Airstream Village

I think deep down, everyone has a secret wish to run away, to live on the road, carefree and marveling at the journey.  I know I do.  Airstreams are, of course, the best way to do this.  Little vintage capsules of home that you can take with you.  Amazing.

Thoughts on Connection

I heard recently that being vulnerable is an extremely courageous thing to do.

I've pondered loneliness a lot lately and being alone, what it means to stand alone, shop alone, pay rent alone, eat dinner alone.

Is there something about me, that if people know it, they won't want to connect to me anymore?

The not good enough.  Not thin enough, smart enough, tall enough, rich enough.  Vulnerable.

Then there's the truth.  Everyone is worthy.  Everyone deserves love and hugs and nurture.  But also, everyone should be ok being alone, with only your own soul as company.

What is it that lies between the two?  I think it's self confidence, self love.  I am good enough.  I am worth of connection.

Why do we, as humans, need a guarantee?  Is jumping in with both feet a part of life, a part of living?  Is it essential?

So I ask you: Is is possible to be compassionate with others if you can't love yourself?  Is is possible to truly connect without being vulnerable?

5 Fiction Reads and a Note on Old Bookstores

Don’t you love bookstores?  The kind that smell like stories and paper and ink and the kind of excitement that people who read bring in? 

If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

A book is a fragile creature, it suffers the wear of time, it fears rodents, the elements and clumsy hands. so the librarian protects the books not only against mankind but also against nature and devotes his life to this war with the forces of oblivion.

–Umberto Eco

Here are 5 Books that not enough people know about, in my opinion (all fiction):   

1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

2. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

3. The River Witch Kimberly Brock

4. The Rock Orchard by Paula Wall (not for children)

5. Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb (not for children)

Moments in Nursing/Keeping It Real

Nursing is taking care of an adult with stage four cancer and his (very) elderly father coming to you and asking, with tears, in his eyes if his son will ever leave the hospital. 

Nursing is having the son in law of a dying man ask you why the strongest man he knows is so weak now as he punches a wall. 

Nursing is holding a sobbing woman in your arms after her husband was just diagnosed with cancer.

Nursing is getting an unsatisfactory customer report because you didn't bring antacid medication quickly enough.  They don’t know that one of your patients ripped out his IV in a confused fit at the same time and another was running a fatal heart rhythm.  And you can’t tell them. 

Nursing is being spat on, cussed at, kicked at, bitten, yelled at, misunderstood, and abused by patients, but more often, the patient’s families. 

Nursing is realizing an ordered antibiotic will cause an anaphylactic reaction in you patient, and getting yelled at by the doctor when you call to tell him he needs to prescribe something else.   

But nursing is also an amazing gift.  And sometimes patients say thank you.  Sometimes they let you hug them or tell you about their lives.  I never feel ashamed to tell people what I do.  I’m a nurse.  I belong to a vast group of others that also care and there are always, always nurses working at hospitals around the world.  We know your history, your medications, personalities and quirks.  We provide the care that is prescribes, and more often than not, suggest what should be prescribed.  Because we know you best.  I am your advocate and I’m happy to serve.

Also I get paid.  That doesn't hurt.  Although it is definitely not as much as people think. Just keepin it real.   

Insert obligatory Nurse cartoon here ;)

I'm Just the Same As I Was

This season of life I'm in is especially quirky.  Working, sleeping, and everything in between.  Keeping a house by myself. Budgeting. Planning the future. Trying to enjoy the moment.  I am beginning to love it, which is a relief. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this being an nurse thing and having lives in my hands.  I'm still very single.  I have a few new friends.  A few old friends faded away unexpectedly, but that's really their choice and I respect that I don't have a place in what they need right now.  

Anyway, some pictures:

Musical Mix

Windy Heart from mkmatthew on 8tracks Radio.

How To Make an Herbal Oil

Hello friends!  I made a video today about how to make an herbal oil.  This is half of the oil that I will be putting in a future joint and muscle salve.  I hope y'all like it! 

My recipe, plus I add peppermint essential oil

Rules of Thumb

1. You need a cup of oil after straining so adjust accordingly
2. Use the highest quality oil you can afford
3. Use the highest quality herbs you can afford or forage 
4. The oil will infuse for at least six weeks
5. Use herbs that you know and feel comfortable with
6. Use your instinct!  Put in some tomato leaves...;)

Good Oils to Start With

• Comfrey-Calendula
• Lavender
• Peppermint
• St. Johns Wort
• Rose
• Ginger

Caprese Pasta Salad

About the only things I can grow well are hot peppers, tomatoes, and basil.  My other plants are a bit sad and sickly, but those three are thriving and producing a ton of fresh plant matter for me to pick and eat!  That being said, I have to find ways to eat it that are delicious and not just salads or sauces.  Enter...summertime caprese salad!  

Caprese Pasta Salad

2 cups Whole grain, all natural bow-tie pasta

1 pound of fresh mozerella, cubed

1 cup fresh chopped basil

1 cup fresh chopped various tomatoes, I used Sun Gold, Roma, and Cherokee purple

1 T. garlic powder

Black pepper, to taste

Cook your pasta as you like it and drain it, then mix it in a big bowl with everything else!  Super simple but still packs a punch! 

I served this to my Marmie and Daddy.  Daddy put olive oil on it and ate it like that and Marmie put parmesean cheese on it.  I ate it as is, “dry”.  All three ways are options!  

Herbal Flowers: Lavender

I have a special love for lavender as it was the first herb I ever used with a medicinal intention.  And can you blame me?  It smells amazing, is beautiful to look at as a plant, and gives an overall sensation of pleasure, courage, strength, and euphoria when smelled.  Lavender is capable and powerful as an herb while being calm and gentle at the same time.  The essential oil is relaxing to the mind and can alleviate insomnia, stress, tense life spells, and melancholy.  Internally, the flowers can be drank as a tea or made into a tincture to treat stomach distress and spasms like those associated with indigestion or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  Topically in oil form or a salve, lavender is antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiseptic.  I often apply it to bug bites, bee stings, or small wounds (cuts, scrapes) to alleviate pain and speed up healing while preventing infection.  Rosemary Gladstar has been reported to use it to wipe down doorknobs or the rims of drinking glasses where diseases are particularly bad.  The essential oil is often called a first aid kit in a bottle, and it can be found quite easily now days.  Think of lavender as your super supportive best friend: calming, uplifting, brave, strong, and ready to go to battle for you. 

I have personally used it with success to treat dermatitis, heat rash, headaches, and melancholy.  I also like to toss it in food whenever apt to foster a peaceful life. ;)

Suggestions for use:

Tea: 2 Tb. in 8 oz water for stomach cramps or spasms

Bath: Essential oil dropped into the water for stress, sadness, headaches or insomnia

Topically: Oil or salve applied as often as remembered for small skin issues like dermatitis, bug bites or stings, cuts, scrapes, rashes, or even sunburns.  

Veggie Chili Recipe

I've been making this veggie chili for about six years now.  It’s a recipe that a friend that I cherish, Elena, found online and we have adapted it from that.  I don’t know where she found it, but it sure is delicious!  The sweet potatoes add a chewy-soft depth to the flavor that matches so well with the beans and spice.  It’s wholesome and filling and it freezes beautifully. 

Ingredients

Olive oil to fill the bottom of a pot, shallowly

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine

2  sweet potatos, peeled and chopped

2 serrano peppers, de-seeded and chopped (This is the main source of heat, so adjust accordingly)

2 6 ounce packages vegetarian ground beef

2 28 oz. can whole organic tomatoes and juice

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1teaspoon oregano

5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons sea salt

*Calendula petals, to taste

Directions

Saute onions, potatoes, peppers, and fake meat until soft, about ten minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  As you add the tomatoes, dump them over your hand, over the pot, and squish them on their way out.   Don’t worry about adding water, as the veggies will release a lot on their own.  Let the chili cook for at least an hour on medium heat, covered.  This makes a lot.  I mean, A LOT.  Like you could serve 12.  I make it in such big batches because it freezes so well and it’s an easy way to get lots of nutrients in one meal.  Serve with extra sharp shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, whatever you like!  

* A big part of my health care beliefs are that incorporating herbs into your food is a great way to stay healthy!  When I make this for myself, I usually include some calendula petals, which help soothe the stomach, nervous system, and lymph system.  

Seasonal Phases

Don’t you love summer?  The way it feels to barefoot on concrete, waiting to see just how hot it is and if you can really stand or if you should go get some shoes on. My favorite thing about summer is the tomatoes.  There’s nothing better than a home-grown tomato. I like to grow the little yellow kind, sungold, and just pop them into my mouth right off the vine.  

A lot has happened to me this summer.  Graduation from college preceded a new job and a move to a new house.  My friends moved away.  It’s been a learning experience, to be sure. 

I’m settling in, slowly but surely.  It doesn'’t feel as odd or lonely to walk around my little cottage at two in the morning. These past three months have been full of newness and change and a testing through fire, so to speak.  I’m ready for Autumn.  I am ready for blankets and boots and pumpkin spice and leaves and all those happy things.  I am ready for crisp, cool air and the smell of woodsmoke.  So yes, the last three months have been fine, but bring on the next three!  

Good Golly

I feel like I've been working a ton!  This is how I feel, in face form:

I love song covers!