Jewelweed is mostly used externally by herbalists today. It makes a great salve that can treat skin irritations like insect bites, poison ivy, stinging nettle, hives, sunburn, and more. The cooled water from boiled leaves and flowers not only calms the itch and burning, it also helps the rash of poison ivy heal faster. The Cherokee, Iroquois, Chippewa, and other tribes used it internally and externally for a wide variety of ailments. Mine is being extracted in olive oil along with plantain for a salve I will make in the very near future.
Today's foraging harvest was goldenrod. My girls learned from me as we harvested and prepared it. Goldenrod is NOT what gives you allergies. It is insect-pollinated (heavy, sticky pollen). It is ragweed and other wind-pollinated plants that cause hayfever, etc. Goldenrod HELPS allergies. It also treats pain, sore muscles, colds, flu, and contains powerful saponins and antioxidants that we need for good health. Goldenrod tea is higher in antioxidants than vitamin C and green tea. The flowers and leaves can be used for tea, linaments, oil infusions, tinctures, etc. The tender leaves in the spring can be used in a salad or soups. Goldenrod is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and has some antibacterial properties. It has been used for diabetes, enlarged prostates, liver problems, gout, arthritis, muscle strains and sprains, skin wounds, fungal infections, kidney issues, etc. It took us 30 minutes to pick and prepare enough of this natural medicine to last us a couple of years. We made a linament and a tincture. I have more drying in my attic for teas and a salve that I will make at a later date.
If the person sticks to what they told Clint on the phone last night, we should have some exciting family news mid-October. That's all I can say atm.
I was excited to find this broomweed aka snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) which is in the Aster family. I plan on making traditional brooms out of what I collected. It has been used to treat fevers, snake bites, insect bites, diarrhea, colds, headaches, indigestion, and more. It was also used by different tribes to make ceremonial items. It is poisonous in larger quantities and should be kept from grazing animals. I watched the happy little bee for a few minutes before moving on.
9/20:The wound care doctor told Karen the same thing. She can no longer receive treatment there and needs to enter end of life care. I believe she has now had three doctors tell her that if she will not do the treatments they want instead of the treatments she wants then they will no longer help her. "Their way or the highway." She just had a Skype appointment with an alternative doctor. The visit went very well. Please pray God provides for her to be able to afford the appointments and treatments. Karen has survived stage four cancer quite a bit longer and much more comfortably than they predicted she would WITH their chosen treatments. Please keep praying for her and her family. I forgot to get an update about Myles but will check in with her again when I return home.
9/11: Karen was told by her oncologist that he will no longer see her since she will not submit to his order for end-of-life care. She wants to continue to fight for her life instead of giving up on it. He will no longer see her. She is going to see an alternative doctor to see if there is anything they can do for her. This will be very costly and out of pocket for her. Please pray this doctor gives her something that can help her. Myles is having seizures every other day right now. Please pray for him and for Karen's comfort and peace about Myles' care. She wants to tend to her son, but she is weak and unable.
9/5: Karen is hanging in there. She had two hard doctor's appointments yesterday. Myles is still having seizures. Please keep praying for her. She struggles more in the evenings when she is tired. Please keep praying for deep, restorative sleep. I was asked what was the "something else" she is using to ease her pain in the deep open wound with exposed nerve endings. It is DSMO (dimethylsulfoxide).
8/22: Karen saw the surgeon. The appointment was not what they were hoping. She was encouraged to think "End of Life Care." She says we are all already on End of Life care. She will keep fighting and looking for answers. Please join me in prayer that God will greatly multiply the good effects of everything she does to improve her health. She also needs prayer for deep restorative sleep. The arm with the open wounds is very painful and has a lot of edema. The exposed nerves are painful but she puts magnesium and something else on them to calm them down. Please pray Myles is completely healed of the seizures. He is having significantly fewer these days. Please also pray for her 21-year-old son's ministry to continue to thrive for God's glory. Then there are the financial needs and the work needs of their organic farm.
8/19: Karen said she could feel the prayers lifted for her. She thought she'd have to miss her alternative therapy treatment (biphotonic scanner), but she had the strength to go.
Update 8/14: Karen is asking for prayers for peace and strength. Things have continually become worse for her. Thank you for praying with me for my friend.
Update from Karen 8/12: Things have been getting worse every day, I saw a new doctor on Saturday and she was shocked. She sent to the lab for blood work and X-ray, couldn't get the X-ray done yet, on my way to wound care appointment. New doctor wants me in with a general surgeon asap and she thinks he's going to do a lumpectomy along with surgical debridement. Myles had a GM on Saturday morning, but he went 11 days without any which is tremendously incredible
thank you for praying and for continuing to lift me up. The pain and bandages twice daily have been agony and I really need strength to endure.July 12: Karen reached out to me last night and requested prayer for extreme pain and for her teenage special needs son's seizures, fainting, and vomiting. Would you please intercede with me on her behalf? Thank you and may the Lord bless you abundantly for praying for my friend.
People have been asking which is how we were informed. Here is what I know. The sheriff and deputies responded to a situation that may be an active shooter on a major highway in our county. It is an area many of our family members pass through daily. However, it may just be someone practicing with a firearm. We live in a rural county. The area where they say the shooter is is also an area where people target practice. The shooter and the firearm have been apprehended. That is all the deputies will say. I'll try to follow up. We are all fine. We feel very safe. Thank you all for your concern. We love you too!
Update 7:09 p.m. It was a reckless person shooting at a wild animal. No charges were filed. Btw, it was a concerned citizen who used the word apprehended. Somehow that carried over as I made the post in an attempt to answer some questions. The deputies used the word "located."
We now have a cattle egret visiting. This is another rare bird. The last one I had on my property was some years ago and was mentioned in the blog. I'd take the time to look it up and post a link, but I am in the middle of preparing over 500* domestic birds and animals for us to be away for a couple of days. There is an off-roading adventure with some foraging in my very near future. (*The number is constantly changing with births, hatches, sales, harvests, and passings. The incubator SHOULD explode with 400-500 quail chicks in a couple of weeks, and there is a big harvest coming up.)
The animals will be looked over and cared for, but I do a lot of prep work to make it extremely easy on the helpers. I try to make it so the helpers can verify needs are met with a glance. Then they just make sure each critter is up and moving around and looking healthy. This makes it a quick and easy walk-through. It is more labor intensive for me, but I make it easy so people are very willing to do it for us.
If I can get a picture of it, I will post it here for my fellow bird-loving friends. If I am home or have an adult child available, I'll let you come onto the property to view it.
The berries, we used to make a beautiful jelly. We will be using the leaves to make an insect repellent. The leftover stems will become compost. The Native Americans used different parts of the plant to treat arthritis, colic, dysentery, and more. This plant contains an antibiotic that targets certain strains of MRSA and salmonella. Beauty Berry is a cooling astringent herb with diuretic, antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Thanks to a great friend who spent a day foraging with me in Suffolk and NC, I was able to harvest 20 cups of berries, a couple of paper bagfuls of leaves, and three bushes of my very own!
I started pressure canning in my early 20s. I had no one to teach me, so I learned from books I purchased. Today it is easier and free with online resources. At first, I would not pressure can meat because I could not get around how it looked. It took a few years, but I grew up mentally. Today, I love it for the time-saving and convenience. It also doesn't cost me anything for it to sit on the shelf. Food in the freezer requires electricity (actual cost goes up as long as it is in your freezer) and is vulnerable to power outages. This is how I do "fast food" for my family. Open and add spices, heat, and eat. I can serve a meal faster than I can drive to the restaurants within 5 minutes of my home, wait for my food, and drive back home. This is part of the quail four of us harvested earlier this week.
I have eustachian tube dysfunction. I learned about the Eustachi device from my friend Tom. While I usually have to use it a few times a session a few sessions a day, it works to help my ears drain. My Eustachi device failed after only a few uses. It would not turn on. It was one month out of warranty. Clint contacted Neil Med, the maker, and they are sending me a new one free of charge. So here is a shout-out to a company that stands by its products and treats its customers right!
I also use their sinus rinse bottles to prevent sinus infections. It is very helpful after I cut grass or work outdoors during peak allergy seasons.
Because the 911 systems keep going down in different regions of the nation, I encourage you to put the nonemergency numbers for the police, fire, and rescue in your immediate and surrounding area in your phone. Making sure I can get help for my loved ones was worth the little bit of time it took.
worship (n.)
Middle English worshippe, from Old English worðscip, wurðscip (Anglian), weorðscipe (West Saxon) "condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown," from weorð "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship).
The sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is attested by mid-13c.
The original sense is preserved in worshipful "claiming respect; worthy of honor by virtue of character or dignity" (c. 1300), preserved as a respectful epithet of address to magistrates, certain Freemasons, etc. source
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Who and what do you talk about the most? Who or what do you spend your money on? Who and what do you give your time, attention, and affection? Who and what do you put first in your life? Do you watch TV more than you read/study/listen to the Bible? Do you spend more on a vacation than you do ministry all year? Do you say you want more of Jesus in your life and less of you but then do nothing to spend time studying your Bible to learn how to be more like Him?
My neighbor had his life savings stolen from him AGAIN! The last time, it was 11k. He has been able to save $5k in the few years since. He is very distraught. Please pray for him. I have asked him to start a fundraiser through GiveSendGo and also suggested he contact the local news station.
I was asked what planner I used. I am not very trendy. I truly do not care what others are using. I care about what works best to keep me at my best. Here's my answer:
Brandon just texted me to let me know he will be late for our planned visit due to a car accident. He said he is good. That's all we know right now. Prayers appreciated. Hopefully, he was off the interstate.
Update: He was in Richmond. A motorcyclist clipped his car. Brandon's car has broken plastic, but it is drivable. The motorcyclist got a reckless driving ticket. HW has a policy of immediate drug testing when there is a car accident no matter who is at fault, so Brandon is on his way to get that done now. That's all we know until we talk to him tonight. Thank you for the concern, calls, messages, and especially for the prayers.
The reports are all over the place and we have not been able to confirm any of the details. Police told the employees someone shot two people directly in front of Bethany's north-side Chicago workplace. Bethany works very close to the Magnificent Mile. She works in the back, so she heard and saw nothing. A coworker of hers heard the six shots and alerted everyone to take cover and move to the back of the restaurant. They sheltered there for hours. This is because the shooters were still thought to be in the area. There was a woman who went berserk inside the restaurant due to the stress and police not allowing her to leave. That became intense but resolved itself. Once the scene was cleared, Bethany's boss made them reopen the store and resume operations. The different news reports are all over the place with varying details, so we are going on what the police told the employees at the scene. Bethany let us know she was in the back and safe within a few minutes of it happening. The police were already out front and doing their job. She sent us pictures once they were allowed to move freely around the restaurant which was when police were cleaning up and preparing to leave. Thank you for all of the prayers, calls, messages, and concern.
https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/gloucester-teen-charged-with-producing-and-distributing-child-pornography/ copy and paste into your browser to read the story
Asia worked with three of our children. Two of them knew her personally. This hit them hard. Asia has family members who worked with my children, so my children are concerned about them too. Please pray for Asia and her family. Please also pray for the young victims of this disgusting crime and their families.
There are many traps to fall into in this life. The internet has brought both the best and very worst of the world right into our homes. It is a very dark time in history and it should not be a surprise to see some of the things we do. It is still shocking and unsettling.
Before you jump on Asia's parents and blame them for this, remember she is an adult and has the same sinful rebellious nature as everyone else. She made her own choices. Ministering to her parents is better than allowing your pride to sit in judgment of them. Grace is beautiful and I am so glad Jesus lavished on me so I can show it to others. May each of us endeavor to show grace as quickly and eagerly as He did to us.
Child porn is one of the most hated sins. It is revolting and brings great anger to most people. There is hope for someone caught up in child porn. His name is Jesus. His death and resurrection were big enough to cover that sin too. May Asia call upon Jesus for salvation.
I have not done one of these in a long while.
While Clint enjoyed his job at Hoist and Crane, he was made an offer he could not refuse at his old job. He is very content in that position. He does not have as much time for the HAM radio, but he did install a new antenna on the farm which allows him to reach further than he could previously. We have continued our tradition of a monthly weekend away only it's been more often lately. Our anniversary is this month and we will be tucked away in our vacation cottage enjoying the scenery and gourmet cooking together. We might take a day trip out in the area, but we also might just rest together. It's been a fast-paced summer.
Brandon is still working for HW. He wants to transition to a job that will allow him to be home more. I am still helping out when he is traveling. He hopes to get a shed put in his backyard to allow him to work on his cars easier. His garage is full due to the Tesla charging station. HW is giving him a brand-new Tesla EV. My oldest is spoiled by the hotels, restaurants,
Amanda's reef tank crashed, so she is rebuilding that. Her boyfriend, Joe, is planning to buy her a new tank since her old one has a couple of scratches. That will make it more involved since she will have to drill the glass for the plumbing.
Joshua is enjoying his new apartment with Jurnee, a long-time friend. Jurnee does most of the cleaning which Joshua says is pretty nice. Jurnee works odd hours, so they rarely see each other. Jurnee and Joshua had Emily and Hannah over for a game night not too long ago. Jurnee was never allowed to have pets, so Joshua took one of our barnyard cat's kittens to their apartment. Jurnee is in LOVE with the kitten.
Caleb and Elora are doing well. They have been married about six weeks. Caleb has been hard at it working on their new home. Caleb took out the three or four skylights. He and I hung out together while his new carport was being installed. He is installing a new floor throughout the entire house. He put in a new larger driveway. He has a friend working on the sheetrock. Elora has been painting. Elora now works at the same place Caleb does but in a different department. They ride to and from work together which is nice for them.
Bethany and Jeremy are celebrating two years together today. Jeremy is enjoying his new job driving for the Chicago Transit Authority. I asked him if the shuttle bus was peppy and he said yes it has some pep. I asked him if he ever put his "foot into it" (aka went fast. He said, "You REALLY aren't supposed to." Jeremy and Bethany also bought a car. That allows Jeremy to get back and forth to work easier and also allows them to care for his grandmother.
Emily and Hannah are getting days and nights out with their siblings. They have had sleepovers at Caleb's, Brandon's, and Joshua's. Joshua took them on an all-day adventure which included seeing Jurnee at work. They are working on their college lessons and helping out around the house. They have season passes to Busch Gardens and have been going at least once a week. Emily was flattered when a young male cashier in Farm Fresh's World Foods ran to open his register so he could wait on her and told her it had been too long since he had seen her.
I am hoping I don't have to deal with snakes in the quail shed any time soon, but I'd rather deal with the slithery snakes over the two-legged variety any day. I am really enjoying the diversity in the customers who are purchasing products from our farm. I have installed a translator on my phone to help me with the language barrier. I try to get in a daily pool workout lasting anywhere from half an hour to two hours when possible. I have worked out off and on for decades, but I don't talk about it much because it has not helped with the weight issue. It does make me feel better and helps build strength and endurance though. Preserving the harvest from our trees, vines, bushes, and vegetable garden is keeping me quite busy, but it's a blessing to be able to do it for my family. About 15 years ago, I asked my family to give me fruit trees and berry bushes as gifts. I told them I wanted to give back to them and their families. This year, I gave fruit and produce to all of my adult children which was very rewarding. Knowing I can do that year to year for decades is very satisfying. My love to all!
