Medicinal Syrup With Rose Hips

Where I am at, there is a huge amount of wild rose growing in the wilder areas. This year, there is a good crop of rose hips for anyone brave enough to go harvest them. So of course, I gave my blood donation and gathered rose hips for rose hip syrup. My total cost except for a bit of blood was $10 for the honey but if you are on a tight budget, sugar can be used. It took me about 3 hours total to make about 4 cups of syrup.

1) The rose hips need to be taken off of the stems. This is a thorny job, so care must be taken not to shred the fingers. My method is to pluck them one at a time. It took about 1 ½ hour to strip off 3 cups of rose hips.

2) Thoroughly wash the rose hips. I keep a spray bottle with a ratio of 1 part dish soap to 4 parts water. I used it to spray down the hips then thoroughly rinsed them. 2 rounds of this left the hips beautifully clean.

3) Cover the rose hips with water and bring to a simmer. A ratio of 1 part hips to 1 to 2 parts water works well. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

4) Mash the rose hips and strain the liquid into a measuring pitcher or bowl. Squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible to get all of the rosy goodness.

5) Add honey. Measure the amount of rose hip decoction that you have made and add an equal amount of honey. ( If you are on a tight budget, use sugar) mix well.

6) Add a bit of vodka if desired, maybe ¼ of the volume of the original decoction. This will help extent the life of the syrup. Store in the refrigerator.

A slightly longer version of this can be found on my Buy Me a Coffee Page. Click on the button to go there.

OH NO! IT FAILED

And Going from Failure to Excellence

Well - It seems as though I had an EPIC fail in the last month. Actually, it appears that I had at least three fails.

Except that it all depends on how you define failure.

OK - let’s take a step back and take a look at the failures. First, my mushroom growing experiment failed. Second, I have been scheming a basket for a couple of months that I finally attempted using a technique that is new to me. Third, I created a pen and ink weasel that I consider to be a failure.

First the mushrooms. I spent the good portion of a day preparing the substrate, the buckets, and the container to house them. Then I put it all together and stashed my experiment out of the way. When I checked it 2 weeks later, mold was starting to grow on the surface. FAIL. POUT. Temper Tantrum. WHY?

Second the basket. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, my friend and I were given a huge haul of split ash, so I have been experimenting with it. It was time to “advance” my skills and I needed a work basket. So, I designed a folding work station so I could travel with my work. Weaving this basket was very ambitious and well beyond my skill level (My first conventional basket EVER). The results were - predictable.

The third was a pen and ink drawing. I personally consider the weasel to be a failure. Well - I’m being a perfectionist and the truth is - It’s not my best work. Everything I tried to “fix” it took it further from my ideal. Oh the joys of perfectionism. The thing is, this little piece of artwork sold at its first showing. Go figure.

Now, here is how I really see all three of these “failures”. They are all experiments, Each one is an opportunity to learn something. It all comes down to understanding the difference between failure, learning, and excellence. Failure is giving up before you achieve the results you are cherishing. Learning is the process of working beyond your current level of ability and growing your skills in the process. Excellence is achieved when you consistently and intentionally work past your current skill level long enough for the skill to surpass normal. Excellence requires a tolerance for creating less than desirable results over and over and over. It is part of the learning process.

As a teacher of what I have learned, I am also a perpetual student. I have learned this one truth the hard way. One of the most devastating things that can be done to the learning process is to instill the expectation of perfection. The best way to achieve both competence and eventual excellence is to be the beginner. Be the perpetual student. Always stretch a little bit. And then put what you learn into practice.

I stay in the process of learning by taking the pressure off. Here is how I do it. (I often start with “Book Learning”)

1) I start with materials that are free, or nearly free, and the tools that I have, can barrow, or I can create. This takes off the financial pressure.

2) I treat the learning process as play. It is my exploration time and I find great joy in this part of the process.

3) Failure is not a word in my thought process. (However, “temper tantrum” and colorful language are.) All I have are results. Results that I am not happy with (mushrooms). Results that are satisfactory and need improving (basket). Results that are competent and good enough (last night’s supper). Results that are seeking excellence (weasel).

4) I am tuned into seek out resources and I collect what is useful. The most important resources that I collect are knowledge and skill.

5) The questions that I most frequently ask are: What if? How? What do I need? What does it take to create it? What can I do with this?

This already a long essay, but here are the results:

When I discovered the mold growing on the top of the substrate, I took it out to the garden and dumped it in the garden to examine what had happened. Mold on the top. Mycelia starting to colonize the interior of the substrate. What I did wrong: didn’t let the substrate cool enough before pitting the buckets together. The storage room wasn’t clean enough. The temperature dropped from the 70’s and 80’s to the 50’s shortly after I started the grow. So 2 weeks ago, I cleaned everything up and restarted the experiment. Everything looks good so far.

The basket - The picture show it, warts and all. I created a folding basket. Flaws and all, it is the tool that I needed. And I spent no cash. I am satisfied with the results and after a bit of colorful language, I learned a wealth of knowledge and skills.

The take away: I just want to encourage you to relax, take the pressure off, and learn a new skill this week. Teach a skill to someone else. Lead the way to greater resiliency for yourself and your community.

To find how to articles on projects that actually worked, go to my Buy Me a Coffee page.

Granny’s Magic

It was a week in mid summer

The boy and the girl were staying with Granny

The intoxicating spicy scent filled the warm air

To each child, she gave a small basket

The pruner she carried in her own hand

They jumped off the porch

And to the speckled pink rose they pranced

With a clip and a snip, the baskets were soon full

A clip and a snip, a few stems for the vase

Roses beauty on the table

Petals stripped in in the pot

Rose water simmering on the stove

Fills the house with Granny’s rose magic

Just a quick note. I am launching a YouTube channel where I will highlight my stories, art, and projects. The first video should be up by Monday, November 4. The channel name is Stories From The Tapestry. They are by Manitu Okahas. I’ll send out a quick Newsletter alert with a link when the first video is up.

And for a little bit more

Events

November 1 - All Saint’s Day

November 2 - All Soul’s Day

November 5 - Election Day in the US, Go Vote

November 11 - Veteran’s Day

November 15 - Full Moon

November 28 - Thanksgiving US

November 29 - Buy Nothing Day

November 30 - New Moon, Next Newsletter

Ginger

Ginger is one spice that almost everyone thinks that they know. Most of us have ginger in our cupboards to flavor desserts, teas, and other foods. Zingiber officinale is a tropical plant that most likely originated in the islands of Southeast Asia. It has been cultivated for so long that there are no known wild ancestors of ginger. Some of the other members of the ginger family include turmeric, cardamon, and golangal.

The earliest recorded use of ginger dates back to ancient India and China around 5000 years ago where it was documented for its medicinal uses. From there, it spread throughout Southeast Asia and into the Mediterranean. The Spanish conquistadors took it with them to the America’s. It has been grown in the Caribbean since the 1500’s.

The most common modern medicinal use off ginger is as a remedy for nausea. It seems to ease nausea symptoms from most causes, including digestive upset, pms, morning sickness, and motion sickness. It has even been used to help ease the side effects of chemotherapy.

Ginger seems to have general positive effects for the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, and the respiratory system for most people. It has a warming stimulating effect that seems to benefit most of the bodies systems. Ginger has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial in certain circumstances.

While ginger is generally considered to be safe, high doses should be taken with caution, especially if you are pregnant or lactating, if you are on blood thinners, have allergies, or have pre-existing conditions. Always consult with your medical practitioner before starting an herbal regimen.

Ginger is a tropical plant that likes humid conditions and fertile, well drained soil. It prefers partial shade, especially in the afternoon in hot environments. This herb seems to grow well in a pot as a house plant in or near a bright window. Ginger grows from a fat rhizome that spreads horizontally near the surface of the soil. Shallow pots seem to suite ginger beautifully.

All parts of the ginger plant are edible, but the rhizome is the part that is most often used. These rhizomes usually take 9 months to mature, but they can be used at an immature stage. The above ground parts of the plant can also be used for cooking or tea.

For an article that covers the energetic and spiritual aspects of ginger, check out the article at Manitu Okahas Studio

The Horse

One of the most beautiful and iconic animals in the service of humans is the horse. The ancestor of these beautiful creatures originated in North America and migrated from there to Eurasia. It was there, in the area that is now Ukraine or in the Steps region that the horse became one of the earliest animals to be domesticated, possibly 6000 years ago or more.

A close relative of the domesticated horse still exists in the Steps region of Eurasia.

According to conventional belief, the domesticated horse was reintroduced into North America by the Spanish conquistadors. The Spanish Mustangs escaped from captivity, or were stolen, depending upon the story, and returned to the wild in the American Southwest. According to Native American wisdom, the horse never disappeared from North America and the Spanish Mustang either bred with the ancient horse or displaces them throughout the range. In either case, wild horses are an important part of the American landscape and legend. This is true in many other parts of the world as well.

Currently, there are several wild horse populations in North America besides the wild mustang. There are populations in Nova Scotia, Canada, The Corolla Beach of North Carolina, and the Assateague Island. There are other populations as well.

While these majestic animals are an important part of the landscape, they are constrained. On another note, only people trained and experienced with these beautiful animals should handle or approach wild horses. The Borough of Land Management occasionally sells wild mustangs as a part of its management program. Many years ago, my brother purchased one of these beauties. After several injuries and a lot of hard work, he trained this horse to be a beautiful riding horse. This was not a task for the faint of heart. Neither was riding this horse. This steed was always high spirited and a bit flighty.

To read an article on the symbolism of the horse, check out the sister article on Manitu Okahas Studio by clicking on the button.

And I'm Not The Only One

Here are my primary source for herbal information.

20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak

50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs by Boon and Smith

The Rodale Herb Book

The Native American Herbalist’s Bible by Christina Bennett

There are a lot of excellent herbals. These are the ones I keep at my work space for beginning basic research.

Some one I'm following:

I love listening and learning from good story tellers. Two of my favorites are Michael Meade and Leah Lamb.