

Here i am with baby in DENIAL about summer ending!!
Bike Ride with the Girls!!

My husband drawing me some flowers for our anniversary along with some corny quotes!!

Our Girls Bible Study at the Lake......

Our 19th Wedding Anniversary Dinner Date

Bringing in the winter wood supply

My life has been a blur. All I can remember is processing apples, constructing fat laden feasts for company and a special anniversary dinner involving a heavenly experience at a Mexican Restaurant featuring bacon wrapped prawns in a Mexican sauce topped with Monterrey Jack Cheese. The week before wasn't much better because a huckleberry cheese cake lurked in my refrigerator. In short, I notice I am being stalked by a fat gutt with co-horting love handles. I saw them spying on me from behind the couch. Just when I started to snooze instead of going running they went in for the kill. It was about then that I noticed my jeans were feeling tight and I changed into some pj bottoms. Oh the agony!! Well, I suppose this means that I need to get back out running on a more than semi-regular basis. Yesterday was a start - I ran 4 miles.

Recently, I've been studying herbal medicine. I'm planning to continue my studies and share what I learn with you every so often. You may want to try what I did today and dig some herbs up out of your garden for a window sill this fall. Here's a few fun facts I learned about the power of some simple household spices :

Though allspice should not be ingested in large quantities, in herbal medicine allspice is used in indigestion, flatulence and as a purgative. Topically it can be used as an analgesic for muscle pain or toothache and as an antiseptic for teeth and gums.

Basil should not be ingested in large quantities but it has been used as an anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, diuretic and as an insect repellent. Besides all that it has been used to stimulate digestion, to treat halitosis and for hypoglycemia.

Bay helps lower blood glucose by helping the body use insulin more effectively. Essential oil has bactericidal and fungicidal properties. It has been used for muscle spasm relief, rheumatic conditions, for anti dandruff effect topically.

Garlic has been used to decrease cholesterol, triglyceride levels and to increase high density lipoprotein level. It can help prevent atherosclerosis because of effect on blood pressure and platelet aggregation. Decreases the risk of cancer (especially GI tract), as well as risks of CVA and MI. Used to treat cough, cold, fever and sore throats. It is used orally and topically to fight infection due to antibacterial and anti fungal effects. One adverse reaction I noticed was that it can decrease contraceptive effectiveness - bet you didn't know that!!

Okay one more!! Nutmeg can be used to treat diarrhea, indigestion, loss of appetite, colic, flatulence and insomnia. Its also used as a larvacidal and aphrodisiac. Be careful!! If you take too much it is also hallucinogenic!! Malcolm X wrote about his ability to get high with it. Prisons eventually had to bar its use due to inmates using it for recreational purposes.
* Almost all the spices and herbs I've been researching can become toxic and detrimental if used in large quantities so please use moderation.

************* info taken from "Nursing Drug and Herbal Handbook" along with some supplementary websites