“ Don’t worry about what’s ahead. Just go as far as you can go--from there you can see further” -unknown
Another quote about living in the NOW. Do not live in the future. Go as far as you can go. To me, this means dream. Dreams and aspirations are good. What is your dream? What about a dream occupation? I have been asked this question many times. I have to think hard about this. I love medicine. I love the type of medicine I practice. Outside of medicine, I would have been a dancer! I wanted to be Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. I wanted to be dressed elegantly debonair and glide across the floor. I do glide everyday writing, teaching and listening to patients. WE all have dreams. Life goes on even if you haven’t fulfilled your dream. Never stop dreaming…
Never take away a dream from anyone, especially a child. When at age six I wanted to be a doctor--no one ever discouraged me. I was first a doctor to all animals--some pets bought from the store and some from the wild. The ‘wild’ animals included all the neighborhood stray cats and the hurt birds.
So I never have appeared on a Broadway stage. I have it better. I have been a patron of the arts for years, especially Broadway and have seen dressing rooms backstage. The biggest thrill was walking from the orchestra seat to the dressing room. I got my chance to walk on-stage. So, my dream has come true--I have been on a Broadway stage. It all happened because I live in the Present, not the past, and not the future.
Yesterday I was blogging about herbs for IBS (IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME). Another herb which has anti-inflammatory properties is Filipendula ulmaria. Commonly known as Meadowsweet, it is a perennial herb in the family Rosaceae, which grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and western Asia though it has been introduced and naturalized in North America. Meadowsweet has also been referred to as Queen of the Meadow, Pride of the Meadow, Meadow-Wort, Meadow Queen, Lady of the Meadow, Dolloff, Meadosweet and Bridewort.
As you read you will find out why Queen has been assigned to this herb. Is it about a real queen or a gay queen? Since Meadowsweet has anti-inflammatory properties it can be used for both IBS and the two diseases, Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. These two diseases are known as Inflammaotry Bowel Disorders (IBD).
Unlike Catnip (discussed August 23,2010), Meadowsweet is more about the anti-inflammatory properties and less about the nervous system properties. It is not only specific for the gastrointestinal tract, but acts as a good general anti-inflammatory herb. It is best used as a tincture, fresh or dried herb. Meadowsweet is unique in that in contains methyl salicylates. It acts like another herb: wintergreen. Another plant that has this compound is the birch tree.
The herb has three active ingredients: compounds of salicylic acid, flavone-glycosides, and essential oils and tannins.
The history of this herb dates back to Nicholas Culpeper, a seventeenth-century English pharmacist, who mentioned its use to help break fevers and promote sweating during a cold or flu. In 1838, the Italian Raffaele Piria first produced salicylic acid from the flower buds of Meadowsweet and from Willow Bark. In 1897 Felix Hoffman created a synthetically altered version of salicin derived from the species, which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally Acetylsalicylic acid, was named aspirin by Hoffman's employer Bayer AG after the old botanical name for meadowsweet, Spiraea ulmaria.
The whole herb possesses a pleasant taste and flavor, the green parts having a similar aromatic character to the flowers, leading to the use of the plant as a strewing herb. You may ask, “What is a strewing herb?” Since I love history I wanted to find out too. Strewing herbs are certain kinds of plants that are scattered (strewn) over the floors of dwelling places and other buildings. Such plants usually have fragrant or astringent smells, and many also serve as insecticides or disinfectants. Their use was widespread in England during the middle ages through to the 18th century. As people got smellier the use of fragrant herbs became more popular. Many of these herbs were used in kitchens, dining halls and bedrooms. The herbs were laid on the floor along with reeds, rushes or straw, so that pleasant odors would be released when people walked on them. Rich and poor households used strewing herbs as did royal households. Indeed, Queen Elizabeth I was particularly fond of Meadowsweet. It has been said of the Virgin Queen:
"Queen Elizabeth of famous memory, did more desire it than any other herb to strew her chambers withall."
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her brother, Edward VI, bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his sisters out of the succession. His will was set aside, and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded the Catholic Mary I, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.
There are many other herbs that are used as strewing herbs. Some of these are lavender, Southernwood, Rosemary, Rose, Sage and even Chamomile (discussed on August 23,2010)
I love big band. I believe this song has been sung by many. I may be mistaken but I remember Tommy Dorsey band with Frank Sinatra as vocal singing this song.
DREAM
Dream
When you're feeling blue
Dream
That's the thing to do
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You'll find your share of memories there
So, dream when the day is through
Dream and they might come true
Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream
Dream
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You'll find your share of memories there
So, dream
Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream
alternate version on Call Me Irresponsible
Dream
When you're feeling blue
Dream
That's the thing to do
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You'll find your share of memories there
So, dream when the day is through
Dream and they might come true
Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream
Dream when the day is through
Dream and they might come true
For things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream
Until tomorrow...
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