Catnip--Not Just For Cats!

Catnip

This is first of at least seven harvests of catnip that will be coming in from behind my boyfriend's Mom's chicken house. Isn't it beautiful?

Catnip is also known as catmint, catnep, catrup, catswort, & field balm. In my experience, there may be ten more things it is called by different people in different areas of the world.

When my oldest child (born in 1986) was a couple weeks old, Mama took me to meet an older lady, really, I think Mama was going to buy a roll (not a bolt) of cloth from her son. At any rate this lady was looking at Virgillia and said, "That youngin's a gonna have the colic. You got some catnip? Can tell by looking in her eyes."

I did not have any catnip growing so she had her great grand daughter go get me some, a lot. It was a paper grocery sack plum full! She told me, 'Now that ain't a gonna be enough, but it'll get you started on saving your sanity. Make a gallon at the time and I reckon that you'll a be going through a that every day. It'll be starting in about two weeks."

Well, she was right. Colic set in. I made catnip tea by the gallon every day for the baby and another half gallon for my nerves! The doctor gave me Mylicon drops for her, the older nurse winked and said, "Don't stop making that tea." 

It helped. It kept me calm. It calmed her for varying time periods. Someone at church recommended onion tea when the catnip ran out and I couldn't find anymore. It helped too.

Years later another friend, Hilda, told me to give my son, Franklin some catnip. He was five weeks old and had not broken out in that baby acne yet. She said the catnip would break him out, (all my others had had it at 4 weeks) and that if they did not get it by six weeks, they would die-so the old women said. Well, i did not give him any, he never broke out in baby acne and he died just a few minutes shy of being 80 days old. (I don't believe that is why. He was sent here for a mission and he did accomplish that. That's another story for another post.)

Back to catnip, it is currently included in many commercials teas that are sold for "calming" or "sleeping".  It can bought in bulk from many sources. As anyone that has ever planted just a sprig or two will know, it is very prolific and virile!

It has a mild minty flavor. It does drive some cats crazy. Others will just look at it, sniff and walk off.

Scientific Name-Nepeta cataria

The medicinal part is the herb.

Through the centuries it has been used for many reasons. New research suggests it is useful for other things also.

Some of the uses through the ages:

1. Anodyne-soothes or relieves pain
2. Antispasmodic-relieves or checks spasms or cramps
3. Aromatic-agreeable odor and stimulating qualities
4. Carmanitive-expels gas from the intestine
5. Diaphoretic-promotes perspiration
6. Anti-diarrheal
7. To help Chronic Bronchitis   
8. Planting around the garden to repel aphids and squash bugs.

New Discoveries:

1. Attractant-irididial has been shown to attract lacewings which eat aphids and mites.
2. Nepetalactone when extracted from catnip is said to be as good as DEET as a mosquito, roach & termite repellent.

Anytime you give an herbal tea as medicine, do not add sweetener of any kind. In the case of catnip, it is sweet on its own. If you have a patient that flat refuses to take it without sweetener, use a small amount of local, organic, un-processed honey that the the bees have not had access to GMO plants. Do not boil catnip. Bring water to a boil. Cool slightly-about 3 minutes. Pour over catnip in a non-metal & non-plastic container. Let steep.

Catnip tea can be given for upset stomach, colic, spasms, flatulency and excess acid in the stomach. 

Catnip can be taken as a tea, tincture, in capsules, juiced, as a poultice or smoked.

Please refer to my page on how to prepare herbs for use.

Resources:

The Herb Book by John Lust

Wikipedia

Please click here to read Medical Disclaimer for this blog.

Bathroom Organizing Tip

As many ladies do, I had makeup and hair ties in a drawer in the bathroom, extras in a makeup bag and my hair barrettes, combs, etc. in baskets on the container. This was NOT conducive to even knowing what all I had much less getting ready in a reasonable time. 

Now, "reasonable time" is different for everybody. It was taking me about thirty minutes to get my face painted and hair done. 

I was tired of knowing I had a certain item but not being able to find it. That is such a waste of money & my nerves. 

One day while cleaning out the closet in the bedroom, I saw the smaller container you see on the top left above. It had been on my desk with pens, pencils, paperclips and such but I did not need it there any longer and sat it on the shelf in the closet. 

So into the bathroom it went and I put my hair combs, barrettes, and such in it. Then I hung these hooks and d-clips up and put different sizes of hair ties on each d-clip, then hung each clip on a hook.

As you see, I have also hung my mirror there now. 

Back to the little plastic drawers. On the left, top to bottom here is a list of what I have in each drawer:

• Saline packets for my Neil Med SinuRinse
• Bow barrettes for the grands when they come over
• Small barrettes, smaller container with tiny, clear plastic bands, bobby pins
• Barrettes-large
• Spring clip Barrettes
• Hair Combs

On the right you will find these items:

• Lip gloss, lipstick, lip liners
• Foundation, Face powder, face lotion
• Blushes, all brushes in plastic holders
• Eye Shadows
• Eye Lash curler, mascara, eye liners, eye cream
• Miscellaneous items

This has made getting ready in the mornings a bit faster, much less frustrating, and even packing for a trip is easier and faster. 

Not shown is on the other side of the sink, in the same place is a flat basket (from the Dollar Tree) with my brushes and combs. 

My hair spray, spray hair oil, and anti-breakage spray is sitting in front of the drawers. 

First Bible Verse I Memorized

Psa 19:14 KJV - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable] in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Now, for the entire Psalm:

[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
[There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which [is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, [and] rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether.
More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: [and] in keeping of them [there is] great reward.
Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults].
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Beautiful, as is the entire Bible. I was young, grade school, about 3rd or 4th grade. We went to the Methodist church where the preacher had two pastorates so every other Sunday we had "preaching" before Sunday school. My Sunday School teacher was Mrs. For-tes-que (really, I have no idea if that is spelled correctly or not, I have slept an awful lot since then--- but that is how it was pronounced.) and she taught my VBS class and my MYF group. He husband owned the only jewelry store in town of course it was a small town-Chocowinity, N.C. .

Believe me, you do NOT know the definition of "small town" until you have been there.

Many years later, when my first husband and I went through a very troubling spot in the road of life, that as always involved dealing with people-other humans that can not quote you correctly, listen well enough to hear what you (or anyone) actually says or see and act with compassion and common sense. He was having to fight hard the feelings of anger and acting upon that anger in inappropriate ways, feelings bordering on hatred and violence.

I really and truly never, at that time, felt of those basic and very normal emotions. One day he asked me why, why did I not want to physically hurt these people for what they had done?

I had no answer. David felt God had given me some gift that had not been bestowed upon him--not in a jealous way-just said as a matter of fact.

As the next several days went about their business, I thought about David's question of, "Why?" It was a good question. No matter the battle of the moment, I knew the end goal of the war at hand, kept my eye on that and fought each little battle with that in the forefront of my mind. Was it that I was just too busy to slow down and let those human emotions wash through me? If so, when it was all over would it all come crashing down on my shoulders/heart at once? If so, was it not better to have battled small, daily battles with these emotions as David was doing?

I began asking God why was He letting me stay so calm through it all. Was He just setting me up for a bigger, much worse war to come crashing down on top of me like a skyscraper in an earthquake?

The first verse that came to me was, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it". Proverbs 22:6.

This was NOT the answer.

In the still of the night, long after all the babies were asleep, I heard, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." It all came back when I heard it the second time. The room in the church. My little friend getting his ear ripped open that night after MYF meeting, as we played outside and he ran too close a rolled out window. I could not however, remember what the "address" of the verse was. Didn't matter. This was the answer. 

This wonderful verse had been planted in my heart as a child. I had no way to not return to it. I did not even remember the verse until months after it sprouted and flowered. 

But in those little hearts you have been entrusted with, the tools they will need in the future. Just like you fill their heads with knowledge they will need, fill their hearts too. . .

Talking to Surgeon

I went yesterday and spoke to the surgeon. She is a very sweet lady, I met her before, she did my biopsy. She explained to me that having adenomyosis, which is what they believe I have, is the better choice. I also need to have a rectocele repair. (I have had this for 22 years after a doctor felt the need to use high forceps on me & for reasons beyond any other OB/GYN, refused to repair it.)

The other option for adenomyosis is to have an ablation. This would be done out-patient and I would have to return for the rectocele repair. Also, though I prefer to keep my cervix, doing so, could cause the repair to by stress.

This sweet young surgeon does not charge for her work during surgery for Faith Family Clinic. (Please consider donating to this wonderful facility providing medical care for the working yet uninsured.).

She performs these surgeries at The Women's Hospital at Centennial Medical Center. It will be a laproscopic hysterectomy, leaving the ovaries, unless they have problems. Then the rectocele will be repaired.

She says I should up and about in 3 weeks, with restrictions such as no lifting, no floor care, etc. She will tell me fully after she exams how I have healed to that point.

Her surgery scheduler will call me soon and we will pick a date after the first of the year. Then I will go to the hospital and find out who my anesthesiologist is, how much they are going to charge me ($0-$?????) and what the hospital bill is going to be.

I believe I will schedule early in the year, say January, so I can be functional by time to put the garden in.

Facing Surgery

At 45 I have only had two surgeries and been under general anesthesia four times. The prospect of the "little death" is actually more scary than the surgery itself.

The first time was when my third child, David Israel, was born. He was posterior. My midwife had transported me to the hospital due to the fact I was having so much pain between contractions and my babies were so large. She also could not determine what part of the baby was presenting. Fear of a transverse presentation  (I did experience this with a later delivery) and a possibly rupturing uterus, we called for an ambulance.

This was not a good birthing experience for me. The doctor refused to allow me to have any support person what so ever in the labor room with me after giving me pain meds-actually giving me "Twilight Sleep". Had I known this before, I would have refused. Had it known it was "Twilight Sleep", I would have refused. In the delivery room, I was given ether, tied down by my wrists and ankles, "delivered of the child by use of 'high' forceps" and woke up later in a 3rd bed in a recovery room (3rd room), asking for my baby. I was told it was a male and nothing else could be told me to until my mother-in-law arrived. They refused to let my husband any where near me, with good reason for their safety. The child was born "coal tar black", not breathing, and suffered a seizure a few days later that caused enlargement of the ventricles in his brain which also results in shrinkage of the brain itself. This resulted in a diagnosis of Severe Spastic Cerebral Palsy.

You can only imagine how this affected my view of hospital births, (my previous 2 had been born at home), and anesthesia during birth. Please note, this happened in 1990.

The next time I went under general anesthesia was in 1994 when my fifth child was born. Sabrina Eden had been breech. My doctor attempted an External Cephalic Version. This child got transverse with her head right under my heart and very literally started shaking her head, "NO!" We could see it on the ultra-sound and my belly! She is still the child will dig her heels in!

Needless to say, her refusal to even go back to a breech position, resulted in a C-Section two weeks later when labor started spontaneously, four weeks early. (She weighed in at 9lbs. 3 oz. & was 21 inches long). This was a different doctor. Different hospital. Different county. Not the home-birth I had so wanted again, but a much better hospital experience than before.

My next general anesthesia experience was four years later in 1998, had my gall bladder removed after they saw "gravel" in it when doing an ultra sound of my kidneys. I came out of surgery with elevated blood pressure. I remember waking up to the recovery nurse telling me to open my mouth, she wanted me to take a sub-lingual dose of Corgard.  I had warned the doctors and nurses, before surgery, that this medication had been used on me before and it always bottomed out my blood pressure., a potentially life-threatening condition, especially as it dropped to something over 63. (Note-I was at the hospital I gave birth to David Israel in.)

The last time was in 2010. I had a LEEP procedure performed. I woke up once, no drifting in and out, no recovery of senses but no eyes open, just suddenly my eyes were open. The nurse came in a few minutes later, took my vitals, told me to go get something to eat, went over after-care instructions and sent me home. I puked my guts out as I stepped out of the car at the house.

As you see, I have mixed experiences  with "going under". I have some serious reservations about loosing body parts. (Have always regretted letting the gall bladder be removed.) But I have lots of things to consider here.

In seven short days I go talk to the GYN Surgeon to see if she will take my case or refer me to someone else. As a self-pay patient, making less than $20,000 a year, I am also considered a "charity" case. If she will take my case, I will need to already know what I want to do so that I can make pre-payment arrangements with her and the hospital.

The GYN agreed to administer an injection of Progesterone to buy me some symptom relief for 3 months. I asked for this. Those that have known me any length of time, will know that would not be a normal choice for me. However, I am sick of vaginal bleeding every day, menstrual cycles that have been diagnosed as "hemorrhaging", all degrees of uterine cramping, severe anemia and all of its symptoms.

I have been one of the lucky ones, to be very in touch with my body since a young age-in my teens. I always know when I ovulate. I know when something is wrong or right. I was very blessed to actually know the very moment of conception of each of my ten children and therefore to have truly known them and communicated with them from that very moment. I have always been at peace with my body and being a woman and having a uterus-bleeding on a regular basis. It was a a blessing of God. But in recent years, the past 3 or so, the spells of actually hating my body have become increasingly longer & more frequent.

I have 6 days to consider all the options and the pros & cons of each. My inner student is doing lots of research. 

Today's Events

Today has been fairly productive. I made some Butter Cookies using strawberry flavoring instead of vanilla. They have turned out a pretty red color and as delicate and melt in your mouth as ever--with a delicate strawberry flavor! Pat on my own back for such a great, yet simple idea.

Made some Christmas Balls using orange juice and fresh orange zest instead of rum or brandy. They are fairly good also. I do prefer using the Hershey Special Dark cocoa powder as opposed to regular flavor.

MRS came over to sit with his Mom for a bit while I ran to the local "dig store"-Helping Hands of Lyles- to grab some clothes for the grand kids. They are not open Saturday, so had to go today. The blessing was today was half price day so I just went down the wall of children's clothes and grabbed stuff. With this many grands, all of it will be used.

Have been working on my Etsy store and my Facebook Fanpage. Both are looking good-now to get some things made up and ready to sell.

MRS's friends are coming over in the morning to have a squirrel breakfast. I had planned to sleep in but got a message that the grandbaby that is visiting has a dental appointment at 9 a.m.

Off to get a little bit of reading done.

Time to Catch Up!!

It has been a bit since I really sat down here and wrote. So much has happened and is happening right now.

My grand daughter, Kimberlee, has decided that for her eighth birthday on December 17th, she wants a sewing machine. Seems she wants to start making her own clothes, aprons and things for her dolls. Her mom, Virgillia, has decided to buy her a sewing machine and the rest of us are going to put her together a sewing basket of all the needed notions-thread, needles, pins, buttons, cloth and of course the basket to hold it all.

I really can't wait to get in my craft room and go through and get all those pretty pieces of fabric she has taken note of over the past year and get them together for her. Even better will be to see her open all these presents.

I am knee deep in Christmas baking. All sorts of cookies, pies and cakes. I love it. This year I have discovered the joy of using a cookie press. I now MUST have every disc ever made!!!

The pitfalls and joys of waiting on a medical test result are manifesting. The joy is that you can still have moments of thinking you are healthy. The pitfalls are many-waiting on pins & needles, worrying just what the results will be, running over the hundreds of possible results and the thousands of treatment courses for EACH.

Did lots of canning this past summer. Actually still doing some as food stuffs present themselves on mega good sale. The garden did not do near as well we would have liked, but people gifted us with surplus from their gardens and several that went somewhere to pick for themselves would be gracious enough to pick extra for us and stop by with it.

Did you notice the "we"? Yes, I am dating again. It is strange in some ways, almost surreal at times. MRS (yes, his real initials) is very sweet, very patient, and a widower himself. He made sure that I made it to Pau Wau (Pow Wow) this year and went with, therefore meeting my Mother and Brother. So far, they like him. My children have had their own little pow wow and come to the conclusion that MRS is, ". . .the only normal person you have EVER dated. . ." The grands love him dearly.

His family is very special to my heart. They all have this beautiful, wonderful sense of true family that I have only ever dreamed of being a part of.

Dave's sister, Robbie, went to the nursing home a few months before he passed. I promised to make sure she was taken care of and will honor that. Her Alzheimer's is "stabilized". By that they can predict what she is going to do or say to some extinct. She is not changing much. She believes the nursing home is her house and  is very grateful that Bob (her deceased husband) makes enough money to hire her a lot of help as she could never keep such a large place clean by herself.

Pistol, my son, gave me a horse for Mother's Day. Blue Heart is a Quarter horse mix-we believe the "mix" may be giraffe--he has the longest neck we have ever seen on a horse!! I don't spend enough time with him but it is so peaceful to sit on the front porch and watch him. He is in a pasture with MRS's male, neutered donkey named Esmeralda.

Pistol also gave me a smart phone--it has not proven to be as much of a smart phone as a smart a$$ phone! I have enjoyed it though and will continue to do so until such time as I can do some research and decide which one I want to buy.

MRS built us a craft room. He makes knives and the sheaths for them. They are wonderful creations. Working on getting Chakwaina's Creations up, running and profitable.

That is about all for now. Hoping to be writing more often.

Spiced Apple Rings-NO Red Hot Candies!!

I remember the spiced apple rings of my childhood-Daddy made them and I would eat them like there would never be another one!

He never used red hot candy to make them. I searched for a recipe using real spices and finally found one.
It is located here at the The Iowa Housewife's Blog.

All Things Cherokee: Genealogy FAQs - Blood Quantum - Why It Matters, and Why It Shouldn't

All Things Cherokee: Genealogy FAQs - Blood Quantum - Why It Matters, and Why It Shouldn't

A Great Meal

Ginger Glazed Pork Chops

Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans w/ Black Eyed Peas

Apple Grunt

I love to cook. Can't say I enjoy the clean-up process, but the cooking is awesome. 

I also love to do my own food preservation-canning being my preferred method. 

This meal was served on 21 October 2012 and the recipes follow.

The Apple Grunt has to cook for 6 hours on low in a crock pot so it was put on first.

About 2½ pounds fresh picked apples, weigh before peeling, coring, & cutting in wedges
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cups baking mix (I make my own)
¼ cup half & half
½ cup whole milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted

Place apples, first amount of sugar, spices and flour into a 4 quart slow cooker or crock pot. Stir well to coat apple slices well with other ingredients.

Combine next four ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Pour evenly over top of apples.

Cover and cook on low for six hours. Resist lifting the lid.

Next the beans went in another crock pot.

1 quart home canned green beans
1 pint home canned black eyed peas
1 small piece of ham hock

Place all in a slow cooker/crock pot and cook on high for one hour. Reduce to low and cook 4-5 more hours. Resist lifting the lid.

About an hour before supper time-

Turn oven on 425°.

Roasted Potatoes
4 medium potatoes, washed, cut each into 4 wedges then cut each wedge in half the short way
2 medium onions, peel, cut each into 4 wedges then cut each wedge in half the short way
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic in oil
1½ tsp salt (I use Real Salt)
1 tsp fine ground black pepper (fresh ground preferred)

Combine last four ingredients mixing very well. Add potatoes and onions, stir to coat veggies well. Dump into a 13x9 baking ban. Place in hot oven for 10 minutes.

While potatoes are in oven prepare-

Ginger Glazed Pork Chops

2 Pork Chops
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup Mango Jalapeno Jelly (again I make my own)
3 Tbsp minced garlic in oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger

Salt & pepper both sides of the meat. Mix next 4 ingredients and combine very well. Coat one side of each chop, laying each pork chop in a baking pan, coated side down. Spoon the rest of jelly mixture evenly over pork chops.

Stir potatoes and slide over in oven. Put pork chops, in pan, inside oven. Turn on broil for about 5 minutes.  Turn ov4n back 425°. Let cook 10 more