Category: Creativity

Creativity, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Nature

Friday’s Flora and Fauna: Violets are More Than Just Blue.

Lisa Burbank

When I was a little girl, violets were second only to dandelions. Oftentimes, I picked both together, enjoying the striking contrast between dandelion’s fuzzy, yellow flower head and violet’s soft, velvety petals. I would bring them in to my grandmothers’ kitchens, or to my Mom’s, place them in a Dixie cup or an old tea cup of water, where they would grace the windowsill for the rest of the day; by morning, they’d be dead.

I’ve blogged about dandelions before; now it’s violet’s turn.

I don’t remember how old I was when I first learned about sugared violets. I didn’t grow up with “green” living, or even living off the land, so this was foreign information to realize that certain flowers and/or leaves may be eaten–especially the ones that much of the population considers weeds. But sweet violet (Viola odorata) is indeed an edible flower. And, being curious about how they are “sugared”, I googled it. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/350345/sugared-flowers; next spring, I will have to harvest them and give it a try. The leaves are also supposed to be good steamed, much like spinach or kale.

Medicinally, I have found two separate references–one from Juliette de Bairacli Levy and another from Michael Tierra, both renowned herbalists worldwide–for the use of violets to treat tumors. According to “The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable” by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, both the leaves and the flowers may be used…both internally and externally. Despite my love affair with herbs, I can’t help wondering how effective they are in such a treatment. If they are effective, why doesn’t the American Cancer Society incorporate them into their healing regime? Or do they? Has some part of the violet been isolated and made into a drug to be used in cancer treatment, similar to the pain relieving compounds in willow bark being isolated to make aspirin? Or is it simply because violets are considered by most a weed, and fall under the category of “folk medicine”, that perhaps they are pooh-poohed by orthodox medicine? Regardless, it is worth further research.

Violets have other medicinal uses, mostly involving the upper-respiratory system. They may sooth a sore throat, alleviate dry mucous membranes, ease chronic coughs and asthma symptoms (Tierra 203-204). They may also be taken internally for the treatment of inflammed liver, kidneys, bladder, and for gallstones (de Bairacli Levy 159-160). Though the latter book is aimed at the farm, they are also said to be effective for the same ailments in humans. Externally? Being emollient, they make a nice skin oil or lotion to help ease dryness and inflammation. Who knew?

Our natural world is so full of wonders, I am sometimes amazed to find myself reeling in shock over a new discovery. Violets haven’t been part of my pharmacopoeia before so it was fun doing a little research on them today. In so doing, I may have found a new friend to add to the home apothecary…or, at the very least, a new addition at the dinner table. And, if they don’t appeal to the palate? At almost 50, they still look great standing next to the dandelions on the windowsill.

May God bless you & keep you!

Works Cited

de Bairacli Levy, J. The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable, 4th Edition. Faber and
Faber, New York: 1991 (original printing was with Faber and Faber of London, 1952…)

Tierra, M. The Way of Herbs. Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York: 1998.

Animals, Creativity, Gratitude, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Nature, Spirituality, Writing

Monet I Am Not

Lisa Burbank

I added a brief blurb to one of last week’s posts about starting a mural on the wall of my home office. This is the one room of the house I have never painted in all the years I have lived here. I’m not sure why–and it certainly could use a coat of paint–but somehow the unpainted, unfinished walls add a sort of creative aesthetic to the room. A blank but less-than-perfect slate upon which to feed the creative genius. Last week, I painted the sky and the grass. This week I added details.

I am painting my dream life, my dream property in Maine. You see, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about manifesting, using creative visualization to manifest what you hope to achieve. I have several vision boards in the office, on the refrigerator, and even on the cork board next to my desk at work. For those of you unfamiliar with vision boards, a vision board is a collage of images of your heart’s desire. Mine have a wild assortment of goats, sheep, rabbits and Border Collies, as well as an array of antique furniture, spinning wheels, looms, beehives, and herb and vegetable gardens. You can add affirmations to them, too. The idea is to surround yourself with these constant reminders of where you want to be. I even have one with the image of a manual typewriter with an affirmation beside it that reads: I am a professional writer. Eh, whatever motivates you. And the mural is simply a larger vision board–one that I am putting a lot of passion and creative energy into as I improve upon my drawing and painting skills. (I read somewhere that this really helps with the manifestation process; it doesn’t hurt to try)

Painting a wall a single color is actually kind of boring to me. I know many contractors and house painters who find it meditative but I need more detail. Painting a scene on a bit of canvas is meditative for me–as long as I can still the inner critic. But that’s actually not hard to do as I paint simply for enjoyment. When I write, the critic comes out. Though I enjoy writing, too, I tend to forget the rule of thumb about not expecting your first draft to be bestseller material. It won’t be. Accept it. When I paint, though most of the details I’ve added to the mural are pretty easy to figure out, I am definitely not a Monet. And that’s okay…even if it is occupying the whole wall in my home office. Though not a Monet, it does look like a bit of folk art, with a whimsical willow tree over a sea cliff, and some fruit trees that look like they stepped out of a Tim Burton movie. Once I add some leaves and the actual fruit, these skeletal monsters will look a bit more benign. As for the animals? I think I am going to have to find some “how-to” books or websites; my artistic skills need a little honing before I add them to the wall. I can do a passable cat, rabbit, sheep and even a horse but my chickens, ducks and goats leave a lot to be desired.

All in all, it was a great way to spend an afternoon. I went into that proverbial “zone” for a few hours and found true relaxation, something that is often sadly lacking with me as I tend to be moving in 20 different directions at once. It’s nice to be able to focus.

May God bless you & keep you!