I’ve been thinking…yes…I know it’s been said a little thinking can be dangerous. Well, I guess I live on the wild side then because I think a lot. And I learned a long time ago that keeping all those thoughts locked inside is not healthy.
Luckily, I, like many of you, have found avenues of expression like writing, music, woodwork, and more. Lately, Notes of Blue has proven to be very beneficial in that same way.
So what have I been thinking about? Two things really. 1) I don’t believe I have been devoting enough Notes of Blue attention to “rural life” and 2) how can I use my “rural” knowledge and experience more?
This morning (Thurs., Jan. 29), as I was “thinking,” I was in a lot of pain. Those of you who know me are aware of my neck and back issues. In short, my neck is full of titanium.
The more I thought about it this morning the more I reflected on how I’ve let physical pain basically steal from me since I turned fifty almost nine years ago.
I’ve tried therapy, pain relievers, surgery, etc. I even have glp-1 syringes in the fridge.
They’re waiting for me to go that route of reducing the pressure on my spine by reducing weight.
I ask myself, have I let pain progress to a point beyond return? Can I take back what pain took?
So how does this relate to “rural life”? Ever hear of wild lettuce? It’s one of the many plants with medicinal properties. This one specifically relieves pain and sedates. It’ll be all around us this summer.
(from Pip Magazine)
Here’s what’s weird and ironic—I’m on FB this morning, and what should come across my feed? That’s right! A how-to article from the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine for making a wild lettuce tincture. It was very well-written with directions and photographs. I’ve included the web address…
What is a tincture? Here’s what MedicalNewsToday says…
To be honest, this is not the first time I’ve read about making tinctures. The plant and animal world have always fascinated me. In fact, coming out of high school I was extremely close to choosing biology as a college major. I’m certain it’s because of all the time I spent growing up out of doors, on the farm, in the woods and fields, on the water, etc.
I grew up eating lots of wild plants: poke, hickory chickens, hickory nuts, black walnuts, and animals: fish, deer, rabbit, squirrel (even tried squirrel brains), raccoon, dove, quail, and turkey. As an adult I’ve added paw-paws, wild asparagus, Chanterelle and Chicken of the Woods mushrooms to my diet. I’ve tried puff ball mushrooms and purslane and plantain weeds, though they were fairly bland. And then there’s all the ginseng I’ve dug. I’ve chewed the roots like folks used to back in the day.
(from ResearchGate)
I don’t recommend chewing ginseng unless you like bouncing off walls, which will happen if you chew too much. Leave it for the Chinese; they’re in love with American Ginseng roots.
All of this is just to say—if these wild items are good enough, why not others.
To be sure, every time you turn around, someone is trying to sell you a different home, plant-based remedy: hemp thc, ashwaganda, cayenne peppers, mushrooms, and many, many more. I’ve tried the hemp gummies for pain, but it’s too difficult to get the dose right, and if you take too much, you get a high that may or may not be unpleasant.
Yes, I’ve been thinking. And that thinking has led me to decide this summer is it. Not only am I making kraut, which I posted about on FB a couple weeks ago; I’m making some tinctures for pain relief, too. I plan to document the process and share with you.
Now, before I close, please understand I’m not blogging about this to foster debate. The most common pain reliever in the world, aspirin, is the lab-created version of acetylsalicylic acid, commonly found in willow bark. People chewed the bark for pain relief. And some of the most powerful pain relievers like morphine are derivatives of the poppy plant.
Wild lettuce is a mild pain reliever; otherwise, it would be federally regulated. The tincture I’ll create is perfectly legal, otherwise I wouldn’t even consider it. In fact, you can purchase wild lettuce tinctures online. Can you trust them, though. If I make my own, I’ll know exactly what’s in it.
Yes, I will most certainly be careful. And, as I said earlier, I’ll let you know how it turns out. I hope you’ll wish me luck.
