inhale...exhale...relax your shoulders...repeat as often as needed

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

goldthread...sowing, not sewing

gretta harvested these garlic on saturday,
hannah helped me clean them yesterday
and this morning, i trimmed and braided them.
they are now hanging in the woodshed to dry.
i repurposed a net lemon bag to hold a few stray bulbs.
they will be shipped off to the kitchens of my beloveds...
in oregon, massachusetts and ohio.
gretta will be in studying in australia in the fall!
no shipping for her :-(
and i'll keep some for us.

i love cooking with local foods, 
and i love knowing that some of them are really 
good for us.

The older I get, the more I realize that we really are what we eat. During our vegan adventure, I became even more convinced. I am paying closer attention to how I feel. I'm learning ways to support my mood, health and wellness with what I choose to eat, and what I choose to avoid. It's a work in progress!

In the past, we have chased away ear infections with herbal ear drops and we've brewed cold busting tea made with freshly chopped ginger, lemon juice and local honey. We've used aloe to soothe an occasional sunburn,  and settled an upset stomach with mint tea. 

One of my favorite bloggers, m. heart, has been on an amazing spiritual journey and has been very generous in bringing her readers along. Recently, she has been studying at Goldthread Herb Farm and has launched a blog for them. Their purpose is very intriguing.

Goldthread is a medicinal herb farm, apothecary, distillery, and education center the beautiful hills of Western Massachusetts. Our goal is to provide a source for medicinal plant preparations of the highest quality, crafted with the greatest care and attention to detail, and to educate the community about their proper use as the foundation of a sustainable grassroots home health care system. 

A sustainable grassroots home health care system. WOW! 

Goldthread is offering a Community Herbalist Course, which will be held on eight weekends throughout the year. A weeklong intensive in August 2012 will finish up the program. To learn more, click here. The beautiful photos alone are worth the click! I'm not in a position to take this course yet, but as I continue to explore the many ways we can support our own health, this may become more compelling. (There's also a fun giveaway being offered, too).

Do you use any herbal remedies or home cures?

(p. s. I have benefitted from conventional medicine many a time, including several surgeries. I believe we are fortunate to have access to many and varied ways to support our health.)

8 comments:

  1. australia!
    oh my ..that's far
    love your braid work

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  2. I chew on mint leaves as a digestive, and drink different herbal teas, echinacea tincture is very good for colds, and manuka honey for sore throats, also tea tree and lavender oil as antiseptics and inhalations for blocked sinuses. I also use homeopathic remedies as well.

    Pomona x

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  3. Thank you Karen for the links to those blogs, i became a follower. I agree with your last note. I , of course, have a conventional doctor, but I also go to a footrefloxologe and once a month for a ayurveda massage.

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  4. Here in Santa Fe, NM, I use Osha root as a method to entrain myself with the mountains. It is excellent for digestion and I find that this household uses it as an antiviral. During the winter, we use it to keep our respiratory system healthy.

    Three years ago, I found an amazing herbalist with her line of products at Artemisia Herbs, from Dixon, NM. The herbalist's brother has an vibrant lavender field that provides the lavender for Artemisia's lavender honey. I like to surprise my dinner guests with home made raw-nut ice cream, using the lavender honey. It is the sweetest surprise treat that I can give my dinner guests.

    I also follow m. heart's, Secret Notebooks~Wild Pages. I believe it is the best blogging I've ever read. She has a way of capturing the heart, motivating the spirit and giving food for thought and reflection.
    The photos are excellent, the content always inspiring. I believe that I found my way to Sew and Sow Live via Uma's blog.

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  5. All that garlic is amazing! I've always wanted to take a course in herbalism. Someday. In the meantime, I've discovered that unsweetened cranberry juice does wonders for swollen ankles!

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  6. Thank you Karen, and thank you Kameshwari too, and baukje for becoming a follower at The Thread!

    love from the blogger formerly known as m. heart (lol).

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  7. Btw we harvested our garlic at the farm yesterday, tonight I need to do a blog post I think!

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  8. Absolutely beautiful garlic Karen! The only downside to growing hardneck garlic for me is that they are impossible to braid. Nice work!

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