Handiwork October 9, 2009
I just want to add — in relation to, but not specifically about knitting — that “Lizziejank” from the blog FEMINA has an incredibly good post here (and actually, this short post the next day goes with it and is very fun).
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It’s AWESOME and I highly recommend clicking on it and giving it a quick read-through. It will make you smile on everything your hands have embarked upon.
You say Knitting, I say Knotting… October 7, 2009
I have finally become interested in knitting. Thank you to all who have ever tried to teach me to knit (namely Mom, who has the patience of Job, having tried several times to help me out with this). I guess it was all in the timing, because last week — for the first time — I actually WANTED to knit.
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Upon Mom’s advice, I bought size 10 needles (goodwill — $1.00), some garbage yarn (goodwill — 6 skeins grey acrylic, $1.00), and…well, I bought some other stuff, too, but it doesn’t really apply to the knitting theme I have going here. I searched “how to knit” on youtube, and directly began to make a scarf. It’s a hilariously appalling scarf, so far, but it’s fun.
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I have one comment regarding the “calming effect” of knitting, however. I haven’t yet reached that Nirvana. My hands are all knotted up in pain and my eyeballs are dull with straining. But I’ll get there. Just you wait (Henry Higgins).
The Mezzaluna…Chop, Chop September 27, 2009
As you may or may not know from a previous post of mine, I have long wanted a mezzaluna. I saw one at TJ Maxx about a month ago, but couldn’t bring myself to buy it at “full price” (that would be, full TJ Maxx price). Well, last week when Pawel and I found ourselves wandering around in said store once again, I found the mezzaluna on the CLEARANCE cart! I am now the delighted owner of a double-bladed mezzaluna, complete with concave cutting board. Chopped loveliness.
If you visit me, I’ll let you use it.
Black Walnut — Hull, Yeah! September 20, 2009
Hahahaha! Could my wit and humor get any duller or cheesier? Oh, man…that made me laugh. But anyway, onto the issue at hand. Two trees are currently ripe for the medicinal picking: Black Walnut and Wild Cherry (aka Chokecherry or Pin Cherry). Black Walnut is almost over for the season, so I’ll climb this tree today, while we still have a little time.
Black Walnut
The medicine of the Black Walnut tree is found in it’s fruit — mainly the HULL of the fruit. The walnut hull is a thick, hard, rough, green skin that surrounds the actual walnut (shell and all). When it falls off the tree the hull begins to turn black.
The medicinal properties of the Black Walnut hull are mainly anti-fungal and anthelmitic (kill parasites), and these properties are not mild, if I do say so, myself. …Yowza!
A tincture is a great way to draw out and preserve the properties of Black Walnut hull. Don’t bother trying to make this into a syrup or otherwise improve the taste. It refuses to be improved without LOTS of sweetener, and if you’re going to be using this to help kill off something like Candida albicans (yeast), lots of sweetener is just what you don’t need. So when you take some of this tincture, just dump it down the hatch and follow up with ginger kombucha (what? what is kombucha? …that news will break later) or some other equally good goodness.
Below I’ve spelled out a recipe (from Hulda Clark) for making a Black Walnut hull tincture. When you are collecting the walnuts for this recipe, it’s important that the hulls be at least 50% green in order to get the most out of them. Don’t peel the hulls off of the walnuts. This tincture is made with the whole “walnut ball” intact — hull and kernel.
Happy tincturing, and may your parasites shake in their boots.
Black Walnut Hull Tincture Extra Strength
- Your largest enamel or ceramic (not stainless steel, not aluminum) cooking pot,
- Preferably at least 10 quarts Black Walnuts, in the hull, each one still at least 50% green, enough to fill the pot to the top
- Grain alcohol, about 50% strength, enough to cover the walnuts
- 1/2 tsp. vitamin C
- Plastic wrap or cellophane
- Glass jars or bottles
The black walnut tree produces large green balls in the fall. The walnut is inside, but we will use the whole ball, uncracked, since the active ingredient is in the green outer hull.
Rinse the walnuts carefully, put them in the pot, and cover them with alcohol. Sprinkle on half the vitamin C. Seal with plastic wrap and cover. Let sit for three days. Pour into glass jars or bottles, discarding walnuts, and divide the remaining vitamin C amongst the jars. If the glass jar has a metal lid, first put plastic wrap over the top before screwing on the lid. Potency is strong for several years if unopened, even if it darkens.
(taken from page 543 The Cure For All Diseases by Hulda Clark)
Take 2 tsp., all together in 1/4 cup water. Sip it, don’t gulp it. Get it down within 15 minutes. (If you are over 150 pounds, take 2 1/2 tsp. Do not take more than 3 tsp. because no additional value has been observed.)
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A couple extras:
– Instead of ceramic/enamel pot, I used a glass gallon jar for the tincturing process.
– The vitamin C is to preserve the green color of the tincture. If you don’t care what it looks like, you can make it without.
– The less oxygen in the tincture, the better. The jars in which the tincture is stored should be filled almost to the brim, leaving very little air-room.
– The storage jars, if possible, should be amber glass. Store in a dark, cool place — refrigeration not necessary.
– If you don’t want to ingest 2 tsp. vodka every day, put the tincture in some warm (110 degree) water to get rid of some of the alcohol. Make sure the water isn’t too hot or it could damage the parasite/yeast killing properties.
– Black walnuts are a great source of iodine, so there’s lots of iodine in this tincture.
– Black walnuts stain like crazy. Be warned.
Psalm 107 September 20, 2009
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
INS Policies July 15, 2009
At Walmart, where a young kid was taking my picture for a passport photo:
Me: Can you tell me when you’re going to take the picture so I can smile?
Camera Guy: Ok, but you know, you don’t have to smile for this picture. (Very seriously stated)
Pawel: So INS changed their policy on smiling?
Camera Guy: ….Yeah.
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I love Pawel’s sense of humor and the fact that half the world doesn’t even know when it’s taking place…until 5, 10, even 30 minutes after it’s said and done. And you can imagine — my passport picture has a smile on the verge of laughter.
The Gredeckis in CO July 13, 2009
So we’ve been here for over 2 months, now. We’re enjoying it and drive somewhere beautiful every weekend.
