Frankly Speaking Friday- Retail Therapy

TGIF! Yep, it's Friday again, but don't worry, I am not going to go off on another health care rant. This week I am going to tone it back and just tell you what's going on in my world. First and foremost, Sunday will be my youngest Son's 24th birthday, so Happy Birthday Jared!. They grow so very fast. Now he is an old married man and I am the old Grandma! And, as if I wasn't feeling old enough already, I spent a good deal of time on the computer this week, only to wonder when they (considerably) shrunk the print type! Seriously!

Speaking of needing to see the writing, the reason that I was on the computer was to compare prices from my favorite on-line venues. I generally try to make one large order a year for various categories of supplies. This way I save by buying in bulk, cutting the shipping costs, and, at the same time I limit the width of my global footprint. So once a year, in the winter, I try to check the prices for all my current suppliers, while attempting to find a new source or two. Believe it or not, I only began doing this about five or six years ago. Before that, I stuck with the stand up shop that I found years ago. I initially went there for candle making supplies, but when I began making Unique Garden Essences products, I found that they had great essential oils, salts and carrier oils. At that time I lived east of Columbus, Ohio and this is where they were located, so I just drove in. Even after they closed their Columbus shop, I continued to order from their warehouse until they discontinued one of my products. When I had to hunt for a replacement source, I was actually quite fortunate, because I found many, many suppliers that I would never have even seen.  And, although I have yet to find a better supplier of  (certain) oils, I now purchase less than ten percent of my total supplies from them. While this would be soooooo much easier for me if there was one super shop, where all the quality was impeccable and all the prices the lowest, this just hasn't happened yet.

This year's delve into the price/product comparison waters left me knowing that, while I haven't yet found that one super-great, superstore, the four places that I routinely use are very good. Over the years, I have been impressed with the quality of their products and their customer service, so I am quite happy to find that they are still competitive in pricing. I truly wish, however that I could cut one or two out so that i could make that footprint smaller!

Anyway, on this years annual pilgrimage, I found a few new sites that had me flipping through their pages. Earlier this month I mentioned that I was revamping my soap recipes in anticipation of making some cp soap,  after more than a years break. Well, one site I found  has extremely reasonably priced  wood  molds. They also have some great wood tags, as well as displays for all types of bath and body products, not to mention,  they do custom work as well! Ok, so I got excited and added a fifth place buy from instead of cutting down the number, but hey, I did get a really good deal! LOL. If you are a soaper, or if you find yourself in need of wood displays, go and take a look at the Candles and Wood Crafts  website.


I did finally manage to get myself together and place an order with Brambleberry.com. While I wish that I was restrained enough to have only spent the gift certificate that I won,  I wasn't! Lol. I seemed to have found myself "needing" some great sounding fragrance oils and a few other things. I mean, gee, well I can't use my expensive Essential Oils to try out  new soap recipes, can I?  Besides, I did order one product that I could have gotten at another place a bit less expensive, but I put it in with this order to save on that footprint deal! So it made perfect sense to buy a few more extra things. While I think its called "retail therapy",  whatever it's called, I am now waiting on a pretty good sized box from the west coast! Footprint not withstanding, I am soooo excited!!!

With that order placed, still feeling the high of the retail therapy, I went to an old favorite and added a few more goodies. There is something to be said for retail therapy, but I think its more than that. I am really into working the New Years Goals and Plans that I laid out and it feels good to see it coming together. One thing is for sure, I am already finding it difficult to wait on these packages, global footprint not withstanding! After all, I can't be expected to pass up Beet Powder for soap coloring can I ? Lol!

Have yourself a great weekend!

Tripod Thursdays- Winter

As the Mid-West continues to experience winter at its finest, I thought I'd share some of the cold with you!
Look and be glad that you are nice and warm, inside!

What's Happening Wednesday

As the Midwest gets hit with an ice storm, I am experimenting with a few new recipes for the Unique Garden Essences line. I have been playing with the soap calculator, revamping some (soap) recipes. I haven't made soap for a few years now, but I am getting ready to make a lot of it! I am also working on whipping up a batch of spray on lotion....don't ask me why, I really am not sure. It's not like its all the rage, or even a small clamor, lol, but it is something new for me, so I am thinking about adding it. I am also working on a few new balm recipes, one of which I want to go into a push up type container. I had been thinking about putting my body butter into a roll up tube, but I think that I will just create a new product for that container, and leave the body butter in the jar. Anyway, this is what's happening on my Wednesday, what about yours?

If you made it through yesterdays post, you know that I promised some recipes for roses. So here you are!






Rose-Petal Sandwich
Place a layer of  Red Rose petals (be sure they have not been sprayed with chemicals of any kind) in the bottom of a jar or a covered dish, the put in 4 ounces of fresh butter, wrapped in waxed paper. Cover with a thick layer of rose-petals, then cover the jar or dish closely, and leave sit overnight, in a cool place. The more fragrant the roses, the finer the flavor absorbed will be. Cut some bread in thin strips, or even circles, and spread each piece with the perfumed butter. Place several petals from fresh Red Roses between the slices. For some extra pizazz, make sure that the edges of the petals show. You can also do this with Violets or Clover blossoms if roses just aren't your thing!


                                                                       Crystallized Roses 
Choose a dry day for gathering the roses, and make sure to wait until the dew evaporates before you begin gathering, so that the petals will be dry. Before starting, dissolve 2 ounces of gum-arabic in 1/2 pint of water so it will be ready. Once gathered, separate the rose petals and spread them out onto shallow dishes. Sprinkle them with the gumarabic solution, using as many petals as the solution will cover, then spread them out onto sheets of white paper, sprinkle with castor sugar, then let dry for 24 hours. Put 1 pound of sugar (loaf) and 1/2 pint of cold water into a pan, stirring until the sugar melts, then bring to 250 (F) boil, fast, or to the thread stage. This is determined by dipping a stick into cold water, then dipping it into the syrup and back into the water. Then pinch the syrup that is adhering to the stick, between your thumb and forefinger, and then draw them apart. When a thread is formed you have reached the proper consistency. Meanwhile, make sure to keep the syrup skimmed well. Put the rosepetals into shallow dishes and pour the syrup over top of them. Leave them to soak for 24 hours, then spread them on wire trays and dry in a cool oven with the door ajar. The syrup should be colored with  carmine in order to give more color to the rose-petals.

Teaching Tuesdays -A Rose is a Rose, but an Absolute is Only Scent

Here we are back at Tuesday and I am going to fulfill my promise of completing the Rose posting. If you get too bored to read it all, at least skip to the bottom and read the last paragraph of information. You may be surprised!

Aside from being beautiful to look at and fragrant to smell, Roses are used in many pharmacological applications and have been for many, many years. Syrup of Red Rose and Syrup of Honey of Roses are both listed in the official United States Pharmacopoeia. The syrup of red rose is used to provide flavor and odor to other syrups and mixtures. It is red in color and has an agreeable, if somewhat astringent taste. The honey of roses  is prepared from clarified honey and a (fluid) extract of roses. It is considered more tasty than ordinary honey, but is still somewhat astringent. Back in the old days, honey of roses was routinely used for sore throats and mouth ulcerations. Then it was made by pounding some fresh petals into a small quantity of boiling water, then filtering the solids and boiling the liquid with the honey.

The British Pharmacopoeia offers more detailed applications for otto of rose, which is what the essential oil of roses is called. It states that Rose Water shall be made by mixing the distilled rose-water of commerce (obtained mostly from R. damascena, but also from R. centifolia and other species) with twice its volume of distilled water immediately before use. They, then use the diluted rose water as a vehicle for other medicines and as an eye lotion. Triple rose-water is water saturated with volatile oil of Rose petals, obtained as a by-product in the distillation of oil of Roses. The finest rose-water is obtained by distillation of the fresh petals. It is clear and colorless, and to be of value medicinally, must be free from all metallic impurities. The British Pharmacopoeia lists directives for other products made with rose water, such as Ointment of Rose-Water, commonly known as Cold Cream. This popular product is a soothing and cooling application for chapped hands, face, abrasions and other superficial lesions of the skin. For its preparation, the pharmacopoeia states that 1 1/2 oz of  spermaceti  and  1 1/2 oz. of white wax be melted with 9 oz. of  Sweet Almond oil. Then the mixture is to be poured into a warmed mortar, where 7 fluid oz. of rose-water and 8 minims of oil of Rose is then incorporated in it.

The essential oil (what creates the perfume) of the Rose can be found in both the flowers and leaves, but can be it can be in just one, both, or neither, as there are scentless roses. In the flower, the petals are the chief secreting part of the blossom, even though some essential oil can be found in the epidermal layers of cells. 

Even though there are more than 10,000 roses known in cultivation, most authorities agree that there are only five distinct types or species; R. canina, the Dog Rose; R. arvensis, the Field Rose; R. rubiginosa, Sweet Briar; R. spinosissima, the Burnet Rose; and R. villosa, the Downy Rose, and there are only three types of odours/scents that are recognized. Those are; the Cabbage Rose (R. centifolia), the Damask Rose (R. damascena) and the Tea Rose (R. indica). This doesn't mean that there are not other fragrant roses, just that all of the other roses, in regards to perfume, have a gradation of one of the three recognized scents, therefore there are no precise classifications for them to be labeled. 

The varieties that are generally cultivated on a large scale for perfumery purposes are; R. damascena and R.

centifolia. The Rose Damascena is cultivated chiefly in Bulgaria, Persia and India and was a native of the Orient. It was introduced into Europe during the Crusades. R. centifolia is cultivated in Provence, Turkey and Tunis and has been found growing wild in the forests of the Caucasus. Roses are now found in both hemispheres, but the birthplace of the cultivated Rose is generally recognized as Northern  Persia. They spread across Mesopotamia to Palestine and across Asia Minor to Greece, where the Greek colonists took them to Southern Italy. From Southern Italy they then spread all over Europe. 

In ancient days the Romans were known to have red Provins Roses at all of their events. Roses were scattered at feasts, in the paths of victors, beneath chariot-wheels, and even adorned their war-vessels. Brides and Bridegrooms were crowned with roses, as was the images of Cupid, Venus and Bacchus. Roses were not only used for decorations, but they covered the floors, and (even in winter) the upper-class Romans 

expected to have rose petals floating in their wine. While the Rose was largely a sign of pleasure and merriment, they also used them at their funerals, a tradition that has carried through to today. 

The word "rosa" came from the Greek word "rodon", meaning red, which makes sense since the ancient roses were a deep crimson  color. Although the Rose was highly esteemed in the dawn of history, it wasn't distilled then, the method of preserving the aroma by steeping the petals in oil, or extracting it in the form of a pomade. Their "Oleum Rosarum" was not a volatile oil, but a fatty oil which was perfumed with rose petals. The first preparation of rosewater, by Avicenna, was in the tenth century. Then, between 1582 and 1612 (different writings offer different dates) the oil, "OTTO OF ROSES was discovered. According to two separate historians, this occurred at the wedding feast of the princess Nour-Djihan. A canal, circling the entire gardens, was dug, then filled with rose-water. The heat of the sun then separated the water from the essential oil of the

Rose and this was seen by the bridal pair when they were rowing on the water. They had it skimmed off, and found that it was an exquisite perfume. In 1612 they began manufacturing Otto of Roses in Persia, and long before the end of the seventeenth century, the distilleries of Shiraz were working on a large scale. They were noted to be exporting "Persian Otto" or "Attar of Roses" to India by 1863, but Persia no longer exports Attar of Roses to any extent, producing mainly for local consumption only.

The Turks introduced Otto of Roses into Europe, by way of Asia Minor, where it has long since been produced. The first European otto was distilled in Bulgaria, which was then part of the Turkish Empire, about 1690. Its sale, at a high cost, was first alluded to in 1694. Although a small amount of Otto of Roses has been produced in the South of France for at least 150 years, the earlier French ottos, a by-product in rose-water distillation, were consumed in the country itself. The French roses were almost exclusively used for the manufacture of rose pomade and rose-water. In fact, the French rosewater had the reputation of being superior (in scent) to any other produced in England. However, in spite of their unrivaled delicacy of 

fragrance, until recent years, the high price and lack of body of the French ottos prevented them from being able to compete, in general purposes, with the Balkan rose oil. However, when Bulgaria joined the Central Empires, the French seized their opportunity, and modernized their methods of distillation,  improving and erecting new stills. They began using many other blooms of roses, while the French chemists, botanists and horticulturists studied the scientific aspect of the Rose, the chief object being to improve the scent rather than the appearance of the flower. The experimenting was successful and the French otto has since made itself a place in perfumery.  In fact, several years ago, the output of otto was estimated to be between ten and twenty thousand ounces annually. 

The plantings at the large plantations (of roses)  in France last from eight to ten years, with five thousand rose-trees occupying about 1/2 acre of land, and producing about 2,200 lb. of flowers during the season. It is necessary to distill about 10,000 lb. of roses to obtain just one pound of oil. By the volatile solvents process, a similar quantity will give anything up to 10 pounds of concrete.Their entire industry, a few years ago, reported an annual production of approximately 20,000 ounces of oil. 

Apart from French Otto of Roses, the world's supply is mainly drawn from Bulgaria, where most of the rose oil is distilled by small, peasant growers. The Bulgarian rose industry is actually confined to one mountain district. The rose district itself, is about 80 miles long and only approx. 30 miles wide, with an average elevation of about 1,300 feet above sea-level. All attempts over the years to extend the rose culture to  neighboring districts have failed because there, the rose bushes have adapted to the conditions, and now  thrive in the sandy soil, with great drainage, well exposed to the sun, and  protected from cold, winter winds by the mountains.  

Only two varieties of roses are cultivated in Bulgaria; the Damask Rose (R. damascena),which is a light red  color, has 36 petals,  and is very fragrant, with 36 petals, and the Musk Rose (R. muscatta), which is a snow-white rose, and is far less fragrant. It yields an oil that is of poorer quality than the R. damascena, but it grows more vigorously and it is primarily grown as hedges between the plantations, to indicate the divisions of the rose fields. 

The rose bushes only yield one crop a year, the harvest beginning in the end of May and lasting from two to five weeks, depending upon the weather. The weather during the rose harvest greatly influences the quality, as well as the quantity, of the crop. If it is exceptionally dry and hot, the crop may only last two weeks and be poor, but if it is cool, with a little rainfall, there would likely be a rich yield, one that would last over four weeks, maybe even extending to six weeks. Of course a lot depends upon the weather during the budding season too. With dry, hot weather the bushes tend to throw out only small clusters of buds, but in good  weather 13, 21, or even 18 buds can be found in the clusters. 

The Bulgarian rose district encompasses about 180 villages, with about 20,000 (small) proprietors of rose gardens, each one owning about 1 acre of rose plantation. When well tended that acre is calculated to yield an average 100 pounds of flowers, every day, for about three weeks. The flowers are gathered in the early morning, just before sunrise, and the picking ends by ten or eleven am., unless it's a cloudy day, then it continues all day. The flowers are then distilled on the same day. The small stills that have been by the farmers, for most of history, are very simple and primitive. They are only capable of distilling 24 lbs. of  flowers at a time, but these are gradually being replaced by improved, more modern, large, steam stills, which obtain much better results. 

The Bulgarian rose distillers do not get all of their otto (Otto is a Bulgarian word for "oil".and it’s used to differentiate the steam distilled from the absolute) directly from the rose petals, but rather draw the larger part of the otto by treating the water. They charge the still  with about 25 lbs. of flowers and about 14 gallons of water. They draw from this, a little more than 2 1/2 gallons of  distilled water, from which they gather a very small quantity of green concrete essence. When they have made four distillations, they carefully collect the 10 1/2 gallons of water, redistil, and obtain 2 1/2 to almost 4 gallons of liquid. It is estimated that 8818.5 pounds of flowers yield 1 about 2 pounds of otto, of which only one-third ( the green essence) comes from the first distillation, and the other two-thirds (yellow essence) are the result of re-distilling the waters. This is the reason why in France, over 22 thousand pounds of flowers are required for about 2 pounds of oil. The French distillers do not re-distill the waters, the Bulgarians sell these distillations separately, the product of the first operation being of a markedly superior quality. 

Knowing the history of the rose, the cultivation background, and the process of obtaining the essential oils, lends understanding and insight into the high cost of this essential oil. But, you also need to know that a satisfactory artificial Otto of Rose cannot be obtained just by combining aromatic chemicals (as with most oils). Some of the natural rose oil must always be used to make any artificial rose oil, or they can take a purely synthetic oil and distill it over a quantity of rose petals, but either way, true rose oil or true roses must be used. (An interesting side note; The synthetic oil is almost entirely deodorized by iodine, but the true rose oil is unaffected in this respect.) 


The main reason that the cost is so high is the shear quantity of roses that it takes to make a small amount of the oil. it takes 30 roses to make 1 mere drop of essential oil. It takes 60,000 roses, about 180 lbs. of flowers, to make 1 ounce of the otto, or the essential oil. Aside from the quantity, the labor involved is also a factor. Remember how the Bulgarian oil is made? All that labor in getting to the steam distillation, makes the cost of the natural essences of the rose high, but their method only produces the natural essential oil so it is worth it. Today, the Bulgarian otto (aka the precious essential oil) currently costs from $450 to over $700.00 an ounce (depending where purchased), while the Chinese rose essential oil is running about $350 to $640 an ounce. 


On the other hand, when producers use a solvent to extract the oil, small, some say minute, amounts of hexane enter the oil. This is called Absolute oil and can be purchased for around  $155 an ounce. However, due to the solvent extraction process, most claim that it does not have the therapeutic value that the essential oil has. In fact, many go so far as to say that it is not good for anything other than scent for diffusers or perfumes. Of course the sellers of the absolutes do not generally agree with this viewpoint. The absolute is a cost-effective alternative for those desiring the rose scent without the cost, however, the Otto is, by far, more potent than the absolute, only needing a fraction of a percent to work its wonders!

On Wednesday, along with what's happening, I will be posting some interesting recipes that utilize roses. Some use the petals and others use rose water, but all are do-able in your home and all are quite interesting!  

*see the reference page for bibliography information

Make It Yourself Monday - A Cold Remedy

It's that time of year when every other person you pass is sneezing and coughing. Even if you properly wash your hands and try to stay away from the sickies, in all likelihood you will still end up, sometime or the other, with the cold/flu bug in your home. When this happens, there are some things that you can do to make the symptoms more bearable. Today I want to share a home made cough drop recipe with you. While I did not create this recipe (and I do not sell this product), I have had it in my recipe box for several years. I am not sure who to credit with it, but it is a good recipe for sure!  

One really great thing about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time, so you can be prepared. Additionally, you can easily change up the flavor profile, adapting it to your preferences. I have listed some alternative ingredients, as well as the reasons they may be good choices, but before cutting or changing ingredients, you should know that; lemon has antiseptic properties and has been noted to help open the air passageways, as well as reduce phlegm. And honey is a natural humectant, which means that it draws moisture (goodbye dry, scratchy throat), and it has antiseptic qualities, while also being a bacteria inhibitor. Actually, these two ingredients are often used in commercial cough drops and other throat soothing products, because of their natural properties, not simply for their flavoring. In other words....leave them  in the recipe if there is any way you can. 

LEMON  DROPS

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 cup water

Line a baking pan (9x9) with foil, making sure that the foil goes all the way up the sides of the pan, or you will be sorry! Then, butter the sides of a 2 quart saucepan. Combine the corn syrup, sugar, honey, and water in the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Make sure that you stir constantly, in order to dissolve the sugar and keep it from burning. This usually takes about five minutes, give or take a few minutes. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking at a light boil. Stir occasionally. Once it reaches the soft crack stage (which is 290 degrees F. on a candy thermometer), keep cooking for 20 more minutes, still stirring occasionally. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Stir it occasionally, as it cools, for the next 2-3 minutes, then add the lemon. **If you are going to add any other vitamins or herbs, add them at this point**  Then pour the mixture into the foil-lined pan to finish cooling. As it cools (another 3-10 minutes), it is a good idea to use a spatula and mark some "break" lines into the drops. Make squares in the size you want, remembering that they are for individual-size portions. These marks will stay when the mixture is completely set up, making it easier to portion correctly and consistently. If your marks do not stay, it means that the mixture is still too hot and needs more cooling time, just wait a while and  try it again. Once properly marked, let the pan sit overnight then use the foil to lift it out of the pan. Break the pieces apart along your marks then package them in individual candy wrappers or wax paper. Make sure to twist each end tightly, then put all of the wrapped pieces into a large baggie or a paper bag. This recipe will make from 100-200 pieces, depending upon the size that you mark and break. They will last from 6-8 months, when properly wrapped and stored.

**To make this recipe more holistic and herbal you can add one each of the  

following; zinc, vitamin C, echinacea, and goldenseal. If these are in tablet form, finely crush them before adding, if in capsules, just pull apart and drop the inner content into your mixture. 

Of course you could also change up this recipe by either substituting (for the lemon), or just by adding an herb or two (some essential oils are ok too) to the lemon.

*when using fresh herbs, it is probably best to infuse them into the liquid portion of the recipe, but you can also finely chop them. 

*You may also substitute a food-safe flavoring oil, however you will NOT receive any of the benefits listed for that flavor. The way in which they are created destroys their natural benefits.

*If you plan to use essential oils, you MUST be aware of, and familiar with, the warnings, as well as the necessary dilution rate (which are not provided for you here). 

*If you are not familiar with the proper use of essential oils in edible products, you should NOT attempt to use them in this recipe.

If you want, you may add another herb/spice (in addition) to the lemon. Basil, bay, bergamot, black pepper, clary sage, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lime, orange, rosemary, vanilla, all blend well with lemon.

If you would like to substitute another herb/spice for the lemon, you may want to consider one of the following;

-Basil has a beneficial action on the respiratory tract, and is often used for asthma, bronchitis, colds, coughs and sinus infections. It blends well with; black pepper, ginger, geranium, grapefruit, lavender and lemon. 

-Black Pepper has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, and is good for coughs, colds and flus. It blends well with bergamot, clary sage, coriander, fennel, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, orange, nutmeg, and rosemary. 

-Ginger is good for colds and flu, congestion, coughs, sinusitis, sore throats,   fever and chills. It does have a slight warming affect, so be extra cautious in the amount that you add. It blends well with; basil, black pepper, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, coriander, eucalyptus, geranium, lemon, lime, orange, rose, rosemary, spearmint, and vanilla. 

-Geranium is good for sore throats and tonsillitis, and blends well with; basil, grapefruit, lavender, lime, orange, and rosemary.

-Grapefruit is good for colds, flu, and headaches and blends well with; basil, black pepper, geranium, lavender, lime, and lemon.

-Lavender is good for bronchitis, asthma, colds, laryngitis, and throat infections. It will blends well with everything, so use your imagination.

-Lemongrass is good for sore throats, laryngitis, and fever as well as  indigestion and gastroenteritis. It blends well with; basil, bergamot, black Pepper, clary Sage, eucalyptus, geranium, ginger, lavender, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, rose, and vanilla.

-Lime is good fevers, colds, sore throats, flu, coughs, bronchitis, sinusitis and  asthma. It blends well with; basil, clary sage, eucalyptus, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, orange, peppermint, rose, rosemary, and spearmint. 

-

-Margoram, an antiseptic and calming agent

-Eucalyptus, an antiseptic and calming agent, good for bronchitis, colds, flu, headaches, sinusitis sore throats, and throat infections. The antiseptic properties in the essential oil increase with age. 

-Orange (Sweet) is good for colds, flu, and fever, blending well with; basil, black Pepper, cinnamon, ginger, clary Sage, lavender, lime, peppermint, and  spearmint.

-Peppermint, an antiseptic, expectorant and a muscle relaxant, so it is good for   

dry coughs, sinus congestion, asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia, as well as   bad breath (in case you want to make breath drops along with the throat drops). Peppermint blends well with; basil, black pepper, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, lime, orange, and rosemary.

-Rose (use pure essential oil or untreated rose petals to infuse the water) posses anti-infectious, antiseptic, antiviral, and bactericidal properties that help with asthma, headaches, and coughs. It blends well with; bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, lavender, lemon, and madarin.  

-Rosemary is an antiseptic and works well for respiratory track issues, including asthma and bronchitis. It blends well with; basil, bay, black pepper, chamomile, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lime, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, rose and spearmint.

-Spearmint. While spearmint has properties of a local anesthetic, an antiseptic, a decongestant and an expectorant which can benefit fevers, headaches, asthma, bronchitis and colds, its effects are less powerful than those of peppermint. For this reason, spearmint may be better in children's products. It blends well with; basil, lavender, peppermint and rosemary.  

-Thyme is frequently used in commercial applications of mouthwash, gargles, toothpastes and cough drops because of its analgesic, antifungal,  anti-infectious, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, and antiseptic properties. It is good for bronchitis, chills, colds, coughs, sinusitis, sore throats, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. It blends well with; bergamot, clary sage, eucalyptus, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, marjoram, and rosemary.  

There may be a few more, but these the ones that popped into my mind to begin with. While I hope that you won't need them this year, I wish you luck making these flavored drops! 

Frankly Speaking Friday- National Health Care Issues

Here we are at Friday again, TGIF! Of course that just means, here in Ohio we are getting another snow storm after a few days of warming. It really is true, if you don't like the weather (in Ohio) just wait 15 minutes, it will change!  Speaking of change, I previously said that I would continue my post about Rose EO today, however, after thinking about it, I changed my mind. I would hate to bore you too much two days in one week. I have written too much to toss though, so look for it next Teaching Tuesday! SO what am I on a rant about this Frankly Speaking Friday? Health care, that's what! 


I have had a great many experiences and struggles in the medical field, as a RN, as a relative of a critical patient, and as a patient myself. I know more than the average person, even the average nurse, as for many years it was my job to figure out how to make my employer money, while keeping in line with  insurance company contracts. I have even had to tell my best friend that her Father was being discharged, when we both knew that he would benefit from  additional care. The insurance company, however, decided that they knew best, and he met the definition of "medically stable".  Yes, I have seen a lot that most people (hopefully) never will, from both sides of the medical fence. Consequently, I have very strong feelings about health care today, health insurance, managed care, and the current President's healthcare reform package. I generally preferring to share my opinions about such topics with only my family and friends. 


So what got me going this week? Two things, actually. First of all, I received an email from a dear friend. She told me that a friend of hers has cancer and, being uninsured, could not afford treatment. She had been ill for a while and was treating herself with an herbal plan due to finances. She finally had to see the physician this past week, and when she did, she was told that the cancer had grown. She needs chemo and radiation, and she needs it now. When she told the Doctor about her insurance situation, he was kind enough to tell her that was a doctor, he administered medications, he was not a financial counselor. He then proceeded to let her know that she needed to come up with at least 55 thousand dollars to get it going. So....off they went to the local  family services to see what help they might be able to get. 
Guess what? Even though they live on social security, they make 5$ a month too much to qualify for assistance. So now the now the Mr. is doing woodwork and the Mrs. is doing some type of craft, so that they can try and sell it to help themselves up. Seriously, just how long do you think it would take to make and sell 55k. worth of crafts?   


Later in the day I received a second email, which then became my second reason to make this my Frankly Friday rant. When I read the following note I laughed, but then I wanted to cry, because I feel it is true. So here it is folks. What do you think? Is it just a joke or is it a sad commentary? Now, you have to envision the "Maxine" character saying these words (you know that wrinkly old lady);

Let me get this straight . . . .We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, Which purportedly covers at least thirty million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents,

written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a President who smokes,

with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we'll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general

who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke!!!!! 'What the h*** could

possibly go wrong?'

That was supposed to be the end of my post, but I received another email. While this one hits the nail on the head for me, it may offend some, so  consider this fair warning.

HOW TO SELL TOOTHBRUSHES

The kids filed back into class they were excited. The weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship. 

Little Sally led off: "I sold girl scout cookies and I made $30," she said proudly, "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit and I credit that approach for my obvious success." 

"Very good," said the teacher. 

Little Jenny was next: "I sold magazines," she said, "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would keep them up on current events."

"Very good, Jenny," said the teacher. 

Eventually, it was Little Johnny's turn.

The teacher held her breath .... 

Little Johnny walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467," he said.

"$2,467!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling" 

"Toothbrushes," said Little Johnny. 

"Toothbrushes," echoed the teacher, "How could you possibly sell enough tooth brushes to make that much money?" 

"I found the busiest corner in town," said Little Johnny, "I set up a Dip & Chip stand, I gave everybody who walked by a free sample."  They all said the same thing, 

"Hey, this tastes like dog crap!"  

Then I would say, 

"It is dog crap. Wanna buy a toothbrush?"  

"I used the Obama governmental approach of giving you something crappy, but looks good, for free, and then making you pay to get the crappy taste out of your mouth."

*****Ok, so here's the deal. You may have a different view than I do. If so, we will have to agree to disagree and that is ok. You are, however, more than welcome to express your view in the comment posts as long as the posts remain respectful. Plainly stated, play nice and you are welcome to play. Play mean and you will be deleted delete. Another fair warning!****  

Tripod Thursdays- Calming the Waters- Peace, Beauty and Serenity

Happy Tripod Thursday!
If a picture is worth a thousand words, here are several thousands of words. I hope that the Peace, Beauty and Serenity of them will Calm your Waters!

     From the Newport (KY) Aquarium