JANUARY 6, 2012 AN EDIBLE EVERGREEN : NEW HOBBY

"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...

OCTOBER 28, 2010 ITS NOT WINTER--

"No man is your enemy, no man is your friend, every man is your teacher."

Thanks Rick

"The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves." Thanks Karen

How earth shattering is the second quote. I have found that we are our worst enemies. Do you sabotage yourself? Who hasn't . We start to listen to the committee in our heads. We have expectations and then we get disappointed. Have you heard that before? Life does not have to be that difficult. Life is simple if we want it to be. Some of us seem to function better in chaos and drama . I used to be one of those individuals. Now, chaos creates havoc in my life. It threatens my existence. It threatens my peacefulness and serenity. I want only peace. Family drama and relationship drama for any person can create chaos. Communication is the key. You may have to distance yourself. Remember the first quote--no one is your enemy, no one is your friend --all (even those you may see as enemies) are your teachers. You learn from everyone if you allow yourself to do that.


One of the earliest plants that I became familiar with was foxglove. When I was young my brother and I were limited to a 'lot' of trees and plants at the end of our street. It wasn't a big area, less than a 1/2 mile long. No one except the neighborhood kids went there. We used to build forts. I remember building a thick wall of bushes (brier to be exact). My brother Paul, David, Richie and I made pretend camps --all make believe. I used to dig up plants from "the lot" and put them in milk containers. I would transport them back to my backyard and replant them.

One of those plants had an intoxicating smell. If the leaf was torn or scraped and I took in a deep breath--it had a distinct smell. I didn't know what it was but I knew my Poppy would know. He did --it was wintergreen. 'Wintergreen' once commonly referred to plants that continue photosynthesis (remain green) throughout the winter. The term evergreen is now more commonly used for this characteristic. My Poppy asked where we got it. I told him and he asked me to bring some more, but not take them all. For years later, we had wintergreen with their berries in our backyard. I do know that he made flavored ice tea with the leaves.

The medicinal uses of wintergreen are related to the oils found in the wintergreen leaf. It contains the chemical methyl salicylate, which is related to aspirin. So it can be used as pain relief medicine. It does make a great mouthwash and has a soothing effect on the gums.


A good formula for arthritis/rheumatism
To be taken internally...
1. Oregon grape root - 6 parts
2. parsley root- 6 parts
3. Sassafras - 3 parts
4. Prickly ash bark - 3 parts
5. Black cohosh - 3 parts
6. Ginger root - 2 parts

Make a tea using one ounce of herbs to a pint of water, simmered for thirty minutes.
One to two cups per day.


Until tomorrow...