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The Thoughtful Spot

July 2020

7/31/2020

 
Some days are purely magical, the sun is warm and friendly, the breeze fresh and cool. But then there are days that seem, well, less than lovely, days a bit like today. That once-friendly sun is blazing down on earth with a vengeance, that refreshing breeze seems to have up and blown away, and my companions, as I sit here on the mossy rock of my thoughtful spot, are rather less fairytale-like than the flowers and damselflies that met me here only a month ago.  Invisible biting flies are swarming around me and I have that irritating sensation that some tiny thing is crawling around my ankles or on my arms or behind my neck and I just can’t shake it even though I know there’s nothing there… and it’s quite maddeningly distracting.

Sometimes my thoughtful spot isn’t very conducive to thinking.
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Far from a wholly unpleasant moment, however, I marvel as I sit here at how much can change in the course of a month.  The leaves are still green above me, the moss still vibrant below, the waterfall still tumbles down its lopsided ledge, yet there are myriad little changes that mark the past month’s events and the progress of the season.  A flood swept through this creek not three weeks ago, the bank on which my seat resides has been carved out by the rushing water and the ledge has crept quite close to my feet.  Further downstream the sandy gravel of the creek bed has been washed away to reveal three short, deep ledges of smooth, black bedrock.  They lead upstream like steps, one could imagine they are leading to the great front gates of some formidable and ancient castle.

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I walked here by a different route today.  Up and over the hill of the upper pasture, through knee-deep yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) and blackberry brambles (Rubus moluccanus) and Iron Weed (Vernonia fasciculata) sentinels towering straight and valiant over my head.  But growing hidden in the tall grass was another familiar face - Self-heal. Prunella vulgaris, this many-blossomed member of the mint family, has been known by many names - heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth - and it truly does live up to them.  It’s been revered for centuries for its powerful wound healing properties, support of the immune system, and ability to soothe sore throats and allergy symptoms. The cheery purple flowers are said to grow everywhere mankind can live.  It has always seemed a quite a heroic little herb to me. 

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When little Elves have cut themselves, or Mouse has hurt her tail,
Or Froggie's arm has come to harm, this herb will never fail.
The fairy's skill can cure each ill and soothe the sorest pain;
She'll bathe and bind, and soon they'll find
That they are well again.

 -  The Song of the Self-Heal Fairy
   Cicely Mary Barker

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Across my page a procession of carpenter ants has formed an orderly line.  Up my tote bag on one side, across my open journal, down to the rock on the other side, neat and precise and determined they march.  And now a giant robber fly is buzzing far too close for comfort.  This intimidating insect must be at least an inch long, with alarmingly large eyes, and a thin body curled forward, reminiscent of a scorpion waiting to strike… quite a terrifying creature, despite a reputation of being mostly harmless.  It seems as though it’s planning to settle down here for a while, so perhaps the time has come for me to say goodbye to my thoughtful spot for today, and leave the rather interesting menagerie of other visitors to enjoy it in peace.

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Aloe vera

7/1/2020

 
 One of the oldest recorded medicinal herbs with a fascinating history, Aloe vera has been long prized for its topical healing benefits. Legend claims that Alexander the Great once attacked an island kingdom to acquire the wound-healing aloe plants, Cleopatra was reported to use aloe daily to preserve her fabled beauty, and now this powerful little succulent grows on many a kitchen windowsill.  It is best known for the cooling gel inside the leaves that quickly soothes minor burns. But aloe’s healing abilities extend well beyond just burns.
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The fresh gel is cooling and reduces swelling and inflammation, eases pain, soothes itching, speeds the healing of wounds, and helps prevent scarring.  As it dries, the gel forms a natural bandage that protects broken skin while its antibacterial properties prevent infection.  Aloe is also an astringent and demulcent herb that nourishes, moisturizes, and strengthens the skin, making it the perfect herb to add to lotions, shampoos, face masks, or any homemade skin care products.  

While aloe is considered a tropical plant, and is not winter hardy in zones 7 and colder, it does survive very happily indoors through the winter months, and thrives in partial sun outside in the summer.   Try to find an aloe plant that is a shoot from a plant already acclimated to your climate, these shoots will be much hardier and grow more quickly than plants that have been transplanted from a different zone.  Aloe likes to be planted in pots of slightly sandy soil and needs moderate watering.  When temperatures begin to regularly drop below 50oF  in the Autumn, bring your plan indoors and place it by a sunny window through the winter.  It is best to set the plant outside in the sun for only a few hours at a time on early spring days to gradually re-acclimate it to the sun, otherwise the leaves have a tendency to sunburn.  An aloe plant can be safely returned to its outdoor home when temperatures are consistently above 50oF in the Spring.

So next time you run into poison ivy in the woods, or end up with a few cuts and scrapes after hunting for blackberries, or sunburn on a warm summer day, reach for the aloe plant that is growing on your window sill, and enjoy its healing properties.

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    Do You Have a
    Thoughtful Spot?

    Many current trends in natural health focus on ecotherapy and shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, reiterating with scientific studies and medical terminology something that Winnie the Pooh taught us many years ago:  we all need
    a "Thotful Spot". 
    We need a little corner surrounded by nature where we can sit and be still, ponder and pray, and observe closely the beauty around us. 

    These posts are musings and meanderings from my Thoughtful Spots, recorded once every month, and interspersed with occasional ramblings about my favorite medicinal herbs. 

    I hope you'll join me in finding a Thoughtful Spot, visit it often, record the things that make you marvel, and remember,

    "the world will never  starve for want of wonders..."
     - G.K. Chesterton

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