Fundraiser for a Friend

Go Fund Me Link for Jean Reilly

Mrs Reilly was the mother to two friends of mine. She also hosted our homeroom events time to time. She also led a youth group I attended with my best friend, Jill. One of her children is a pastor of a local church. Jean is a friend, inspiration, mentor, encourager, and more to me today. One would be hard-pressed to find a more sincere and loving Christian woman. As you will read, she is an overcomer in life due to her faith in Christ. Please help her get the treatment she needs, if you feel led. 

Clint and I are Grandparents!!

I enlarged the U/S and removed my DIL's personal information to protect her privacy. Baby Asbell is due in the middle of June around the time of Caleb's and Elora's first anniversary. Caleb hopes the baby will be born on his birthday.

My son and bonus daughter are parents!

Clint and I are grandparents!

Egg Shortages Egg Prices What to do?

I saw it coming. As a Proverbs 31 woman, I made a move to prepare for it. This is the answer I shared on a forum when people asked what to do about the egg shortages and egg prices.

A lot of people are raising Coturnix quail. They are small and quiet, and their care is minimal. I know people who are raising them in apartment buildings and garages. In most of those instances, no one knows the birds are there. I raise my jumbo browns in a shed next to my house. The hens are very quiet. The males have a softer (and less irritating) crow that most people are unfamiliar with. People who are keeping quail in situations where others might object keep only hens. 

My birds have automatic waterers, autofeeders, and poop collection trays. In the summer, I run a fan to keep them cooler. They give me an egg a day for half a cent of feed (cost will vary according to feed costs). 3-4 quail eggs equal one chicken egg. Jumbo quail eggs require 3 eggs to equal one chicken egg, but let's go with 4 to equal one quail egg to be generous and to make the math easier. My cost for four quail eggs would be like paying 2 cents per chicken egg or 24 cents a dozen for chicken eggs. I know!! I am getting a bargain! There are things I could do to lower the feed costs, but I am happy where I am at.

I get more eggs than my immediate and extended family and friends can eat, so we sell the eggs and use extras to feed our livestock. Most months, the egg sales pay for all of the quail feed, so we are getting meat, our eggs, and extra livestock feed free. I also incubate the eggs and sell the chicks. And, I give lessons on raising them, harvesting, etc. 

If you have allergies or asthma, consider looking into quail eggs. They have a protein that inhibits the release of histamine. I noticed a reduction in my seasonal allergies, but I did not put it together until a customer told me why he was buying so many at one time. His daughter has allergies and asthma. The quail eggs are a natural medicine for her to keep both under control. 

Research says to eat them raw, but she and I both eat them cooked and see big benefits. This particular customer often gives me $40 tips because he does not feel I ask enough money for the eggs, and he wants to keep his daughter's supply coming. He says our quail eggs are the freshest he's ever purchased. (He float tests them.) 

I charge $3 per dozen. If you are OK with them being packed in a bag instead of a carton, the price is $2.50. If you have plants or produce I need, we can trade. If you need the eggs for incubating, please specify that.

If you are in Richmond, VA to the Hampton Roads, VA area and interested in quail eggs, quail for meat, breeding groups, harvesting lessons, etc, you can TEXT me.

7 five 7.

five owe six. 

8 five-five owe.

mention you "saw the ad on the blog"

Send a TEXT and I'll get back to you.

chicken egg shortage, chicken egg prices, egg prices, chicken shortage, egg shortage, eggs expensive, egg substitute, seasonal allergies, allergies, asthma, natural allergy treatment, natural allergy medicine, hayfever natural treatment, natural medicine, natural asthma, 

Goodbye, Shodan

The last two days have been hard ones. Today isn't exactly roses either. Immediately before Brandon left the state for work, he brought me an ailing kitty, his sweet Shodan. 

I did all I could to help her. Her body would respond but then it would go right back downhill. It became obvious there was no help for her. Then I worked to keep her comfortable and as pain-free as I could.

When Shodan felt her body changing, she cried out one time. Hannah went to comfort her. With all the strength she had left, Shodan crawled into Hannah's lap. She wanted to be held and Hannah was the one she wanted.

Hannah selflessly gave up her plans and held Shodan for the next seven and a half hours. Emily and I offered to take over several times. Hannah wanted to see it through. Hannah gave Shodan what she wanted. She cradled Shodan, lovingly stroked her fur, and gave her sweet words all day long. I admit nothing, but I may have cried a little at the tenderness I witnessed. How many 16-year-olds will give up their entire day for a dying cat that isn't even theirs?

Shodan was nine years old. She was a beautiful long-haired tortoiseshell cat descended from Miracle whose story is in the blog. Shodan would greet Brandon when he came home by jumping onto his back and standing on his shoulders. She loved my boy, and I loved her for it.

She did not leave us with nothing. Several months ago, Shodan escaped Brandon's house and was gone for a while before she came home. Nine weeks later, Shodan gave Brandon what became a precious parting gift...a kitten, named Moiria, who will carry on her memory and Miracle's lineage. 

George and His Canine Companion Bulldozer

George's head lives in our freezer. We bring it out and add more snow each year it snows enough. Before he can fully melt, we put him back in a bowl labeled "George's Head" in the freezer. 

George is somewhere between 27-30 years old.

Clint, Emily, Hannah, and I gave George a body and set him free of the freezer for a short time. Emily and Hannah thought he needed a buddy, so they built him a dog named "Bulldozer."

A Surprise Christmas Present

More details soon.

not the same at all

As Christians, we are not here for our own purpose at all.
We are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same at all.
Oswald Chambers

Happy New Year 2025!

  Happy New Year 2025!!

to our family and friends near and far, 

old and new,

close and estranged 

from The Asbell Family!

Clint and I celebrated last night with Brandon, Emily, and Hannah. We ate a meal, snacked, played games, watched a movie, and then gathered and prayed at midnight.

I can not remember a New Year's when I laughed so hard and long! We had a very long and fierce multiple-deck UNO battle. Because I had to eat, I was dealt in late. The smack talk was rough. The nonstop joking became more intense as the game grew longer. We broke long enough to give thanks for the old year and ask for His blessing on the New Year. Then we went right back to the game. I won! After that, some serious rounds of Connect Four ensued.

2024 brought many big life changes to our family. Joshua moved out. Then Caleb moved out. Caleb asked Elora to marry him and then he married her. Jeremy asked Bethany to marry him. Joe and Amanda also became engaged. Joshua and Jurnee just went ring shopping last weekend. I always felt that when the marriages happened, it would happen one after the other. Here we are, and so it is!

We already know 2025 will bring additional changes to our family.

We are humbly asking the Lord's blessing, protection, and provision over us. We pray He keeps each of us focused on our relationship with Him and keeps us close to each other. I pray that God will remove every person, place, and thing that takes our family further from Him and put in 10 times the people, places, and things that draw us closer to Him. I also pray that each member of this family will aim and succeed in glorifying Him. My love to all.

The Christmas Gift that Really Touched My Heart

Last year, Brandon challenged his two youngest sisters, Emily and Hannah, to read the entire Bible before Christmas. He told them he'd provide them with gaming computers and monitors. He used an app and tracked their progress. They completed the Bible. Brandon gave them their computers and monitors on Christmas. Clint and I were surprised and overwhelmed with joy at Brandon's leadership with his sisters in this area.

There was another gift that gave us joy too. I'll share about that soon.

Merry Christ-a-must 2024!

Merry Christ-a-must!

to our family and friends

near and far, old and new
close and estranged

May the true meaning of Christmas
be apparent in your homes
and your heart!

Wayward

Grey escaped Bethany's apartment and was lost. She was at work when she found out. Her fiance, Jeremy, loves Bethany very much. He took off work to find her beloved kitty. Grey is a special needs kitty. He is extremely skittish and can not handle too much noise or commotion. He can be very unpredictable. When Bethany asked us to pray, we were all very concerned for his well-being. We have no idea what Grey did while he was wayward, but he was found chilling with the local cat gang several hours later. A nice neighbor found him and took him to Jeremy.

Powerful!! Well Worth Your Time to Listen!

https://youtu.be/gMAoeQzz6dw?si=ZeQYL9Jv-pTTyUDA Copy and Paste

Her story of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and where it led her. Words can not describe her journey. You have to hear it for yourself. If you dare!

How we do New Year's Eve

Previously shared after a New Year's Eve: 

I have several friends who were upset about something that was on one of the programs last night. I do not know what they saw, but it must have been pretty bad. As Christian parents, Clint and I got tired of the worldly performances many years ago. This is how we do it with our family:

For the last several years, my husband has lead our family by finding something more appropriate on YouTube to watch. What we watched last night did not have any talking or performances. 

We saw the ball and countdown display and there was something similar to techno elevator music playing (not my fave, but better than any of the NYE performances). The only thing the camera was on was the "ball." We don't start watching until 10 minutes before. We play games, talk, watch movies, snack, etc. You know, interact with each other.  

When the ball drops, we tell each other Happy New Year and then pray thanking God for the last year and asking for His leading and blessing on the new year. That prayer has been our tradition for over 30 years now. Then I go to bed. :-) Clint and I ride out early the next morning and pick up coffee and breakfast sandwiches for everyone.

Why would Christians choose to watch what everyone else was watching if it is going against our beliefs? We don't have to follow the crowd. We can choose better. We live IN this world, but we have been called to live separate from it.

Unspoken Prayer Requests

There are lots of things I see in our family that could use some prayer. Some of our members are edging closer to the world and forgetting their faith, mostly to please others. I ask that you keep us in prayer. It's nothing overt. Just hints of things here and there. 

Spiritual warfare never ceases, and I know a lot of us are seeing it ramp up in these last days on earth. It's like our enemy and legions know their time is short so they are throwing everything they have into the battle. We can take hope and rejoice in the FACT that God never stops working on our behalf. God wins.

My love to all. We are praying for you too, dear reader whether you be family, close friends, new to the blog, acquaintances, or estranged family.

If you would like us to pray specifically for you and yours, please contact me through the email in the header.

Tramates Versicolor aka Turkey Tail Mushroom

 

I've been taking Trametes versicolor aka Turkey Tail Mushroom off and on longer than some of my children are old. A long time ago, I shared my usage of it along with other mushrooms for EBV with the now-late renowned herbalist Stephen Buhner. He put my results on his website so my experience could help others. 

This humble little mushroom is an immune modulator that bolsters our immune systems. It can lower blood sugar, support gut health, lower blood pressure, lower inflammation, protect the liver, promote wound healing, etc. It is taken along with ginko to protect brain health in Alzheimer's patients. It inhibits tumor growth and detoxifies the body. Called Yun Zhi, it has been and is used frequently in Chinese medicine. This fungus is available free if you know what to look for, where to find it, and how to make use of it.

There are no deadly look-alikes to Turkey Tail. Turkey tail is relatively easy to correctly ID if you know what to look for to rule out the others. I found mine growing on the side of a log in a forest. I harvested 1/3 of it and left the rest to keep growing which is the common practice for wildcrafting. When foraging anything, always learn about look-alikes which can be deadly. 

FYI: The second picture is what it looks like after I blend it with a little ethyl alcohol in my blender. I added more alcohol after that process which you see in the third picture. Why blend it? The blending macerates the marc (herb) so the menstruum (liquid) can extract more of the medicinal properties. Knowing the chemistry of which menstruum will extract what plant properties is a key to successful herbalism. 

Do your research and remember to check for contraindications for existing health issues you may have. Happy herbaling!

indigenous knowledge of native plant medicines Quote

"Over 200 drugs that have been or still are listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States or the National Formulary were first used by American Indians, but neither reference acknowledges this fact. Thus, the tremendous benefits we've derived from indigenous knowledge of native plant medicines go largely uncredited." M. Kat Anderson USDA NRCS

It's Peppermint Season again!

A few years ago, I started using peppermint candy for "snow" under my vintage ceramic Christmas trees. My family loves it. They take them by the handful and give them out to coworkers and friends. So far this year, I have purchased four bags of the 600+ count Starlight peppermints from SamsClub. When Emily saw me putting them under the trees last year, she said, "Peppermint season!!" It is worth doing just to get that reaction.

My Birthday and New Adventures

The countdown continues: It was my birthday recently. I am now 56 years closer to meeting Jesus face to face!

I have started a new chapter that may lead to a bigger chapter. I have started a more in-depth herbal medicine learning experience under a Naturopathic Doctor, clinical herbalist, and veterinarian. Once I complete this, I may pursue becoming a naturopathic doctor. 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 

Looking for Live Plant Bignonia capreolata

I am looking for a rooted section of Bignonia capreolata aka Crossvine to grow at my home in Virginia. I would be happy to pay for shipping and for the cost of the plant. If you have some, please text me at the email in the header of this page. Thank you! 

Rejoicing again!

Amanda informed us last Sunday that November 19th is the day she and Joe will have their wedding. We are very excited for them both.

Giving Thanks

   Happy Thanksgiving!

to our family and friends
near and far, old and new
close and estranged
You are loved!

Most of our family* is gathering together to give thanks to the Lord, enjoy a feast, play some games together, and watch some movies.

Wherever you may be on this day, I hope you take time to thank the Lord. No matter what is going on in the world, there is always something for which we can be thankful.

Endless Probiotics

I am not too keen on paying $46 for one month's supply of probiotics for one person. However, I do not mind paying $46 + milk for an endless supply of probiotics for two people. Not only can you TEST your probiotics by following yogurt-making steps,* but you can keep producing beneficial gut bacteria which can save you a small fortune. I used two capsules of BioGaia Osfortis, Women’s** Probiotic for Strong Bones, Immune Balance & GI Wellness, Contains L. reuteri 6475 to make a quart. It was thinner than I liked when I checked it the first time, so I put it back in the cooler for another 12 hours. Today, I will start more using a couple of tablespoons from the jar to make the next batch.

*I've used the cooler method for making yogurt for over 20 years (maybe 30). It's never failed.

**It is beneficial for men too.

Prayers for a Big Decision and Big Commitment

Something has been heavily on my heart for the last year and a half. I feel like it is the Lord leading me in a direction. I know that if He is this, I will succeed. I am asking prayers for God's wisdom and leading over the next few days as I try to make a decision. If I do it, it will be a huge time commitment, a lot of work, and will definitely clarify a role in my life for the future. May the Lord bless you abundantly for any prayers you life on my behalf. 

Breast Cancer? Here's some encouragement....

 https://www.facebook.com/tigerlilyfoundation/videos/453116816950864/ copy & paste

Don't Take Today for Granted

 https://www.rwbakerfh.com/obituaries/Lisa-Gail-Mack?obId=33842399

My friend, Lisa, did not get to say goodbye. Another mutual friend has been struggling since hitting a deer which resulted in at least two broken vertebrae and broken ribs. Lisa was helping her with her personal and household needs, went home to her husband and daughter, went to bed, and did not wake up. Her last day was spent being the loving friend she was. Please keep her family, also friends, in prayer. They just lost Lisa's father suddenly a few years ago and are devastated by Lisa's unexpected death.

Let her passing be a reminder to not take anything or any moment for granted. My love to al!

The Importance of a Healthy Gut Microbiome

This is worth your time to listen especially if the concerns for the bird virus come to fruition.
If you want to strengthen your immune system, start feeding your intestinal immune cells today and avoid things that harm it.

If you want to improve your health in any area, feed your gut good bacteria.

I will share a tip soon on how to save money on probiotics.

Boid, the Wood Stork?

On a hike in the woods in York Co earlier today, we (Clint, me, Emily, and Hannah) encountered a Wood Stork. Since they are rare in our area and only one has been reported, we think this is "Boid," the Wood Stork that visited our farm for weeks. We were not able to get a picture, but I did report it on eBird.

Please keep praying for Karen

Karen has been successfully fighting the infection with essential oils, particularly tea tree oil and helichrysum. She is on a homeopathic medicine that includes cobra venom for the pain in the nerve bed of her open wound. I am sharing in case that helps someone else or their loved one. Even though she feels terrible and is bleeding from her cancer wound, she goes out once a week to minister to the homeless and elderly. It takes a toll on her body. Please keep praying for her and her family. Her special needs son witnessed a heavy bleeding incident which was traumatic for him. If you will, join me in prayer that God removes that whole incident from his memory and calms his heart.

November 8: I have mentioned my friend Karen's need for prayer before in the blog and to our praying friends who read here. She has stage 4 cancer with a large open wound. Earlier this week, she had anaphylactic shock in reaction to the antibiotics that were treating her for four types of bacterial infection. She can no longer take the antibiotics, so there are no options there according to her doctor. 

Please pray for her and her entire family. 

Pluchea odorata

 

Pluchea odorata aka Marsh Fleabane, a member of the Aster family, grows in areas with salt or brackish water...like in the yard of my home along the beautiful York River. It has many medicinal properties. It is an antispasmodic, diaphoretic, vulnery (heals wounds), antiseptic, vasodilator, mild stimulant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, etc. Research also shows it can disrupt cancer cell reproduction. In French traditional medicine, it is known as a cure-all. It is used in Central America to treat cancer. Some people do not like the medicinal smell, but I don't mind it. I've worked with some smelly herbs, and this one is pleasant in comparison. FYI, "odorata" in the name can mean a good smell or a bad one.

Willow to Aspirin

A lot of people know that aspirin was developed from Willlow aka Salix spp. If you use the inner bark as a tea, it can take six hours for the body to convert it to salicylic acid to give pain relief. However, the Native Americans figured out that if you burned the branches and leaves and made a tea from the ashes, the combination of the thermal breakdown and alkaline ash, sped up the conversion of salicin to salicylic acid. They would also inhale the smoke because inhalation is a faster delivery system than digestion.

One of my herbal medicine heroes...

Aunt Molly Kirby, as she was affectionately known by all, was the "doctor" to the people in the Coosa River area of Alabama. If it were not for her hiring and teaching a 7-year-old boy named Arthur Lee "Tommie" Bass, a lot of the knowledge of medicinal herbs would have been lost. She needed him because she was too old to climb the mountains to get the medicine. His education continued when he befriended a Cherokee woman who shared their medicine. He was hired by the pharmaceutical industry to get plants for their medicines and learned even more from that. It all started with Aunt Molly passing on her vast knowledge of how to help people with plants.

Goodbye, Sebastian.

Please lift a prayer for a our sweet and tenderhearted DIL, Elora. Her dog, Sebastian, died last night. :-( It looks like he ate something toxic. 

Magnolia Medicine

 

 

   

  

Magnolia virginina aka Sweet Bay Magnolia was widely used as medicine among Native Americans and early Americans. It is still used for various ailments today. You can find it for sale on the internet. Magnolia spp grows all around the world.

Tommie Bass, the now deceased highly sought-after Alabama herbalist, said more people came to him for Magnolia spp to treat arthritis, joint pain, and gout than any other plant. He said it did not work for everyone, but it did work for many. In fact, medical doctors in the early 1800s considered it a very effective treatment for rheumatism and arthritis.

The bark contains two polyphenols: magnolol and honokiol. Magnolol is an antihistamine. By reducing the histamine release, magnolol can help alleviate symptoms associated with allergies, such as inflammation, itching, and swelling. Magnolol supports the body's natural production of adrenal steroids which gives it antispasmodic effects. Honokiol is a muscle relaxer that appears to be five times more effective at relieving anxiety than some Rx medications. That's impressive!

Magnolol and honokiol relax bronchial muscles, making it easier to expel mucus, thus contributing to its expectorant properties. These help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract, assisting with conditions like asthma or bronchitis. Magnolol and essential oils in Magnolia virginiana help stimulate the respiratory system to expel mucus. The alkaloids in the tree work as bronchodilators to ease breathing. These things can make it a good option for respiratory ailments.

The leaves are used as a vulnery meaning it helps heal wounds. The antimicrobial properties promote healing and prevent infection. The leaves were used as a poultice.

The Native Americans used the largest leaves of Magnolia to wrap their food. They also used the leaves as a spice to flavor their foods like gravies. The Rappahannock used it as a mild stimulant. The bark is a chief food for beavers, so it was also known as the Beaver Tree. In Japan, they use the leaves as a dish to grill foods on.

In China, Magnolia obovata, is used in over 200 patent medicines. One paper I read said many of the Chinese in America buy Magnolia bark and extracts available because they know how valuable the tree is for medicine. While you can use different species of Magnolia, the chemical compounds may vary by species.

Thoughts on Boneset

"I am a 30+ year medicinal herbalist. The presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) can be of concern in long-term applications. Late Boneset may be considered a safer option for extended use due to lower levels of these alkaloids. I personally use Hyssop Leafed Boneset (Eupatorium hyssopifolium) and Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) to treat Chronic EBV/viral symptoms for a week at a time. Both are too bitter to drink as a tea (although I have done so) so I tincture mine. All of the bonesets can be used similarly per the scientific and traditional use research I have done. Tip for anyone who cares: It is very helpful to seek out and compare the chemical profiles of plants in the same genus when researching species to see if they can be used similarly. I am not a medical doctor, so I encourage each of you to do your own research and be your own health-care provider. Happy herbaling and God bless!" -Mama Asbell

Off Roading Fun with Brandon

Brandon invited Clint, Emily, Hannah, and me to stay in his very nice and large suite in Aurora, NC. We were there Thursday until Sunday. We toured the countryside, did some shopping, and enjoyed some off-roading in the Croatan National Forest. Somewhere along the way home, we met Walter aka the name for the Big Foot statue. Emily and Hannah enjoyed having their picture taken with him.