LEARNING AT THE POTTER'S WHEEL

“Oooooh,” I heard a painful moan come from the bed as I returned from the bathroom. I turned on the light to see my beloved Duke, ready to enjoy a RARE day off from work. “I think I’m sick,” he said. THESE are four words I didn’t think he knew existed. However, with the passing of years, we are both learning new words. *eye roll*

“What hurts? Do you have a fever? Are you congested? Any chills? Cramps?” I petted him as I interrogated my victim patient. ;-) I tucked him into bed and noted that it was after 4:30 a.m. ‘He MUST be sick,’ I thought, ‘He NEVER sleeps this late.’

I walked through the dark house and went to my office. Pulling out a notepad, I wrote down his symptoms. Then I opened my file of herbs and did a search. I paused at each herb looking for key words to match Duke’s complaints. As I found ones that matched, I glanced over the cautions and properties, eliminating those that weren’t appropriate. I compiled a list of 4 or 5 herbs that I thought would work nicely.

Next, I went to the cupboard and pulled as many of those that I had. Then I added one or two things for flavor. Since it was morning, I added a nice bag of strong black tea as well as some apple spiced tea for flavor. All of this I placed into my tea pot. Then I filled my stainless steel kettle on to boil.

When the kettle began to whistle, I removed it from the stove and poured the hot water over the herbs in the waiting tea pot, replacing the lid. I allowed the tea to steep for about 10 minutes. I poured Duke a cup, sweetened it with honey (even though he says I only need to dip my finger in it J) and sent him on his way.

Throughout the day, all of us drank from the pot freely, giving everyone a fighting chance against Duke’s symptoms. I sometimes add a little organic apple cider vinegar or fresh crushed garlic to someone’s cup. The vinegar helps the body absorb the benefits of the herbs. Garlic is a good all-around natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral (see the article on garlic on this site).

This isn’t a cure-all, but it does help my family. I thought I’d share it with you. Eventually, I hope to have about 50 articles on various herbs on this site. If desired, this page could be searched for symptoms. Compile your own list of helpful herbs and eliminate the ones that aren’t appropriate, paying close attention to cautions.

“But, I don’t have a recipe!” I can just hear the objections. I’ll tell you a funny story. A friend of mine was after me for my recipe for a tonic. I hesitated answering her because I honestly could not recall exactly what I had tossed into the stuff. (My remedies depend on what I have in my cupboard at the time. I may measure spoonfuls, but I don’t use exacting standards.) As I sat there trying to recall WHAT I used, knowing that I’d not likely recall the ratios, she let me off the hook. “You just grab whatever and toss, don’t you?” Relieved, I smiled and said, “Yes!” We laughed together as I realized that I was doing what people who use herbs have always done. It’s a mothering and caretaking and prayerful thing that utilizes wisdom that is part intellect and part instinct.

Start with something simple. Look for a symptom you’d like to improve or remedy. Use three or four herbs, make a nice pot of tea and enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of this is to be considered a substitute for medical examination and/or treatment. Use what you will, but do so knowing that you must consider your own circumstance and the application of these things with sound judgment.