Why I've Been M.I.A.

I have not written anything in quite a while now and I have to confess to you it's because I've been down in the dumps, uninspired and unmotivated.  I guess everyone experiences burn-out occasionally and I'm no exception.  I still love herbs and natural healing, still enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, still make and sell herbal products to boost health and beauty, but for some reason I have just not felt like writing.  With spring and the onset of gardening season I will likely be too busy to write.  So what is my problem?

First, I've been unemployed for too long.  I work per diem shifts here and there but that only amounts to 4-5 days per month.  I have all this time on my hands but I've become lazy...a million projects to work on and no motivation.  So, I'm going to Texas at the end of the month, a gift from my sister and am hoping to feel rejuvenated when I return home.  She has a yard project for us to work on and I am hoping that will get my blood flowing again!

Second, I don't have much of a following so it is hard to feel strongly motivated to write when no one is reading!  However, I have reminded myself that I don't do this blog for anyone but myself and so the writing is for me, not readers!  Since I don't do FB, this is the closest thing I have to social networking.

Third, winter is always a dreary time for me!  Arthritis keeps me pretty miserable from Halloween to Easter and when I'm hurting I don't feel like writing, typing or being creative.

SO...I'm taking the bull by the horns!  I'm going to commit to posting at least 2 blogs per week.  They may be very short posts or very long ones.  They may be a simple picture or new recipe to share.  They may be just be a shared article from the web that I found interesting.  Whatever they are, I am making a promise to myself that I will write at least twice per week.  If I'm particularly inspired I may write more!

Gardening time is almost here.  I have my seeds ready and just need to start them indoors.  I am giving up my herb garden space to my husband this year for our vegetable garden.  Where my main herb garden sits is the best site for veggie gardening so I decided to sacrifice my space and pull up the plants so that the veggies may have the sunniest spot and I will plant my herbs in containers this year.  I will transplant a few of my well established plants, such as Rosemary and Sage, but will plant the rest new.  I am excited about this but when I think of all the work involved...GROAN!  I believe that we will have our most successful vegetable garden this year so the work will be worth it!

I have decided to grow less herbs this year and concentrate on growing the plants I use most for making my medicinals and beauty products.  I need to be less wasteful!  I also am bugging my husband about building me a cheap composting unit and hope to be blogging about that soon!

What will you be growing this year?  Do you garden in the ground or containers?  I would love to hear about your gardening plans!

Rosemary for Happy Hair!

I found this wonderful article about how the herb Rosemary can help your hair be it's glossiest, healthiest best.  I just had to share it with you.  This article is not my own but borrowed from the Mike at Natural News, a great newsletter I highly recommend for people interested in natural health and alternative medical modalities.  Enjoy!

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(NaturalNews) Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is a wonderful smelling, multi-purpose herb; the leaves of which have been used in traditional cures for centuries. The herb stimulates hair growth and makes hair smell delightful. Rosemary is said to enhance the memory by improving blood circulation.

Rosemary for hair

Rosemary tea can be used as a conditioning hair rinse. The herb will help to combat dandruff, and rosemary vinegar applied to the hair will make hair gloriously glossy (especially dark hair). Combined with horsetail, rosemary is said to aid hair loss recovery in cases where hair loss has been due to stress and worry.

Rosemary tea recipe for hair: Pour a cup of boiling water over two to three teaspoons of fresh or dried rosemary leaves, cover and allow to steep for 10 minutes or so. Drink two cups of rosemary tea a day to prevent hair loss through poor circulation and to stimulate growth after an event such as chemotherapy.

Rosemary vinegar recipe: Take 25g rosemary (fresh) and add to 1 liter of cider vinegar. Allow to steep in the vinegar for two weeks then strain, bottle in a glass bottle, date and label. Use 2 dessert spoons in final rinsing water after washing hair. To fight dandruff, massage the rosemary vinegar into the scalp 20 minutes before washing.

More uses

For poor circulation, take rosemary regularly. It is a useful addition for conditions associated with cold and poor circulation. Use as an infused oil for massage of cold limbs, aches and pains.

Rosemary has a reputation for improving memory - researches have found that rosemary contains carnosic acid, which can fight off free radical damage to the brain. In addition to improving memory, it would seem that rosemary can protect the brain from strokes and conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease.

One of the properties of rosemary is to lift the spirits and it is useful in cases of depression. Add 15 drops rosemary oil to a warm bath to ease muscular tension, improve circulation and boost the spirits.

The herb is useful in cases of poor digestion, gall bladder inflammation and general feelings of being liverish.

Rosemary is useful as a gargle for sore throats.

Rosemary oil blends well with oils such as frankincense, basil, thyme, bergamot, lavender, cedarwood, cypress and spice oils such as cinnamon, clove, ginger and black pepper.

Caution: Avoid in large doses during pregnancy. Rosemary is not suitable for people with epilepsy or high blood pressure.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/028303_h...
The Illustrated Guide to Healing Remedies, C. Shealy, Published by Harper Collins, 2002 edition, page 168 and

http://www.suite101.com/content/her...


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032781_rosemary_hair.html#ixzz1Q4ktFXKE