April 24th, 2006 at 10:27 am
(Eat Your Yard, Wild Foods and Medicines)
Dandelions are high in calcium, iron, Vit. C and vitamin B Complex. They also provide Vit. A, choline, and trace minerals, making them an excellent liver-supporting plant. Judith Berger says that eating 3 leaves a day will bring a marked increase in vitality. A six week vinegar infusion can reverse anemia and reduse premenstrual sugar cravings, taken in 1 teaspoon doses with every meal.
Dandelion can lessen adolescent acne. Dandelion blossom ointment can ease premenstrual swelling and tenderness in the breasts. I have found that dandelion root coffee taken 1 tbsp of coarsely-grounded root to 1 cup of water can do the same thing. I should have read more thouroughly this month as Judith asserts that the blossoms as a tea have the ability to relieve headaches, stomache aches, and menstrual cramps. She says the blossoms soaked in white wine for an hour or two nourish the digestion and bring on a deep, restorative sleep.
Dandelion tone the kidneys, can dissolve kidney stones, and strengthen kidneys weakened by diabetes. They have a diuretic effect that does not affect the potassium levels in the body. Taken over a six-to-nine month period, the tincture of the root rejuvinates damaged liver tissue. Judith mentions that dandelion is a good choice for those recovering from chemotherapy, radiation, hepatitis, or jaundice. It alleviates constipation, can dissolve cholesterol-related gallstones.
On an emotional level, dandelion helps to loosen and express anger- whether you are having flashes of rage or can’t seem to summon anger when it is appropriate to a situation. Sometimes, however, dandelion loosens old rage and when it all comes up, you can feel overwhelmed (been there). So perhaps it is best to have a therapist you can talk to, just in case, if you decide to use dandelion to discharge calcified anger.
Dandelion has been known to help with depression- but don’t stop taking your meds because you’re eating your lawn. Always check with a professional if you think your meds need adjusted.
- Dandelions have had a reputation as being effective in promoting weight loss and laboratory research indicates that there is some support for this reputation.
- In 1979 a Japanese patent was filed for a freeze-dried warm water extract of dandelion root for anti-tumor use. It was found that administration of the extract markedly inhibited growth of particular carcinoma cells within one week after treatment
- ( http://www.leaflady.org/health_benefits_of_dandelions.htm )
April 23rd, 2006 at 8:52 pm
(Nature, Wild Foods and Medicines)
I really need to cut back on acquiring crystals for my specimen and healing collection. There have just been too many good oppertunities to get rare minerals lately. Lazulite, mica-included quartz, Messina ajoite in quartz. Must stop compulsion. But on the getting-rid-of-things end- we are getting rid of our old couch. Yay!
When it gets hotter out, I’ll start that dandelion blossom oil that I meant to start the other day. That will be a fine thing to have on hand for PMS and to detox during winter. I also need to gather more roots but finding plants that have yet to bloom is getting harder and harder. I also need to post the medicinal values of dandelion on 43.Things as I’ve posted enough about its food value. I’m getting more out of the Herbal Rituals book than I thought I would… and I love that book and have gotten a very great deal out of it. 
We got a new tent the other day and a camp cooking set. We aim to hike the river and stay out there for at least two full days. I would like to get a reverse osmosis or gravity water-filter system so there will be no need to haul too much water. Or any need to slog back up to Eloric’s father’s house. I can’t wait for the overnight temps to stabalize and for there to be a storm and rain-free weekend.
Aaannnd- Tomorrow I hope to make that tomato rassam I’ve been talking about. I’m a little miffed that red chillis don’t seem to be in season yet and I want spicy dosais. Red chillis- BE HERE NOW!
April 21st, 2006 at 11:51 pm
(Eat Your Yard, Rants, Thoughts, Wild Foods and Medicines)
The Animal Control van came over to the neighbors’ to the south this morning and loaded up the corpse of a dead dog from their crap-encrusted kennel. I hope to heaven that they also wrote the bastards a fine for making those dogs live in their own filth- which, incidently, is probably why the poor creature died- it probably got an infection. And I hope they also fined them for violating kennel law in this county- it is illegal to own more than 4 dogs without having a kennel license and, god knows, that the hammer-brains don’t have a kennel license… because then they’d have to clean up all of the dog feces in their kennels on a regular basis as the Animal Control office actually inspects the kennels with licenses. So neighbors- kindly die. I hope when you grow old you are made to lie in your own filth for long lengths of time. You deserve it for making your “beloved” pets suffer so.
I have decided to try veganism for a week. I thought earlier today that I need to cut back on the amount of dairy that I consume because I consume a lot of dairy, especially cheese and that can’t be good for my body. I don’t know if I can do it or not… and I wish I would have decided before we went Krogering eariler because I could have gotten some soy cheese so I could have pizza and almond milk for coffee. Well, that’s ok. I’ll just go hardcore vegan. Or is it v*gan? Not sure. I also need to eat more fresh veggies versus cooked or processed but now that it’s spring, I can Eat my Yard.
Speaking of Eating my Yard, I think I am going to get up early (before the people who think we are a business start calling, say, 7:30am, if possible) and go violet picking. I mean to pick violets in volume every year so I can make violet salve and violet water but I usually miss out on it… the usual excuse is illness… but as I am not ill and the violets won’t pick themselves, I’m going to try tomorrow. Violets are high in Vit. C and are good for hot illnesses, infections, burns, and the salve or oil is known to help prevent breast cancer… that and it smells gorgeous. Violets also mildly laxitive. Anyhoo- I’ll post more about them and how to make simple herb-infused oils tomorrow, perhaps. I have about 4 types of violets available to me in town- white, blue, and stream violets (yellow) and the dark purple. White are the sweetest, stream violets, the rarest… which means I’ll just be admiring those. I am also thinking about making battered dandelions and/or dandelion pancakes, if I can figure out how to make the pancakes without eggs. Maybe Ener-g Egg Replacer will work? That is, if I still have any.
We are planning a hike along the river soon enough to gather hawthorn blossoms, spring beauties, and yet more violets. We mean to do that every year as well but again, the excuse has been either illness or work. I want to make hawthorn blossom infused brandy this year. And I would like to gather some spring beauties to have them around here to eat next year. We have one spring beauty in the yard this year, probably thanks to our piney-squirrel and I’m afraid it will not come back next year. We spotted some in one of the town parks about 4 days ago but they got mowed off about an hour after we found them. Dammit. Don’t waste the wild foods like that! Or something. At least don’t waste ‘em when I’m experimenting. Yeah. That.
And. Uncle Jay’s Aunt Ann died two days ago. It was that fast. I hope she didn’t feel much pain. We always called her Aunt Ann too. She was really vivacious, springy, tough. I hope she has gone to her better place. Bless her.
April 20th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
(Rants)
Just when you thought you got rid of the Congressman’s money-trolling lackies, they call and wake you up of a morning under the mistaken assumption that 1) You give a damn about their boss, 2) You would contribute money to the theo-fascist Republican Party, 3) You are, in fact, sitting awake in the office of a small business.
Look, people- we don’t want to accept a fake award. We are fully-aware of your idiot scheme to pump small business owners of their hard-earned graft by telling them that your overlord wants to give them something for being leaders in the community but oh… you need to purchase an ad in such-and-such newspaper if you want the award.
Some lady from his “office” (also known as the call center where they are trying to bilk small business owners out of money) called me and awakened me around 8:30am. I am getting sick and tired of these people and the people who’re calling to try to get us to buy building materials or construction services from them, all because of Menard’s. Thanks again for the arse-fscking with the sandpaper condom there KJ (Mr. Suck-Suck). I still emasculated you. You ARE the Wal*Mart of building trades. YOU and your store both suck. In that you were right… but you said it first. I was merely agreeing with you, you coroprate bawd.
I am so fscking tired of getting crap in the mail addressed to the contracting company that never existed. I am so fscking TIRED of getting calls from the same redneck asshat asking for my husband- two days in a row now, last call was two months ago- same guy, I can remember a voice- who won’t leave a message because then he’d get reamed under the no phone soliciting law.
For more Tom Reynolds fun see also:
- Scam? Why Yes Virginia: The first call from CONgressman Reynolds’ office, the beginning of this hellish nightmare, courtesy of Menards.
- Yes Virginia, Part Deux: In which we believe (and it seems in vain) that we had rid ourselves of Reynolds’ bothersome lackies.
April 19th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
(Witches Weekly)
So you’re a pagan? Why?
I’m a multifaith Pagan because I feel that it fits me. I believe that the best spirituality for me is one that is life-affirming and not death-affirming. I believe that the earth is inherently a beautiful place and spirit, one that should be revered. I believe people should live in harmony with Nature, not live to subjugate her.
I believe in a host of goddesses and gods and that doesn’t fit too well in a lot of religions, other than Paganism. I believe in spirits, devas, angels, demons, the stone-people, the fair folk- lots of things that don’t fit neatly into the Big Three (Islam, Judaism, Christianity) on the world’s religious scale. I believe in magick and the powers of the earth and tending the Garden, something that the Big Three, in my opinion, don’t give enough thought to.
However, I don’t define myself totally as Pagan because I’m more than that. Which is why I always use the label multifaith. I believe some things that most Pagans would snort at or ridicule me for. I don’t like to label myself as Pagan because I am very tired of being lumped in with people who have nothing good to say about Christianity or like to Christian-bash like the “Xtians” Pagan-bash. And I’m not saying that all Pagans do this- It’s just that I’ve run into a wealth of it over the past week (though I’ve felt this way for a while) and it really upsets me. Someone else’s Christanity does not make me less of a Pagan and as long as they respect me, I will respect them. The Pagans here in my locality also like to Christian-bash, and while I understand it- the local Christians do like to harass us, I don’t have the chip on my shoulder towards that religion that I once did.
But yes- I am Pagan in there somewhere, despite the welter of other labels.
April 15th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
(News, Rants)
Is this cancer thing ever going to end? Now my Uncle Jay’s great aunt has cancer and is not expected to live over a month. The family are thinking that the doctors dropped the ball on this one as she has bone cancer that ought to have been picked up on her last bone scan. *sigh* This, of course, was after the doctors just said last week that they couldn’t find anything wrong with her.
No wonder I have very little faith in the medical establishment at this point. Coupla mistakes here and there- sure, they’re human. Cluster fscks? Three in one year? Little faith. Little faith.
They knocked down and are burning the former undertaker’s turned private residence here in town tonight. It was an eye-sore… but now there are very few historical buildings left in town. I have no problems with its destruction, as it was Rat Haven… but it is sort of sad to see history go like that. Also unfortunately…. I’m the only person of my generation in town who can name all of the 1940′s landmarks here. You learn stuff like that when you come from a family that’s mostly elderly. Now if they would only come up the street to the south of me and knock down everything but the house on the westernmost corner… Wishful thinking, I know.
Also: I wish death rays from Mars would strike down the teenaged idjits who were riding the extremely loud dirt bike at 8am this morning. Pell-mell. Up and down the street in front of my house. For three hours. I shouldn’t have to keep my door shut in this weather because some gits are trying to make my ears bleed and scare the hell out of the cats.
April 9th, 2006 at 3:02 am
(Interstitial Cystitis, Wild Foods and Medicines)
Strange that it has just occurred to me that it has been a year since I’ve been officially diagnosed with IC. I need to make a deep and meaningful and partially scathing entry about it. I missed my anniversary. I’m a bad IC’er. Or something. At any rate- another good excuse to snap up a few more crystals or mineral specimens. Hmmm… White elestial calcite, Jade of the Ancients, champagne quartz, amphibole-included quartz, green chrome diopside, or epidote on quartz? Decisions, decisions. Perhaps several of the above. Or perhaps a new Quan Yin for my collection… And yes- I’m planning on either a garage sale or a hardcore donation to the local Goodwill this year. And a release on BookCrossing.com. Got a lotta stuff I no longer need… which will make more room for crystals and Quan Yins *heh* Crystals, Quan Yins, cats, books, herbs, trees- my naughty collections/babies.
I thought it worth mentioning that I have started on my goal of identifying/eating local flora. I have begun with the humble Dandelion. Say what you will about the toothy plant, this sukka is tasty. I’ve had a cupfull of the greens with a bit of dressing for the past three days. I’ve also roasted roots for coffee as I have heard that they taste like a light chocolate. While roasting, I’m pleased to announce that they did in fact smell chocolaty. I have not had the coffee as of yet as I really want to grind them with a mortar and pestle and I have yet to acquire a set… gah, yet another object. A kitchen object. I do need to rid myself out of all of the kitchen objects I no longer use… like my spring-form cheesecake pans. But they were a wedding gift. *sigh* From people I really like. Anyway. Perhaps I’ll make it to World Market today and get one. Green marble, though I want granite.
Anyway- dandelions. If you don’t spray your lawn, you probably have them. They’re not just for old people. I say that because I used to think that only the people from my grandmother’s generation ate them, since I always hear of my Aunt Ethel eating a mess of dandelion greens.
I think I’ll talk more about them some time later- I’m getting tired. 
April 7th, 2006 at 2:27 am
(Better Living Through Chemistry, News)
I’ve been pretty down lately. My uncle, my father’s elder brother, has liver cancer that has metastized to his intestines. I just found out on Monday. This fscking sucks because if I had a favorite uncle, he’d be it. This doubly blows because it scares the hell out of me- all of my uncles on my father’s side have died or are dieing of cancer. I say this because they have told my uncle that he has about a year to live. My uncle Rollie outlived his prognostication by a year and a half but I guess Uncle Nile’s case is very advanced. He had his first chemo treatment on Tuesday but I haven’t heard how it went. Eloric’s sad too- he really likes Uncle Nile and enjoys golfing with him and his conversation (as long as Uncle doesn’t converse in the middle of a swing… as he always does )
It seems like the men on my father’s side on my grandfather’s side all get cancer. I have a cousin who had brain cancer which may be returning. I am very afraid for my father, as is my mother. We are guilting him into another battery of tests as we did when Uncle Rollie fell ill with cancer. I have threatened to cry. Needless to say, even though I was spending a great deal of time with my father, I’ve stepped it up. I can’t stand the thought of this happening to him. I think he’s getting a kick out of trouncing us in euchre so much.
So, since I’ve been down, I’ve been on a spree where I’ve been acquireing mineral specimens for my collection at… at a very fast rate. *heh* I’ve gotten the woodhouseite I’ve been looking for for about 5 years, orange tourmaline, green moss chalcedony, Mt. Hay thunderegg, a brecciated jasper/copper/epidote specimen, amblygonite, more natural prasiolite crystals (favorite stone, can’t have enough of them), replaced my escaped green tourmaline… Let’s just say that the list goes on for some time. I guess I’m putting my Borg*Mart money to decent use- my opinion. I just love stones. Always have.
I also got a cook book that I am going to love- it’s a book of South Indian vegetarian recipies and it has stuff in it that I can actually eat. *w00T* If I can get the peppers, the asofedita, and the coconut tomorrow, I’m making spicy dosais. I already have the red gram dal. Got it today at the health food store. I’m quite looking forward to them as they look mouth-watering.
I called and got put back on Aviane yesterday. My period is just too horriffic to go without it. It’s not that I flare now- there’s just something about my boobs blowing up like air bags for about 2 weeks a month that I’d just rather not experience. We’re talking up a full cup size and I do not want to have to buy new brassires. That and it kills. It was great- I just called, explained the situation to the gyno nurse, told her about the letter Dr. Singh put in my file and- behold! Little orange pills. Now all I need is *cringe* my period.
*if you made the David Gray connection to the title of the post, you win teh internets
cats, 
