Spring is in the air. I mean that quite literally. A couple times this past week I've caught a faint whiff of it. Tonight I smelled it again. I don't know exactly what it is, but when I smell it I am instantly transported to sometime in my childhood. Can I describe the smell? Not really. For some really strange reason it always makes me think of zwieback toast. Once, many years ago, I bought some zwieback just so I could taste it. Unfortunately, this smell of spring smells nothing like the toast tastes, so I cannot explain to you why it pops into my mind. Perhaps the first time the smell embedded itself into my memory my little brother was eating zwieback? Anything is possible, I suppose.
The smell is elusive, only letting me catch it's scent when I least expect it, it seems, and not always every year. In years past I have tried to track it down, but it doesn't seem to emit from a single thing. Rather, it is more a combination of springiness. If someone could bottle it, I am certain it would be a very popular fragrance. The best I can deduce it has pear blossoms, perhaps apple blossoms as well, the earliest hint of lilac, and probably a myriad of other spring blooms. The scent of newly cut grass is not a part of it, and in fact quite overwhelms the more delicate fragrance of spring. I think that, despite the fact that it begins in spring, lawn mowing is more a scent of summertime. The rich greens are much more aggressive than the pale flowers that awaken after the snow and frost have gone away.
It doesn't matter so much to me what exactly it is, I am thankful that it is. It's my own personal announcement that spring has indeed arrived for another season in my life. I love that I have been able to share it with my husband, and he, too, is mystified as to its composition. Hopefully someday when our little man cub is a bit older, spring will surprise us once again with the unfolding of its fragrance, and we will be able to share it with him. And who knows just what memories it will reawaken in him as he grows older? Let it be love, joy, and peace.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Whats "goot" about today?
Man-cub is sick. Sore throat, cough, congestion, tired watery eyes, feverish, not sleeping well, and general crankiness. No fun for any of us!
I'm a firm believer in letting the body fight its own way through most things, and give it the support it needs with good food, herbs, homeopathics, lots of liquids, and rest. I try to avoid OTC "remedies" as much as possible, and doctors even more!
Yesterday I made GOOT. "What is that?" you ask. It's a blend of garlic, olive oil, and coconut oil, and it's a very effective way to get the garlic into little bodies without trying to make them eat it. The original links where I found the recipe years ago seem to be gone now, except for this one at a health forum. (It's a great forum, by the way, with a LOT of information!)
Here's the basic recipe:
(As you can see, it's equal parts of all three ingredients. If you find that you don't need this much, then next time simply downsize the recipe. Or, make more!)
You will need to warm the coconut oil until it is melted. I put the jar into a pot of very hot water until I had enough. Mix all three ingredients together in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) until it's pretty well pureed. You can strain it if you like (I did this time, and I'll tell you later what I did with the garlic stuff) which gives a nice smooth consistency for application, or leave it all in (which I have also done) in which case it will probably get more potent. I put it in a glass jar and store in the fridge. It will be like a paste that melts quickly when you put it on.
What do you do with it? The CO and OO are great carrier oils and will help the skin absorb the garlic without worrying about the garlic oil burning the skin. It's really great for rubbing into the soles of your feet; you might want to designate a single pair of socks as GOOT socks for a while! It is also good for rubbing into the chest. Both are areas where the skin more readily absorbs stuff.
From this blog (and I'm pretty sure she copied this information from one of those broken links I was telling you about):
One trick I have learned when dealing with small children is to have their sock partially on, over the toes, so it's ready to be pulled onto the foot as soon as you apply the GOOT.
So what did I do with the garlic that I strained? I added it to butter, melted it in a hot skillet, and put in some homemade bread to "toast", liberally sprinkling it with sea salt. Now THAT is some "GOOT" garlic bread!
I'm a firm believer in letting the body fight its own way through most things, and give it the support it needs with good food, herbs, homeopathics, lots of liquids, and rest. I try to avoid OTC "remedies" as much as possible, and doctors even more!
Yesterday I made GOOT. "What is that?" you ask. It's a blend of garlic, olive oil, and coconut oil, and it's a very effective way to get the garlic into little bodies without trying to make them eat it. The original links where I found the recipe years ago seem to be gone now, except for this one at a health forum. (It's a great forum, by the way, with a LOT of information!)
Here's the basic recipe:
- 3 Tbs Virgin Coconut Oil
- 3 Tbs Olive Oil
- 3 Tbs fresh, minced garlic
(As you can see, it's equal parts of all three ingredients. If you find that you don't need this much, then next time simply downsize the recipe. Or, make more!)
You will need to warm the coconut oil until it is melted. I put the jar into a pot of very hot water until I had enough. Mix all three ingredients together in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) until it's pretty well pureed. You can strain it if you like (I did this time, and I'll tell you later what I did with the garlic stuff) which gives a nice smooth consistency for application, or leave it all in (which I have also done) in which case it will probably get more potent. I put it in a glass jar and store in the fridge. It will be like a paste that melts quickly when you put it on.
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| GOOT in a 1/2-pint jar |
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| GOOT, easy to spread |
What do you do with it? The CO and OO are great carrier oils and will help the skin absorb the garlic without worrying about the garlic oil burning the skin. It's really great for rubbing into the soles of your feet; you might want to designate a single pair of socks as GOOT socks for a while! It is also good for rubbing into the chest. Both are areas where the skin more readily absorbs stuff.
From this blog (and I'm pretty sure she copied this information from one of those broken links I was telling you about):
GOOT, rubbed into the skin, transfers raw garlic oil directly into the blood stream. Raw garlic is a natural antibiotic that does not carry the bad flora that a Rx antibiotic will put into your intestines.
Apply on the feet of children or infants to fight infections. Rub on chest for chest colds, pneumonia or rub into nostrils for sinus infections. Place on cotton swab for ear infections. Apply directly to sores inside the mouth. Rub on Athlete’s foot or genital area for jock itch. Insert GOOT into affected area for yeast or other related infections. Apply on rashes any place. GOOT kills Candida, parasites, bad bacteria and virus by direct application.
In addition, it treats systemic infections by absorption through the skin into the blood supply and travels throughout the body. After two weeks, make a new batch of GOOT.
One trick I have learned when dealing with small children is to have their sock partially on, over the toes, so it's ready to be pulled onto the foot as soon as you apply the GOOT.
So what did I do with the garlic that I strained? I added it to butter, melted it in a hot skillet, and put in some homemade bread to "toast", liberally sprinkling it with sea salt. Now THAT is some "GOOT" garlic bread!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thankful Thursday, January 19, 2012
Today I am thankful for sunshine in the middle of winter. I grew up with mostly grey skies from November through March, with very few blue skies in between, which leads a great many people into depression. But having sunshine, even in the cold, at least every 2-3 days, makes winter bearable.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
And So I Begin Again
Life has been crazy. Fun, wonderful, frustrating, sad, joyful...everything life usually is, I guess. I just haven't been focused on blogging. But I think I'm ready to begin again. I hope.
So what has happened since I last posted? The best thing is My Man finally joined me and we have been enjoying being a family again! We're a full-time family, and we love it this way. What does that mean? Nobody goes off for hours at a time, day after day, using up their life energy working for someone else. We work, yes, but at "home" (wherever that may be), together whenever possible. And NO, I am not sick of being with him night and day :)
The Man Cub is now a toddler, getting into all sorts of mischief, like every mud puddle he can find. He took his first steps barefooted in the barn. He is nearly weaned, but I'm not going to force it. Mornings are his crawl-into-bed-and-take-over-Mommy's-body time. Of course, Daddy would prefer that to be HIS time to do the same... ;) ANYWAY, back to the boy. He isn't talking much yet, in OUR language, but knows several signs and has just the past couple of weeks been attempting to say some words. He got his first haircut (by ME, naturally) on the New Year, and of course I saved a fuzzy blond curl. The Man has been so good about setting up a routine for bedtime, and so the Man Cub is usually in bed by 8pm, which is great! Although, he seems to have a built-in alarm clock for midnight. And sometimes 2:30 and 4:30 as well, but he's getting better about going back to sleep. But once he's up after 5, it's into bed for snuggles and milk.
I have finally been able to use my sewing machine! Whoohoo! I haven't made anything for ME yet, too busy making gifts for others, but I'll get around to it eventually. I also started crocheting again. I haven't done that in YEARS. Now I'm temped to buy pretty, soft yarn in all my favorite colors.
We stayed at the farm through the harvest, and then moved on, intending to head somewhere much warmer, thus avoiding "winter". Well, we weren't too successful at that! But we are in a good place for the winter, trying to learn new things while working here. It's cold most days, and there has been snow, but we also get a lot of sunshine, which is a huge blessing! I grew up where it's pretty much grey cloudy skies from November to May. I don't know where we'll go after this, but we're not in a hurry; we want to enjoy this. It is wonderful to be able to see different parts of the country.
Hope to make it back here soon!
So what has happened since I last posted? The best thing is My Man finally joined me and we have been enjoying being a family again! We're a full-time family, and we love it this way. What does that mean? Nobody goes off for hours at a time, day after day, using up their life energy working for someone else. We work, yes, but at "home" (wherever that may be), together whenever possible. And NO, I am not sick of being with him night and day :)
The Man Cub is now a toddler, getting into all sorts of mischief, like every mud puddle he can find. He took his first steps barefooted in the barn. He is nearly weaned, but I'm not going to force it. Mornings are his crawl-into-bed-and-take-over-Mommy's-body time. Of course, Daddy would prefer that to be HIS time to do the same... ;) ANYWAY, back to the boy. He isn't talking much yet, in OUR language, but knows several signs and has just the past couple of weeks been attempting to say some words. He got his first haircut (by ME, naturally) on the New Year, and of course I saved a fuzzy blond curl. The Man has been so good about setting up a routine for bedtime, and so the Man Cub is usually in bed by 8pm, which is great! Although, he seems to have a built-in alarm clock for midnight. And sometimes 2:30 and 4:30 as well, but he's getting better about going back to sleep. But once he's up after 5, it's into bed for snuggles and milk.
I have finally been able to use my sewing machine! Whoohoo! I haven't made anything for ME yet, too busy making gifts for others, but I'll get around to it eventually. I also started crocheting again. I haven't done that in YEARS. Now I'm temped to buy pretty, soft yarn in all my favorite colors.
We stayed at the farm through the harvest, and then moved on, intending to head somewhere much warmer, thus avoiding "winter". Well, we weren't too successful at that! But we are in a good place for the winter, trying to learn new things while working here. It's cold most days, and there has been snow, but we also get a lot of sunshine, which is a huge blessing! I grew up where it's pretty much grey cloudy skies from November to May. I don't know where we'll go after this, but we're not in a hurry; we want to enjoy this. It is wonderful to be able to see different parts of the country.
Hope to make it back here soon!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Desires of My Heart
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ~ Psalm 37:4
About five years ago my husband and I were seriously talking about selling our house (prices were up then) and buying some farmland for cash somewhere in the Midwest. "What a wonderful way for our children to grow up!" we thought. We dreamed of having a little (or big) farmhouse, a huge garden that would provide for our produce needs throughout the year, an orchard where we would pick fruit, and acres of grassy fields to feed the animals we wanted to own: cows and goats for milking and eating, chickens for eggs and eating, pigs for eating, etc. Of course we didn't have any real experience with any of that, other than very small-scale.
Life has a way of not turning out how you expect, that's for sure. What seems like such a simple choice can have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences. Not only OUR choices, but the choices of others. We never had the opportunity to sell our house, and so we have no way to afford that dream farm, even though prices are really low now.
But, as I said at the beginning, I was in the garden weeding. Me. In a garden. Preparing to plant what will provide food for us in the coming months. As I worked, the sounds of the farm life were all around me. Turkeys, roosters, guinea all competing to see who could be loudest. Cows in the distance mooing for whatever reason cows moo. Sheep and goats baa-ing, pigs snuffling. All of them free to roam and eat the food that God created them to eat.
And you know the best part of it? My son was playing in the dirt beside me. The child that God gave to me is exactly where he should be at this time in his life.
And then I cried because my husband isn't with us. He is missing out on his son's life, watching him learn and grow, teaching him about man things. He is missing out on the good, honest work that comes from living on a farm, and is instead stuck in a city full of strangers, trying to extricate himself from all that has entangled him. He is missing out on eating real food that will help make him healthy and strong. But I continue to have faith that he will one day be with us again, hopefully never to part. Because my husband is the desire of my heart.
I've heard it said that God works in mysterious ways, and I'm pretty sure that's true, because He sure doesn't tell me what He's up to, or how He's doing it! None of this surrounding me today is mine. I don't own any of it, except the few things I brought with me. None of the responsibility is mine. I don't have to worry about the prices that the cows will bring, or of the grains that are being planted in the fields, or if the roof gets a leak. But yet I'm here, reaping the benefits of such a place. Yes, I'm working for it, but if I were honest (and I do try to be!) I don't do nearly enough. But I'm learning something new everyday. I didn't have to start a farm from scratch and learn how to do everything on my own, the hard way; I'm getting to jump into a fully-functioning farm and learn from experts!
Almost none of my life today is what I thought we would have just a few years ago, but I know that God is taking care of us, and is blessing us. And as I realized today, He does care about those dreams, and can fulfill them in ways we never imagined.
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. ~ Romans 8:24-25
Psalm 34
A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
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