Explore those worlds!

Good Greetings!
I just got back from Narnia and am, like always, totally absorbed in pondering the story. Without exception, whenever I watch a movie or finish reading a book, I can't think about anything else for at least a day!

I find it fascinating that we can escape for a time into another world, and think along with the characters we are reading about. Our minds seem to collaborate and work together, never stopping-or wanting to stop-until it is over. Have you ever thought about how many different worlds we can enter? Way to numerous to count, but lets take a sampling of the ones I like best. (Of course, my favorites list is limited because I'm still young, but that's ok. It gives me time to read in the future!)

The world of...
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Henry, Jesse, Violet and Benny in The Boxcar Children
Frank and Joe Hardy in the Hardy Boys
Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables and the wonderful sequels
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in Little Women
Hannah Worth and all the others in Ishmael & Self-Raised (Lamplighter Publishing)
Kitty in The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Robin Hood
Peter Cottontail in the Thornton Burgess books
Harriet in Harriet the Spy
Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days (I love this book!)
Jem and Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
Jethro Creighton in Across Five Aprils
...and many more including the real worlds of GA Henty, Genevive Foster and Joy Hakim.

So many worlds to enter, it's overwhelming!
Where do we begin?
Anywhere you want to.
Is there time to explore every one?
No, but there's time for alot of them. It's a lifetime adventure.
Three cheers for reading!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Shouldn't you use "qoutes?"

I often prepare various publications and articles and am commonly in need of something to reinforce the main point. Where do I turn? Quotes do a very eloquent (or in cases blunt) job of expressing the message of the publication. They can be used to draw attention, to offer encouragement, or to conclude a thought. Quotes are often used in writing to reinforce a particular point with the words of a known individual. For example, a quote credited to Isaac D’Israeli says "The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotations."

There are books at the library full of quotations, as well as collections on certain websites. As you are reading a book, keep a notebook and pencil handy so that if you see a line you really like, you can write it down or at least underline it. If you flip back through once you finish reading, you will be reminded which parts you found especially interesting and will be able to use them in writing and conversation.

Quotes are helpful; shouldn't you use quotes?

A flame of fire...the tongue

The first time I read these verses, I was struck. How greatly they apply to each of us every single day!

James Chapter 3, TLB:
Dear brothers, don't be too eager to tell others their faults, for we all make many mistakes...if anyone can control his tongue, it proves that he has perfect control over himself in every other way...the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest is set on fire by a tiny spark. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness, and poisons every part of the body. And the tongue is set on fire by hell itself, and can turn our whole lives into flame of destruction and disaster.

Let us pray that Father Yahweh will help us guard our tongues. I know I need it!

My two best

Can anyone guess what my two favorite magazines in the whole wide world are? Probably not, so I'll just tell you.



Cook's Illustrated is elegant, simple, wonderful, and easy to read as well as being ad free. It is a super culinary magazine and the absolute best out there. COUNTRYSIDE is the original country magazine serving those seeking greater self-reliance through homesteading, with emphasis on home food production. This includes gardening, small-scale livestock, cooking, food preservation, resource conservation, recycling, frugality, money management, alternative energy, old-time skills, home business, and much more.

Countryside features reader-written personal experiences and photos straight out of our family albums, making each issue just like a long letter from friends who are living the good life, beyond the sidewalks. Countryside is the magazine for real country living.

By clicking on the links below, you can receive a free issue of both. Enjoy!
www.cooksillustrated.com
www.countrysidemag.com

A question and an exhortation

Thank you all for reading my posts; I hope you have gotten something out of them. I have concluded my little series on natural issues for now although I will still be pondering this area and will of course let you know my thoughts. One of my unanswered questions is "How should Christians view the popular 'back to nature' movement?" If you have any thoughts on this, I'd like to hear them, so please comment on this post.

I will now be moving on to other topics which I trust you will find interesting. There is much to look forward to!

On another note, I just want to encourage everyone not to overdo it this Christmas and Hanukkah season. Stay focused on what you are celebrating and rejoice in His life and sacrifice.
Blessings,
Seth

What’s In Your Pickle?

When you buy a jar of dill pickles at the grocery store, you assume that’s what's in the jar, right? But do you know what those pickles are made of?

Yes, cucumbers is correct, but what’s in the cucumbers? Green stuff… seeds, I know...but let’s trace them back to their origin.

The cucumbers were taken off vines, which grew in large fields. At the beginning of the year, those fields were empty, but soon, people came and put seeds in the ground. Cucumber seeds. The seeds grew into plants which produced fruit.

During the growing season, fertilizers were put in the soil and near the plants to aid their development. The fields were sprayed with chemicals to keep the weeds from coming up and to kill harmful bugs.

But those seeds, where did they come from? The seeds came from bags where they were stored. Before being put in those bags, though, they may have gone through a process called genetic modification.

In genetic modification, organisms from one species are put into another species for its benefit. An example would be an organism from a disease resistant onion being placed in a cucumber. That way the cucumber seeds out of that cucumber, and the plants that grew from them, would be resistant to the same disease as the onion was.

This procedure can be used on animals as well. Certain organisms can be moved around to increase production, help the plant or animal mature faster, or give it better taste.

The problem is, people have no way of knowing if their food has been genetically modified. It looks normal, tastes fine, feels OK; besides, many people don’t really care if it has been tampered with or not.

But some do care and they want to know so they can buy other products that haven’t been modified. Or just because they should know; it’s their right. They can still buy whatever they want.

In Europe, companies have to label their food as genetically modified after they mess with it. But in the United States, that isn’t the case. They don’t have to tell; it’s their exclusive privilege to know.

Our food needs to be labeled: “contains genetically modified organisms” or “no genetically modified organisms”.

Call your senators and tell them that you care. Urge them to pass a law requiring GMO labeling. It’s a benefit and it’s a right.

Also, remember all the questions and comments phone numbers on the back of food packages? Use them. Call up the companies and tell them you want GMO food labeled. Tell them you have the right to know.

You want to be sure that the only thing in your pickle is a cucumber.

Do me a favor...

...and go read a super article. It is on The Rebelution, a blog put out by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers of Joshua Harris, author of the acclaimed series beginning with I Kissed Dating Goodbye. They seem to be very likeminded with me in alot of areas, and I was struck with the truth of the points the author covered in his article Hard Things™ Come In Small Packages.

While you are there, feel free to return to their homepage and read the other posts. I think you will get alot out of them. By the way, you'll see that the Weblog Awards are going on now through Dec. 15. If you feel so inclined, I would encourage you to click on the link at the homepage so you can vote. The Rebelution has been selected as a finalist, for good reason as you will discover.

Antiperspirants vs. Deoderants

Does anyone watch the CBS evening news?
(We watch ABC---so there!)

Anyway, I guess they had a story on the other night concerning the cancer risks involved with the use of aluminum in antiperspirant. And...Tom (of Maine) was interviewed. Here is a link to Tom's site: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/about/cbs.asp
and here is a link to the story on CBS.

(See the previous post if you don't get it! And sorry to any newcomers...most subjects I discuss are a little more appealing!-Seth)

My natural health products

Up-to-date: this list has been revised to reflect changes. It shows what I am using right now.

A few years ago, I started to slowly make the switch to naturally made products for hygeine and personal care. I began by purchasing a sampling of items offered by Tom's of Maine. That was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Their stuff is super, and seems to do it's job well.

After trying out other brands and having Tom's close their mail-order service and discontinue some of my favorites, I compiled a listing of what I currently use. It is below, along with some comments.

Product Name Remarks

Tom's of Maine Deoderant or Clear Soap Works well, nice scents and lather

Tom's Anti-Dandruff Shampoo This was really good but is not made anymore

Nature's Gate Rainwater Herbal Shampoo Thin and watery, hard to lather

Powerstick Sport Talc Deoderant Not natural, fine scent. I have not yet found a natural deoderant that works.

Tom's Gentle Honeysuckle Shave Cream Works fine, but the scent is strong. I will try a milder scent next time.

Tom's AntiPlaque Plus Whitening Gel Toothpaste Does a good job, really works. My teeth are whiter!

Burt's Bees Honey Lipbalm Not made with petroleum jelly but with beeswax instead. Smells good, heals chapped lips.

NOW Special One MultiVitamin I like these alot, but $20 for 180 pills is alot when I was able to find 600

NatureMade Essential Daily MultiVitamins for $13.50 at Kmart. The NatureMades are "almost natural" and they are fine...

A Bundle of Herbs and their Medicinal Uses

I first started writing this essay for myself, as a reference to put in my notebook volumes. Then I decided to try and get it accepted for publication in The Heirloom Gardener, a relatively new publication of Jeremiath Gettle and his Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. But soon, I realized that I do not have experience with medicinal herbs, so I certainly shouldn't write an article about them for a magazine. (Which is the very reason I started this whole project: to get familiar with herbs for health!) So now here I am with a somewhat rough draft of an essay. I am so very tired of this particular piece that I am ready to toss it, but instead I think I'll post it on the blog! :-) After all, I started work on it 2 years ago, so I should be ready to move on to new projects!! At any rate, here is what I found out; I hope the message gets through.

In today’s commercial society, people are used to the convenience of prepackaged and ready to use solutions to their everyday needs. Included under this umbrella is medicine, especially in relation to common temporary illnesses.

Almost everyone takes advantage of all the new (and tried and true) products available at the neighborhood drug store. And that’s not all bad, as some of the stuff there is OK. But for those who prefer to stick closer to the natural lifestyle, alternative options abound.

I cannot possibly go over all of them in this essay, and neither is it my intent to do so, but I would like to familiarize you with a lesser traveled path, one that is more work yet can also be more rewarding.

Surprisingly for the modern world, yet really age-old wisdom, the Creator in His all knowingness supplies everything we need to live our physical lives right in nature itself. Therefore it should not catch us off guard to learn that a cure for our cold is growing in the garden.

Many plants have medicinal properties and can be put to a wide range of uses. For example, consider the herb Lavender. Research suggests that while drinking a strong tea made from the leaves of the plant is calming for the mind during a busy day, cold tea applied to a washcloth makes a compress to relieve headaches. In addition, an infusion of lavender buds helps to relieve the pain of sunburned skin.

Another useful plant is called Comfry and it is often found growing wild in the woods (that’s where ours came from-see endnotes). An infusion of comfry leaves promotes healing of surface wounds, bruises and minor burns, while a decoction of the root (see definition list) can be used to stop the bleeding of small cuts.

“It’s tea time! Thyme tea time.” That’s all you need to say to settle an upset stomach or help soothe a sore throat. A thyme infusion will also relieve congestion and help stop the February sneezes.

If you occasionally have trouble digesting your meals, Anise or Sweet Basil may be just the thing you need! An infusion of either will aid in digestion, and a strong tea of Caraway seeds will help settle your upset stomach. More digestive helps include Lovage tea and the same made instead with Sweet Marjoram. Also, be sure to grab a cup of marjoram tea if you feel a cold or sore throat coming on as you can even use it as a gargle for mouth inflammations!

We’ve all heard of Catnip, but don’t we sometimes look over all this herb’s charming benefits? In addition to improving digestion, an infusion of dried Catnip leaves will lessen cold and flu symptoms, calm fevers, and stimulate the appetite while promoting a restful night. Sweet dreams……meow!

On the same note I’d like to mention that the Mints (Spearmint, Peppermint) also promote sleep, which I realize is something lots of folks already know about, thanks to Celestial Seasonings’ Sleepytime® tea.

Chamomile contains antibiotic properties, and extracts from this plant can stimulate the immune system. Sleep inducing and stress relieving, Chamomile tea is easy to make and quite beneficial. Just snip off portions of the leaves and flower buds, place in a tea bag or cheese cloth, and steep in hot water until desired strength is reached.

For people who experience pain caused by migraine headaches, it is believed that an infusion of Feverfew will reduce their occurrence, as will eating 3-4 leaves a day. To make them more palatable, try laying the leaves out on a saucer and drizzling honey on top of them. The added natural sweetness certainly isn’t all bad.

It is comical to see how these plants overlap each other in the wonders they can perform for our health. You really don’t need a large garden plot to ensure protection against sickness. Put in a few plants, care for them, harvest what they offer, and use it! You might just notice a difference.

Definition List

Tea: A beverage made by steeping the plant’s leaves in warm water.

Infusion: A drink made by steeping plants or plant extracts in hot water for 10-20 minutes, making it stronger than tea.

Decoction: A water extract of bark or roots prepared at a low boil for 10-20 minutes; stronger than an infusion.

Salve: A soothing or healing medicinal or cosmetic ointment generally made with healing substances such as herbs infused in oil, strained, and the herbal oil then solidified with wax.

Tincture: An extract of a plant made by soaking herbs in a dark place with a desired amount of glycerin, alcohol, or vinegar for two to six weeks. The liquid is strained from the plant material and then may be used therapeutically.

Et Cetera

Comfry is very invasive, and virtually impossible to dig up completely, so be sure to plant it where you want it to stay, and not too close to other plants.

Avoid using catnip if you are pregnant.
This is not meant to supercede the advice of a doctor...blah..blah.....blah...

Information taken from the books:
Your Backyard Herb Garden, Miranda Smith, Rodale
Herbal Remedy Gardens, Dorie Byers, Storey

Don't miss your first chance

I was really upset when it snowed and got cold in early November. I mean, I like it when it snows, but so soon? We haden't put everything away from the yard yet! The garden hadn't been tilled! The air conditioners weren't covered. The trampoline was still up. We had more wood to cut. Snow already??

Luckily, it soon melted and the weather got really nice a few days later. Then we had our second chance to take care of what needed taking care of. Fifty degrees seems awful warm if it was 20 just days ago. We had company for Thanksgiving, so everyone spent alot of time getting the house ready and the food prepared. Ruffs and Willards came and went, and then guess what: it snowed the next day! The only problem is, we still had stuff in the yard.

Snow again? But the trampoline is still up! Hoses need rolled and put away. Are all the gardens put to rest? Pretty much.....

It's just over zero now. There won't be another oppurtunity; one doesn't always get a second chance. Don't miss your initial chances...especially concerning eternity.