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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Quote du Jour - Larken Rose

"Being slightly grouchy and judgmental right now--even more so than my usual baseline level--another pet peeve of mind compels me to post this: if you: a) vote, and; b) ever say, "I'm offended that the government is making me pay for _______!" then I would kindly invite you to shut the hell up.

If you're a statist and being forced to fund something you don't like, you freaking deserve it. Ever heard of that thing about "do unto others as you would have done unto you"? Well, if you vote, you know damn well that if "your guy" wins, he is going to use the violence of the state to force OTHER people to fund whatever YOU think is a good idea, whether the extortion victims like it or not. So when someone else does the same thing to you, you have exactly no room to whine about it. If you want to be free, stop voting for others to be enslaved."

Larken Rose

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Quote du Jour - David Hood

The day will come when ALL men will clearly see that God worked every moment of every day to lead us to a converted heart, loving obedience, and salvation. We will see that He was knocking on every door, but many of us were not listening. Are not listening…

David Hood - https://www.facebook.com/davehood?fref=nf

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Quote du Jour - Ellen G. White

"When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near."

Testimonies for the Church by Ellen G. White 5:451, 1885

Sunday, May 18, 2014

My Medicinal Garden, Weeds and Otherwise

For the last few years I have been trying to learn more about herbs and medicinal plants.  Some I have planted successfully on my property (many, not so successfully, but I'm not giving up) and MANY I have found just growing wild around my property.

Here are some of the medicinal plants that I have growing MOST PROLIFICALLY on my property despite my lack of care or knowledge.  If I can grow them, you should have GREAT success with them as well!!


Basil, Cultivated

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I use this to season many dishes.  I have also rubbed it on mosquito bites to kill the itch.  It was VERY EFFECTIVE.


Blackberry, Native and Himalayan, Growing Wild
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1076-BLACKBERRY.aspx?activeIngredientId=1076&activeIngredientName=BLACKBERRY&source=2
http://www.everygreenherb.com/blackberry.html

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I eat LOTS of blackberries.  I also make blackberry jam and pie and smoothies and wine.  I also drink blackberry leaf tea (mixed with other tasty things) often.



Chamomile, Cultivated AND Growing Wild
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-951-Chamomile+GERMAN+CHAMOMILE.aspx?activeIngredientId=951&activeIngredientName=Chamomile+(GERMAN+CHAMOMILE)&source=2

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have used this in tea when I am tired or have an upset stomach.


Cilantro, Cultivated
http://www.naturalstandard.com/news/news201108030.asp

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I LOVE to eat Cilantro on many, many dishes or just a sprig here and there.  I read that it is a natural antidepressant.  My husband asked, "Why?  Are you depressed?"  I happily replied, "NO!  I have Cilantro!"


Feverfew, Cultivated
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-933-FEVERFEW.aspx?activeIngredientId=933&activeIngredientName=FEVERFEW&source=2

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I made a Migraine Tincture with this herb.  It didn't work at all for me.  But it is growing so prolifically, I will give it a few more tries before giving up on it.


Marjoram, Cultivated
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-563-MARJORAM.aspx?activeIngredientId=563&activeIngredientName=MARJORAM
http://www.vitaminsestore.com/marjoram-leaf-benefits-reviews-side-effects-and-dosage/

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have used this to season poultry, beef, and spaghetti sauce.  I have not used it medicinally yet.


Mint, Cultivated
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-705-Mint+PEPPERMINT.aspx?activeIngredientId=705&activeIngredientName=Mint+(PEPPERMINT)&source=2

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have made tea with this herb, and sometimes just pick a leaf and eat it.  I encourage my children to eat the leaves also.  A friend made Mojitos with some of my dried mint in the middle of winter and they turned out pretty good!  I have not specifically used them medicinally yet.


Usnea, Growing Wild
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-694-USNEA.aspx?activeIngredientId=694&activeIngredientName=USNEA&source=2

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have not used this yet.  A friend advised he used it to stave off a bad cold/flu this winter with successful results according to him.


Willow, Cultivated
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-955-WILLOW+BARK.aspx?activeIngredientId=955&activeIngredientName=WILLOW+BARK&source=2

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have not used this yet.



Wormwood, Growing Wild (Saw much less last year, hope it returns)
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-729-WORMWOOD.aspx?activeIngredientId=729&activeIngredientName=WORMWOOD

USES I HAVE TRIED:
I have not used this yet.



NOTE:
PLEASE do your research when planning to eat or use any plant as medicine.  Case in point, I have a single scotchbroom plant on my property.  It also has 'medicinal' qualities, namely causing uterine contractions which induce labor and/or reduce bleeding after giving birth.  Very interesting.
BUT, this medicinal herb was used by MANY HOSPITALS in the 1970's for this very purpose and it led to MANY deaths of mothers and babies due to overdosing on other toxic characteristics in the plant.
This information was not found easily.

The point....... MAKE SURE you know what you are doing before you DO anything.  DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The love of many shall wax cold.....

VANCOUVER, Wash. - A group of Evergreen Public Schools’ children say their bus driver forced them to ride home from school Wednesday afternoon with the bus windows closed, which was a day that saw record high temperatures in the 90s across the metro area.
http://www.katu.com/news/investigators/Children-say-bus-driver-kept-windows-closed-on-hot-day-259470731.html

Reading the comments I am struck by one thought.... Society HATES children today.

Go ahead, read through them yourself.  A couple say, "I'd just open the window anyway."  Fine and good, easier to say since they were not a child on the bus at the time.  I've had some bus drivers that you DON'T mess with.

But most of the comments say the kids whine too much, deserve it, deserve much worse, snivelling, snot monsters, brats, a-holes.  Some compare it to waterboarding IN SUPPORT of the whole situation.

I'm struck by another thought.....

What if it was a dog?

In a car..... on a hot day?


Windows would at least be threatened with being broken, helpless animal would be 'rescued' and driver would be villainized including death threats and law enforcement might have even been involved and charges of animal cruelty or abuse would have been explored.

Please note the numbers on that graphic.... if they are accurate those children were potentially LOCKED into a vehicle (moving but with no circulating air) for upto an hour at about 140 degrees.

The heart of these people has definitely grown cold.

Chillingly cold.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

My Mother's Day Thoughts....

Tomorrow has been set aside as 'Mother's Day,' a day to thank our mothers and grandmothers, and to honor all the women around us who have braved the battles of motherhood.  The shops are full of flowers and boxes of chocolate and schmaltzy cards about how fantastic our mother was.


For those who do not have a mother who filled that role... HOPEFULLY, we have SOMEONE in our lives that walked out that self sacrificing role before our eyes so we have an inkling of what it would look like.

I search my role models most especially now, because I am the mother.

I am the one with little eyes on me.  I am the one whose hands and heart and words are shaping and raising up the tomorrow's men and women.... future mamas and daddies.  It is far too great a work for me.

So I lean on YHWH.  Everyday, many times a day, I call on Him.

"What should I do?"
"What should I say?"
"How do I face this seemingly insurmountable task?"

And He leads me.

I read...

Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

I read Psalm 91, Psalm 23, Psalm 1, Psalm 128, Proverbs 31, Titus 2.... and on and on and on.

The word says at Psalm 27:10 "When my father and my mother forsake me, Then YHWH will take care of me."

If we don't have mothers and fathers that we can look up to during these times in our lives....
We can look to YHWH.  No.... we MUST look to YHWH.

I pray that I can LIVE this out for my children.


And when I fail, I pray that my children will at least walk away with the knowledge...
That they too must look to YHWH.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Isaiah 66:9

Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. Isaiah 66:9

I absolutely LOVE how the interlinear (word for word translation from Hebrew) says....

"If I am bringing the breaking
am I not bringing the birth?"
says YHWH.

Quote Du Jour - G.K. Chesterton

“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.”

G.K. Chesterton

Friday, May 2, 2014

Homestead Research - How to Worm Rabbits



There is some debate as to whether it is necessary to worm rabbits at all.  Some keep their rabbits in pens or cages on the ground, or hutches off the ground.  Some NEVER give their rabbits wild greens from their property for eating, and some do.  Some have raised their rabbits from birth from their stalwart and well known adult rabbits over the years, while some have just purchased rabbits from sources unknown.

Having seen a bot fly larva with my very own eyes.... I felt that regardless of the housing, raising and care I give them, that I MUST worm my animals.  (If you are brave, you should go Google that.  Nasty, horrifying creature from hell.)

The most commonly used methods of worming are described in this article, listing the medications and dosages that would be needed to safely worm your rabbits.

INORGANIC METHODS AND HOW TO
Ivormectin, Piperazine, Sulfamethazine
http://www.fuzzylop.com/4_ivomec_wormers.htm


But as I, apparently, have a hippy streak, I mean 'holistic approach', I continued my search for organic methods to worm my rabbits.

ORGANIC METHODS
Pumpkin Seed, Diatomaceous Earth
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/rabbits/324540-minced-garlic-wormer-ok.html

Diatomaceus Earth
http://www.earthworkshealth.com/pets-animals.php

Grapefruit Seed Extract
http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/


So here is a run down of my favorite methods that I will using.  I won't have pumpkin seed until this fall, so for my initial worming this spring I will be using Diatomaceous Earth.

HOW TO USE ORGANIC METHODS
Pumpkin Seeds
1 handful a day for 2 weeks, twice a year

Diatomaceous Earth
1/4th-1tsp per day in food, for 1 month, twice a year
sprinkled around cage and hutch

Grapefruit Seed Extract
5-10 drops per gallon of water for 2 weeks, twice a year


WARNING:  Unlike in the organic treatment of worms and diseases in OTHER animals, you CANNOT use Cayenne or Garlic for rabbits.

Cayenne is a deterrent for rabbits and they will refuse to eat it or go near it.
AND
GARLIC IS POISONOUS TO RABBITS.  (There is some debate as some claimed that rabbits have been seen eating wild garlic, but until I KNOW for sure, I wouldn't risk it.)