Herbal Healing Salve

Our new cows are settling in so nicely.  They are becoming more and more comfortable everyday in their new home.  The barking dog that lives across the street that they can hear, but cannot see, is still a bit of a stress factor for mama Birch.  But, other than that, she seems as relaxed as can be.  The best we could have hoped for!

Birch came to us with a few small, but painful looking, nicks on her teats.  There was a yearling in the herd that she came from who thought she'd get some extra milk (round two!) with all the newly freshened mamas this spring.  The yearling rendered many of the milky mamas a little beat up in the teats.

So....

Sequoia and I set about making some healing salve for our sweet mama cow.  It was a great science week for Sequoia's homeschooling - botany, chemistry and health in one week!  She studied all and harvested most of the herbs we used for the salve.  The only herb we were not able to harvest and dry ourselves is the echinacea root.  The salve is so soothing and healing I have also been using it on Jade's teething-related rash.  It has all but cleared up the rash in less than 24 hours!

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp dried and finely chopped plantain leaves
• 4 tbsp dried and finely chopped chickweed
• 2 tbsp dried and finely chopped comfrey leaves
• 2 tbsp dried and finely chopped calendula flowers
• 2 tbsp dried and finely chopped echinacea root
• approximately 1 cup coconut oil (enough to cover the herbs well)
• enough beeswax to get the consistency you want
• 3 capsules of vitamin E (the ones I used are 400IU's each)

Method:

• finely chop all your dried herbs
• measure out the desired amounts
• add all the herbs to a crock pot or double boiler
• add the coconut oil (adjust the amount accordingly so that your herbs are sufficiently covered)
• heat the oil/herb mixture for a minimum of four hours on very low heat, checking on it frequently to make sure that it is not too hot - the herbs should not burn or overheat or some of the medicinal quality is lost
• strain out the herbs through a cheese cloth, squeezing out as much of that liquid gold as you can get
• return the oil to the crock pot or double boiler and reheat over low heat
• add as much beeswax as you would like to get the salve consistency you want (you can take little spoonfuls out and put in the fridge to cool rapidly to check your consistency - adjust accordingly with either more beeswax or more oil depending on if you need it thicker or thinner)
• poke holes in the vitamin E capsules and squeeze the oil into the mixture
• at this point, you could also add any essential oils that you might want for fragrance or healing properties (I split our batch in half and left one half plain and added peppermint essential oil to the other half.  Peppermint is good for mastitis.  Plain is good for a nursing calf. Peppermint for her udder, plain for her teats.)
• once you have the consistency that you like, pour your warm salve into little jars.  I used two 4-ounce canning jars.
• let your jars sit over night until the salve is thickened and set
• use liberally and enjoy!

From teats to tushies, this stuff is really great.  My hands love it too, especially this time of year when they are all dried out from time working in the soil.  I strongly encourage giving some salve making a go.  It's really easy, lots of fun and really satisfying.  And feel free to mix it up with your herb, carrier oil and essential oil selection!  Next time I think I might add some yarrow or Oregon Grape root.

Happy concocting! 

Herb Spirals and Spiral Gardens

About a week ago, someone asked about our spiral garden.  Ours happens to be a huge variation on the Herb Spiral.  Herb Spirals are a cool way of taking a traditional row of herbs and twisting it up into a space saving, multi-micro-climate little herb garden.

Here is a design by Bill Mollison:

Not only are herb spirals pretty to look at if done well, but more importantly they create several different micro-climates for your herbs.  The top of the spiral will have drier soil than the lower part as it drains through the day.  The side facing the sun will be considerably warmer than the one facing away from the sun.  The side facing the sunrise will warm earlier in the day and maintain a more even and gentle heat than the side facing the hot afternoon sun.  Therefore, you can plant a great diversity of herbs in your spiral meeting their many varied needs.  Herbs that like heat and well drained soil, such as rosemary, can be planted towards the top of the spiral facing the afternoon sun.  Those that like things cooler and wetter and would bolt if exposed to too much heat can be placed accordingly.  Bill's above example also includes a small pond at the bottom to grow water plants such as watercress and water chestnut.  This also gives the added benefits of ecological diversity, reflected sunlight from the pond surface, more edge, providing a habitat for frogs which love to hunt pests, and a water source for many beneficial pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. 

Herb Spirals are generally quite small (about 1-2 meters wide and tall), as they are designed to be space saving, user friendly and easily watered with just one sprinkler.  Our spiral garden that I mentioned in Going Rogue is huge by comparison.  But it is basically the same concept.  It is about 10 meters wide and 2 meters high and has a gigantic Big Leaf Maple growing at the center.  There are very large boulders along the tier edges as opposed the football-sized rocks generally used in herb spirals.  We have yet to put in a pond, but it is in the plans.  The design of our garden allows for cool loving crops to be grown on the shaded side all summer long.  Not only is it facing away from the sun, but it is also shaded by the maple.  And heat-loving plants do quite well on the sunny side because they get both the heat from the sun and the reflected heat from the large boulders.

the sun-facing side of our spiral garden

Our spiral garden is home to many different perennial fruits such as raspberry, gooseberry, jostaberry, strawberry and fig.  It also houses many annuals in the summer - lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, summer and winter squash, etc.  We are also sure to plant lots of annual flowers each year to attract beneficial insects and birds and provide pollen and nectar for the honey bees.

not much going on yet since it is still so early in the season

The spiral garden belongs to the kids.  It is their experimental zone and they get to choose what goes in each year.  We, of course, help direct them as to ideal placement, but for the most part, it's their thing.  They get to design and learn all about different plants and micro-climates and, most importantly I think, learn from experience what works and what doesn't.  They get to make their own choices, see what happens through the season, and learn from it so that they can improve upon it the next year.  I don't want my kids to take for granted whatever some "expert" tells them they should do.  I want them to experiment and think for themselves.  Who knows what cool thing they'll figure out that you or I never thought of?  

Learning Plans

OK... the really boring part of homeschooling: writing the learning plan.  It sounds like it should be exciting.  But when it's a document simply being written to satisfy the state, well... not so much fun.  My eyes are beginning to cross as I sit here at the computer working on these documents.

Homeschooling

    Here's a visual peek into our first few weeks of learning through living....

Quiet book work time

Baking for friends

    A field trip to the zoo....

Sequoia becomes a turtle at the zoo!

Snake at the zoo - photo by Sequoia

Bengal Tiger at the zoo - photo by Sequoia

    Mushroom hunting with friends....

a toppled giant

a coral peeks from from a mossy grotto

Cedar, Sequoia and Dusty chat as they weave through the old growth

Steve, Sequoia, Cedar, Dusty and Paul toting their bounty

   And more baking....

the kids take it to the next level...

piping delicious butter cream frosting onto their home-made pineapple cake and pumpkin muffins!

   The above reflects only a snippet of all that we have been doing.  I can't wait to post more on all that we are up to on the homeschooling front.  After all the text-only posts, I felt I owed you a photo post.

Going for it

  Well Ladies and Gentlemen, we went for it.  We are now a homeschooling family.  Holy crap!

   This is such a huge step for us.  Or, I guess I should say, for me.  You may recall that the whole impetus behind this blog is to chronicle my experience of following my heart.  For years now I have allowed "logic" and "reason" to rule the show.  I put these words in quotes because what may seem logical and reasonable is not always so... especially when conflicting with what the heart truly desires.  And when there is a driven workaholic with something to prove behind the wheel.

   So now, a huge step in the direction of my heart.  It is terrifying!  I thought that it would feel so calming and reassuring.  However, not so.  At least not with this particular decision.  I think, perhaps, that is because this decision significantly affects more than my own future.  There is so much more at stake....

  However, scary as it may seem, I know that we have made the right choice.  Like I said, following my heart.  This is something that we have wanted to do for a very long time.  When Cedar was but a tiny little little guy we always said we'd homeschool.  And now, we are.

   I have to say, it is a crazy feeling to shift life so drastically and so suddenly, with very little forethought or planning.  This was not a decision we had planned long in advance as we usually do with such biggies.  No, this was more of a spur-of-the-moment, I gotta do what's right... RIGHT NOW... kind of decision.  A few weeks ago, I was a working mama.  And I mean WORKING in the fullest sense of the word.  I mean 50+ hours a week in the lab, no childcare, on the school board, easily 2 hours in the car per day, still getting the kids to school and in bed on time, plus homework, plus MAYBE get a few hours of sleep in somewhere kind of working.  I literally functioned on pure stress.  It's what kept me going each day.  Simply put, the momentum from the crazy day before provided the strength for the crazy day ahead.  And I was so deeply engaged in the cycle, I could see no way out of it.

   Well, Cedar has always kept us on our toes.  From the second that boy took his first breath he has had something to teach me.  And there is nothing subtle or mild about those teachings either.  On many, many, many occasions he has brought me to my knees in surrender to what, simply, must be.  This was no exception.

  While I likely could have continued on for many more years of this psychotic schedule, Cedar made it apparent, if not downright obvious, that this shit had to stop.  But, of course, being ten years old, he did not come right out and say it.

   Luckily, prior to the start of this school year, both kids had the wonderful blessing of attending the most supportive, nurturing school I could ever imagine.  They were loved, truly and deeply loved, by every person they spent their days with.  I refer to this as a blessing because it filled them up with stability and strength and confidence while life was a wild ride of running and rushing and working and "hurry up! we have to go RIGHT NOW or I'm going to be late!".  When they started in public school this fall, that holy momentum, that crazy balancing act I so desperately worked to maintain came to a screeching halt.  Or, should I say, crashed and burned like a 50 car pile-up blocking traffic for miles in both directions.

   Cedar could not deal in the public school world.  And it was a really good public school - well funded, lots of access to arts and science, etc.  It was just too much.  And, not enough.  My poor little man tried with all his might to make it work, and yet it didn't.  And in the process, he fell apart.  And my heart broke.

   It was like the universe realigned.  I opened my eyes and saw my choices for what they were.  Choices.  I realized that I had, within my power, the ability to make a different choice.  I could follow my heart and do what I knew was right for my kids.  I could take a step back from all those "responsibilities" and put everything I have into the one responsibility I truly have... my babies.

   So please join me on this journey.  I'm nervous and unsure.  I feel like a new born baby, getting used to this new world.  Learning to breathe, learning to trust....  Learning to follow as my heart leads the way.

Autumn adventures

  It's been a busy couple of weeks, so the updates have been minimal.  Well actually, non-existent would be more accurate.  So, here goes the catch-up.

  We have been welcoming autumn here in our family.  The leaves are just beginning to fall from the huge maple that towers over our house.

 The escapee chickens are loving every stolen second scratching in those fallen leaves.  We have a rebellious handful of hens who would really prefer life outside of their run.  Nothing we do keeps them in.  They are wily and wise.  So, each day here on the homestead is also like Easter in autumn... a giant egg hunt!  Those rascals!  Meet Hedwig, one such mischievous lady:

  Thanks to Greg, builder extraordinaire, our mammoth wood shed is now complete.  It is huge and beautiful and awaiting several cords of fir, oak and maple.  I cannot wait to see that baby crammed full of wood.  What is currently an eyesore in my driveway under an absurd number of tarps, will soon be a neat and tidy (and DRY!) stacked treasure trove of winter warmth.  Thank you Greg!  Feast your eyes on this beauty:

  As we continue to discuss whether to homeschool or public school, we are exploring our interests a little more deeply.  We are taking time to think about what we would really like to get out of homeschooling.  What are the interests that we have that don't get satiated in the classroom (or in my case, the lab)?
For Cedar, the list goes on and on: baking, stop animation, photography, computer graphics, being able to spend more time learning math concepts, getting to have more time to read and less time on worksheets, spending more than 30 minutes playing outside, more science, and on and on....
Sequoia's wishes are a little more broad and less specific: animal care, singing, playing, not sitting at a desk all day, more time outside, NO TESTS(!), home cooked lunches and no more sandwiches, going at her own pace, being home, and more.  (The amount of anxiety that Sequoia is having about tests is worrisome.  Being in an alternative program for all of their schooling up to this point has really allowed them to be themselves as learners.  The external expectations for performance are really stressing her out.  Cedar, on the other hand, seems more grounded in that regard and couldn't care less about tests.  He figures he either knows it or he doesn't and that is good enough for him.)
My dreams for homeschooling: a more relaxed schedule, more time with my kids, travel, a chance to allow my kids to really dive into things they are excited about, the chance to dive into those things with them, mornings when we do not have to squabble and rush to get out the door, getting to witness their learning and growth, experiential learning, field trips, and SO much more.  Ultimately, I would love life to be school rather than life being all about school.
On the other side of the coin, we have also been discussing what we really like about school so far this year.  As far as Sequoia is concerned, school doesn't have much to offer other than the Wednesday afternoon ceramics class.  Cedar loves the library, band, science class, PE, getting to join the Hundred Mile Club (kids sign up to run 100 miles by the end of the school year), and recess with friends.  I am trying to stay neutral and just witness their experiences.
So... the hemming and hawing continues.  We hope to make a decision this weekend.  Stay tuned.

  To get back to the welcoming of fall, I wish to share the lovely evening our family created together to ring in the season.  In celebration of the Equinox and the Harvest Moon we had the most wonderful time!  The kids were home sick so we did a "trying-out" day of homeschooling.  Our day was filled with card games that challenged our math skills, reading some favorite books, drawing fairies, looking up a good fall dinner recipe, and going to the co-op (where we did all sorts of fractions, decimal places, reading, adding and subtracting, and learning the value of allowance money!).  That evening, Sequoia and I cooked up the most delicious pot of autumn harvest soup that was delightfully warming and oh so satisfying.  Meanwhile, Cedar baked his first layer cake.  This kid LOVES to bake.  He decided to spend his allowance money on all the necessary ingredients so that he could tantalize us all with a lemon layer cake with vanilla/lemon buttercream frosting.  Here is the proud baker with his creation:

Needless to say, it was a delectable evening - with lots of excitement, new recipes, snuggles on the couch, full bellies and love.  I could not have asked for a better way to usher in Autumn 2010.

  Last weekend we decided to head to Mt. Rainier for some sunshine, exercise and mushrooms.  It was a beautiful day so half of western Washington was there, but it was lovely none-the-less.  For all of our exploration, we only found one little Bolete.  Oh well... we still enjoyed spectacular views, sparkling glaciers, curious deer, warm sunshine and amazing smelling alpine meadows.  What is it about alpine meadows that smell so good?  I couldn't get enough - taking huge deep breaths every minute or so, practically trying inhale the mountainside.  It was absolutely intoxicating.  I'm getting giddy just thinking about it!  Here are some captured moments:

 

Seriously, those alpine meadows really do smell so good.  Anywho....  All of the above photos from Mt. Rainier were taken by Cedar.  He is quite the photographer. 

  Phew!  I think that about brings us back up to speed.  I suppose that's what happens when nearly two weeks go by.  Looking forward to many more wonderful autumn adventures!