December turns to dreams.....a different type of creativity, where seeds of next year are planted and hibernate.

"In a way, winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature"

~ Edna O'Brien 

December 1 ~ Sunny and cold. I already cut my holiday greens, collected pine cones and rose hips, so today, I work indoors hanging cedar swags, creating folksy tableaus around the house, using mulling spices in my woodstove water kettle and making up our winter herb tonic--full of spices to keep our circulatory, immune, urinary and respiratory systems working efficiently.

December 4 ~ A lady called about what to do for her cat's ear mite problem. Simply steep some Rosemary powder (grind fresh or dried rosemary needles) in olive oil for a few weeks. Shake and rub 1/4 teaspoon in the ear canal. It kills current mites and smothers the eggs--and it smells nice too!

December 6 ~ It is cold/flu season!! I keep some sort of elderberry preparation in the house at all times--tea, tincture, syrup to ward off respiratory issues.  I keep local, pure honey to take by the spoonful for sore throats or laryngitis. I also keep vinegar for two reasons---to settle the stomach during periods of vomiting due to flu and upset stomach due to excessive holiday eating.  I have found it handy to keep a small jar of vinegar in the bathroom, so it is readily available for those late night illnesses.

December 10 ~ I have not been following my own advice!! A lot is going on in our family and we are exhausted--so I have been drinking lots of tea and some coffee---but what I SHOULD be doing, is using a lot of stress relievers/relaxants in various ways--inhalation, teas, homeopathics and tinctures. "Physician, heal thyself"!