Sunday School...Next Weeks lesson is 1 Nephi 12-14...several ideas presented themselves in this week's lesson. We must commence upon the strait and narrow path (1 Nephi 8:22), catch hold of the iron rod (1 Nephi 8:24), cling to the rod with all our might (1 Nephi 8:24), and continually move forward toward the tree (1 Nephi 8:30). Also, The Holy Ghost can help us understand gospel truths...“He that diligently seeketh shall find” (1 Nephi 10:19) “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” (1 Nephi 11:16) “The condescension of God (meaning the Father) consists in the fact that … he became the personal and literal Father of a mortal Offspring born of mortal woman. And the condescension of God (meaning the Son) consists in the fact that … he [Jesus Christ] submitted to all the trials of mortality, suffering ‘temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death’ (Mosiah 3:5–8), finally being put to death in a most ignominious manner,” Bruce R. McConkie. All with normal capacity are accountable for their actions. Nevertheless, the attitude and actions of others can strengthen or discourage. Therefore we ought to build instead of tear down our brothers and sisters. “And they were in the attitude of mocking” (1 Nephi 8:27)
Praying For...Samantha and Spencer...peace and good will between leaders of nations...safety, happiness, and the necessities of life for families everywhere...
The Herbalist...was asked about acne this week and gave this advice... Usually acne appears during the teens, which is usually the
most difficult time to get a person to adapt to change. Boys especially resist
treatment. Nevertheless, if we can gently convince a person of the following
truths, they can be free of acne. Acne is an effect of poor bowel health. If
the colon isn’t functioning correctly, the waste has to get out somehow. The
skin is often the channel of elimination with a sluggish bowel. A healthy bowel
eliminates 3-5 X per day with easy, large movements. Any ‘well formed’ movement
is constipation. There are many herbal treatments for constipation and the auto-intoxication caused by it. I make a cleansing/building bowel tincture from
Barberry, Cascara Sagrada, Cayenne, Ginger, Lobelia, Red Raspberry, Red Clover,
Turkey Rhubarb, Fennel, and Golden Seal. Drinking lots of the cleanest water
available and burdock tea between meals helps directly with constipation and acne. Good foods
for constipation and acne are all whole gluten-free grains, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, but especially
red beet, flax seeds, brown rice, prunes, apples, chard, burdock, Jerusalem artichoke,
green pepper, pumpkin, radishes, summer squash, sprouts, and zucchini. Once the
bowels are moving properly, we begin cleansing other organs of elimination:
liver/gallbladder, kidneys, lungs. Then we work on the blood stream. Food
sensitivities can cause the bowel to swell and give symptoms such as “Gas,
bloating, stomach pain before and after eating.” The usual culprits are animal
flesh and fat, processed grains, pseudo-foods, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, coffee,
and gluten. From the outside, improper or neglectful cleansing can clog pores. Use
bar soap only on armpits, groin and feet—never on the face. Before the shower
dry brush skin. The morning time routine includes messaging affected areas with
raw honey and rinsing with lukewarm water. In the evening wash with
caster/olive oil solution, three parts castor oil to one part olive oil. The oil can be made into an herbal oil using the herbs comfrey, lavender, calendula, st. johh's wort, and/or red clover. The castor
oil draws waste from the pores, while olive oil moisturizes, heals, and nourishes
the skin. Pour a small amount onto your fingertips, rub together, and slowly
and gently massage dry skin for
about a minute. Next, wet a washcloth with hot water and lay it over your
face or other affected area until it’s room temperature. Rinse and wring the cloth,
then gently wipe off the oil. If a cyst appears during the healing process, make
a paste with Redmond clay, glycerine or vinegar tincture of White Oak Bark, Comfrey Root, Mullein Leaf, Black Walnut Leaf,
Marshmallow Root, Wormwood Herb, Lobelia Herb, Skullcap Herb and
Gravel Root in the palm of the hand. Dab it on cyst and let dry
overnight. Wash it off in the shower or with the honey mixture. Hot and cold
hydrotherapy to the area is also effective.
Garden Gate...micro-garden is in full swing, meaning I'll buy not greens for salads or smoothies. I started two pots of bok choi and one of kale for the window sill, since I enjoy braised kale and steam-fried bok choi at a more mature size. Re-reading Ruth Stout, Pat Lanza, and Root Cellaring to get my head around garden plans for the coming spring. Also, designing a lovely front yard postage-stamp orchard in my head. I don't know if we'll get it accomplished this year all the way. However, we'd like to really move forward. Our plan is to remove the grass and replace the diagonal sidewalk with one straight from the road with a grape and kiwi arbor entrance and a sundial halfway up the walk. Plus, put in a 3-4 ft. patio in front of the house on the carport side. A white picket fence around the yard with espalier apples and pears along it. We've already purchased a new espalier apple to be delivered in spring to replace the ones we moved to the back. In the spaces to the north and south of the new walk, miniature-dwarf plum, cherry, peach, and nectarine with a mixed ground cover of strawberries, flowers, herbs, and vegetables, finished off with a pathway of stepping stones and thyme. The grass strip out front should be replaced with some sort of herb/flower containers like the neighbor around the corner. In my mind, its beautiful.
Sound of Music...falling back into a routine, which brings me lots of joy.
Homemaking Joys...Our favorite handyman, Pat Dowse, moved a couple rooms of furniture around for us Friday. Spencer decided he wanted to use the lighter set in the guest room. We got rid of the 1970s, dark, room-dwarfing dresser. Pat put it out on the curb, while I was taping 'Free' signs to it, a man pulled up in a truck and hauled it away. It's given Spencer incentive to clear out his childhood 'stuff.'
Bibliophilia...doing better at acquiring skill in Spanish. I found some delightful old Spanish textbooks for children that I'm going through, Poco a poco and All Spanish Method. I am so excited that I know more than I thought I did. However, I can't seem to get out of novice land, because I'm not being consistent enough.
Project Joy...can't seem to get past the fact that I have been blessed with a warm, comfortable, bright, safe home with central heat, hot running water, indoor toilet/bath, washing machine, and refrigerator. I am so blessed to live in this calm, happy town. Whatever this little town lacks in amenities it gains from patient, kind, charitable people and peaceful pace. In PHX I ran into so many people that were so wrapped up in themselves that they honked and raged in traffic, hollered at checkers to hurry up, and bashed their shopping carts into my side to get me out of the way. I guess I'm a small town girl after all.
My Style...even though one of my favorite times of day is jammy time, when I put on my cozy wool socks, flannel gown, and alpaca sweater, it is important to get dressed every day. Even days when I am not well, I like to shower and dress in a simple A-line skirt, blouse or T, sweater or cardigan, and slippers. At the very least, running a brush through my hair, I don't look like a mess. Caring for my teeth so I don't have dragon breath or a cruddy smile is important. Even though I rarely see a soul except my own little family, I want to look my best for them and for my own well-being. I am worth it and so are they. I see it as an act of courtesy. This seed for this attitude was planted years ago, when I read the book What Katy Did to my daughters decades ago.
Aging Fearlessly and Well...Grandma was right. Those that sit around, moaning and groaning about every little pain live meaningless lives. Even if an ache makes moving uncomfortable, it is better to take that daily walk with a smile on one's face and a friend. Maybe slow it down a bit, but don't skip it. Grandma told me us it or loose it. At nearly 95, she is expert at not allowing people to do things for her that she can still do herself.
