SEPTEMBER 26, 2010 TWO LOVABLE CLOWNS AND 200 BLOGS

"The frustrations around us are not who WE are. When WE are at peace within, WE live among spiritual riches."

The ending of Summer 2010 Cherry Grove Fire Island. It was happy, yet disappointing. It was frustrating. I am not who I appeared to be this weekend. I was among many friends, some who are family to us. It was difficult for me to be at peace on this beautiful island. Mainly due to my stinking thinking and not being able to finally let go of a situation. I had expectations of people, being polite, having courtesy and just being friendly. Who was I kidding. I was dealing mainly with people who are sick--sick in the mind and sick of booze in their bodies. It is hard to be sober and deal with those who are not sober. It is hard to care for a community when those in charge of the community do not care. By the end of the weekend I was calmer.

On a more positive note, I also had much communication with friends. I have open communication with my partner Rick, too. Can you imagine if I didn't? Do you have an open communication line with your loved ones? Are you able to talk about anything that is on your mind? There are friends, and then their are true friends. Two fine friends spoke their mind. In short words (maybe not so short) they made others read between the lines of what people are saying, and allowed them to decipher the real truth. The truth is quiet and not loud. Peace came, calmness ruled


Let us continue with St. John's Wort...
I do not think that people give St. John’s Wort an effective time of use. It takes more than days and weeks. An effective time period for use is 2-3 months. The first effects are noted in 2 -3 weeks. I have seen sunburns when people taking it exposed themselves to direct sunlight on the beach. Some consider St. John’s Wort to be a psychotropic drug.

In addition to being used in depression, I have used it for circulation problems and nerve injury. I have seen cancer patients using this herb for its anti-tumor effects. I have never used St. John’s Wort as an inhibitor of neoplastic activity.

As you know I love the historical aspect of herbs. There is a tale about the red spots. Symbolic of the blood of St. John, the spots appear on the leaves on the anniversary of the saint’s beheading. The beheading of St. John the Baptist is best seen in an oil painting by Italian artist Caravaggio. It is entitled, "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist”. The painting depicts the execution while nearby Salome stands with a golden platter to receive his head. Another bystander, the woman Herodias realizes that this execution is wrong.

The other tale is that if you sleep with a piece of the plant under your pillow, St. John will appear to you in a dream and give you a blessing. In Greek it is known as 'spathochorto' referring to its ability to heal sword wounds. It was also credited for keeping evil spirits away, for which purpose it was hung above doors on the eve of St John's day (June 24), when witches were thought to be most active. Its mystique was confirmed by the way the juice of the plant turns red on exposure to air - a phenomenon thought to symbolize the blood of St John the Baptist.

Christians believe that John the Baptist had a specific role ordained by God as precursor to Jesus. Some say that John the Baptist baptized Christ.

Until tomorrow...

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 DANCE TO ST JOHN'S WORT

Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway.

God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them. ~Author Unknown

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell

There are many quotes that deal with GOD. For me, GOD is good orderly direction. GOD is the GOD of my understanding. Each of us, based on religious beliefs has a different GOD. I wonder, do we all pray to the GOD of our understanding which in reality is the same entity? I believe today that GOD is spiritual. I nearly lost my faith in God in 1982 when my mother suddenly died. Perhaps GOD wanted a master dressmaker in heaven. I do not really think I ever lost my faith, but I diverted from organized religion. In college and medical school I started to explore other religious beliefs.

By 1996, I had a new spirituality. This was in part due to my first 2 years of sobriety. I was frightened when I read about GOD in the 12 step program. Yet, because it was the GOD of my understanding--it made it easier. GOD at the beginning was the other people sitting in the 12 step room. Then it was my mother. Then it was the big Oak tree in Central Park. I cannot even describe what GOD is today. He/she is a power greater than myself. He/she is there to guide me. I know now that he/she was walking beside me even in my darkest hours. He/she never let me down. Today I can pray in a church, a temple, any room, or in a open green field. There is a line in the AA Promises that states, "We will suddenly realize that GOD is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."

Are you spiritual? Have you ever described your GOD to another hman being? Are you happy with the GOD of your understanding?



One of the most oversought herbs has been St. Johns Wort. St. John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed. I have never used these other names for this plant. St. John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for depression.

What confuses me is that St John's wort is used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. The species of Hypericum have been placed by some in the family Hypericaceae, but more recently have been included in the family Clusiaceae. This also confuses me. The more I have learned about Herb families, the more confused I get. There seems to be changes in nomenclature that I cannot understand why or for what reason. Approximately 370 species of the genus Hypericum exist worldwide with a native geographical distribution including temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe, Turkey, Russia, India, and China.

St. John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for depression. I love St. John's wort not only for the pretty flower, but for the number of studies that have been published. I know of at least 30 studies that have been done with some beneficial results. There are studies in progress at the following sites:
1. Effect of St. John's Wort/University at Buffalo
2. Effect of St. John's Wort on Oral Contraceptives/NIH & Columbia University
3. Efficacy of St. John's Wort for Smoking Cessation/Martin Mahoney, M.D., Ph.D
4. Effects of St. John’s Wort on Women Receiving Estrogen/University of Illinois
5. The Influence of St. John's Wort on the Pharmacokinetics and Protein Binding of Imatinib Mesylate/New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists & NIH
6. St. John’s Wort Effects on Emergency Contraceptive Pills/The University of Utah - College of Nursing


There are more than 370 species of the genus Hypericum (St. John's wort), several of which are not pharmacologically active. Not all St. John's wort is equal. The vast majority of OTC St. John's wort formulations are made with aerial parts, AKA “Grind”, whole ground up plant, not the small red and white dots in flowers that contain the precious napthrodianthrones. Grind does not contain hyperforin. I think this is important because when you, the consumer buys an herb- are you really wanting the active part of the herb. Of even greater concern, grind contain zanthrones found in the stems which are the source of the controversial MAO inhibitors. This type of antidepressant has some contraindications especially dietary. If anyone on a MAO inhibitor has a food containing tyramine there can be deadly consequences like severe high blood pressure. MAO inhibitors were the number one cause of drug overdoses in the early days of prescription antidepressants.

Extracting high quality hyperforin (which is the active ingredient) is difficult and costly. First the plant must be of superior quality, preferably grown in non-phosphate fertilizers. Upon harvest the flowers must be carefully dried so the hyperforin can be extracted via methanol extraction process.

How to use St John's wort can vary from herbalist to herbalist. Some combine it with other herbs, and some use it alone. There needs to be more discussion on this herb--

Until tomorrow...

Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s, known for her exuberant solo tap dancing.
I consider her among the top female dancers of all time. Sure we cannot forget Ruby Keeler (wife of the great Al Jolson), Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse and many more.
Born in Springfield Mass she began a great Broadway to film career. Who could forget her in Begin the Beguine with Fred Astaire in 1940. She was there for Fred in 1981 when he received the American Film Institute Award.
Don't you love her quote above.