"All of our dreams come true...if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
I do believe that all dreams can come true if we pursue them. It does take a lot of courage to pursue your dreams. I have tried to the best of my ability to follow my dreams. I still have some dreams left. I have one special dream that I have only shared with my life partner. It is a special moment in our hearts.
Wants and dreams are two separate things. There are a few, very few things I want in life. I had the courage to go back to a medicine fellowship and to study herbs/botany.
An artistic, nature loving, and nurturing hobby is to dry flowers. The appearance and sometimes the aroma of a flower can be preserved by careful drying. Dried flowers can still look alive and the bright vivid colors may last for months. I enjoy the beauty of garden fresh cut flowers most of all, but dried flowers are next on my list followed distantly by silk flowers.
There are three ways to dry flowers: 1. pressing 2. air drying and 3. using dehydrating agents or desiccants. I still have a dried red rose from March 1994 (which was the beginning of my sober journey). It is stored in a Congenital Heart Disease book. It is amazing what I remember. I pressed the flower between two heavy objects.
Air drying involves hanging a bunch of tied flowers upside down in a warm, dark dry room. I have also done this method of drying. The third method is using agents such as alcohol, powder, borax or sawdust to preserve flowers. I have never dried flowers with this method.
I would love a large kitchen with dried flowers and herbs hanging upside down in various places. Or perhaps one day I will have an Herbal work shop on our farm. Now there is a DREAM!
Check out http://www.pressed-flowers.com/
How long do you think people have been drying flowers? Well you will never believe this but dried flowers were found in a 4,000 year old Egyptian tomb.
I know from my herb/botany readings that some botanists preserved their species by drying them.
For your first project, I would suggest drying a small dainty flower. I would suggest a pansy. Instead of just using two heavy books or objects, first cover the flower with tissue or wax paper and then press between the heavy objects. Let it sit for 3-4weeks. You will be amazed how flat like paper these flowers will become.
Until tomorrow...
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