Charity Season

I work at a toy factory, so every year at this time the charities come to pick up free toys to give away. I have noticed that the Christian charities are grateful for whatever you give them, but the secular ones are choosy. Why is that? Some of the secular ones actually refused to take toys, because they were sand toys. That is what we were giving everyone, but they didn't want them.

I think beggars can't be choosers, and you should be thankful for what you get. Of course, if I was in charge, it wouldn't be sand toys in the middle of winter. This is Michigan, not Florida!

I just thought it was rude.

Swine Flu Vaccine

Governments around the world are pushing their citizens to get the swine flu vaccine. The push to get people vaccinated seems almost too forceful. I have to wonder why. Is there an ulterior motive on their part? What is in that vaccine that makes them so desperate to give it to the least productive, most vulnerable of us? Is this a way to carry out mass euthanasia? Give the young, the weak, and the old a vaccine with maybe something in it to weaken their immune systems further, so more people die from the virus. No one would ever know.

The H1N1 virus has been responsible for just over 6,000 deaths this year, but regular influenza kills more than 20,000 people annually in the U.S. alone. This flu is not close to being as deadly as the medical establishment has been saying it is.

I have to wonder, also, why most doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are NOT taking the vaccine. What do they know that the general public doesn't? Personally, I will not be getting it, nor will I allow any of my family to. I believe in staying away from doctors unless absolutely necessary.

Broomstick Lace Panel Bag

I made this bag for one of the ladies I work with. It will be her Christmas present. It is crocheted. It is huge. This bag would be great for that woman who carries everything but the kitchen sink. LOL I hope she likes it.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I made these the other day because I had a couple of over ripe bananas. My Dad used to make these. I made them Gluten-free.

1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking soda*
8 tbsp butter (one stick)**
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
2 over ripe bananas, peeled
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, flour, and baking soda.

In a large bowl using a mixer set at high speed, cream the butter until fluffy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the bananas until mixed. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until thick and light. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake in 350 oven until done.

*To make GF cookies I used 1/2 c quinoa flour and 1/2 cup rice flour. Add another 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp xanthan gum.

**No, you may not use margarine or shortening. They are both transfats and VERY bad for you! You may use extra virgin coconut oil for half, but that will give a pina colada taste.

80 Ways to Save the Earth Tote Bag

I stumbled across the pattern for this tote while doing a web search. It is a tote bag knitted with yarn and plastic grocery bags cut into strips and tied together into yarn. The strap for the bag is soda can tabs strung together. It is is coolest thing I have seen lately, and a great way to keep those plastic bags out of the landfill. It was quick and easy to do. I used a variegated yarn, but any will do. If you want to try it yourself the pattern is at :

http://www.darngoodyarn.com/2009/06/80-ways-to-save-the-earth-tote-bag/

Update on Brandon

Sorry this took so long to update. Brandon died August 14th. He was only 17. His heart never recovered. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Prayer request

Would anyone who happens to read my blog please pray for a family friend. His name is Brandon French. He is 17 and had a massive heart attack yesterday. He is in a coma at the U of M hospital right now. He is a good kid and like family to my best friend. He is her son's best friend. They are going to try to bring him out of the coma tomorrow. Please pray he will be healed and for strength for his family. His parents are not doing well right now. They are refusing to eat until they know how he is going to turn out.

Baby Shower Gifts

These are pictures of a baby shower gift I made this month. I made a bag for the expectant mother to carry all of her things to the hospital, a travel bathroom bag, and a sleep mask. They are all coordinated. I filled the bathroom bag with trial size shampoo, conditioner, etc. All she has to do is add her clothes and she is good to go. One less thing to worry about as the time approaches.

Save Money on Vanilla Extract

I make my own vanilla extract. It is easy and far cheaper than buying teeny bottles of it at the store. Imitation vanilla flavoring is made with an ingredient of paint thinner, so making your own is healthier too. I just made a fifth of vanilla extract for about $13. I bought 2 vanilla beans at Meijer for $6.99 and a fifth of cheap vodka for $5.75. Just put the vanilla beans in the vodka and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Vanilla extract. If you look at the store bought bottles of real vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla) it says vanilla beans and alcohol are the main ingredients. I stumbled across a website selling a bunch of 25 tahitian vanilla beans for $29.99(1.20). That is far cheaper than what I paid at Meijers($3.50 each). Next time I need to make some I will order the beans from them and have it even cheaper. The link for the beans is:http://www.fotvn.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13 Hope this helps y'all live more frugally.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Like others, I too decided it was cool enough to bake today. I made a strawberry rhubarb crunch for my hubby. He wanted pie, but crunch is easier. I don't do pie crusts well. I thought I would share the recipe.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRUNCH

1 cup sifted flour (I used oat bran flour)
3/4 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced strawberries and rhubarb, mixed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; place half the crumb mixture in 9-inch square pan. Add fruit. Combine sugar, cornstarch, 1 cup water and vanilla in medium saucepan ; cook until thick and clear. Pour over fruit; cover with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

White yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea Millefolum) -Yarrow is a common plant that grows wild all over the world. It has feathery leaves, white, yellow, or pink flowers sometimes they look like daisy, some of them grow in heads like dill or queen anne's lace. All parts of the plant is used medicinally.

Some common names are soldier's woundwort, milfoil, nosebleed plant, and old man's pepper. It grows in poor, well drained soil. It improves soil and the leaves make a good addition to compost. Yarrow is a good companion plant. It repels some bad insects and attracts good ones, such as predatory wasps, ladybugs, and hoverflies. It improves the health of sickly plants growing next to it and increases the potency of other herbs around it.

Yarrow flowers are used for allergic mucus problems including hay fever. A tea from yarrow, peppermint, and elderflower will cure colds and flu. An infusion of the flowers can be applied to eczema. Yarrow intensifies the medicinal action of other herbs taken with it.

Yarrow leaves are used to stop bleeding from cuts and nosebleeds. The root, when chewed, will relieve a toothache. The stalks are dried and used by the Chinese to forecast the future.

Yarrow overall promotes good digestion, improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and in the Middle Ages, was used to flavor beer.

Canoe Trip

We went canoeing today. Dad, Mom, and three teenage girls. We took the girls just for the entertainment factor. They had their own canoe. After they figured out who was supposed to be steering they did well.

Picture it. Michigan, early summer on the Huron River. The river is higher than it has been in a long time. The dog roses are blooming, the lily pads are just starting to bloom. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. Cedar waxwings are chasing bugs while the egrets fish in the reeds. The silence is broken only by the sound of teenage girls gossiping. The day started well. We headed upstream. Upstream when you are fresh is always the wisest choice.

We soon left the girls behind as they tried to figure out how to steer the canoe. I wanted to watch, but Dad wanted to get going. We passed a canoe with a Vietnamese family of three. The father was casting along the bank while Mom paddled. We pulled up next the shore in a shady spot to wait for the girls to catch up and had a nice chat with a couple more Vietnamese women. Apparently there was a large group on an outing. When the girls finally banged into sight we went on. Not too soon after that Dad told them that the person in the BACK of the canoe is supposed to steer. Once Harley understood that the noise level from their canoe fell to normal levels.

We paddled on to a picnic spot where we stopped for lunch and the girls went swimming. They were amazed at how hard it was to swim upstream. After lunch we continued upstream. I was starting to get tired. We paddled for another 45 minutes or so until we reached the dam that separates the river from a lake. We turned around and headed back to the livery. The girls handled the turn quite well. The trip back was quite nice. I took some pictures and just rested. By this time everyone was sunburned and getting tired. Harley was getting frustrated because the other two girls didn't know what they were doing. Poor Hailey was so tired she just curled up and lay her head on the gunwale. Shaina and Hailey had to work tonight, so I feel bad for them. All in all it was a good day. That was definitely $56 well spent.

Sleep Pillow for Baby

I made this pillow for a baby shower I am going to. They are easy to make and very useful. It has brown rice, lavender, sage, chamomile, and lemon balm inside. It can be put in the crib to help calm a fussy baby and it can be heated in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm, then lay it across the abdomen of a baby with colic. When the child gets older you can store it in the freezer for soothing boo-boos.

I used two 7" x 6" squares of scrap material and some leftover rick rack from another project. Sew them together right sides facing leaving about 3/4" open for turning. Turn right side out and fill. I used about 2 TBSP of dried lavender buds, a handful of sage leaves (dried), a handful of lemon balm leaves (dried), a chamomile tea bag {I left the chamomile in the tea bag because it has a tendency to powder and sift out through the weave of the material. Fine dust is not a good thing for babies to inhale.} , and about a cup of dry brown rice. I'm guessing because I didn't measure. A funnel is a big help here. After everything is inside sew the opening closed.

I put these in plastic bags when giving them away. I enclose a card explaining what they are and how they can be used.

I usually get the herbs from my garden, but my chamomile is not big enough to harvest yet this year. Everything else came from my yard. Lemon balm grows like a weed once established, and sage and lavender are not difficult to grow. Neither of them mind poor soil, and lavender likes dry spots.

Sage

Sage is a mild tonic that fortifies a generally debilitated nervous system. Instead of sedating the nervous system as some nervine herbs do, it actually stimulates the central nervous system, strengthening it to reduce excess nervous energy. This mild tonic quiets the nerves, relieves spasms, helps induce Sleep and combats depression, mental exhaustion, trembling and nervousness. It has been used to calm seasickness, and traditional herbalists even thought it useful in treating certain forms of insanity.

As a powerful astringent, Sage has the ability to slow down the secretion of fluids in the body. It is considered an antiperspirant and natural deodorizer that works from inside out. Apparently, the tannins and volatile oils account for its ability to dry up perspiration and slow excessive saliva flow. This quality helps to reduce the heavy perspiration of night sweats and hot flashes.

Sage is an old and trusted remedy for drying up breast milk when women wish to stop nursing.
Mucous congestion in the nasal passages and airways of the respiratory tract is also dried by the use of Sage. Its drying effect is also used to treat Diarrhea.

Sage promotes good digestion and is considered one of the best remedies for stomach troubles. Sage stimulates the appetite, eases gas pains, removes mucus in the stomach, relieves biliousness and dyspepsia, and is beneficial in digesting foods of all kinds, both savory and sweet. Its "bitter" component stimulates upper digestive secretions, increasing bile flow and pancreatic function, and it is said to keep the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, spleen and sexual organs healthy.

Living up to its name, Sage is said to be a stimulant that strengthens the brain and promotes wisdom. Since antiquity, it has been reputed to slow down the ageing process and endow long life. It appears to be a Memory strengthener, helping to restore failing Memory in the elderly and improving concentration in all who use it.

Sage is considered an "emmenagogue," an agent that is used to bring on suppressed Menstruation. Additionally, it is said to help regulate its flow. Researchers claim that Sage has estrogenic effects on the body that may treat Estrogen deficiency. This may be a contributing factor in Sage's use for the relief of hot flashes that result from either hysterectomy or menopause.
Recent studies claim that as a stimulant Sage increases Circulation and relieves headache. It is also gaining a reputation for improving Circulation to the heart.

Sage is a powerful antioxidant that will inhibit destructive and harmful free-radical compounds. It is also an anti-inflammatory that will help to shrink and soothe inflamed tissue. As an antifungal, Sage has been shown to exhibit anti-yeast activity against Candida albicans; and in cell cultures, Sage inhibited antiviral activity in Herpes simplex virus II and influenza virus A2.

As a "vulnerary" Sage will assist in healing wounds by protecting against infection and stimulating cell growth. Used topically, Sage's antiseptic properties will clean sores and old ulcers, treat cuts, wounds and bruises, and will help to stop Bleeding and encourage healing.

A Sage gargle is a well-known, old-fashioned antiseptic remedy for disorders affecting the mouth and throat, such as dental abscesses, infected gums, mouth ulcers, sore and Bleeding gums, loose teeth, Cold Sores, sore throat, tonsillitis and throat infections.

The medicinal uses of Sage abound. The antiseptic properties in Sage are useful in treating intestinal and respiratory infections, and the essential oil, heated in a vaporizer, will disinfect a sick room. The herb has also been effective in breaking fevers, reducing cold symptoms, treating dysentery, and expelling worms and Parasites.
Sage's cosmetic uses are numerous. It is used in baths as a relaxant and to soothe sore muscles, in shampoos to cleanse the scalp and stimulate hair growth, in soaps to cleanse and restore ageing skin, and in hair rinses to promote shine (especially in dark hair).

Sage is an evergreen shrub with a distinctive fragrance that may grow to a height of almost three feet, and it thrives in rich, well-drained soil in sunny locations. It is native to the Mediterranean region and was introduced to North America in the seventeenth century, where it continues to grow throughout the temperate regions. Sage is a member of the multi-species Salvia genus, and despite the fact that any herb of this genus may be called Sage; there are significant differences in medicinal components in the tops and roots that influence their uses.

Lemon Balm

Habitat
Lemon Balm is common throughout Europe, but mostly cultivated in the United States. It sometimes grows wild in sunny fields and along roadsides. It is a perennial and is easily cultivated by seed or root division in rich, sandy or loamy soil. The branched upright stem is square and grows to about 3 feet in height. The leaves are bright green growing in opposite pairs they are ovate and serrate. The whole plant has fine hairs and a lemony scent when crushed. The flowers are yellow-white to rose colored or even bluish, two lipped, bilabiate they grow in clusters at the joints or some times on small branches at the joints. Lemon Balm blooms from about July to August. Gather the leaves flowers and stems as soon as the flowers begin to open.
Properties
Lemon Balm is edible and medicinal. Fresh leaves can be added to salad or used in egg dishes and can be used to make sauces for fish, poultry and pork. Dried or fresh the whole plant is used to make cool refreshing drinks or warm relaxing teas. Used in alternative medicine the leaves and young flowering shoots are antibacterial, antispasmodic, antiviral, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, febrifuge, sedative, and tonic. Balm contains a volatile oil citral and citronella which is strongly antispasmodic and aids in calming nerves, relieving menstrual cramps, insomnia, depression, hyperthyroidism, upset stomach, and colic in babies. Leaf tea is good for fevers, colds, and headache. Fresh crushed leaves are applied to wounds and insect bites. The essential oils in the fresh plant, particularly citronella make it a most effective insect repellent when crushed and rubbed on skin or clothes. Research has shown that the plant contains polyphenols, it can help significantly in the treatment of cold sores and combat the herpes simplex virus. Added to bath it relieves muscle tension and soothes irritated skin. The oil is often added to skin preparations and perfumes. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy and is very pleasant used in potpourris.

Lemon Balm can help significantly in the treatment of cold sores and combat the herpes simplex virus. Added to bath it relieves muscle tension and soothes irritated skin. The oil is often added to skin preparations and perfumes. The essential oil (which is quite expensive and often adulterated with lemon or lemongrass) is used in aromatherapy and is very pleasant used in potpourris.

Growing
Lemon balm is very invasive. Once established it will take over. I have it growing in spots all around my house and I only planted it in one. You will never have a shortage. Some experts say it has to be protected over the winter, but we had one of the coldest winters in a long time last year and it has come back strong. It is actually outgrowing my strawberries.

A Day in the Life

Well, what happened in my world today? Let's see. I got up, had a shower went to work and it all went to pot. As I was unplugging my hi-lo this morning I noticed that five rows of product had fallen over this weekend. Eight skids at seventy-five boxes a skid. I cried a little and picked them all up. My boss was kind enough to send someone to help me though. Normally, I am alone in my warehouse, but he sent someone to stay with me today and help catch up. I was behind because last week the people loading the trailers were putting boxes on the trailers that should have gone right to repack because they were wet and damaged on the trailers coming to me, so I had to sort through them. Then I had two trailers that the skids had to be restacked because they had fallen over in the trailer. I bought pizza for dinner tonight.

I did get a phone call from a friend I made a purse for this weekend thanking me for it. She said she showed it off to everyone. It is nice to be appreciated once in a while.

I deadheaded my iris tonight. They are just starting to bloom. I harvested some sage and some lemon balm today. I will freeze them for use in the winter.

My New Purse

This is the new purse I made myself from an old pair of jeans and some scraps. I have been wanting a new purse, but didn't want to spend any money on one. I used the Perfect Bag pattern by Linda McGehee. I embellished it with fabric, ribbon, and yarn scraps. It was the first time I tried to use corded piping. It didn't come out right, but it doesn't look bad. I made a makeup bag to go with it. I love this technique for embellishing. I did it to my denim jacket a couple of years ago and still get compliments.