Greetings, Friends ~

Here is the promised update on our cardiac medical adventure.  We hope you find this informative, helpful and hopeful.

Harry had his surgery on Wednesday 12 June 2019 and was home the following Sunday afternoon!  We went back three weeks later for the surgical follow-up and to get his staples out.  He was doing so well that they dismissed him with no need for further care nor need for the usual several month ‘cardiac rehab’… just the usual temporary restrictions on lifting, driving, etc.  (Which, of course, are driving him mad.)

He is recovering amazingly!  His excellent progress owes much to his general good pre-surgery health (aside from the defective aortic heart valve, of course); Deb’s pre-surgery preparations feeding him well and filling him full of appropriate herbs and supplements; those herbs and supplements she gave him before and after surgery; and, of course, the skilled medical staff and the loving care during and after his hospital stay.

In the hospital – especially during the time in post-operative intensive care – the doctors and nurses were surprisingly accepting of our herbal administrations.

Following surgery, it is customary – actually necessary – to restrain patients in ICU so they do not remove or dislodge the many tubes, probes, ports and monitors or inflict damage in their delirium and confusion as they emerge from anesthesia.  Harry indeed experienced this agitation and struggled against his bonds.  

He also suffered from extreme nausea as he came out of anesthesia.  Deb offered to the ICU nurse a spray of our Red Clover flower essence we had prepared to act as a calming agent due to the shock of the surgery.  Deb applied the spray to acupressure points on Harry’s wrists and ankles with almost immediate reduction of his agitation and struggles and his systolic blood pressure dropped by nearly 20 points.  She also massaged the spray into Harry’s feet – and the nurse continued to do this throughout the night.  When Harry could start drinking after the tubes were out of his throat, he drank coconut water and natural electrolyte drinks we brought from home ~ we turned down offers of soda pop.  Also, he sucked on Slippery Elm lozenges to soothe his throat irritated by the tubes once they were removed.  Most importantly, we had made a flower essence mix spray of Wood Betony (to ‘ground’ his body after anesthesia), Yarrow (for continued general protection), Comfrey (for overall healing) and Red Clover (for shock) which we used during Harry’s whole hospital stay. 

After Harry was transferred from the ICU to the cardiac recovery unit, vampires visited him four times a day (at least) to draw blood for various monitoring testing.  Eventually, there were little dark bruises on every one of his fingers.  (Mercifully his thumbs were spared!)  A couple of applications of Yarrow (in this case, a mix of the flower essence and tincture) cleared the bruises in short order!

Deb continued to give him coconut water as well as miso soup, nettle tea and ginger tea.  We also began using homeopathic remedies  – Staphysagria for relief after surgery in addition to Comfrey, Calcarea Carbonica, Calcarea Phosphorica and Boneset to aid the healing of his sternum. 

Thankfully, our surgeon’s nurse practitioner patiently went through the list of over 35 herbs we said we may use to aide Harry’s recovery.  Of that list, there were only two herbs they wanted us to stop prior to surgery and to avoid for a while after returning home – both were cardio-active herbs which, as best we could determine would either counter or duplicate the effects of some of the pharmaceutical compounds on which they rely following heart surgery.

Since we have been home, we have done much of what we did for Harry’s broken back ~ except now using tinctures.  Boneset for bone healing, Comfrey for bone and soft-tissue healing, Solomon’s Seal to help heal and keep intercostal ligaments supple.

The only other difference from treating his back is we used a ‘dry poultice’ on his incision since instructions were for no wetness until the staples came out.  So instead of the usual wet herb poultice, Deb put dried Comfrey, Boneset and Yarrow leaves in an old pillowcase and Harry would keep that on for several hours a day.  We also have made daily infusions of Nettles, Linden, Oat Straw, Comfrey or Red Clover to accelerate his healing along with many additional supplements such as Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Selenium and others.  We employed the use of Modified Citrus Pectin to bind and remove the toxins left in his body from the anesthesia and other pharmaceuticals given in the hospital.

At this time, Harry is off ALL cardiac pharmaceutical medications!  Hurray!  We are so very happy with his progress!

As restrictions are lifted, we are happy to report Harry is doing light chores in our garden, cooking some (Yahoo!, his guacamole is back on the menu!), doing some herb harvesting and preparation, has walked as much as 1½ miles and is anxious to get back into the woodshop.  All in all, incredibly, this journey has been 10 times… no probably 100 times – easier than his recovery from his broken back last year.

Frustratingly, as is sometimes the case after a ‘trauma’ like surgery, Harry has developed a case of shingles.  Luckily, thanks to his phenomenal immune system and our quick use of Calendula oil and Lemon Balm infusions (even though we did not exactly know what he had), his rash was not nearly as painful as a typical case of shingles can be.  Nor did his rash ever advance to the point of blisters before he began a course of a pharmaceutical antiviral which has knocked it out.

We sincerely, deeply, devoutly pray this is the last of our need for intensive medical care for a very long time!  Thank you again for your support and prayers.

And YES, we are both already happily back in business!  Please do not hesitate to contact Deb if you’d like to know details Harry’s care during this adventure or if you need other support in your life.  Deb’s assistance is not limited to herbs ~ she happily shares her empathy, compassion and care with friends, family and clients at Sacred Living as well as here on Grandparents of the Forest. 

P.S.
As you may notice in the first photo above, Harry had to shave his wonderful beard for the surgery.  It is slowly coming back in, but sadly, we have no remedy for quickly re-growing it.  If you have suggestions, do tell! 

Contributed by Deb

Our garden was completely full last week and now, we have some vacant rows.  We’ve dug all the potatoes and garlic and the first planting of beans are finishing up, the second planting of beans are ready to begin harvesting ~ and now, it’s time to plant more for fall.  We can almost do a complete meal from the garden when we use squash, the first of the tomatoes, dill, cilantro, beets, cabbage, lettuce and tiny baby carrots. We also have some ‘alien-looking’ kolrabi that is about the right size to harvest.

Cabbage, Zucchini, Sungold cherry tomatoes, yellow ‘wax’ beans and coriander (Cilantro seed)

Harry and I, of course, eat nearly every meal together.  Harvesting from the garden, cooking together and then eating meals together is one of our favorite things in the whole world. Everything tastes better and is fresher, of course, but the added touch of love and care that is shared gives extra nutrition for body and soul.  I often forget that the extra love and prayers that I can add to my cooking will be felt by those eating the meal!

We both had a tradition from our childhoods.  Sundays were special.  My grandparents came for dinner and would bring food from their garden or the farm roadside markets in my home state of Ohio. Mom would always have fresh pies in the summer – blueberry, strawberry, cherry, peach – even grape! (Yes, she peeled and pitted each grape!).  Harry always ate Sunday lunch and/or supper at one or the other of his grandparents homes.  Vegetables often came from the gardens, either fresh or frozen, and the meat was often raised and butchered by a relative.  His maternal Grandma often made a lemon meringue pie for his Dad.

Our children are scattered to the winds, but these traditions are still practiced by others:  one of our neighbor’s house is filled every Sunday afternoon with offspring and grandchildren.

Such simple things ~ and yet they can make a positive impact on us that lasts a lifetime.

Contributed by Deb

I (Deb) was born in 1960 and grew up during a very unsettled time in the world.  I remember watching news of the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King on our black and white TV with only two channels.  The nightly news repeatedly featured Vietnam, peace rallies in Washington DC and on my mom’s birthday, 4 May 1970,  the horrific massacre at Kent State University occurred.  My father required me to sit down and watch as Nixon resigned.  He said I would never live to see another event like it in my life.
Vietnam created an undercurrent of anxiety in our house. I had older draft-age brothers. One brother was college bound and my other brother drew draft number 8 and enlisted, only to have the draft abolished a few weeks after joining up.  As he left for his Marine basic training in NC, I sat under the dining room table with our collie crying and trembling. I didn’t know if I would ever see him again.
Nightmares started. I would often wake up and find myself in tears outside my parent’s bedroom door. One recurring dream haunted me.  Soldiers shooting the Vietcong would come alive as little miniature people and move around the edge of my bed, coming closer and closer.  I would wake up with a scream.
I doubt my parents understood the depth of fear that was in my heart.  Probably, were to read my account above, they would dismiss it.  I can assure you, it is etched deep in my heart.

I am concerned about the children growing up in our politically chaotic world these days.  The too-often repeated violence of terrorism and shootings make us all a bit on edge.  Children sense this and can take it on in ways that we can hardly imagine.

May I offer some suggestions?

Pay attention.  Is your child showing any signs of stress?  Has their sleeping pattern changed?  Are they more moody?  Do they cry more easily than usual or get upset about small things? Perhaps they are taking longer naps?

Your child may not, probably will not, be able to verbalize their stress to you but if you can keep in mind that the overlying stress of the world around them may be at the root of some of the changes in their behavior, you can begin to address it.

What can you do?

If you are seeing patterns of stress in your child, of course, you can talk to them about it.  Just naming the emotion they might be feeling may be able to lift some of the burden from them.  There’s no need to go into deep conversations with them.  After helping them to name their emotion, assure them it is a normal response and reassure them that you are there for them and that you are protecting them.  Your consistency of care will go a long way towards easing their distress.

Providing a ritual of protection may also be helpful.  You may want to use dried yerba santa and/or yarrow and sprinkle it around their bed while saying prayers of protection and peace.  Or perhaps have them carry some with them throughout their day, just a little bit in a pocket.  Rituals create a sense of comfort and provide a pattern in their life. It’s something they can come back to time and time again.  And these two herbs do help.  It may sound like ‘magic’  but these herbs have been shown to have a protective energy.

I have also made a special flower essence blend called “Peaceful Path”.  It’s a combination of yarrow (for protection), red clover (for shock and trauma) and hawthorn (for healing of the heart).  This combination is helpful for both children and those of us adults who are feeling the stress of these times. You can purchase this blend here.  If you’d like a package of both the essence blend and one ounce each of dried yarrow and yerba santa, please go here.

I want to remind you dear parents, it’s crucial that you take care of yourself also, not just for your own sake but also for your child’s sake ~ so that you are able to support them.
We all process things differently and need different aids at different times.  Perhaps you need to talk things through with like-minded people so you have their support?  Perhaps you tend towards activism and need to rise up?  Perhaps you are more contemplative and need to go within?  Honor your differences and take your needs seriously.  Tend to your heart.

Dear friends, let us also remind you to return to Nature during this time.  Take a few extra minutes to observe the many miracles in our world.  Sit quietly someplace where the peace of Nature – the sights, sounds and smells – can calm, sooth and heal.  And remember, when you are looking at the sunset, clouds, sun or moon, you are deeply connected to everyone else noticing them as well.  We are bound together by this world we live in and we can find respite in her arms.

Much tenderness and love to you,
Deb (and Harry)
Your Grandparents of the Forest

Contributed by Deb

It’s June!

Schools are finishing and it will soon be officially Summer.  Graduations and weddings may be filling your calendar like they are ours.  Our youngest daughter is graduating from college next week!  We are thrilled to celebrate with her and to have reached our own milestone ~ all our children have safely made it to adulthood and are thriving and bursting with life.  We can’t say this has been an easy journey but it certainly has been fulfilling.

And… we remember summer vacation very well.  The children are excited, happy and full of energy.  Butterflies and lightening bugs seem to gather around them, don’t they?  How do you keep them busy and yet give them space to rest and to grow? How do you yourself have space to rest when you are now busier?

We’d like to share a few simple ideas with you ~

Allow them access to the forests, fields and streams without any toys, instructions or classes.  Just let them explore, play and use their abundant imaginations.  Are you familiar with Jon Young, prominent outdoor leader and guide?  What’s the secret of his success with summer programs?  As soon as the children are dropped off, he and his fellow guides let the children run to the woods to play independently.  Of course, they are near by to watch out for the children’s safety and to answer questions but mostly, the children are encouraged to roam and play together ~ with sticks, in the mud, on tree roots… whatever they want.  They do games, rituals and storytelling at certain times but Jon says the bulk of the day is spent in independent play.

We wanted to take this chance to remind you that you don’t have to entertain or schedule your children every moment of every day.  They will thrive with space to go adventuring and exploring and they will learn more than you can even begin to imagine.

Look to Walt Whitman’s Poem, “There Was a Child Went Forth”, to show the transfer of wisdom and connection as children freely go about the world ~

THERE was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.

The early lilacs became part of this child,
And grass, and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-bird,
And the Third-month lambs, and the sow’s pink-faint litter, and the mare’s foal, and the cow’s calf,
And the noisy brood of the barn-yard, or by the mire of the pond-side,
And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below there—and the beautiful curious liquid,
And the water-plants with their graceful flat heads—all became part of him.

The field-sprouts of Fourth-month and Fifth-month became part of him;
Winter-grain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow corn, and the esculent roots of the garden,
And the apple-trees cover’d with blossoms, and the fruit afterward, and wood-berries, and the commonest weeds by the road….

And you, dear parent or grandparent, what of you?  Can you too go to the woods, lean your back against a tree and listen to the birds?  Can you take moments to just feel the breeze against your skin or to watch a sunset with your child?

If you need some assistance in slowing down, we’d like to introduce you to two green helpmates; oat straw and the flower essence of trout lily.

~ Oat straw can be made into a delicious infusion for whole family.  Buy it in bulk at your favorite health-food store and put one cup in a quart jar.  Pour boiling water to the top of the jar, cap it and let it sit for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.  Of course, you can let it sit for a shorter time and it becomes a pleasing tea.  Drain off the infusion and drink it throughout the day or under the tulip poplar tree.  Oat straw is calming and as you drink her, you are changed.

~ Trout lily flower essence offers total peace.  She invites us to witness her harmonious state through the way she moves in the breeze, bows her head in humility while also being vibrant and bright. She is continually grounded in the earth with her strong spotted leaves.  When we take this essence, we are able to access this same balance and harmony.

Of course, we need not look to Jon Young, Walt Whitman, scientists or Grandparents of the Forest to ascribe to a certain way of being in Nature because deep inside of us there is a place that remembers the need and desire to surrender to the beautiful tactile experience of being in Nature.

We are here to remind you to open the door a little wider to this yearning in your heart ~

May the starlit skies guide your path ~
Deb and Harry
Your Grandparents of the Forest

Go here to purchase trout lily flower essence ~

Go here for a one time mentorship with Deb, Harry or both of them ~

Contributed by Deb

Dear Ones,

I’ve been fairly silent lately.  Sometimes, I just need to ponder things before I find my voice and if I try to force myself to speak too early, things come out garbled.  Does that happen to you?

Last night, in the middle of the night, as often happens, I was thinking about you mothers and caretakers and reflecting back to the days when my young children needed so much from me.  Now that I am grieving for those days (yes, it’s a big adjustment having an empty house), I often wonder how I could have been more present for my children in the midst of the chaos of getting them to school (or homeschooling them), feeding and tending them as well as trying to keep some order in the house… and trying have some kind of a life outside of these family responsibilities.

At the time, I was practicing mindfulness meditation and doing qi gong daily. They were my touchstones and helped me stay attentive.  But now, standing back from it all a few feet (or should I say a few years) what I really needed were heart fullness practices.  I ask myself, how could I have kept my heart open more?

I had been thinking that much of the answer to this query is in slowing down but last night, in the dark of the night, I realized more fully that it’s not just in slowing down and seeing.  It’s not just in connecting.  And I certainly don’t think it’s possible to be ‘present’ constantly.  What came to me in the wee hours was a step beyond keeping my heart open to my children:  I remembered the importance of being openhearted – with myself.

Oh, that I could go back to those days fully loving myself.  I don’t mean loving myself like with a verb, as in self-care ~ having retreat time for myself or getting my nails done, or taking a bath every night ~ as wonderful as those things are.  I mean having a gentle, tender and accepting presence with everything I experienced and felt and did back then.

I remember the days of reading parenting books and trying so hard to be all things to my children.  And when I failed, I became my own drill sergeant.  I’d schedule more, I’d try harder, I’d lay awake at night running through my day and trying to reshape it so that I would be or had been a better mom.  Even slowing down would become a goal, a ‘should’ and then, of course, it could be something I could fail at.  I hardly ever held my own heart.  I was rarely kind to myself.

So I ask, are you able to hold yourself and all of your beautiful womanly emotional ups and downs with generosity of spirit?

Imagine yourself, as I did in the middle of the night, lying on the grass with your hand on your heart while children run around beside you playing tag.

Imagine a little heart drawn in the center of your hand and one on your child’s hands.  She’d stop playing every once in a while and touch hearts with you – hand to hand.  Nature is helping you to remember your preciousness.  The sun is shining through the maple leaves and there’s a warm breeze on your cheeks and somehow, you know as if never before, you are being held.  Feeling the tree roots underneath you ~ you feel a firmness and connection to the earth that helps you to remember you belong.  Nature’s beneficence surrounds you.

How might this good earth show you the way to self-mercy?  How might it teach you about being enough? Who amongst the flowers might show you the way to letting go of perfection?  Which tree might show the way of a strong heart – one formed in total acceptance of all that resides and lives inside of us?

I can only imagine how having my own inner peace might have affected my children when they were young.  Now, I am using spacious heart practices with the hope that my children can feel the difference across the miles in their adult lives.

You, dear parents and caretakers, can stand in this fertile place of loving kindness and let everything else go.
No need to do anything any differently.  Just remember, place your hand on your heart some times and look to the plants, rain, sun, moon and the seasons to show you the gentle way.

With much love,
Deb

~ In honor of the blessing of mercy from the Solomon’s seal who live on my forest floor ~

If you are interested in Deb’s mentorship program, please go here.

For more information about how Solomon’s Seal flower essence might assist you, read our description here.

Contributed by Deb

Happy Mother’s Day!

The tradition of celebrating May Day began with a Roman Festival that honored Flora, the Goddess of Flowers and Bride of the West Wind?  Other early cultures also celebrated the beginning of summer near this date ~ for instance the second half of the Celtic Calendar began on May 1^st, otherwise called Beltane, which they considered the first day of summer.  Celebrations would include wild dancing from sunrise all the way through the night with festivities that included spring tonics, flowers and feasting!  Left over food would be buried or left as an offering to the ‘fairy’.  This is the time to celebrate the Great Mother of all ~ Mother Earth.

Dancing in the open air without any worries is truly an entryway to the summer energy of bounty and bright cheer.  Plants are at their fullest expression of new life as they explode into the warm air, brighter days and soft rains.  Welcome to the blessings of summer, dear friends!  We hope you’ll take your children dancing on this special day!
Perhaps you’d like to dance around a maypole this year or do some research and resurrect spring traditions from your own heritage.

It is no surprise that the modern commercialized celebration of the Mother, in the form of Mother’s Day, comes at the beginning of this fertile time!  This year, Deb’s mother will be ninety years old, so indeed it is a special year for us.  Her mom is so healthy and vibrant that she still volunteers at the local hospital and takes care of the home she and deb’s Dad built in 1950.  She says the secret to her good health is a daily crossword puzzle as well as devotions, being outside ever day and using her exercise bike whenever she watches TV.  She still makes quilts – this year completing a special quilt for each of her 7 grandchildren.

Because this is our favorite season and in honor of this time of the Mother, we wanted to let you know about a few special things we are offering:

First let us remind you for the whole month of May, we will be sending packets of milkweed seeds with every order from our Grandparents of the Forest Apothecary Shop and we’ll include growing instructions, and information about milkweed and monarch butterflies.

As part of our Mothers Day celebration, nominate a special mother, your own or someone who has touched your life, by posting about her on our Facebook page, here.  Pausing to remember the life giving energy of motherhood connects us to both our children and to nature.

And just to let you know, we added a new and unique service.  Deb is making unique custom blends of flower essences as gifts for loved ones. You can read more about it here.

Enjoy this beautiful time of the year, dear friends.  Take your child into the gardens and forests and keep your eyes open for the budding of life and mystery.

Bounteous blessings to you and yours,
Your Grandparents of the Forest,
Deb and Harry

Contributed by Deb

Happy Earth Day!

Today is a special day to honor the Earth and show our gratitude for her gifts to us by giving back something to the Earth.

We, at Grandparents of the Forest, celebrate ‘Earth Day’ every day in some small way in our home, around our home and in our neighborhood.  Helping your child understand and appreciate the beautiful gifts of the earth is the biggest ‘give back’ you can do for the earth and your children.  Stewardship starts with respect and gratitude!

We’d love to share with you some ideas of things you could do with your children, both outdoors and indoors to celebrate Nature on this occasion.  We really do understand that you might like to be outside adventuring and exploring or gardening with your children and yet, you may not have the time to do it.  We’re here to help you to bring the outdoors inside also!

First of all, this is a great time to plant a garden.  If you are here in our community, you have probably received our garden guide.  We fully understand that some of you may not be able to do a whole garden (we offered suggestions for container gardening in our guide) so here are two other growing ideas.

~ Blueberry bushes are wonderful plants that can be integrated into your landscaping.  They are beautiful when they bloom in the spring and in the fall the leaves turn a lovely red.  They attract pollinators so your children might have a chance to spot some bees and butterflies.  And, of course, there are a plethora of health benefits for all of us when we eat these beautiful treasures.  Did you know that they have the ability to increase our brain power!  Check with your local extension agent to find out the best varieties for your area.

If you do have the chance to watch insects visit blueberry flowers, notice that butterflies with their long hollow straw-like mouth, the proboscis, approach the flower from the mouth of the bell to suck the nectar.  Bumblebees cheat!  They do not have a proboscis; their mouth parts are much shorter.  They cut a slit in the side of the bell-shaped blossom and get the nectar through that slit in the flower wall.  Honeybees cheat even more!  They wait for the bumblebee to cut the access and then the honeybees use the new hole!  Check it out.  Look at blueberry flowers and you will notice many of them have a little slit near the flower stem.

~ Moonflowers!  Do you have a patio, deck or fence – anywhere at all that you can put a plant that will climb?  It should be sturdy, because the moonflower vine can get quite large.  Moonflowers are amazingly beautiful and will quickly become a perfect addition to your family’s treasured memories.  They are related to morning glories and produce huge white blooms that unwind with a twist. Each blossom blooms only for one night.  Yes, we said night – thus the name.

Watch and you will see the night-flying moths come visit them. The flowers themselves reflect the moonlight and almost seem to be a light source themselves.  They will bloom all the way till your first frost.  Truly, they are a most desired fairy flower.  Look for them at your local nursery or at the farmers’ market.

Another unusual characteristic of the moonflower is the seeds are white!  At least the ‘good’ ones are.  We have found if they turn brown they are not as viable.  Soak the seeds overnight.  This will crack the seed shell and help it germinate… if you wish to grow your moonflowers from seed.

Here are some ideas of things to do inside your home with your children ~

~ Scavenger hunt!  Why not have one inside?  You can make it a ritual as well.  How about every Friday night or rainy day?

Here’s a reminder of how to play ~
•  Collect some things from nature and hide them through the house.
(Here are some ideas of things to collect – a pinecone, pretty rock, geode, interesting shaped stick, clump of moss, animal bone, vanilla bean, turtle shell, antler, seed head, milkweed pod, dried rose petals or a seashell.)
•  Make a list of the items for your child
•  Have your child find them and bring them to you or if you have more than one child, have them make a drawing or checkmark beside each item and write a description of where it is.
•  When all the items are found, share a special treat together as you talk about each item.
~ Sources!  Another indoor game is to name different things in nature – wood, glass, paper, brick, wool, cotton, etc. and then ask your child to find as many things made out of these items as possible throughout your home.

~ I spy!  To play this game, one person spies something and the other person guesses what they are looking at. Make it nature friendly ~ I spy something wooden.  I spy something made out of sand.  I spy something that came from a sheep.  I spy something that came from a plant.  I spy something made from tree bark…

Every time your child recognizes another thing from Nature that is in your home, she will begin to realize that her whole life is supported by Nature.  This knowledge is a beautiful gift to give and one that will change your child’s worldview.

Finally, we hope that you will also remind your child the earth is inside of her.  We are all made of the Earth through the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink.  We don’t have to go anywhere to find her.  The sun and water live inside of every cell in our bodies.  We can thank our bodies on Earth Day because we are part of the Earth!

We hope you enjoy these simple suggestions of things to do on Earth Day – and really – every day!

From our home to yours ~
Blessings, love and starlit nights…
Grandparents of the Forest
Deb and Harry

Contributed by Deb

Help for your stomach ~

I had a horrible stomach bug this week and as I laid in the bed clutching my belly I thought of all the times my children had stomach cramps, vomiting and nausea and how utterly helpless I felt.  Is there anything much worse than seeing our children suffer and not knowing how to help them?
I thought I’d take a moment and share a few things that relieve some of the discomfort of stomach bugs.  These tips are especially helpful for cramps and vomiting.

A Hot Salt Pack ~

This is a miraculous treatment for vomiting and stomach cramps – and it’s so very easy.  It works by sending heat into the hollow organ of the stomach which aids the cramping.

• Heat 1/2 cup of natural sea salt in a skillet.  It takes about 5 – 7  minutes to get it very hot – but not burning. Pour the salt into an old sock.  It’s easiest to do this if you have two people – one to pour the salt and the other to hold a funnel that goes directly to the sock.  Then tie it shut.
• If you need to, wrap the sock in another layer or two of soft fabric to prevent any burning. Make it as warm as possible.  Apply it right on the stomach – not over the whole belly.
• Keep it on as long as needed.  Hopefully, it will bring enough relief that they’ll miraculously fall asleep.  You can reapply it (reheating the same salt) every thirty minutes.

Keep the salt in a plastic container in the medicine chest along with a sock so it’s ready every time.

Electrolyte Replacement Drink

When children (or any of us) have vomiting and/or diarrhea it’s easy to become dehydrated and lose essential minerals.  It’s very easy to make an electrolyte replacement drink at home with very common kitchen items.

• 8 ounces of room temperature water
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of honey or maple sugar (if your child is over age 2)

Combine all ingredients and have them take sips or up to 1/3 cup every half an hour or so.

Please note – many years ago, I learned from my Chinese Medical Qi Gong Teacher that it’s necessary to have all beverages be at room temperature – or just slightly warm – when one is vomiting. Cold liquids (and especially ice) actually make the stomach spasm and they worsen the condition.

Home-made Ginger Ale

Who doesn’t like ginger ale when their stomach hurts?  Ginger is an amazing aid for chills, sore throat, flus, low fevers, coughs, nausea, vomiting, cramps, gas and stomach ache ~ making it a valuable ally any time your little one is ill.  Instead of buying ginger ale at the store, make it at home.  This ginger ale has a higher volume of fresh ginger than store bought so it has more medicinal value.

One word of instruction – ginger is warming so if your child has a high fever, it is not the best choice. At that point, you would do better with a cooling herb rather than a warming one. Yes, it’s true, not every herb and food is good for everyone on every occasion. Always trust your instincts and your child’s as well. The road to good health comes from deep knowing and trust in ourselves, first and foremost.

Directions  ~

• Bring 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger and 1 cup of water to boil.  Turn down the heat to low and simmer for no more than 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup carbonated water.
• Stir in honey (if your child is over the age of 2) or sugar. Go lightly on the sweetener. Ginger is tasty all by itself.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• For illness – drink 1/4 cup every 2 – 3 hours then decrease day by day until the illness is gone. For regular drinking, because this is so medically potent, limit this homemade ginger ale to 1 to 2 cups a day.

Ginger Compress (Or in the Bath)
Ginger can also be used as a compress on sore muscles and body aches. Boil coin sized slices of ginger in a quart of water for about 20 minutes. Let cool to a temperature that is a bit warm, or about room temperature. Put a soft cloth in the water, wring it out and place it on the child wherever she is hurting.

Or if you like, pour the gingered water into a bath and let the child soak in it. It will soothe their aching bodies.

I hope these tips help you next time the ‘bug’ goes around!

Health and love to you ~

Deb

Contributed by Deb

Sacred Forest Flower Essences ~ What, Where and How

Each flower, shrub and tree that grows holds sacred gifts for us. When we open our hearts to connect with this mysterious and pristine world, we are healed. Sometimes healing comes from merely being in nature; feeling the sun on our cheeks, listening to the birds’ serenade, feeling spring water caress our feet or absorbing a sunset. When we are in the forest, we take in a multitude of goodness ~ thousands of plants grace us, the air we breathe fills our lungs with the oxygen, aromas and energies they produce. This is our true home and when we open our hearts to this beautiful world, our spirits can rise and our troubles disappear. As we are peaceful and receptive, we heal and return to our own original essence.

Flower essences aid our ability to receive healing properties from the Living Soul of Nature. Each flower, every tree and every shrub holds a different gift of healing. Each one is uniquely imprinted with its signature, just as we are. The flower of the plant contains the concentrated essence of the plant. By taking the essence of the flower, your soul aligns with the particular gift it offers you.

Harry and I frequently traverse many paths by our Appalachian home and have come to know these flowers as friends.  We know where to look for them, when the plants first appear in spring, when they bloom and when they shed their seed.

We believe that harvesting the few flowers needed to make this sacred medicine is most aligned with right stewardship and relationship with Nature.  Our flower essences are effective because they are made with gentleness, devotion and respect.  We barely disturb the plants.  We ask them if they would like to be made into an offering to us humans.  We wait to sense an answer to this question.  If they agree, we pick them gently and bring them to the clear sunlight where they transfer their energy to spring water.

Next we add a small amount of brandy to the energized water, which now holds their essence to preserve the medicine they have given us.

Finally, the medicine is hand diluted to the proper potency into bottles to make their way to you, dear friend.

Each step is a prayer.  Our intentions are aligned with healing and love for you.  Yes, we make a sacred covenant with each plant we use so you will truly be nourishing yourself with a bit of heaven.

Contributed by Deb

Harry and I were out walking the field shown in the background of the picture yesterday and we found some magic.  We found these six all within about 20 feet of each other.  We found another six further on our ramble.  There are probably lots more out there!

Do you know what they are?  We do and we know they are very special.

Why don’t you guess first before I tell you.  Is it part of the plant?  Is it someone’s house?  Is it healthy or a disease on the plant?  Is it a bug?  Hmmmmmm… still don’t know?

I’ll give you a hint:  In the summer, you may see what made them, but they hide very well.

Need another clue?  They are long and usually green.

Here’s another clue:  they have BIG eyes and long arms.

Okay, one more:  The six things in the picture contain lots of eggs during winter.  In spring, when it warms up, they will hatch and the babies will chew their way out.

These are praying mantis egg cases that momma praying mantises made last fall!  Here’s a picture of one of the babies on one of our collecting baskets:

Did you know?

We will take a couple of the egg cases and put them near our garden and the rest we will return to the field… I just wanted to show you.

Sunshine and raspberries to you!
Love,

Deb