Be Gentle

No matter what happens, be gentle with yourself.  ~ Jeanne de Chantal

Now that really is great advice, isn't it? 
I read the quote a few days ago in Common Prayer, A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, and knew it was perfect for today's post. 

So often when we mess things up for what seems like the thousandth time, we are anything but gentle with ourselves.  And honestly, what does the worrying, grumbling, and chastising yourself for the latest mess do but make you, and probably everyone else around you, feel worse? 

Let's take this quote to heart and instead be gentle with ourselves ... His grace is sufficient for whatever the latest disaster might be! 

Please visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday posts featuring the letter G!

Delightful Dandelion

Dandelion- a plant that is a delight to the herbalist but the dread of those in pursuit of a weed-free lawn.  

Dandelion is  famous for those perky yellow flowers, the source of the famed Dandelion wine.

Did you know that dandelion has a host of other benefits as well?

Here are just a few that come to mind:

great tonic herb containing calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin A & C
digestive bitter
stimulates the liver
diuretic
ground dried roots can be used as a coffee substitute

A few dandelion leaves in the salad bowl or soup pot makes a healthy and tasty addition to your diet. 

So, instead of complaining of weeds in the yard, we should be thankful to have dandelion growing in such abundance! 

Please use caution when harvesting dandelion in places where chemical pesticides and such  may have been used.  For safety's sake it may be best to sow your own seeds, even if the neighbors do think you are crazy! 

(dandelion flowers are tasty too!)

Dandelion tea anyone? 

Herbal Blessings,

Catherine

 For more posts featuring the Letter D, visit Jenny Matlock today!

Do It Anyway

DO IT ANYWAY
By Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Great words of wisdom, don't you think? 

Whatever we attempt will always be met with opposition- sometimes from enemies, often by friends; but the reality is that in the end it is God's opinion that matters ...

Dare to be yourself and do it anyway! 

Please visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday posts featuring the Letter D!

C is for Cat

This week's Alphabe-Thursday ramble courtesy of the CAT.

 

Not me, though in some circles I am known as Cat (and probably something much less kind in others, but we'll not worry about that for now) ... today I'm speaking of this cat-

Don't let the photo fool you, she's only cute and cuddly when she is sleeping!

Felis catus, known in our home as Sadie, often as that stupid cat!



The cat, I hesitate to say our cat, though my husband insists she is my cat since I was  crazy compassionate enough to take pity on the poor, starving creature and give her a bit of food, just until her owner came looking for her, which of course, we all know never happens. 

So, we have Sadie cat, who is not nice by even the most imaginative standards, even after I rescued her from starvation and bitey dogs.  The cat who darts in the door at every opportunity, usually tripping me and then scratching my ankles for squishing her delicate kitty toes while trying not to fall, even though she is well aware has been forever banished to life out of doors for her numerous offenses (well, except when it was cold and icy and snowy ... even I am not that cruel), offenses including but not limited to- jumping on the table during dinner and wrestling a piece of pizza from my 8 year olds hands (she really is a crazy cat), using my potted plants as  kitty litter boxes, attacking my ankles in the middle of the night, etc., etc., etc. She still manages to sneak in numerous times a day.  Once inside she does her best to distract me from whatever task is at hand, demanding instead that I "feed her this minute", no matter that I may have fed her just an hour before.  Which explains why the poor starving kitty is now a big, fat cat, she eats as if she is still on the verge of starvation.

And by the way ... if you are in need of a crazy cranky cantankerous crafty, cunning cat- she has been spayed and vaccinated and is FREE to a good home!  If you are in need of an attack cat, she will be perfect for you.  (she also kills birds, mice and other small creatures ... just so you know)

CAT has become a four-letter word in my house!

I think a cup of catnip tea is in order ... for me, not that cat. 

Please visit Jenny Matlock for more fun with the Letter C!

Keepsakes

It comes every year and will go on forever.
And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs.
Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart. ~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer.

Earlier this week someone asked me about Christmas heirlooms or keepsakes.  What are those things that we keep  and treasure as reminders of Christmas past? 
 
Since we really do attempt to live simply (we've not arrived yet by any means, but are striving toward our goals step by step), and I am one who does not enjoy lots of  "stuff that gathers dus" about, our keepsakes are few but treasured. 
 
As far as Christmas keepsakes go, there are two that immediately come to mind-
 
The first is a small nativity set that a dear friend and co-worker created for me years ago.  All white, lovely in its simplicity, it is my favorite.  No matter that one of the wise men has a chip in his head or that one of the donkeys is missing a bit of ear ... these small imperfections attest to its being packed and unpacked both at Christmas and in and out of moving boxes many times over the past 20 years, as well as its being endlessly rearranged lovingly by little hands these last 12 Christmases.  It also reminds me that Love, not perfection, is the true mark to strive for at Christmas.
 



The second is also a nativity, though we have only had it a few years ... maybe 5.  It is a very simple nativity; just Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus which has the appearance of a wood carving (though it is in fact really an inexpensive resin piece).  Joseph "lost his head" the first year this keepsake came to live with us.  And though Super Glue does have its merits, helping Joseph from losing his head again year after year, doesn't seem to be one of them.  This season Joseph is fairly safe, tucked into a high window in our living room, so unless he gets dropped coming down from his lofty heights surely he'll stay in one piece this year. 


 
I think I love this one because it is a great visual reminder for me to be careful not to lose my head and my focus on Christ during the busyness of the Christmas season! 
 
This year we attached another memory to poor Joseph's head.  We had a young man from church with us the day we got our Christmas tree and unpacked the Christmas decorations ... When my oldest pulled the nativity out she said, "Well, hopefully Joseph won't lose his head this year."  And we laughed, and then quickly had to explain to our guest, also called Joseph, that we weren't referring to his head!  I'm not sure what he thought  ... but since he was brave enough to come back to our home another time and even help in the community garden (and who doesn't love a garden helper?), I guess we didn't scare him too badly. 
 
There are other keepsakes ... first Christmas ornaments for 3 sweet girlies, family heirloom ornaments from Great Grandma (old and just a bit funky but still wonderful reminders of a dear, sweet lady), and the box of child-created lovelies that grows by leaps and bounds each Christmas season. 
 
What are your favorite Christmas keepsakes? 
 
 
More on our customs and ways of keeping Christmas later ...
 
Christmas Blessings to you and yours!
 
Please visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday Letter K posts!

H is for ...

Hello there! 

OK ... so we are at the letter H in the Alphabe-THURSDAY game, and I'm just now jumping in. 

Where have I been? 

Well, let's see ...

Absent (mostly absentminded if I'm honest)
Busy
Cleaning up the
Debris and
Ever growing piles of
Fallen leaves and dead plants in the
Garden. 

How's that for make up work, Mrs. M??? 


For today's letter H, how about my latest herbal concoction? 
It is very simple to stir together and you can make many variations ... Peppermint Rose is another favorite of mine; but since we are featuring H this week, let's make

Herbal Blossoms Bath Tea
(There is supposed to be a photo of my lovely bath tea bags here ... and just maybe I'll get that inserted later after much prayer, weeping, and gnashing of teeth; but it just may not happen and in that case, please use your imagination ... picture a large tea bag filled with beautiful herb blossoms ... yes, just like that!)

This recipe uses the simpler's method of measuring in parts rather than a set measurement.  That works well because you might just want to make 1 bath tea, and to do that you could use a  heaping Tablespoon of each of the dried herbs.  I made up about a dozen large bath tea bags, and used a 1/2 pint jar for measuring the herbs.  Adjust the amount of essential oils accordingly.  For a small batch, use only a drop or two, more for a larger batch.  Or, leave them out altogether and enjoy the light fragrance of just the herbs themselves. 

Mix together:
1 part dried rose petals
1 part dried lavender blossoms
1 part dried calendula petals
1 part dried chamomile flowers
6 drops lavender essential oil (more or less depending on size of your batch of tea)
6 drops rose essential oil

Divide and put mixture into Press 'N Brew tea bags and seal with an iron, or  place desired amount in small muslin bags, tie it up in a piece of cheesecloth, put it in a tea ball ... whatever;  just get it into a tub of warm water and enjoy steeping in a bath of tub tea! 

And speaking of herbs, I am just getting settled in a new spot to write about all things herbal .... Still Room Herbs.  I'd love it if you'd drop by sometime! 

For more fun with the letter H, visit Jenny Matlock today!

Violet

Violet ...
the last of our Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School colors. 

Thought you might enjoy this

Violet Syrup Recipe 

or this

Violet Jelly.

Maybe this

Violet Candy & Gum (scroll down).

And since I don't have any growing, I think I will buy some of these

Violet seeds!

Please visit Jenny Matlock today for more violet fun!

Alphabe-Thursdays Rainbow Summer School ~ Indigo

Indigo Bunting

(photo source: Wikipedia)

Isn't he lovely?  This little Indigo Bunting quickly came to mind for this week's Alphabe-Thursdays Rainbow Summer School post.  

First to mind came indigo dye, which at one time was derived from a plant, Indigofera suffruticosa.  Sadly, these days the indigo dye used to color blue jeans and other fabrics is a synthetic something or other.   You can also get a dye of indigo from the woad plant, but since it is often labelled an invasive and noxious weed, I don't think I would grow it.  Or at least I would be rather cautious about containing it! 

For an interesting book on growing dye plants, check out the following book:

Please visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursdays fun! 

Blue ...

Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas!

There is a lovely legend that goes along with the Bluebonnet, click here to read it if you are interested. 

I wanted to share a photo of one of my favorite blue flowering herbs - Borage (click here for illustration), but alas I cannot find the photo in my computer files and my camera has gone missing!  Not a good thing, a missing camera with lots and lots of family photos on it ... (sigh) . 

There are some other interesting herbs that either bloom blue or are otherwise associated with the color blue- blue cohosh, blue vervain, rosemary ... lots of blue herbs!

And then there is St. John's Wort ... an herb that is said to help when you are feeling blue. 

What is your favorite shade of blue?  I love the clear blue of a summer sky, and robin's egg blue. 


For more posts featuring the color blue, visit Jenny Matlock today!

The Color Green

Green is my favorite color, so this week's Alphabet Thursdays Rainbow Summer School entry should be simple for me ... the hardest part is deciding what green to write about! 

There are the obvious things like growing green- green beans, green herbs, even green flowers!

Or I could share my pursuit of living the green life- green cleaning, green shopping, green everything.

Instead, I thought I'd share my favorite green drink with you- Green Smoothies.

(And yes, this is the same photo from yesterday's post.  Give me a break, I'm being squeezed here!)

These really are my favorite green drinks.  Healthy, tasty, and such a nice shade of verde.
Here's a quick how-to, you don't really need a recipe.

Into a blender go:
1 banana (if it's frozen so much the better)
1 small handful of ice (not necessary if you use frozen fruit)
2 handfuls spinach or other greens of your choice (spinach makes the prettiest and tastiest smoothie in my opinion)

Turn on the blender and pulse a few times to crush ice and/or frozen fruit, then slowly add about 1/2 cup water (or fruit juice)
and
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds

I pour these through the little hole in the blender lid, though I'm sure you could just dump it all in at one time.

Blend away! 

Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy.

I'll leave you with one of my husband's favorite songs- The Color Green






For more posts featuring the color green, visit Jenny Matlock today!

Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School ~ Yellow

Yellow ...

My favorite yellow flower, the humble Dandelion

This week's entry for Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School, for more colorful posts featuring the color yellow, visit Jenny Matlock today! 

See you next week for my favorite color ... can you guess what it is?

Y and Z are for ...

Yarrow
and
Zinnia.

Sorry I missed last week's class ... I'm sure there is a good reason for it, but I just can't remember what that would be at the moment!

Anyway, on to the last 2 letters in our Alphabe-Thursday trek through the alphabet. 

Yarrow is a great herb to grow, and most likely it is already growing nearby if you have any wild and weedy spots around your home.  Yarrow has many medicinal uses, but my favorite is its ability to stop bleeding and quickly heal wounds.  This is a great trick to know if you are hiking or even working outside and get a cut or scratch.  Take a yarrow stem, chew it up (it has an interesting flavor, it's medicine OK), take that lovely green goo and slap it on your wound, cover it with a bandage, and the bleeding should stop very soon.  You can just bruise the leaves a bit and stick the whole stem on your cut.  And for a more civilized way of making a yarrow poultice, take the stem and mash it up with some water and put it onto the wound. 
Yarrow is also used for many other things from pain relief to bug repellant.  Culpepper said it would even prevent baldness.  Quite an herb, yarrow!

Yarrow

Zinnias are among my favorite flowers, mainly because they remind me of my grandma who always grew zinnias and delphiniums without fail every year.  I've yet to be able to grow a decent delphinium, but zinnias I can do. 

This isn't the photograph I had planned to use, but my camera and computer are having communication issues again, so it will have to do.  The darker pink flowers in this photo are a type of zinnia ... though I don't remember their name now.  We are growing Peppermint Stick Zinnias and some lovely dwarf zinnias this year, which I had hoped to show you.  One of my favorites is a gorgeous green variety called Envy.  Check out the many different varieties that Botanical Interests has here.

For more fun with the letter Z, visit Jenny Matlock today!

X is for ...

Xanthium, more commonly known as cocklebur.

(photo credit: Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database)

Yes, at least one type of this pesky weed is considered an herb, used medicinally, and is a common ingredient in Chinese medicines.  The fruit of Xanthium strumarium is said to be pleasant-tasting (I think I'll take their word for it, no tasting a cocklebur fruit for me, thank you very much.), warming (no need for warming these days either), and relieves pain, relaxes spasms, and also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antirheumatic effects (this according to the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown). 

So, perhaps the next time you go for a hike and get cockleburs stuck in your shoelaces (at least that's what happens to me), you will at least know that they do have some good purpose on the earth.  Really. 

(photo credit: Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database)

 

Please visit Jenny Matlock today for more Alphabe-Thursday fun with the letter X!

W is for ...

wondering and wandering.



It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility. ~ Rachel Carson

Not all who wander are lost.  ~J. R. R. Tolkien
 

 
And with those worthy words for you to ponder, I'm off to wonder and wander a bit this afternoon ... lots to wonder about, like why my neighbor cannot hear her LOUD, OBNOXIOUS dog barking for hours on end, but I can ... sigh.  But there are much more pleasant things to wonder about ... sunsets, birds, water, woods ...yes, those are much better than barky dogs. And when the stifling heat and humidity relent just a bit, I'll be wandering around the community garden and probably wondering about the plants and the wildlife and who knows what else (my mind tends to wander far and wide these days).  Wondering and wandering can be very pleasant ways to spend a summer afternoon.
 
And for my herb loving readers, I suggest you go here and peruse the wonderful W herbs Mountain Rose Herbs has to offer.  White Willow Bark is highly recommended, and I wouldn't be without Witch Hazel! 
 
For more well-written and wonderful posts featuring the letter W, please visit Jenny Matlock today!

V is for ...

Viola

Vitex

and

Vanilla.

Violas are among my favorite garden flowers, especially because they will happily bloom all winter long.  Not only are they beautiful, they are edible, too.  They make a lovely cake decoration, or salad topping.  Very nice, violas!

Vitex (or Chaste Tree, as it is commonly known) is a gorgeous herb to grow, but it does take up quite a large space.  I love the lilac blooms almost as much as the butterflies do.  Vitex has some medicinal uses (ladies only!), and a rather interesting history, as well.  To learn more click here. 

Vanilla Beans are a wonderful addition to the spice cabinet.  I like to take a whole vanilla bean and place it in quart jar and then fill the jar with sugar.  Let it sit for a few days and you have a delicious vanilla sugar to put in your cup of tea, or your favorite cake or cookies.  For a different sort of vanilla recipe, try this:

Vanilla Sugar Scrub

1 cup vanilla sugar made with white or brown sugar (see above)

1/2 cup sweet almond oil (or whatever oil you like)

a few drops of vanilla essential oil (optional)

Mix together and use as a body scrub to exfoliate and make your skin soft, smooth, and sweet smelling. 

A note to my fellow Alphabe-Thursday friends:

I'm sorry I didn't have time to read many of your posts last week, the garden is a merciless task master these days.  If I don't water, weed, and pick squash daily, I have wilty veggies, wildly overgrown weeds, and zucchini the size of baseball bats.  I will try to do double duty this week and read both your U & V posts.  Anyone want some squash???  ;)

For more Alphabe-Thursday fun, visit Jenny Matlock today!

U is for ...

Umbelliferae.
How's that for an unusual U word?

Umbelliferae is the name of a family of plants, which includes herbs such as:  dill, chervil, cicely, lovage, Queen Anne's lace, and others.  These plants have flower heads that are in an umbrellaish (my own u word)  shape called umbels.

 The most interesting tidbit I discovered about the Umbelliferae family is that almost all of these plants are good companion plants in the garden.  The tiny flowers in their umbels attract ladybugs and other good bugs to your garden, which is a very useful trait. 

OK, so it's a stretch, but the only herb I could think of that begins with u, Uva Ursi (though I prefer the Native American name- Kinnikinnick) is used for treating urinary (another u for me) tract infections, which is very unpleasant or maybe uncomfortable, to even think about.  However, it is good information to have if you are unfortunate enough to need it.   To learn more about Uva Ursi click here.

So, you might want to plant some garden helpers from the Umbelliferae family, and maybe some Uva Ursi, too!

That's it for the letter U here at Love Living Simply.

Until next time, visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday fun!

T is for ...

tea
thyme
and
time!

Herbs and tea are the perfect match.  There are so many different herbs used to make tea, or tisanes to call them by their proper name, the list is almost endless.  A few favorites of mine are-
Lemon Verbena (the tastiest lemony tea you will ever try)
Lemon Balm (another lemony treat for the tastebuds)
Mint (spearmint, applemint, peppermint ... all terrific)
and
Chamomile (tastes pleasant and good for tummy troubles)

For beautiful and artfully blended teas, try some of the many varieties from Mountain Rose Herbs.  I particularly like the Fairytale Tea and Evening Repose, but some of the others sound wonderful, too.  These days, the Memory Zest tea could be helpful for me!

Thyme is a beautiful herb.  Tasty in many dishes, helpful when you have a cold or flu, and makes a nice addition to the garden.  There are many varieties of thyme- Mother of Thyme, French Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Caraway Thyme, Elfin Thyme to name just a few.  Some grow very flat along the ground with tiny leaves, some are more busy and upright, but all are lovely to see and  smell, and most are tasty, too! 
Click here for lots of recipes featuring thyme. 


Two timely thoughts ...

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandburg

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr., author of Life's Little Instruction Book



OK, I'm all out of time today, but I hope you enjoyed this week's Alphabe-Thursday topic, and please tell me about your favorite teas and thymes (I love new recipes...)!

To read more terrific posts featuring the letter T, visit Jenny Matlock today!

S is for ...

Sage. 

Sage or salvia is an herb that has many varieties, from regular culinary sage that is the primary seasoning for holiday stuffings and such, to a whole host of others like:
Russian sage (gorgeous purple flowering plant),
Clary sage (another pretty herb, and one used in a variety of ways )
and my own personal favorite-
Pineapple sage (lovely pineapple fragrance with pretty red blossoms). 

Since I'm running rather short on time, I'll leave you with a link to some great info. and recipes for Pineapple sage at The Essential Herbal  (Lots of good reading there my friends, enjoy your visit!) 
And if you'd like to learn more about sage in general, check out the info. at Botanical.com.  No wonder they call it salvia!  (and I did discover by accident that now the druggies have discovered their own use for one variety of salvia ... idiots.) 

OK, that's it for this week's Alphabe-Thursday here, but for more sensational S posts, visit Jenny Matlock today!

R is for ...

Quickly popping in to play Alphabe-Thursday! 
Sorry I was absent last week Mrs. Matlock, I had a good reason, really I did ... but I can't remember what it is now ...  I've slept since then!  OH, it was my internet connection ... yes, now I remember I spent most of my time from Weds. thru Friday trying to talk to a human (rather than that nasty computer man) about my lack of an internet connection (sigh). 

OK... So I'll just combine Q and R in one to make up for last week!

Q and R are for ...

Queen of Hungary's Water and Rosemary Squares.

Click the link above to learn how to make Queen of Hungary's Water, which is said to be powerful stuff.  Legend has it that the elderly queen who made this famous was so lovely even in her old age that a young man proposed to her ... (Well...you don't need my opinion on his possible motivation, I'm sure).  Try the recipe anyway ... who knows what may happen ...  nice skin most likely!

 I'll post the recipe for Rosemary Squares below because my other blog host is upgrading (which is another reason I don't have much time here these days) and my blog where the recipe is posted is rather funky right now because I keep messing with things.
 
So, here you go, a simple recipe that is yummmmmy!

Rosemary Squares

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar (or your choice of alternatives)
2 t. vanilla
1 cup flour (I like whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp rosemary (more if you really like it)
2/3 cup pecans (or other nuts)
1 cup dried fruit (I use raisins mostly)
Beat eggs, add sugar gradually. Stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture to eggs and sugar. Stir in Rosemary, pecans and fruit.
Bake in greased and floured 8×8 pan at 350 for 30 minutes.
Remove from pan while warm, cool and cut into squares.
Enjoy!

For more, probably more coherent, Alphabe-Thursday posts, visit Jenny Matlock today!

P is for ...

Poppy

and

Plantain.

Poppies are so pretty, every garden should have a few.

This is a poppy that I grew a few years ago from some seed shared by a friend.  Not the best specimen, but a poppy nonetheless. 

I plan to plant breadseed poppies in the garden this fall, along with my favorites- Tasha Tudor Lettuce Leaf Poppies, they are a lovely pink color and just beautiful.  I was sad to see that the seed is no longer offered on the website ... I suppose her family members aren't gardeners.  Nevertheless, there are many types of poppy seeds to be found. Check out all the varieties at Botanical Interests!  If you like unusual plants, you might like this Himalayan Blue Poppy from Seedsavers Exchange.  I'm tempted to try growing it, though it says it prefers cool climates, which mine is definitely not!  Early May and 90's already ... (sigh). 

Poppy seed is used in many delicious treats such as Poppy Seed Kolaches.  I still remember eating these in the kitchen of my best friend's grandmother when I was in school (and that was a loonngg time ago)... they were delicious, and someday I'll try making them myself.  Poppy Seed Muffins are a quick snack or breakfast, as are these Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (And yes, I do sometimes have cookies and tea for breakfast ... don't tell the children, though!) 

OK, if you are wondering about herbs ... skip the opium poppies please, and go out in your yard and find some Plantain.

Yes, this weed is really a very helpful herb. 

Plantain is very high in vitamins A and C and in calcium.  Young leaves make a nice addition to your salad, or put a few on a sandwich.  Plantain leaves are used to relieve the torture of poison ivy and other itchy rashes, soothe the pain of bee stings and insect bites, and promote healing of sores and bruising.  You can crush the leaves to make a poultice, or plan ahead and make some plantain salve to have on hand when you need it. 

OK, that's it for this edition of Alphabe-Thursday ... I'm ready for tea and cookies! 

Please pop over and visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday prose!