"When you are content to BE simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.' - Lao Tzu
I strive on a daily basis to be completely myself - happy, joyous and free. I stopped comparing myself to others - years ago. Sure I would like to have been on Oprah, but it just never happened. I was on other shows,and loved my talk in radio shows for the years I did it. I look back on those days and say, "...wow, I have the life today I always wanted to have." I asked myself, "Am I competitive?" I know I love to win at Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit. Other than that, I am just me. I am not quiet, but not loud. I am not meek but sometimes I now know when to be quiet. I am just ME. I used to just like me, but now I love me.
I am a healer. For me to be a healer is as demanding as knowing all the plants/herbs. Any healer must have a firm foundation of the basic truths common to all man. This is a tough harsh statement but I have found it true .
This hobby of finding, studying and collecting Edible Plants can be challenging. Some examples of wild edible plants that you might know would be Amaranth, Chicory, Mulberry, Plantain and Yucca. I think these are fairly common to most people. Other common ones would be elderberry, mint and mustard.
To identify a plant or tree in the wild, on a city block or in a field is quite exciting. I am in awe that as we drive out to Long Island I can name trees and plants. The Sunken Forest (a National Preservation on Fire island) is an excellent place to start. Some of the trees, bushes and plants have names on them to help you identify them.
Between the various Fire Island communities, the woods and fields have many species that are known to the area from years gone by. The area between the Pines and Cherry Grove is a combination of woodlands, fields, dunes and swamp/bog.There have been various names given to this area like The Judy Garland Memorial Park and the Meat Rack. I do not know what is harder to avoid, the poison ivy or free spirited nudists among nature. (That is a nice way of saying men having outdoor sex).
Regardless, find an area to discover trees and plants as a hobby. So to pick a plant/tree that I have found in the wild that could be interesting to you is difficult, but I have thought of two. The first one is Gaultheria procumbens. This plants grows in poor soil it the woods. Leaves are oval, a little toothed. It is an evergreen with tiny white flowers that dangle. This is WINTERGREEN. I love wintergreen. I love this plant for its uses in medicine, and to nourish our bodies. It stays close to the ground. I have an affinity for plants that stay close to the ground. I feel these are Earth Mother's tiny children. Wintergreen tea is delicious and you need not use a lot. When I see individuals make tea, I am always in awe of how much they use. You need not use a lot of wintergreen at all. The berries are edible. The new leaves are edible in salads.
This herb is great for headaches, aches and pains of the body as well as oral cavity (mouth) ulcers and gum ailments. You can make a strong cold tea and use it as a mouthwash. It is better than some of the chemical ones the drug stores.
So, to start- pick a plant/tree or bush you want to identify this spring. Research it now and set a date to find your plant. It will be rewarding I promise...
Until tomorrow...
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