Mad Dog SkullCap

No, it isn't the beanie. I do wear one of those by the bye.

I use skullcap for my migraines. It helps dull it better than any of the other herbs I have found. It is native to the US and can be found in moist shady environments.

The flowers bloom in May through August. When they bloom, harvest the above ground parts, dry and store.

It is used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, slightly astringent, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative and strongly tonic.

And if you overdose on it, it can cause similar effects as marijuana. Be careful as there are claims that this herb has been linked to liver damage. So the high isn't really worth it.

Uses for this herb include epilepsy, insomnia, hysteria, anxiety, delirium tremens, withdrawal from barbiturates and tranquilizers. It helps promote menstruation and should never be used by a pregnant woman.

I smoke it, but I am a smoker, you can make a tea as well. Seep 1 oz dried skullcap to 1 pnt boiling water for 10 mins. You need only drink 1/2 teacup every few hours.

Where to buy the seeds;

Prairie Moon

Seed Bloc

Sand Mountain herbs

And hopefully next year, me.

Now that's professional

Woke with a massive migraine. You know the ones where everyone around you must die. This caused me to forget to ask husband to leave cash for the farrier.

You read that right, a farrier. We finally got one. Of course it is the horse neighbor's farrier. But she had agreed to work on Sam's hooves while she was working on theirs.

Noon, I was told noon. I choked down some meds and coffee (the combo helps when skull cap doesn't) Rounded up Sam and stood in the ditch. Sam enjoying her greens, while I stood in the sun, nauseous, hot and in pain. Everyone but me was late. Not sure how long I stood there, it felt like hours. Finally they arrived and I brought Sam over.

Sam wasn't as co-operative as she could have been. But what would have taken husband an hour to do, seemed to be finished in 20 minutes. Sam got smack a couple of times for trying to kick, but otherwise she did relatively decently.

Alas, the cash I forgot to get from husband! Luckily I had a money order that I had yet to fill out and some paper cash and quarters. I was able to scrounge up just enough to cover the bill.

I feel better that Sam was able to get a professional to trim her up. We must have been doing a decent job of it ourselves as the farrier had nothing bad to say about the condition of her hooves. I think we have been leaving them a little long, but not anything that would hurt her.

Now I am smoking some skullcap, hopefully if will finish the job that the meds and coffee started.

It Happens

It was raining all day yesterday. So I spent the time indoors working. As i was packing my books, I couldn't help but glance in some of the 1960's handyman encyclopedias that I have. I was at an estate auction a few years ago, and no one was buying books, except for me. Finally the auctioneer looked at me and said I will give you all the books in here for $1. I said ok. And ended up with a couple thousand books, that I am still going through.

I digress, as I was going through the handyman books, I found some great projects for the boys and I to do. With today being the last day of school, and the heat of high summer just around the corner, we need something to fill our time. Of course they will be allowed to run off and go swimming and fishing in the creek, but as we lay in the shade of the wood next to the creek, we might as well learn some new things.

Packing and cleaning, that is all I have on my mind today.

Thank you!

I just wanted to thank you for being so great to my boys. They were thrilled with the comments. And Medium loves that he has 8 followers already. He has been bragging to his father about it.

It is hard to dictate a 6 year old's words. I so want to fix it, and then make it longer, but it is their blog, their words, and no matter how much it makes me cringe, I will let it stand.

One good thing about children, they feel no need to make posts too long or complicated. However as they get use to this blogging and become comfortable with it (not to mention as they age) you will see a change in the demeanor of the blog.

Also, you have a chance to win a Berkey water system, go here to see the details.

Another One of Those Nights

I woke up to the crashing sounds of items falling off my nightstand. There was a blur of white fuzz and then Small standing in the bedroom doorway.

"It wasn't me. It's not our cats."

That took me a moment, it was after all 3 am. I asked him what he meant. "Those aren't our cats." I got up out of bed and followed him into the living room. There was a very large orange and white Tom cat sitting on top of the chicken brooder cage. I stomped my foot and yelled get. The cat took off, then stopped. I ran the other direction, stomped and yelled get. It ran the other direction. A third time, and it squeezed back out the window.

I never found the black cat that Small says was also in the house. Could still be in here, as we shut the windows because of the incoming rain.

Clover and wild strawberry Jelly

I made clover Jelly yesterday, and tossed in a couple of wild strawberries for the heck of it.

Clover Jelly
2 1/2 cups white wine
1 cup fresh clover blossoms
4 cups sugar
1/4 tbs lemon juice
3 ounces of liquid pectin

a few small wild strawberries, or 1 large one, sliced

Bring wine to a boil and pour over petals, toss in strawberries. Cover and steep until
liquid has cooled, then strain out flowers leaving only liquid. Combine 2
cups of this flower infusion with sugar and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over high heat and as soon as the sugar has dissolved, stir
in the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, and boiling for exactly 1
minute. Remove the jelly from the heat and skim off any foam.

(can you see the photo? whenever I edit, I fear a repeat of the goat kid debacle.)



And in other news, after a month of badgering me, I have allowed the boys to start their own blog. They understand that it will be heavily monitored by me, but that they will not get into trouble for what they write there. They know the rules.

So please let me introduce you to The Wilder Boys

Peeping Tom