Plant Allies (or How I Came to Know Comfrey)

When I first began 'formally' studying herbs about 15 years ago, I was tasked with choosing a plant that was near my home, close enough to see daily, to ally with. My favorite definition of ally is, "to combine or unite a resource or commodity with (another) for mutual benefit" (thanks Google). I was to sit with this plant, to breath its air, talk to it, study with it, and otherwise make it an integral part of my everyday life for my entire course of study.

At the time, I hadn't really considered that this sort of thing was actually possible, even though I had felt it for most of my life. I can remember leaving high school on late spring afternoons and nodding or speaking to the dandelions which had returned to the grounds outside the building. Further back ... playing in the soft sand driveway of my grandparent's home and smiling or laughing at (with) the 4 o'clocks blooming nearby in the shade at the end of a long summer day. They meant something to me. More than a pretty face to admire, more than a delicious fragrance to enjoy passing by. More than witnesses. They were living, breathing players in the script of my life.

Later on, plants would take a backseat to adulthood, deadlines, and financial burdens. They became simple eye candy, romantic gifts, or tools for improving curb appeal. Weeds were annoying, invasive things that destroyed lawns and free time.

And so it is for most folks that the magic of childhood inevitably is crushed under the weight of burdened adult lives. Myths, folklore, legends and strange tales drift out of memory while we struggle to enjoy the fruits of our labor and along the way, the laughter of the 4 o'clocks is lost. But not forever. Not for me.

We had just moved across the road to a small house on a beautiful, wooded piece of family farm land when I accepted the plant ally challenge and it so happened that there was a large, interesting, but unidentified plant directly beside our new front porch steps. A weed, I presumed, prickly and thick, but it spoke to me. I pulled up the grass around it so it could stretch out. My mother in law informed me the plant was 'Comfrey' (Russian Comfrey, or Symphytum x uplandicum, I later discovered, which does not re-seed but will spread quite prolifically when and where the roots are disturbed), and she had quite a nice patch of it in her yard, as well.

Pull up a bit of Comfrey by the root, toss it on the ground, and voilà! You have almost certainly started yourself a brand new patch.

Every day from then on in the comings and goings of my new life, Comfrey would change me in ways I never dreamed possible.

My plant ally challenge became a cool drink of water in the heat of my studies. Anatomy and physiology, phytochemistry, medical terminology, online lectures and essays, etc., etc., all interesting and exciting to me but I longed for breaks to sit and relax with my patient new green friend out by the front steps. And not only did I sit with her ... I talked to her, about everything. Yes, you read that right. I admit at first it was a bit odd, even for me, but I was persistent and it quickly became comfortable, and something I looked forward to. I learned some very important lessons during those visits. Lessons that came during the perfect time, about patience, and the peace found in stillness and quiet introspection, followed by a deeper understanding and appreciation of "Other" ... or all that which is not me. That it's okay to not be in control of or micromanage every aspect of my personal world. I learned about the value of ALL LIFE, and the joy of living what I came to refer to as 'Macro', or outside and above myself and my small, ordinary life. To this day, when I find myself mired in the pits of everyday drama, the thought comes unbidden to me ... "Macro". Rise above. SEE.

I took photos and drew pictures and read everything I could get my hands on about Comfrey. History, cultivation, botany, medicinal uses, folklore, you name it. I learned how to harvest and dry Comfrey and made medicine with her aerial parts. Medicine that is invaluable to me now and always will be, and it began with one forgotten plant waiting patiently by my front door. You don't need to study hundreds or even dozens of plants to be an herbalist. Pick a plant that means something or is interesting to you - it doesn't matter how or why - and study everything you can find about it. It will prepare you for an exciting, magical, lifelong journey in herbalism. Yes, I really mean it.

The bulk of my Comfrey medicine begins with infused oil: I use two different methods for infusing Comfrey in cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, which I prefer for its impressive resistance to rancidity and because it naturally contains vitamins, essential fatty-acids, and antioxidants. First is the easy peasy folk method: Pack a glass jar (I make it by the quart) with the freshly dried leaves, stalks, and flowers, cover with oil, gently press out air bubbles with a butter knife or spoon, cap, let sit for about six weeks in a sunny window, and give it a poke or stir every once in a while. Strain through cheesecloth when it's ready, bottle it up, and don't forget to label/date it. That's it. The second method involves heating the oil and plant material in a double boiler over very low heat for about 48 hours, turning the heat off at night and allowing it to cool in the pot. Strain, bottle, and label. I prefer the plant material freshly dried because Comfrey is a juicy girl who smells pretty foul when processed, and drying seems to lessen not only the odor but cuts way down on the chances that your oil will contain rot-inducing water. Yay! Adding a few drops of good quality vitamin E oil (another natural antioxidant) will also extend the life of your infusion.

I have used Comfrey oil for many things, including superficial skin wounds, blisters, bruises, pregnant bellies, diaper rash, sore nipples from breastfeeding, and on my own daughter's eczema. It is easily made into a powerfully healing skin salve by gently melting in .25 (+/-) oz beeswax per 1 oz of oil. Comfrey is an important part of our muscle and joint pain salve, 'Elbow Grease', made with descendants of the very plant I found by my front door on that fateful day. I also love to add Plantain Leaf (Plantago spp.), Yarrow Leaf/Flower (Achillea millefolium), and Chickweed (Stellaria media) oils to make a versatile, all-purpose skin salve. Have fun with it. The weeds in your area are quite useful ... dare I say important ... but that's for another post.

I guess I should mention that there has been some controversy over the internal use of Comfrey, which contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which may cause severe liver damage when consumed in extremely large doses. Those last three words being the operative thing to note here, although I should also mention that the FDA has officially declared it unsafe for internal use. I really do not want to get into a debate about it here, but you must do your OWN research and decide for yourself if you want to use Comfrey internally. I personally have no desire to inject myself with an isolated compound made from the roots (where the highest concentration of PAs in Comfrey are found) of any plant from any laboratory. I also do not wish to drink copious amounts of Comfrey infusion or tea, as I simply don't enjoy the taste. However, I have ingested cultivated Comfrey leaf infusion on several occasions with no ill effects. Quite the opposite, actually, specifically during bouts of respiratory illness. We make and sell Comfrey Tincture in the store at Red Barn, used internally by drops, with great success I might add for tissue and bone healing. I'm not advising, either way.

Comfrey is also known as, Knitbone, or **Boneset, because it contains a substance called ‘allantoin’ that is able to accelerate cellular mitosis, meaning it speeds the process of new tissue growth. Pretty cool, huh?

To me, Comfrey signifies not only healing, but stability and grounding. The feeling of security that
comes from familiarity, the permanence of family ties, and lifelong friendships. A sturdy, loving grandma who tends your wounds but demands your respect. I hope you'll consider growing some of your own, if you're able. She blooms so beautifully (as you can see in the pics above), and is such a lovely addition to any place.

If you see her, give her a nod and a smile from me :-)



**Also the common name of a local favorite, Eupatorium perfoliatum. Which leads me to note that I cannot stress enough the importance of correct botanical identification and proper labeling of plant medicine! Relying on common names will get you into a lot of trouble.

Same Blog, New Name

Quite a lot has happened since I last posted.

I birthed my third child, finished my degree, closed an old business, co-opened a new one, had three surgeries, and built onto my house. Family drama ensued, which it tends to do, with hearts broken and mended. Homeschooling my littles takes up most of my days along with working on several websites, writing an upcoming local herb class, making products for the store, working on the house/garden/yard, caring for animals, wildcrafting ... IT NEVER ENDS.

When did being insanely busy become the new normal? I finally decided enough is enough. I remember when blogging was a joy for me, and not something I had to forcibly wedge into the end of my day with a crowbar. I love people, and I love sharing what I consider to be a truly blessed life.

Expect to see lots of farm and garden photos, herbal medicine making, health and bodycare how-to's, free recipes, tons of plant love, homeschool adventures and lots more! I'm so happy you stopped by. I sure hope you come back soon :-)

Leanne

Back In The Land Of The Living

I want to apologize for my absence for the past while. A suprise pregnancy (at my age!), health issues, a new business venture, and family/home/garden obligations have kept me away from the blogging world. I've tried to take a break from other computer-related activities as well, and it has paid off with chores being completed (mostly by my poor, overworked husband), much needed rest and recuperation for me, and invaluable time with my family!

So, having said all that, I think I'm back, but we'll see as I know the next six weeks will continue to try my mental, physical, and emotional strength as we await the arrival of this third (and final!) child. I'm sad about missing out on many of my most favorite early spring activities, but the little punkin' I'm carrying is certainly worth the wait ;-)

2008 Southeast Women's Herbal Conference

As for my previous lack of conference photos and details, there is yet another story which has something to do with why I bummed out on posting. Unbeknownst to me at the time, my dear eldest daughter took it upon herself to remove the memory card from the digital camera before I left and I was only able to take six, yes SIX, photos of our weekend. Not sure why she did this, but needless to say I was upset. I'll post the six photos (maybe five ... I think one of them is a silly pic of Mel she possibly will object to me posting), but they really aren't much to get excited about. I haven't even loaded them onto my computer yet and it might take a day or two to find where said memory card-ejecting daughter has stashed the camera.

Luckily, the lovely ladies at Red Moon Herbs have posted their Conference pics HERE. Enjoy!

Mel and I had a marvelous time. We camped beside the beautiful Camp Rockmont Lake, ate like organic queens, and learned an incredible amount of valuable, herbal information. I met Corinna Wood as soon as I arrived and she was even more down to earth, warm, and friendly than I expected. I attended the Southern Appalachian Medicinal Plants Herb Walk with Patricia Kyritsi Howell, Astrology for Health workshop with Phyllis D. Light, Herbs and the Immune System and Women's Apothecary with Bevin Clare, Herbal Toolkit for Moms with Jessica Godino, and spent the last evening in the company of 300+ women being led in song, dance and celebration under the guidance of ALisa Starkweather. Rising Appalachia performed a fire dance that took my breath away.

I wish I could describe the food at the conference, but I'll just say it was nourishing to the body and soul, and truly divine. I've never eaten so well in my life. The meals were fit for royalty and included local organic meats and vegetables, artisan breads and cheeses, fresh, juicy fruits, organic nuts and seeds, mouth watering salad greens with herbal vinaigrettes, herbal teas, local raw milk, and lacto-fermented dishes that were so good they made me want to cry! The Sweet Monkey, a delightful bakery and catering operation out of Asheville, NC, were set up in the vendor area and furnished us with warm apple cider, hot chocolate, one huge and delicious breakfast burrito that Mel and I split between us, and organic pumpkin muffins that made me want to smack my grandma.

The camping was fun. Okay, it was colder than a well diggers butt at night up on that beautiful mountain, and having to get up in the dead of night, wrestle a belligerent (and loud) tent zipper, and stumble around 15 feet from a deep dark lake to pee on the ground was maybe not so fun. That's what camping pregnant women and gals with small bladders (neither preferring to walk less than a quarter of a mile to the loo) do, you see. I dare say if you've never lain awake in a cold dark tent for almost an hour vehemently denying the selfish needs of your bladder before painfully relenting, you have not lived. Mel and I are much closer now that we have heard each other pee outside in the wee hours before dawn. Yes, we acted like six year olds in the tent, and it was great, despite the grandaddy long legs invasion.

The weekend wasn't just about herbs. No one cared who you were, how you dressed or what you looked like there (I wore a sweatshirt with pajama pants and hiking boots almost the entire weekend). Women were free to really be themselves with no expectations on them other than to relax, breathe, be aware, learn, and have fun. I was very grateful to be able to spend the time with Mel because she lives about 150 miles away and I rarely get to see her. Truly it was an enjoyable, enlightening, educational, moving experience. I'll never forget it!

Not dead, just pregnant (conference details in the next post!).

Several folks have contacted me wondering if I've dropped off the planet, or just dropped dead in general. Just before I left for the 2008 Southeast Women's Herbal Conference, I found out that (surprise!!) I am pregnant with my third child. We *are* very happy about the news .. it just took a little time to sink in. I'm 38 years old and mom to a very active, soon to be 15-year-old daughter and a lively little 3-year-old daughter. Luckily, I am able to work from home. This is truly a blessing I am gratefuly for every single day of my life.

So I'm blowing up like a gestating bovine, but fortunately have suffered very little sickness or other pregnancy maladies at all outside of my usual preggo-crazies. Daily nourishing herbal infusions of stinging nettle or red raspberry leaves help tremendously. I'm almost 5 months along and am scheduled for an ultrasound Wednesday, when hopefully the baby will cooperate and show us whether number three is sporting a hamburger or a hot dog.

I'm off to the conference!

Spending tonight with Mel and tomorrow morning we're leaving bright and early for North Carolina, and Southeast Women's Herbal Conference!

I promise to post lots of details and pics when I get back! :D

FDA Globalization Act

If you're offended by swearing, please read no further.

Have you heard of it? If you're a work-at-home mom or small business owner who manufactures "cosmetics" (soap, lip balm, salves, lotions, etc.), you should have. I read the 69 page draft. Of particular interest, Section 301, Registration of cosmetic facilities, on page 7 informs us that, "Section 301 requires the Secretary, by regulation, to require any facility engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of cosmetics to register annually. These facilities will be subject to a $2,000 registration fee. The Secretary shall, by regulation, require cosmetic manufacturing facilities to report all anticipated and unanticipated serious adverse events. The Secretary shall also, by regulation, require that cosmetic facilities comply with good manufacturing practices."

Of course I agree that manufacturers of cosmetics should comply with good mfg practices, and that every product should have its entire ingredient list, inci names included, provided either on the package or an insert. Canada has "Cosmetic Regulations" which require mandatory ingredient labelling on all cosmetic products sold there, and I think the US should do the same. The International Cosmetic Ingredient (ICI) Dictionary and Handbook "presents, in detail, the bulk of INCI names juxtaposed with their corresponding empirical chemical formulas, technical/trade names, Chemical Abstracts System numbers (CAS No.), or alternate numbers" (from Health Canada). What more could you ask for? Don't answer that.

There is a copious amount of information about the FDA's mandatory rules and regulations concerning the manufacture of cosmetics listed in their Compliance Guidelines. They have the right to inspect any manufacturer without notice, but they can't afford all the extra leg and paperwork the new legistlation will require. If there were only 10 WAHM's or other small home businesses in every state paying the fee the FDA would generate an extra $1 million annually (remember, it's not a one-time fee) in revenue. You can do the math from there. Business as usual. I read on an FDA Law Blog in April that, "There are fees for registration, reregistration, reinspection, certification, certifying agent accreditation, laboratory accreditation, export certification, and importer registration. The Energy and Commerce Committee predicts that the food registration fees alone will generate approximately $600 million for food safety activities at FDA. In addition, the bill provides for the levying of substantial fines for violations of the new requirements. The proposed fees in this bill mirror the efforts seen in FDAAA to increase user fees as a means of generating revenue for FDA."

One of the reasons this makes me so mad is because I read at the federaltimes.com that the FDA has performed inspections at just 1,500 of the nation’s *5,000* drug manufacturers since 2002. I find this infuriating and think they need to - once again - take a good long look their big ducks before they start eyeballing the ducklings. But the big ducks have government lobbyists and a team of expensive lawyers in every corner, don't they? Did you see the piece on CNN this morning about Gardasil? It's been linked (coincidentally, of course) to over 9,000 "adverse events" and 21 deaths. Please don't tell me the FDA is actually going to show up in Flat Rock to inspect my lip balm when they are already *3500 drug manufacturers* behind. The annual $2000 fee is a crock of shit. I don't think neglecting to monitor big pharma is any excuse to let small biz mfg companies slide. But I do think the fee is another way for them to make more money and that it won't change a thing, except for putting small time businesses, including work-at-home mom's who already barely pay their taxes and won't have the extra time or energy for all of the additional paperwork (and trust me, I am already struggling under a mountain) which will come with the legislation, out of business. They aren't going to effectively regulate WAHM production any more than they do Merck or Mary Kay. I was a bookkeeper and tax preparer for a struggling small business for eleven years and I know exactly how the government deals with the "little guy". If I stay in business for 10 years under this ammendment I will have paid $20,000.00 to Uncle Sam and have filled out literal mountains of paperwork. Surely there is an easier way to ensure public safety from my plantain salve. They don't give a hoot about your ethics or the quality of your products, they just want your money and a little extra insurance to cover their own asses. If they're going to charge us no matter what we say, they should at least do so based on our annual sales. Not that I really believe that would be a good alternative. I didn't even MAKE $2000 in my first year of business.

I support consumer safety 100%, and I follow every single guideline set forth by the FDA concerning cosmetics mfg. I wouldn't even mind paying a one time $2000 fee (even though I would have to borrow it ) to cover the additional paperwork it will take to establish ingredient safety materials for consumers. I do, however, respectfully decline the annual poke-in-the-rear, thank you very much.

If you support small businesses who provide quality handcrafted bath and body products, please sign the "Stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008" petition.

Constructive use of time?

Nope. But here's what I learned to do yesterday (easy!) while my internet was down. Um, besides clicking on "Send/Receive" every other minute ....

There were lots more edited pics (got a little carried away), but these are two of my favorites.

Just becaue I love them....


And this is a pic of my Mom (and her older sister) when she was a baby! It's in pretty bad shape and I'm still working on it. Ironic how my grandmother had two daughters 15 years apart, and now I have two daughters 12 years apart!

To Write Love on Her Arms

Okay, this has nothing to do with gardening, herbs, or any kind of farming at all, but I'm hoping none of my fearless readers will mind a little charitable promotion now and then, especially when it's as important and meaningful to me as this. I am mother to a heartbreakingly beautiful teenager who struggles daily with the pain and confusion of this unkind world. It seems unrelenting like a wolf ever at our door. As parents, it is our responsibility to never turn a blind eye and to LISTEN without judgement, BELIEVE them even when it hurts like hell, and stop expecting them to be us.

Please watch. And please help if you can.

Alteratives

Because I have a very painful, swollen lymph node in my neck, just under my left earlobe, I'm thinking about alteratives and ways to get my blood tidied up. Alterative herbs stimulate, tone, and regulate eliminative organs (kidneys, lungs, liver, bowels, lymphatic system), and are fundamentally blood-cleansers. They normally have a slower action, needing two to three months of continuous administration to really do their job. Using them with another herb which targets a specific eliminative organ can speed things up a bit. There are a lot of alterative herbs out there, but here are some of my favorites:

I'm drinking Stinging Nettle Infusion for extra nutrition and waste elimination. Nettle has iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamins C, A, K, and more. It tastes like, well, to be fair I'm going say try it and see what you think. I drink mine with unsweetened cranberry juice.

My yard is a big salad right now of plantain and dandelion. I went out this morning and picked a bag full for salads, soups, tea, and general munching.

Garlic! How can you not love it? It's very easy to grow and incredibly versatile. I use it in everything from ear oil to flea repellent. I'm eating it in/on almost everything right now. I also love to soak 4-5 crushed garlic cloves in raw honey for 2-4 hours and take a spoonful every half hour or so for throat pain.

Not only is it growing in our pasture, but since I decided to stop mowing down into the dry creekbed in front of my house, I've discovered I have yellow dock growing there, too! Woo Hoo! The root is considered to be the most medicinally active part, but I like to use the whole plant as an infusion or chopped into soup. Yellow dock is a fantastic alterative which is often combined with dandelion. It stimulates the liver and also happens to be a long-term immune response enhancer.

I might go into further detail on these herbs later.

I'm not an "herbal cure-all" advocate (I'm actually an active protestor against it), so let's see what else I can do:

Hydration, hydration, hydration. Plenty of clean water every day. Check!

Diet. Well, maybe not so great for the past week. I snuck a Mtn Dew and and a handful of Doritos Monday. Not a death sentence, but not good, either. I've been getting plenty of leafy greens because my kale, collards, and mustard are all up and waiting patiently for me in the garden, and my lettuce and spinach are still holding on for dear life. I also made a huge pot of chicken soup stuffed with fresh veggies and a ton of kale yesterday to get me through the weekend. I always need to incorporate more nourishing herbs, cooked veggies, and whole grains into my diet.

Exercise. I was doing fair to poorly with this to begin with, and then along came my crud. Now there is NONE. Nada. I feel like crap and don't want to. I normally spend a lot of time outside in my garden and hiking around in the woods, but I need a more structured exercise routine to achieve and maintain optimum health. I have no excuses. It's simply something I have to work on.

Rest. This is so very important but difficult to do whilst wearing a fashionable 33 lb, almost-three-year-old girl wrapped around your head and neck. I'm tired and not convinced I will ever have four or more uninterrupted hours of sleep again.

Hopefully I'll feel much better come Monday.

We sure could use a little good news

I wasn't going to blog today because I'm feeling under the weather, but when I opened Internet Explorer a little while ago, Yahoo News announced, "Oil prices soar!" ... "Pakistan army accuses U.S.-led coalition of killing 11 troops!", and "Floods threaten economic disaster in Midwest!". My first reaction was to frown, shake my head, and think, "Mmm, mmm, mmm. How sad that the world is going to hell in a handbasket and there's nothing I can do about it."

Well, screw that. I may not be able to bring oil prices down, convince Pakistan of America's innocence, or stop a flood, but I can make a difference in my own life and the lives of those around me by being positive, hopeful, helpful and kind. I can actively search out and fill my life with people and things which bring me happiness and joy. A good mood is contagious and one thing that is free and easy to share.

I don't know if you believe depressing headlines affect you personally, but I'm betting that they do whether you admit it - or even know it - or not. Being concerned about the state of this poor planet is one thing. Allowing bad news to affect your everyday life is another. I understand the impact of rising oil prices because I drive a Ford Expedition that gets less than 14 miles per gallon, and I can barely afford to drive it anymore. And forget selling it right now. I've tried. I'm a work-at-home mom raising two daughters with my husband who is back in school for his Economics degree because we're worried about our future. I'm saddened and frightened by the state of things today, but I refuse to let it affect the quality of my life.

So, in my quest for good feeling today, I ran upon this fantastic website, the Good News Network that only has (gasp!) good news! I'm not saying we should turn a blind eye to the world's problems; we are one world and at the end of the day share responsibility for each other's hardships and should do everything in our power to help one another. But one simple thing we can do every single day is to take responsibility for our own lives and make our own little spaces brighter. Put on a smile and do something nice for someone, even if they don't deserve it. After all, one lonely candle can light an entire room.

"How far that little candle throws his beams. So shines a good deed in a weary world." William Shakespeare

Aging gracefully in this cosmetic culture?

When exactly did the term "age gracefully" become so twisted? When did it become fashionable to pull out every stop in the effort to make yourself as plastic and 'polyurethaned' as possible? Please tell me when did becoming wise and weathered turn into a 'bad' thing?

I watched a show on television the other night, which is rarely a good thing to begin with, called "Secret Lives of Women". It was like the proverbial train wreck. I simply could not turn away. I've heard of people becoming addicted to plastic surgery before, but this program really hit it home for me, and started me thinking, rather painfully, that too many people in society today have forgotten - or never got the memo in the first place - about real beauty, and what it means to "age gracefully".

I don't believe aging gracefully equates staying as "young looking" as possible for as long as you can, at any cost. It does not mean spending your entire nest egg on plastic surgery, and truly, many people end up bankrupt because of it. A naturally beautiful woman on the show I watched spent so much money on unnecessary plastic surgery that she ended up financially strapping her family and forcing them into selling their gorgeous home and relocating. It was almost like she just couldn't stop herself.

Don't get me wrong. My father had a near-fatal auto accident in 1981, and cosmetic surgeons had to replace his face, literally, from a photo. There is a time and place for this kind of surgery, and for my father, I am grateful for it.

But what has happened to natural beauty? Where is the joy in weathered skin and wise gray locks? I stopped coloring my hair three years ago. I'm 37 and maybe 30% gray. It is incredible to me how many people - men and women - have asked me why in the world don't I color my hair; it would make me look so much younger. The stares alone are startling. On the other hand, there are a blessed few who smile or even offer a compliment, but my point is, I am disturbed that it is even an issue. It shouldn't make me an oddball because I've stopped using chemicals on my hair.

I am certainly not criticizing those who choose to color their hair or anything else in the name of beauty. I started coloring my own hair when I was 17 years old. The articles I read on the dangers of chemical hair color (there *are* healthy alternatives, including henna!) and certain other beauty products over the years compelled me to change my ways. You make your own decisions. Make them with intelligence and confidence, believe in yourself, and regardless of your choices, stand your ground. Be true to You.

To me, aging gracefully is allowing Mother Nature to hold you, to turn you in her hands and leave the memories and mementos, the good and the bad of your life all over your body and soul. It's about leaving behind childish fears and facing the future with experience and wisdom. It's about the life in the lines of your hands and face, and the laughter and hardship there for all the world to see. It's about secret, knowing smiles and quiet reverence. Aging gracefully is taking pride in the lines you've earned, and not being ashamed of the gray which gently softens the light and hard edges around you. How much precious time do we waste in our relentless and useless attempts to backpedal into our youth? Allowing ourselves to age gracefully is not giving in or giving up. It does not mean you must become someone you don't like or want to be, nor must it mean an end to the fun and frivolity of life. It's accepting the life we've led with dignity and honor, embracing time, reveling in the moments of our lives, and hopefully, sharing with future generations the important things we learn along the way.

Mushy Stuff

My darling husband, who I lovingly refer to as Bird (the man is an insanely devoted duck hunter, blech) and who has been my best friend for 30 years now since our first meeting on a school bus, did something wonderful for me once.

We have a "special place" that holds many sweet memories for us, dating back to 1991 when were were still friends pretending not to be in love with each other. That place is Cades Cove, in the Great Smokey Mountains right next to Townsend, Tennessee, where they happen to have the best fudge on the planet (thank you Little River Village Fudge Kitchen & Sweet Shoppe), in case you're interested.

Anyway, without getting into the whole story, which I could never condense into a manageable size, Cades Cove has been a source of love, beauty, hope, and wonder for us since we first hiked it way back when. We love everything about the place, and I have always been especially enchanted by the plant life and rocks there during every season. I just can't adequately describe it in words; you need to see it for yourself, especially if you are interested in southern Appalachian history.

Our whole crazy history is very hard to put into a time frame, but we ended up marrying in 2000, and he was very late for our first date. I was worried sick.

He finally showed up at my door and handed me an oddly shaped (mini-Stonehenge-ish), beautiful, smooth rock and I immediately knew where it came from. Bird had driven six hours to bring me a rock from the Cove. The friend who rode with him thought he was nuts.

So. Every year we visit the Cove and we bring back an unusual rock for our collection. This year we'll add number sixteen!