Herbal Studies

[Dawn419]

I'm acting strange lately. My godchild wanted me to go outside to see a supercell and it vanished before I got where I could have seen it, but suddenly I was walking around looking at grass and weeds.....saying,"I"m not supposed to look for plants at roadsides, but I wonder what this is." and then in my yard..."Now how long have I had all this stuff and I don't even know what some of it is." then when I was leaving work yesterday I saw plantain not 5 feet from my car and I texted DH about it....which he told me I had plenty more in my yard.

I promise that I am laughing in a good way as I consider that to be perfectly normal. I always watch the ground whenever we go walking looking for new plants to identify. We usually take walks when we go to my moms and she loves learning all of the plants that I teach her.

Not too long ago, we had a family get-together and walked down to her pond, to help the meal settle. My sister stops and says "Mom, if you can keep dad from mowing down here you'll have a bunch of red clover". I walk up to see what she has pointed out and got to correct her, which she hates (and I get do it a lot ). What she thought was red clover was actually Oxalis violaceae.

When she and her family were helping us do our little clearing on the place, she cussed out the guys for cutting down a tree that was full of poison ivy. So the guys are kind of panicking about it, I waslk over and let them know that the tree wasn't covered in poison ivy but in Virginia Creeper.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I can see where someone would think creeper was dangerous, but its pretty. I had some growing on one of my cypresses, but it accidentally got cut down....the creeper; not the cypress. Totally accidental.
I'll probably completely finish all my testing material tonight and do a little review and then take my first test tomorrow.
I asked DH today why he wasn't studying and told him that he could really help me with identification until I get all professional on him, but he said,"How you want me to study at the same time as you?" So hopefully by tommorow he can have one of my books. Or at least if I can be the healer and he can help me find the stuff. I have about 70 pine trees in my yard, but not sure what kind. Suddenly it matters. Also, we have no aspens or poplars that I know of in this area, but DH thinks that some poplars do grow locally. I think willow can fill some of those gaps though.
There are a few things that I might just have to order and grow myself. DH has absolutely no batches of wine in progress now, and I've never taken a real active role in the wine making, but I think I'd like to start a few medicinal batches. Gotta see what I can use first.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well, a few days have past since my last post. I was a little later taking my test online, but finally did it last night. I didn't ace it though. There were about 4 questions that were not part of my expected notes and were hidden within my 155 pages of text. But I did pass and wrote all my wrong answers as notes, so I can at least learn from humility.
3 days ago, I was making a little overtime on another bridge and found out I needed to take care of a little $ matter for MIL at my neice's house. Guess what....she had grapes on her fence needing to be picked. So came home and put them in a big jar....then took off in the woods with DH, in the rain (I was desparate) to find herbs. I wanted to have a wine to treat colds. So I already had some ginger I had dug up the previous day....I put in about 2 LBs of that and in the woods, gathered some elder flowers and plantain. I also believe we probably found some violets, but didn't have time to research it properly, so that didn't go in.
We have a batch of wine going that should make at least a gallon. The sugar used was honey. DH is regretting following the directions in the herbal remedy book, which called for baker's yeast because he is complaining it smells like bread.
So now I'm reading about signatures for my next test. We have a tender out for surgery, so I'll be working overtime for several weeks.....more study time and more $ for DH's tractor. Hoping to do at least as good...or better on my next test.
I guess I really want to continue on searching out what all we have here in the wild and learning a bit about identification. I also would like to begin with some of the easy herbs the text suggest we start with and make some of the meds they gave recipes for.

 

[hqueen13]

Sounds really cool, and I am jealous! I really would like to work with these kinds of things, but my time is so full already :-/
Someday....

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I know what you mean. Actually I do spread myself kinda thin a lot of the times. I should probably take a vacation from work, just to get my house in order and then another to finish my barn. But I felt I had to begin this study. My nursing knowledge is only being used on the family level now. I'm not getting any younger. I am not making the money I used to as a nurse. And frankly, I'm afraid TSWHTF eventually....although I don't pretend to know exactly how. So really I wanted this to be another preparation I had for just in case senerios. Plus, wouldn't it be nice to have some healthy practices that might ease some of my pains and illnesses and make me more immune to whatever little monsters might be waiting to infect me?
Well, I've gotten Mother Earth News, Country Living, Mary Jane Farms, Dairy Goat Journal and probably a few other subscriptions I have, recently and haven't opened any of them because if I'm going to read, its going to be to study. I really wouldn't have time to do this at all, if it wasn't for the job I have. Its certainly not a glamore job, but where else can I get paid to do exactly what I want, with a few interruptions to actually preform my job duties?
The signatures are crazy. And to think they have been used and somehow proven true....I should probably read it over a 2nd time.

 

[hqueen13]

I hear you on that. I am interested in it to make sure that I can do things until we can get medical help, or to help reduce the amount of medical help that we need.
The other half has been dealing with a minor blood clot in his leg for a couple weeks now. He ended up at the ER twice, and all they tell him to do is use compression socks/shorts on his leg, alternate ice/heat as he is comfortable, elevate it some, and take an aspirin a day. As SOON as he started taking some natural remedies aggressively, his pain was reduced, and each day I think he's feeling a little better. Sometimes conventional medicine just doesn't do any good!
I miss having a job where I can goof off and do whatever I want. I kinda get away with it here (obviously) but not as much as I'd like How sad is that?! LOL I used to have a job like that. It was GREAT! LOL I could get SO much stuff done!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I just added dried fruit to my batch of wine. Most of the kids were complaining of the smell. The 9 year old acted like she liked it....maybe she did. IDK.
I tell you what....I wish I already knew all this stuff. I have this misery in my right knee and its swollen and I didn't even do anything to hurt it. I've tried to wrap it in vinegar and put myself on light duty. I guess I'm going take a bath to get ready for work and applying linament and a wrap to see if that helps. I"m supposed to be the expert in this family and I can't fix myself right now.
I finished another chapter in my studies this morning and took my self test....but I go back in the chapter and re-read and underline all the questions from the test, so I can use that as notes. This time, I also underlined a few things I considered important to remember. I wanna keep myself on a roll....no room for failure.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I took my 2nd test yesterday pm. I thought it would be much harder, because it seemed like I covered more material. I made a 95 and brought up my average. Well, its raining in my area and DH is concerned about the radar on the weather and such, so had to do a quick run in the yard and offer certain high water protection measures to the animals and I think we will have a day inside of homeschooling.....kids and momma. Might as well move right along. Seriously, this is getting interesting. Why don't some of you join me?

 

[Melinda_710split]

Hello, I was thinking about taking the herbal course with PennFoster too, but haven't signed up yet. I know some about herbs and a little about how to make remedies, but was wondering how in depth you have found the course so far. I know nothing about the plant signatures and I saw you mention that, so that would be something new for me. I get the feeling you're finding it very interesting and I'm sure it is. You are probably like me, I have been looking at these so-called "weeds" for years but neverly truely "saw" them. When you learn about them it's like the whole world kinda opens up to you. How are the tests? Do you feel challenged with the course? Thanks for any reply you give. Melinda

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I toyed with the idea of signing up a few months before I put my foot down and did it. I had only just paid off my Katrina nightmare in February and didn't want any new debts, so the money was an object. When I put my foot down, I just sent them a check for $39, plus my application and waited around for my books and enrollment package and I've been paying every 2 weeks, so I can keep ahead of it.
As for my first test, I only made an 80%, which is passing. Perhaps I could have done it open book method and improved a bit, but I didn't. Also, after each chapter there is a self-test you take to prepare for the actual test, but what got me was that some of the questions are hidden deep in the chapters and when you reading the lessons, they don't exactly stick out, so I thought the whole course was going to be a killer. I think its doable. I wrote all my incorrectly answered questions, correctly as notes and underlined them in the book, so I could learn them extra well.
I used to think I knew a lot about plant identification, which I probably did if you just put me next to the next person who lives in the 'normal' world, but I now know even more than I did then, but more so I know what I don't know, which is a lot and quite humbling. I see things, I must have seen all my life, which have rubbed up on me doing yard work or going in the woods and I have no idea what to call them. They are sticking out like sore thumbs making me feel inferior....but I keep telling them,"Yeah, laugh it up. I'm gonna get you."
I have a year to complete the coarse, so I'm trying not to fall behind or get too relaxed. But I have recipes to use, which the lessons suggest you do. Really I think preparing is where you will really learn. Its true of nursing too....I can tell you about pharmacology all I want, but unless you get a patient assigned to you with certain diagnosis' and medications which you will give to her/him, you will not remember what each med is for. There is just so much to know, that I think you have to study and jump right in (being careful mind) and do it.
You can move at your own pace, but you don't want your year to take 3 or 4.....I"m not sure what they will do if it does. I guess your money is still green, so it might be fine. I just want to finish when I should.
I woke up early today and started studying for my 3rd test. I have most of my first self-test done.
Weather isn't permitting me to do much field work right now.