Back from Lier

We're back from a two weeks vacation in Lier, Belgium. We stayed at a private paradise of friends in the middle of nature and had a great time. The weather was very hot, but we also had some cooler (well, less hot...) days with an occasional shower. This was our third year there, but it will never become boring.

The dogs had a great time too, living outdoors most of the time. Foofur knew it, but it was Arwen's first time there. She enjoyed it fully, and so did Foof! Running free, rolling in the grass, dozing in the sun... On our walks along the river Nete they met horses, donkeys, cows, rabbits, birds... Arwen went swimming in the river. I panicked a bit when she went into the flow, but she is a great swimmer. She dawdled to come back. :)

We  buried Boris' ashes on a partly hidden spot on the property. He enjoyed it there sooo much and it was the last place where he was happy. We made a circle of stones to mark it. He's at a good place. We buried his ashes, but Boris will always live in our hearts.

We visited the famous Zimmer Tower in Lier for the first time. Of course we had made pics before on the outside, but we decided to do the complete tour and it was very interesting! We also did some shopping and sightseeing. Lier is a beautiful old city.

We like flea markets and the like a lot. It is always nice to visit one outside our own area. In Belgium we visited one jumble sale around a church and two huge car boot sales. Our last full vacation day was the Belgian National Holiday, so we could choose which one to visit!

There was a lot of chamomile in the meadows nearby, so Ron sneaked behind the fences and picked a big bunch (see picture on top of this post). I infused the chamomile flowers in oil and put it in the sun. It's sitting in the kitchen windowsill at home now.

All in all we had a wonderful time, our batteries are recharged!

Herbal fun again

Today I made a wonderful walk in the dunes with Foofur & Arwen. While they were walking around me I picked some red poppy (papaver rhoeas), not the opium poppy: that's papaver somniferum. Back home I put them in alcohol, oil and hot water (separately). Internally poppy helps against coughs, throat aches, hemorrhage, nervousness and insomnia. In external application it has a soothing and moisturising effect on the skin.

I love my herbal experiments. I have made quite a few. At the moment this is my window sill in the kitchen:

From left to right: herbal vinegar, lemon balm oil infusion, poppy tincture, echinacea root tincture, rosemary oil infusion, poppy oil infusion, valerian root tincture and poppy water infusion. On the far right is water with gemstones.

Herbal Healing Salve

Ever since I joined HerbMentor, I've been trying out stuff. I made a nettle infusion and started with an echinacea tincture. Today I made a herbal healing salve with comfrey, plantain, calendula and St. John's Wort. I made a slideshow of the process:

The pictures of the infusion, tincture so far and the salve are also in my Flickr-album "Herbal Stuff".

Numen, the nature of plants

Today I watched an excellent documentary: Numen, The Nature Of Plants. It was an exclusive screening for HerbMentor-members. Numen (defined as the animating force in nature) is a 95-minute documentary film focusing on the healing power of plants and the natural world. It is for herbalists, gardeners, medical practitioners, plant lovers - and everyone concerned about human and environmental health.

The film is built around interviews with a series of experts and individuals that in turn share their opinion about a lot of topics. In between they show beautiful footage of medicinal plants. That works very good. It is educating, moving, awakening, inspiring, compelling, and so much more. I can really recommend it to everyone!

Here's a 10 minute preview, enjoy!

I'm back!

Wow, it has been looooooong since I posted a blog. The reason..? Hmmm. The easiest answer would be "I'm busy", but that's not all true. I often thought about posting, but it just didn't end up here. Ah well, whatever the reason... I'm here! :-)
I have been doing some things during the 'silent time' that are worth mentioning; here are some (not in any particular order).

April 10th I attended a workshop with Linda Wormhoudt about Seidr. She has written a great book about it: "Seidr, het Noordse pad", so I was looking forward to learn more. We were asked to bring our staff or another stick, as the theme of the day was to work with the staff and with energyfields. Apart for some theory it was a lot of action; not hearing about it, but trying it ourselves. Very interesting and worthwhile!

I discovered a lovely bookshop in Haarlem called De Groene Godin (The Green Goddess). I often shop in Haarlem and I even lived in the city centre long ago, but I didn't know it. It's a little shop with a large table in the back where you can sit, drink tea etc. and workshops are held. I did a workshop there with Mandragora some weeks ago. We made an ointment and a tincture. I learned new things and had a great evening!

I was asked to tell my personal experience story and talk about depression in a theme group of a day-care program in a hospital. I went there twice. The first time I told my story and answered questions; the second time I answered more questions and we discussed it further. The supervisor/counsellor was very content, the group was positive and for me it was another good experience with this work!

The Tuesday before Easter Evert and I went to the Matthäus Passion in Breda. It was a great performance with wonderful soloists. My favourite part are the bass voices and they were very good! In the afternoon we went to 'my tree' in the Mastbos. It had been some time since I could be there. We also visited the burial mounds (around 1700-1000 BC) on De Regte Heide. There are six of them, but a little one in the back caught my attention. It felt very strong. There was a tree nearby and I couldn't resist climbing in it...

More later! :)

A. Vogel workshop

The last week I've been in and out of bed / couch. At first I just had a sore throat, but later the rest of a nasty cold or flu was added. In between I've been doing things. :)

Last Friday I was invited to do the workshop "In balance" at the A. Vogel / Biohorma headquarters in Elburg. It was quite a drive and I wasn't feeling that well, but I really wanted to go! I arrived around 10am. One by one the participants came in. The welcome was very friendly and warm. All the Vogel people we encountered that day were like that. You could feel they really like their jobs and vouch for the Vogel products. The whole atmosphere felt very good.

After the welcome we were divided in two groups. My group first got a presentation about the company, how they work, the philosophy, some products and A. Vogel himself by a very enthusiastic man called Marcel Brienne (he starts talking when you visit the Dutch Vogel website). I already know and use Vogel products, but it was very interesting nevertheless. He had also brought some little jars with raw materials.

When he was finished a nice lady explained and helped us to make our own oils. There was a lot of stuff to choose from. I made two oils: the first from 80% almond oil / 20% jojoba oil with lavender, camomille and marigold, the second from 100% jojoba oil with thyme and rosemary. It was a lot of fun!

Next stop was the factory to take a look there. We got white coats and hats for hygiene. We have seen all the departments from processing to bottling with information and explanation by factory personnel. In another room a public health inspector was checking things.

Then it was time for lunch! The tables were full of delicious dressed rolls and other yummy things. After lunch we watched a short film, an introduction before we drove to the A. Vogel gardens. Everything was still covered in snow, but the gardener made the fields come alive while he told us all about 'his' gardens. I definitely want to go back in summer to see the gardens in bloom! The gardens are in a protected country estate, but always open to everyone. In the shop on the nearby farm we drank hot chocolate (or glühwein) before we drove back.

There were drinks and snacks to welcome us back. We sat for a while before it was time to go home. To my surprise we got a bag full of Vogel products and a Vogel umbrella as a goodbye gift. Wow, what a day! I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot in the process. The long drive home full of traffic jams couldn't even spoil the fun, although I was sooo glad when I got home!

Making herbal oils

In Lier several herbs were growing along the river Nete or nearby. I decided to take some St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Camomile (Matricaria chamomilla), because there was plenty of it. Early in the morning Ron and I made the beautiful walk along the river and picked the flowers. From each plant we only took a few; we didn't want to harm them! Unfortunately a week later the banks were mowed to the ground...
I didn't have jars with me, so I temporarily put the flowers in Belgian milkbottles. I added "arachideolie"(peanutoil?) to make macerates (explanation). At home I put them in pharmacist's jars. They are now upstairs, in the window-sill or outside. I think I'll filter and bottle the oil during the next full moon.

Herbal walk

My brother-in-law Ron has been game-warden / forester in the dunes near IJmuiden, De Heerenduinen. He lived in the dunes with his family. He has a lot of knowledge about plants, trees, birds, other animals, etc. Some time ago I asked him if he would want to guide a group in the dunes with a focus on the herbs that are growing there. He agreed and I started organising.

Last Sunday we gathered for the walk: ("my") Ron and I, my sister Joke and her husband Leo and 6 other friends drove to the parking lot near the entrance, where Ron was waiting for us. The weather was good: sunny and dry. A lovely day for a walk in beautiful nature! From time to time Ron stopped to show us a herb and to tell us all about it: how to recognise it, the name, family, what it is used for, etc. Everyone was enjoying theirselves and at the same time we learned a lot! I won't say I remember everything, but it's a start!

After the walk most people came home with us to drink something and chat. Ron picked up his wife Gerda and came too. We were unanimous: we want a sequel in the not-too-far future! Ron agreed to guide us again, but we haven't set a date yet.

A lot of people made notes and pictures. Ron made pics for me and I've put them in a Picasa webalbum. The name in Dutch is under the picture, but if you have the English or Latin name, or any remarks: please add them under the picture!

Our guide Ron didn't want anything for his work, but we didn't agree! I got some money from everyone. Yesterday I bought a nice card and signed it with all the names. Ron has a love for birds too and an big aviary in his garden. His female zebra finch had just died so I gave him a new one on behalf of the group as a thank-you-gift.

Full Harvest Moon

Last Monday it was full Harvest Moon, time to harvest my oils. I used the cold or long method: bottles with herbs/plants in a base oil, put them in the sun and let it stay there for the summer. The result is called a macerate. Monday I filtered the oil and put it in little blue storage bottles. On the picture above you can see my harvest. I want to make nice labels later. I have oils with lavender, mint, St. John's wort and camomile. I still have viola tricolor to harvest. I store my oils in a wooden trunk Ron gave me.

With Ostara (March 20) I had planted an acorn in a flowerpot. It grew pretty good and had leaves in no time. Unfortunately the cats discovered the leaves tasted good... Nothing left but a pitiful stem... I wasn't prepared to give up though. Ron thought I was being silly. I watered the stem and talked to it, even gave it reiki. It helped! Last week I noticed a little green sprout and today it looks like this! Ha!

Another week

And then, before you know it, it's Wednesday again and you haven't written a post for a week. Time flies... It's not that I haven't got something to write about! :-)

I'm making my own lavender oil. I'm using the cold and slow method: lavender blossom in a jar, fill it up with peanut oil and put it in a sunny place. Daily shake and turn the jar. It already smells wonderful, but it will take some more time to be ready. Then I can sieve and bottle it. Pictures: after shaking, close-up and after a while.

Ron is working again, starting with 3 days, 4 hours. They have given him something useful to do, that makes use of his skills and experience. He's really enjoying it. It's strange to be home alone again, but I'm very happy he is so much better. I wouldn't wish such a burn-out on anyone...
Mentally he is getting there again, but unfortunately his back is playing up now. He has severe pain and got painkillers and physiotherapy twice a week. I hope it will soon be over!

Last Friday I picked up Wonder in Rijen to go shopping in Breda. He's slowly progressing, but still has a lot of pain. It's not easy, but he is making the best of it. He started a correspondence course in coaching and counselling. That will be an excellent addition to his own business. He works together with a reintegration bureau to put it on the map when he's ready and able to work again.
He really needed to get out of the house and do something else though. Breda is a wonderful city. When we walked into the city centre Wonder saw something moving on the street. It was a little tit. I carefully put it in my hands. It couldn't fly and was trembling, but otherwise it looked fine. We looked around, but couldn't find the mother, the nest or other birds. We walked into a square with grass and trees. There were other tits but also some cats, so we couldn't just put it on the ground. We asked a telephone book and called the local pet shelter. They agreed to pick up the little one at the Tourist Office, so that's were I left him behind. In the short time he had gotten used to me somehow and protested softly. The girl there was very nice and asked my mobile number. When the tit was taken away by the people of the pet shelter, she called me. My little friend was doing fine and he'll survive. Good news!
The weather was good and we had a great time. Not all shops were easily accessible for the wheelchair, but we managed okay. We lunched in an outdoor café. We bought the same book by Erika Dühnfort about Irish deity, heroes and druids. Of course we visited some "new age" shops like Chi Levenskracht (they sell the Chi essential oils, but are no longer related). For dinner we stumbled upon a wonderful tapas restaurant: Plan B. Sitting outside, looking at the people passing, we were served by the very friendly owner. The tapas were very yummy!

It had been quite a busy week, so we didn't plan much for the weekend. Nevertheless we didn't have very early nights... Saturday evening we went to Rons sister and brother-in-law in Beverwijk and were home late. Sunday evening we picked up friends at Schiphol Airport; they came home from a holiday on Crete. We stayed for a while and it was late again. :-) Fortunately I have slept a few times during the day.

Yesterday I mustered up my courage and stepped on the scales. The last few months have not been my best food-wise and that's putting it mildly. So I knew the figure on the display wouldn't exactly please me. Well, it didn't. In fact I was a bit shocked: 112 kilo (247 lbs.), aaaaarrgghh!!! I know I did that all by myself and I know what I have to do now. Not going on a crash diet, but watch my intake and make it better, more regular and healthier again. It's a lifelong assignment, or curse... Or as Garfield puts it:

Druid Plant Oracle

My favourite tarot deck (and thus the one I work with) is the Druidcraft Tarot by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington. I also have their Druid Animal Oracle.
Recently I heard about the release of a third deck: the Druid Plant Oracle. I had earned a lot of gift vouchers by filling in online polls and surveys, so I ordered it right away. This week it arrived and it is everything I suspected. I love it! The cards are beautiful, and the companion book gives a wealth of folklore, myth and interpretations for each plant and gives both oracular spreads and ways of working with plants that can act as guides, allies and healers. The cards can be combined with The Druid Animal Oracle cards to give readings from the animal and plant realms. The cards are the same size and, similarly, they possess borders of leaves and berries. There are 36 illustrated cards and 3 that are blank. If you have an affinty for a particular wild plant not featured in the oracle, you can take a photograph and paste it onto one of the blank cards.

Hortus Botanicus

Today I've visited the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam with my sister and 2 friends. We planned it some time ago, but it was a great day: the weather was warm and sunny. Although I wanted to go for a long time, I had never been in the Hortus before. It's a beautiful garden on the edge of the hectic center of Amsterdam with herbs, trees, plants, flowers and greenhouses. The collection is very special, outside but also in the greenhouses. I especially liked the three-climate greenhouse (subtropical, tropical and desert-dry). The herbs, trees... I enjoyed it all! We want to go back around August to see other plants flowering.
After the Hortus visit we went to Esoterica for dinner, a 100% organic vegetarian restaurant. Three of us took the specialty of the house: Indonesian rice meal. Very yummy!!!
I've put my pictures in an album at Flickr.