Inauguration Day

The skies of happiness shine upon these United States of America. ~Mirakel Reves

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.
~Thomas A. Edison US inventor (1847 - 1931)

Plants of the Dinosaurs -Sycamore & Walnut

The last and the longest age of the Dinosaurs, The Cretaceous Period was the beginning of flowering plants. By the late Cretaceous hickories, oaks, and magnolias were well established. Fossil representatives of legumes, walnuts (pictured above) and sycamores (pictured below) have also been found in rocks. Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, is a native American herbal tree. It is a tall and wonderful shade tree, distinguished by its peeling bark. Historically, sycamore bark was simmered and used to nourish the skin. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is also an American native tree. It is used as a strong black dye for wool or baskets. Black walnut is also a strong anti-fungal herb for athletes foot. Ah, it will dye your skin too. Black feet or itchy feet you pick.

Plants of the Dinosaurs - Ginkgo

During the Triassic Period of no flowering plants, this ginkgo could be found growing inland on the dryer land. What is ginkgo good for again? Oh, that's right - memory... guess I should try some of that (just a little herbalist humor..). Ginkgo increases cerebral circulation and studies have shown that it can slow the progression of Alzheimers. You want to plant only the male ginkgo. The female plant produces the fruit and it is stinky. A hardy and adaptable plant not only can it survive the ice age but it is a wonderful street tree surviving exhaust fumes and excessive heat from macadam and cement.

Plants of the Dinosaurs - Horsetail

At the dawn of the age of Dinosaurs in the Triassic period (360 million years ago) the forests held ferns, club mosses, gymnosperms and Horsetails. No Flowering plants. I love to tell the children that visit our garden that the dinosaurs munched on these plants. Horsetail, Equiseteum is often confused with cattails or bamboo. Horsetail tea is a mild diuretic. It is sometimes called scouring brush because it has a rough feel to it and was used to scrub pans. It has also been used as a fine finishing sandpaper by woodworkers. Rich in silica it is healthy for your hair and nails as well. This plant prefers a damp area on the edge of a pond or we planted it near our neighbors leaky downspout. Be forewarned: Once it is happy in your garden it will spread! And we don't have any dinosaurs to munch it down!

Congratulations to our Winners!

Congratulations to Gwen, Linda, Julie, Denise, Roxanne, and Comfrey Cottages - you have each won a copy of Mary Mac's Tea Times Newsletter. Please contact me with your snail-mail address, and I'll put a newsletter in the mail to you! Thanks for participating!

For La Tea Dah, Marilyn, Tina Sams, Martha and Lady Donna & Miss Spenser, IF you are interested, I discovered I have a few duplicate copies of The Tea House Times, a still-in-print bi-monthly newsletter that celebrates a 'Passion for tea, Victorian Treasures, and Friendship'. If you are interested in a copy of this newsletter, please contact me with your snail-mail address.

Thanks to everyone that participated! We do appreciate your comments. Thank you for celebrating National Hot Tea Month with this fun blog-giveaway! Enjoy your newsletter over a cup of tea and share your thoughts with us!

Gracious Hospitality Blog Give-Away

Also celebrating National Hot Tea Month is Gracious Hospitality, complete with a blog give-away that includes these items pictured. Her ongoing celebration of National Hot Tea Month has included some informative posts about tea and great pictures to accompany the posts. Be sure to visit La Donna, and leave a comment to be entered in her give-away. Let her know we sent you! Looks like fun to me!

National Hot Tea Month Blog Giveaway

Mary Mac's TeaTimes Newsletter was one of the original subscription newsletters featuring afternoon tea. Available by mail, out of Washington state during the early to mid 1990's and billed as a continuing journey into the pleasures of afternoon tea, this little newsletter was full of afternoon tea ideas, menus, recipes, articles and advertising. Without the full color photography you find in Tea Time Magazine today, it was not nearly as glitzy or glamorous as this magazine. However, it was chock full of pertinent ideas and delicious recipes. The six different issues I have feature a Robert Burn's Birthday High Tea (a tribute to Scottish Poet Robert Burns), a Post-Holiday Light Tea and "I'll Diet Tomorrow" menu, Queen Victoria's Birthday High Tea, a Springtime Celebration Tea, and a Devonshire Cream Tea. For National Hot Tea Month, we have 6 past issues to distribute. Leave a comment on this post between now and Monday evening (1/12/09). We'll announce the winners on Tuesday morning, and we'll mail you a past issue of this 16-page now-out-of-print but still pertinent newsletter.

Unwrapped Christmas Gifts

My secret Santa placed tea-themed treasures under the tree for me.

This do-dad laden wind chime, complete with teapot and cup will grace the old tree outside my kitchen window.

It's always a special surprise when a new holiday teacup is unwrapped. The beautiful set is marked Lefton China, hand painted on the bottom of the cup. The shape is unusual, distinct from any I already have.

This beautiful hand-painted box was a gift from a friend of my Mother's. A total surprise, and a family heirloom in the making, it now takes center stage on the mantel in the tea room. The small teapot sitting atop the box was also a gift from my nephew.

Looks like everything has found its proper home... as if it has been here forever. Thank you to all my secret-Santas!

What I got for Christmas

I had a great secret-sister-Santa and it was a banner year for gifts for me. Three new herb books to spend January reading.

Wild Jams & Jellies by Joe Freitus and Sally Haberman printed by Stackpole Books, featuring over 75 wild edibles and over 400 recipes on 320 pages. More than just jellies, it has mustard, vinegar, and oil recipes. Spiced Sea Grape Butter anyone? or Wild Onion Relish? Maybe I'll start with Sumac jelly.

Figs, Dates, Laurel and Myrrh: Plants of the Bible and the Quran, by Lytton John Musselman printed by Timber Press, 335 pages. Gorgeous color photos, the plants are listed in alphabetical order, well indexed by Bible or Quran verse and by Latin and common names, and easy to read for anyone interested in the plants of the Bible (not just for Botanists). I am loving and learning from this book.

See Inside Fairyland by Susanna Davidson, published by EDC company, 15 thick and busy pages. This lift the flap and peek gem of a book explores various areas Fairyland from The Frost Fair to Lily Pad Lake, it is all here. What did you want to peek into? The Rainbow Waterfall or The Goblin Market.

These are just a few of the treasures. Silver bangles, herbal pottery and a few more Santas were also added to my collection. Thank you, Thank you to all my Santas! It was a Merry Christmas!

What didja get?

January is....

National Hot Tea Month. Perfect! Enjoy the health benefits found in a cup of tea, feel the warmth of the tea in the pot, and as you wrap your hands around the mug (or cup) delight in the fragrance of the steaming hot brew. Ah, find comfort from a soothing, calming cup of tea - all month long. Don't limit yourself to just this month though!

Celebrating the New Year....

. . .2009




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