Category — Amigos

Busy in some ways, not busy in others… restless mind today and lots of outings these past few days. Trying to remain in the present and not get too overwhelmed and/or hopeless about various situations in life. Note to self: So many wonderful things to notice about the here and now!!! My prayer is for gratitude and contentment…

Enjoy recent pics:
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Chris and I dressed up for the Home School Party as Bunty aur Babli (Bollywood movie characters). Ethan went as an alien and the next day as a pirate for Trick-or-Treating around the Kenton Neighborhood and sharing coffee and snacks with some neighbors from Evergreen.

Enjoy the pics:
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I have been at a loss these last few weeks – a loss of what to share with you all. Not just on the blog but often in person as well. I feel like all the little munchkin workers running the factory inside my brain have all caught a cold; Everything is a little slower. Harry called in sick and Margaret is complaining about her migraine. Come on, Brain People, get to work!

I have tried a few times to bring you a new and interesting post, and each time I managed to get my wheels turnin’, my brain just said, “fart.” I’m not even kidding. I wish I were. I even think what came out had a bit of foul odor.

Is it motherhood? The constant lack of quality sleep? The ferocious amount of mental energy it takes to keep all the balls spinning on each and every finger of my hands (and the one I balance on my head too!)?

It’s not that I haven’t had anything on my mind, though. Just the opposite. SO.MUCH. Where to begin? How to carefully divulge — with what amount of vulnerability am I willing to risk?

On one hand, I could start and end with the daily hum drum of my life: What I did this week, how yoga is going, how my diet is going, how my marriage is going, how the kids are doing, how homeschooling is going, how work is going.

To all those questions, I would describe things as “just fine!” Nothing newsworthy, which is often a good thing. The week has been fairly balanced, I am still loving yoga even though I wanted to cry when my body would not do an inversion in dolphin position this week (don’t you love how yoga brings out those emotions, showing us how hard we can be on ourselves?!) I’m eating well enough. My marriage is having a good week, we’ve talked a lot and bla bla bla. The kids are good, though Ethan still drives me absolutely bonkers. (The phase he is in is the “DEMANDING” phase. Holy cow. Talk about stressful.) As you could see from my last post, Verity is doing great, already crawling and getting into every little thing. Homeschooling is a lot more like “unschooling” these days since I have been working quite a bit. Last week we went with the homeschool group to the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch and today was the Halloween Party (Chris, Misty and I went as Bollywood stars, Ethan was an alien — thanks to the crazy mother who stayed up all night knitting him a green hat to make into an alien costume…). Work is work. Between 3 clients and another 3 folks I “barter” my services for, things are busy, busy, busy. I’d say the category of “work related” stuff I do each week is teetering on over-time (i.e. 40+ hours/wk), simultaneous with my work as a mom/wife (160 hours/wk). I just keep telling myself that one day, rest will come. One day, the kids will be a little older. One day, Chris will bring in more income. One day. And I don’t say that in a woah-is-me voice, either. I truly am hopeful for that one day. If my dad harped on anything, it was the phrase, “This too shall pass.” Sweet Jesus, how true.

Then there’s all of those thoughts and questions which my mind just turns and turns and turns, until everything inside it is sweet n’ creamy butta, baby. Short and long term financial goals, mine and Chris’ strengths and weaknesses, personal triumphs and failures, which learned roles I take on that I really don’t have to, why I so easily slip into survival mode, why I can’t let go, where we’ll all be in 5 years, will Ethan and I ever be close again, will I ever be able to homeschool the way I want to, why I feel the need to not just deliver but IMPRESS, why I’m all of a sudden disgruntled with our choice to be carless, why we are always broke within a week of a paycheck,… all of these and so, so much more.

More things like new herbs I’ve learned about, new projects I’m knitting, how our new homegroup is growing, if and how I fit into the body of Evergreen Community, my frustration at the sewing machine for wrecking up the pillow covers I’m sewing –

WILL IT JUST SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT I’VE GOT A LOT OF POTS ON THE STOVE?!

Yep. That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.

This has become a novel, hasn’t it? One big brain fart of a novel. And I didn’t even tell you the details of what I got out of the Betrayed, Redeemed Conference last weekend or anything else of significance in my life lately. I guess I’ll just save that all for a rainy day.

K, I just looked outside so I’ll rephrase that: save that all for a DIFFERENT rainy day.

Cheers, and happy almost- all saints day (stole that off of 30 Rock last night. That and “Good God, your breath! When did you have time to eat a diaper that you found on the beach!” …Ha! Cracks me up…)

Last week I shared some tips on how to get the sleep and rest you need to fend off unwanted flu season bugs. This week, I’ll go through a few more herbs for immune system support and make my way to the herbs for when it’s too late and you are ALREADY sick. These herbs don’t just mask your symptoms, they help you help yourself by stimulated the various systems of your body that are functioning sub par. By supporting your body, you strengthen your natural defenses, get over the cold sooner, and bonus – are less likely to catch something next time!

Herbs have been in use as medicine for centuries and in many ways have served as the foundation for modern medicine. Here at the house we use herbs as teas, tinctures, and essential oils. (For what its worth, our health is also aided by the use of probiotics in the form of homemade kombucha and kefir, as well as unrefined coconut oil and high quality cod liver oil on a daily basis.) In the last month, several guests have come and gone through our home only to find out later that they were just getting sick at the time they visited. In our church alone, it seems everyone is ill, one person even has a terrible case of swine flu. Yet the 8 of us have so far remained unscathed by the viruses and bacterias that have made their way around us. (Lacey is constantly reminding us to take an essential oil called “Thieves”, a blend that has been shown to kill airborne viruses and bacterias when diffused.) Is this really just a coincidence? Of course not.

So this particular post takes a look at herbs in the form of essential oils that can be used for colds/flus/infections. My roomate is the essential oil guru, but the more I hear testimonials and read the studies, the more convinced I am of how powerful these oils can be as medicine. As one article put it:

The household, medicinal, and prescriptive uses of essential oils are described in some of the most ancient records known. The history of herbal science, as reconstructed from a huge body of public and private records, chronicles man’s development and application of the arts of medicine, healing, disease prevention, and pest management. … essential oils continue to be used, today, in each of these arts, and for a myriad of diverse applications. In light of all this, it seems paradoxical that herbal science is not championed–or even respected–everywhere, or by everyone. Unenlightened “experts” often equate the use of essential oils to quackery, old wives tales, and the brews of witches. In fact, some of our most authoritative professional associations, particularly in the fields of medicine and pest management, have lent support to that equation despite a mountain of easily verified facts that tells quite another story. In medicine alone, over 25 percent of today’s most valuable prescription and over-the-counter drugs contain, as key ingredients, herbal extracts.

This article explains:

A study (J Infect Dis, Dec 1990; 162(6):1277-82) showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol (acetaminophen) suppress their body’s ability to produce antibodies that destroy the cold virus. This actually causes the body to take longer to fight the cold and it accounts for any secondary infections and post-nasal drip. …

Colds can be contracted as the result of contact with more than 200 different viruses. However, among all of the cold viruses, the rhinovirus and the coronavirus cause the majority of colds. Each time you have a cold, it is caused by a distinct virus – e.g. adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, and coronavirus. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria. They are tiny clusters of genetic material surrounded by a protein ‘wrapper’. Medical science currently does not have any drugs that can kill these viruses. Antibiotics, including penicillin, do not have any effect on viruses. They are only used to treat secondary bacterial infections that can further complicate the effects of a cold. While orthodox medicine does not have the answer for colds and ‘flu’, nature does – it comes in the form of pure organic unadulterated Therapeutic Essential Oils. Why? Because they are made up of very high frequency molecules (ranging from 52MHz to 320MHz) and contain nature’s wisdom and power to raise the body’s frequency and to assist our immune system in fighting viral invasions.

For greater clarity, organic Therapeutic Essential Oils are not the same as everyday aromatherapy oils, which are produced for fragrance and other purposes.

We now know that, in order to prevent colds, we need our immune system to be working in top gear and our overall body frequency to be in its optimal range. Our optimal range of body frequency can be lowered by negative thoughts/emotions, stress, blood chemistry imbalance, and ingested chemicals, which allow us to contract colds and viruses in the first place. Research has found that the high frequency of essential oils creates an environment where bacteria, fungi and viruses cannot survive. Essential oils provide a high frequency environment for the body.

Researchers have found that some essential oils – oregano, thyme and rosewood oils, in particular – create an autolytic (destruction of cells and tissues by enzymes produced by the cells, themselves) reaction in organisms, including streptococcus pneumonia. Dr. Diane Horne of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, told the 98th general assembly of the American Society of Microbiology about the serendipitous discovery of the impact of essential oils on cells such as streptococcus pneumonia (bacteria that causes a very serious type of pneumonia in children with sickle cell disease).

When Dr. Horne’s co-researcher was spraying aromatic oils in the laboratory, Dr. Horne looked at the streptococcus pneumonia bacteria that she was preparing for another experiment and noticed that its cells were literally falling apart. Dr. Horne and co-worker Sue Chao, of the Young Living Essential Oils Company of Payton, Utah, tested the autolyzing properties of 74 essential oils and discovered that the best results occurred with oregano, thyme and rosewood and that intermediate inhibition of the pathogens was achieved with cinnamon oil and clove oil. Dr. Horne pointed out that the oils also proved to be a powerful remedy against E. coli (a bacterium and virus in one) and several species of fungi.

What these tests revealed is that essential oils, such as oregano, clove, cinnamon, rosewood and rosemary, are so powerful that viruses and bacteria cannot survive in their presence. That is, the viruses and bacteria are destroyed when they come into contact with these therapeutic essential oils.

Therapeutic grade oils like those by Young Living, (which I and my roomate happen to distribute for your money saving convenience ). One thing on my next order is a new daily use kit that is formulated with oils to support the immune system, including thieves, here. Another major oil for viruses is Oregano. Yup, this isn’t just a nice tasting dry herb for your Italian dish, folks. Same thing with clove (which is in Thieves, so there ya go.)

In 1996, YM. Siddiqui and colleagues examined the antiviral actions of oregano and clove oils against RNA and DNA viruses. The antiviral powers of oregano oil were made clear. A look through the microscope showed that the viruses’ outer protective membrane “disintegrated” after exposure to the oregano oil.

In another 1996 paper, which appeared in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, researchers tested extracts from oregano oil against eight strains of bacteria, such as: Escherichia coli (otherwise affectionately known as E. coli, and sometimes found in poorly packaged juice products and elsewhere), Salmonella, staph, Bacillus and other nasties. The findings? The essential oil of oregano was “extremely bactericidal” (antibacterial), even at very dilute concentrations. Even watered down preparations caused “considerable decrease in bacterial growth rates.”

Toward the end of 1998, Dutch researchers looked at the effectiveness of one of oregano’s most potent compounds, carvacrol (mentioned earlier), against the food-borne baddy, Bacillus cereus. The results showed that the compound was effective against this bug in a dose-dependent manner – from total block on growth (for the top concentration) to reducing spread of the Bacillus bacteria (for the lowest).

Also in 1998, another group of researchers published their results in the Journal of Essential Oil Research in which they examined the anti germ powers of five aromatic Sicilian plants: laurel, sage, rosemary, oregano and coriander. While all of the plant extracts showed impressive germ killing (antimicrobial) effects, the “highest and broadest activity was shown by the oil of oregano.”

Stay tuned for Part 2, Section 2: Herbals for Colds and Flus: decoctions, teas, tinctures…

Further, if you are interested in ordering some essential oils yourself, feel free to order through Lacey’s distributor line to get deep discounts.

I LOVE FALL! (Is it THAT obvious?)

And I’ve heard so many in the southern states lament that they don’t have any fall leaves to collect and relish in. Well, you are in luck, my friends!

Today we collected leaves Just.For.You.

And then do you know what I did?

I dipped them all in unfiltered beeswax.

The result is a preserved leaf in delicate, delicious smelling beeswax.

And I’d like to send one of you a beautiful variety of 20 leaves!

SO- comment about why you want them, and I’ll choose one person at the end of the week to mail a little taste of Fall to

The twins have arrived!!! WOOT!
Check them out at her new blog: www.forTWINate.com

This month I’ve been on a hat knitting frenzy. I love knitting hats. You do the ribbing or whatever band you want, then a few patterns later you are already decreasing and wa la – a new knitted goodie for your kids, friends, new babies, whatever!

Here’s the “Foliage” hat I knit for a friend’s very late birthday present. The yarn is SO yummy – a super soft organic cotton chunky weight, with a really interesting burnt yellow color that reminds me of Fall. Heavenly! (If my hair looks slightly dark purple… it’s because it is! That henna hair dye is a bit unpredictable )

I used the last of the yarn to knit another (Banana Republic Knock Off pattern) hat – for my future daughter-in-law, Brianna Gotta add some buttons…

This one is Ethan’s (Chris will have a matching one soon). It’s a “manly” gray wool hat with a neat decreasing at the crown… (boyfriend hat pattern here)

This one is for my niece Laila. I need to find a cool button with some sort of leaf pattern to go with the little leaf at the top. I made up this pattern, it was fun to go ad lib The periwinkle pastel colors are hand dyed and spun wool. I just hope it fits!

This one is for Verity. With the weather turning, I needed a quick hat that would keep her little head warm. It’s the super soft Misty Alpaca yarn for the pink top and the band is seed stitched with the wool left over from Laila’s hat.

On the needles? The second of the “cabled baby hat” for babies Gavin and Logan, my bff’s twin boys who are due any day now!

If you are wondering where I find the time to knit (cause if we know anything about knitting, its that one hat can take HOURS), the short answer is “where ever I can!”. So if that means 10 minutes in a car, or on the bus, or on a bench, or at the park, or an hour while “spending time” watching a movie with hubby, whatever. You just gotta bring a few projects with you EVERYWHERE and eventually they get done!

I’ve been trying to stay ahead of a cold for about a week or so now. It’s been fairly easy, but I can feel my body fall behind it a bit when I get too little sleep or eat something sugary, which I did the last two days in a row (darn that new bakery and their delicious coconut macaroon!) … (and darn that the movie “Away We Go” was so darn cute that I stayed up til 2am to watch it!)

So I’m slowing down. I’m sipping “Tonic” tea, a blend from the Alberta Co-Op that includes green tea with herbs and spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, mullein (great for sinuses), cloves, etc. My raw honey mask is on my face and I might rub some essential oil into my feet before bed too. I need to sleep deeply tonight.

Speaking of sleep, I have a post coming all about the different herbs traditionally used for sleep and relaxation aids, so you have that to look forward to.

In the meantime, the NoPo (north portland) Home Group harvest party kickoff was at our place tonight and we squeezed into our living room. It was really encouraging to hear where everyone was coming from and what they wanted out of it: authenticity, real relationships, friends, spiritual depth. There was an agreement that we would not do workbooks or sign agreements in our group. Ever. Instead we’ll do potluck dinners twice a month and a movie night once a month (”film and theology” – esque). I’m really looking forward to getting to know this group of folks over the next year…

I’m feeling emotional better than Sunday, but still kinda hormonal. I think it has to do with lack of sleep more than anything, though there are certainly some heartaches I am enduring from time to time. It’s like how sometimes an aspect of living is really grueling but in the larger scheme of things its all going in a positive direction.

I was thinking about that today, when I was changing Verity’s diaper. She was wailing and so upset with me because she was also very hungry, but I knew that I had to endure that so when she DID get to nurse her diaper would be clean and she could fall asleep, rather than half comfortable with poop stuck to her butt. I know only a mom would get that, lol, but I seriously thought about how God must feel that way with us sometimes! I can certainly be like the wailing, hungry infant who can’t see the logic in getting my diaper changed And the air on my butt is so cold!!! WAHHHHHH!!!

Back to my tonic, my work, and eventually, my SLEEP! Yoga class tomorrow morning, thankyoujeebus.

I know you readers are used to new content nearly every time you come around, and that hasn’t exactly been happening this last week or so…
Well, I admit it. I am not blogging right now because… drum roll please… I am having a very hard week emotionally. But I also don’t want to talk about it, which is typical of me when I am NOT okay. SO, yep, there it is. If you’re the praying type, my family could use a few

Here are some pictures to keep you company while I am away from the blog:

Ethan and Verity chillaxin’ to cartoons.

Ethan’s rad watercolor fire engine

off the needles: a “Foliage” hat

Verity is such a morning person…

Verity hanging out amidst a living room full of media kit assembling in Chicago.

Ethan and Caleb, best buds forever

Baby girl

Ethan and his homeschool buddies on “apple” day

Ethan’s “Happy Unbirthday” sign and decorations for our unbirthday party Alice in Wonderland themed family movie night

Ethan: “Mama, when I grow up, what kids will have no parents so I can be their daddy?”
(ME: explain adoption vs getting married, growing a baby with your beautiful wife, baby comes out and you are the daddy.)
Ethan: “A beautiful wife?”
Me: “Yep.”
Ethan: [puzzled] “… Am I gonna marry YOU when I grow up?”
Me: [trying not to crack up!] “Noooo, I will always be your mommy. You will marry a beautiful woman your age.”
Ethan: “I’m not sure if I want to do that.”
Me: “Okay, well, what if you and Brianna grow up together and she becomes a beautiful woman you can marry?”
Ethan: “OKAY!!! That’s a GREAT idea!”
…pause
Ethan: “BUT. What if some one ELSE marries Brianna FIRST?!”
Me: “Well, you just have to stay nice to her and be the first one to ask her!”
Ethan: “Okay, I will do that!”
So, it’s settled.