Friday, February 8, 2013

Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser

  Long ago(ha) on February 8, in a galaxy far away called Texas,  a baby boy was born in the midst of a snowstorm. Amarillo is in the panhandle, and has some strange weather. From red dust storms to deep snow, enough to cover a car, it runs the gamut.  When my first son was due, we had a huge snow storm . His dad was frantic and wanted to shovel the road from our home to the Air Base. However, being a wise child, he waited until the snow plows had cleared the roads.
  One of the gifts he received was a pair of tiny white cowboy boots. I did so wish they made tiny jeans and cowboy shirts.  Being inventive, I took a pair of dad's worn out jeans, cut  part of a leg off and fashioned it into a tiny pair of jeans. A bit of white satin and some fringe became a cowboy shirt, Somewhere there is a picture of a barely over 6 pound baby, all dressed up like a tiny cowboy. Great memories. And now this young man is a writer, farmer, woodworker, foster dog parent, and active in his comunity and church. Time flies, can't believe I am a great grandma.
   My travels to see family in Nebraska left me with a few assorted problems, frozen septic tank lines, heat pump doing something weird, and the car has a new wrinkle, the indicater on the ge ar shift is not working, though the shift itself does work. Means taking time to count changes and be sure its in the right gear. This car has strange periods, the electric system went out for a good 3 years, but came back, the windshield wipers quit for a couple of months then started up again, now this. I don't panic nowdays, figure whatever is ailing will mend, and if it doesn't. so what.
   How are you doin? Staying healthy? Had any sinus woes this winter? Try going to your spice shelf and putting a tea egg full of thyme leaves to brew in a cup of boiling water, let it brew 10 minutes, and drink. Simple, but should help  unblock the sinus cavities.
 Is your skin dry from the winter weather? Try mixing 1/2 cup of oil, olive, safflower, jojoba etc, whatever you have, with 3 drops of essential lavender oil and open a vitamin E capsule and add. Keep by tub and put on after bath or shower.
  If you would like to make your own foaming face cleanser,  try this:
1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons almond or jojoba oil
2 teaspoons liquid glycerin
8 drops your fave essential oil
 Blend all but soap in blender, add soap last. Put in pump bottle.
 I started spring seeds for the garden last week, the arugula is already quite large, may be eating it before it ever gets planted outside. Nice to think in another month we will be doing some outside garden prep again. This winter has given us a more than ample amount of water in the soil, January had a period that left 7 inches of rain, and even today we are getting more rain. Twice this winter the copious amount of rain left our well with mud in it, and lovely red water to cope with. Learning to keep jugs of water stored now for the days we can't drink the well water. At least it doesn't happen often.
  Super Bowl is over, football has ended. Soon baseball will be the sport of the moment.  Spring is my favorite season, watching everything bloom and green up again, here on the mountain by early March the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom. There are already new calves in the fields.
  Hope you are ready to spring clean, break out the vinegar and soda, leave the chemicals in the store, and freshen up your home for the new summer coming. Will be good to have fresh produce growing again.
  Take care, stay well and look forward to spring.

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