This and That

 I've been using a sample size of horsetail salve, to see if it will help with the very dry cracked skin on my hands (joys of gardening).  I did a bit of reading (like a tiny bit), and it apparently is good to help brittle fingernails too.  I do not make the salve.  I, honestly, never heard of it, until we bought some earlier this year.  So far, it's helping restore my hands and heal the very dry cracks.  

Garden planting is still on-going.  The rain has now moved later into the week, so watering newly planted seeds and plants is happening.  I obtained a few packets of organic collard seeds, and have a new plan for them this year.  I read that if they are planted next to thyme, they thrive better (we'll soon find out).

Our garlic is starting to grow scapes, and the radish plants have not even sprouted due to late planting.  The two together, make the most delicious dip.  I don't need to cut the scapes just yet, but I read they will store in the refrigerator for a good long time, so there is hope for making the dip this season. 

I recently listened to a video, where the garden grower stated that once you cut those scapes off, your garlic is done for the season.  I read that you cut them off, so your bulb grows larger, but now I'm hearing that is not the case.  Any thoughts on that?

It's that time of year I call "dip" season.  Easy dinners that require no cooking, and are also light lunches or even simply a quick, nutritious snack.  The photo above is a dip that uses 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar in the dressing and it is delicious.  I split this batch in half, and added a fresh chopped jalapeno to one half of the dip this time.

Black bean and corn dip.

Our comfrey is now blooming.  I grow it in a plant pot, and it comes back every year.  If I had a "weed" garden somewhere, it would be grown there, as it spreads quickly (medicinal plant).

I am glad I make my own comfrey salve, as we have used that this year too.  Along with plantain salve and yarrow salve.

Something I learned, but have to check resources to make sure it's correct - borage blooms (another green I would like to start growing) look almost identical to comfrey blooms, and the plant looks very similar.  You can eat the blossoms of borage and they taste like blueberries.  Hm.  I have yet to plant any borage, but it's sounds interesting.  It is one plant I am not familiar with.

Something else I learned - the roots of cleavers can be used to make a red dye.  Very interesting (Learning Herbs).  I decided to go ahead and start a tincture with cleavers, but in a smaller jar.  We love ginger root for swollen lymph nodes, but I think the tincture would be nice to have on hand this coming winter. 

I started an apple cider vinegar tincture with chickweed.  My first tincture made with vinegar.  My research recommended filling the jar 1/4 to 1/3 of dried herb.  As you can see a little herb goes a long way (using dried herb) in this type of tincture.  It will sit for 4 weeks before I strain it.

I do need to make an inventory on tinctures. I like to get those all re-stocked when the plants are growing.  I'm considering making more tinctures.  Possibly more with vinegar this year, but tinctures with apple cider vinegar will only last 1 year.  However, you can use them to cook with too.  I'm considering maybe Thai basil.  Garlic would be a good one too.  

I have a packet of Sorrel seeds, and have yet to decide where to plant them.  I really need a "weed" garden somewhere.  I have never eaten sorrel, nor planted it, nor harvested it for any reason.  I did read a bit about it, and it is invasive and a perennial plant.  Has anyone eaten sorrel?  Worth the time to plant possibly in pots for a trial run?  Benefits?  Does it freeze well when blanched?  Best way to eat it?  I'll have to do more research on this plant.  Adding it to my "rainy day" activities.

Deer are on the move lately.  They are the reason gardens are fenced around here, but deer can jump high too.   

This and That  ©  June 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Just the Bits

April 9th - rain and snow mix, morning temperature was 21°F!
April 10th - 38°, high of 44°F, rain
April 11th - 30°, low chance of rain, partly sunny

We should be picking asparagus, wild violets and wild dead nettle right now, but the weather is delaying it.  I surely hope we still get them all.  Time will tell.

Despite freezing cold weather that is freezing my chickens water at night, my potted comfrey is already coming to life again.  The weather is to warm up again thankfully.

I need help with deterring rabbits.

Does anyone have any tried and true (non toxic) ways to deter rabbits from your flower beds and herb garden?  I read coffee grounds deter them, but they are not good for my herb garden.  I had motion sensor noise gadgets, but they did not work for the rabbits last year.

A tree of some sort is growing in the edging (between the landscaping stone and chives of all places) of the herb garden, and it has thorns.  It needs to be dug out thanks to the birds.

I have wild growing wineberry starts (again thanks to the birds) to yank from the asparagus patch, and have already put straw in the newer asparagus patch (to keep those weeds down for harvest).  I will need to add more straw before Spring harvest.

(oatstaw in a jar)

I've been brewing nettle tea for us here lately.  It's a powerhouse, but it's great for allergies too. I'm no doctor, but you can do your own research on stinging nettle.

Homesteading/Self Sufficiency goes hand in hand with being physically fit.  If anyone is interested, I can write up a post on this.

Garden or no garden is the question.  We purchased not-so-inexpensive fencing to fence one garden area last year.  We need fencing to protect the other (larger) garden area, and it's now in limbo.  The cost to buy fencing is not low, by all means, but we can install it ourselves.  

A lot has affected the purchase of the fencing.  Our electric cost doubled, and we are not even heating the upstairs (as we did when the kids lived here).  We are not even using heat in two downstairs rooms either, yet our cost doubled.

Groceries more than doubled.  Home repair supplies are up.  I mean it's just a rough time for everyone right now.

Home Repairs/Updates:

-purchased one window blind and installed it (was thankfully under $30)

-one last blind is needed for another room, but the window itself will need replaced at some point soon.  I'm on a list to be notified when they are in stock (has to be custom cut to fit).   I already got one email stating they were in stock, but when I went to order it, it said "out of stock" (again).  I called, and yes in fact, they are out of stock (again).

-lined more wire closet shelving. I have a few more to line.

-started stairway project by scraping tape and adhesive off the walls (kids!!) This job will take a while to get done.

Just the Bits ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Nettle Infused Oil

 I have resurrected a blog post draft from 2018!  Crazy how some of these drafts slipped through my days.

I have been using nettle as a nutritional tea, allergy tea, and medicinal tea for years.  According to my research, stinging nettle is a powerhouse of goodness.  You can read about it in many free books from the library (or trusted/reliable sources online).

I have started a nettle (stinging nettle) infused oil to eventually use.  We will be using it to make salad dressings and drizzling on vegetables. It can also be used for sore muscles/sore joints, and it can be used to make a nettle cream.  Lots of possibilities with nettle oil.  I made ours with organic olive oil, as we use that for our summer salads.

Nettle Infused Oil  ©  March 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Plantain Salve

                       

(old photo of picked plantain, but I used both broad leaf and narrow-leafed plantain for the salve)

 I completely forgot to share our newest addition to the medicine cabinet  - plantain salve.  It's a homemade drawing salve.  Plantain  (a weed that grows wild) is what saved me when I had a very nasty spider bite years ago.  I asked my husband to go outside and pick it, macerate it, and make a poultice.  I used it until I found a decent doctor (which was hard to do at the time).

I used 1/2 cup infused oil (used grapeseed oil to infuse it), and 2 Tbsp. of beeswax.  Heat together until the beeswax is melted, pour into jars and cool completely.  You can add essential oils too, but add them after you take the melted oil/beeswax off the heat.

By the way, before this was made, and I needed a drawing salve, I used a mix of homemade calendula oil, some store purchased chickweed salve (has plantain in it), and homemade yarrow salve.  It worked until I had my own salve made.  Not sure if one ingredient was better, but together it did the job.  

You can use dehydrated plantain for making tea (soothes an upset stomach), and infusing oils with dried plantain and chickweed to make a chickweed/plantain salve (great for mosquito bites, poison ivy, burns, rashes etc).

(from my experiences with plantain)

Has anyone eaten the young leaves in a salad? I also read the older leaves can be stewed or boiled for soups.  Anyone?  I am very interested in this, as I am learning about the nutrients in the leaves.

Homemade Plantain Salve © January 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Yarrow ~ Tea

 Back in the June fo 2024, I waited patiently for my yarrow to spring forth flowers, so I could brew up a tincture. 

In the end, I ended up putting both catnip and yarrow in one tincture, for a experimental mix for bug repellant spray (for us).

I strained it and used it to make the every changing recipe that Mountain rose herbs keeps changing (on their website).

You can read about the bug/mosquito repellant here on my blog.  Original post is here, but their link no longer works.

(dried yarrow on a screen)

We have added powdered yarrow to our "medicine chest" of remedies.   We learn something new every year.  

We have already used macerated yarrow for a bleeding cut, and it is said to be great for wound healing.  If you haven't read up on yarrow, you really need to.  According to Learning  Herbs,  yarrow is also great for treating a fever.  In the past, we have grown and dried feverfew, but we now dry yarrow. 

Yarrow salve?  I may be making some if we get enough yarrow before fall ends.   I have also seen videos where a person simply removed yarrow leaves and rolled them up in his hands, and rubbed them all over his skin as a natural mosquito repellant.  I have not tried that, because I feel you get more from your plant making the tincture for your bug spray. 

Here is a video from Learning Herbs to give you more information.

I'm just now learning about yarrow tea and syrup.

Note:  I have mine growing in pots, as it spreads very easily, but we also have it growing wild near one of the pots (cut the flowers to prevent spreading).  Be sure to know what yarrow is, as other plants can look like it.

Speaking of teas, we found a new evening tea that we love!  It's by Bigelow teas - Sweet Dreams (Non-gmo).  It contains chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint leaves, rose blossoms, spearmint leaves, "spice" have no idea what this means, and orange blossoms.

It tastes better than the Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Organic tea, and the Bigelow tea is much less expensive.

However, like everything right now, the price is higher now.  I plan to grow my own chamomile next year, and hopefully figure out a mixture to make a homemade evening tea.  The flavors are very nice together.  We do not like the taste of valerian nor a few other "sleepy time" teas.  

It's a gorgeous 54°F fall feeling morning today here, and it won't last.  I posted about how there always seems to be a "cool" few days in August, and we are now getting them.  The weather won't last however.  We heat back up to the 90's this weekend.

Yarrow ~ Tea  © August 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Catnip Tincture ~ Yarrow Tincture ~ Homemade Bug Repellent

 You may get a laugh out of this discovery, but it's a reminder to get your recipes out before you do early prep work.  I started a catnip infused oil earlier in May, thinking it was what I needed for my homemade bug spray.  It was not.  

I then thought I used catnip oil for homemade tick repellent, and that was not it either.

Having said that, I started a catnip tincture.  Good grief.  I started making the bug spray way back around 2015.   It works to repel bug bites, but if it's very hot out, you do need to re-apply it during your time outdoors.

(photos from September of 2015, when I first made the bug repellent spray)

The link for the online recipe no longer works, but the original recipe was from Mountain Rose Herbs.  They have changed the recipe and the title over three times since then.  It was first called Bug-Away Spray, then a Skeeter spray, and again changed after that.  

I went searching for the link to share, but in the process, learned something new.

Did you know that yarrow can be used for a bug repellent?  I did not know this.  I read comments on another recipe regarding homemade bug spray, and one person said she has been making a strong tea to keep the bugs away.  I love that it uses a lot less ingredients.

I have yarrow growing in two pots, and it grows wild here too.  You can research this in your own herbal books or online (Learning Herbs has instructions).

My entire process of mistaking the need for catnip oil, for bug spray, taught me a new recipe (and with less ingredients).

I now have a catnip tincture, and a yarrow tincture being made.  I can add the catnip to the yarrow spray, and utilize it, so I am making both.

Treating Mosquito Bites

Having made my mistake, which taught me something new, I can now share what I use for treating mosquito bites - chickweed salve.  So far, it's the best thing for, not only healing the bite, but removes the itch.

I have yet to make my own chickweed salve, as I have some that I purchased (made local by Amish).  I do plan to make it, but not until I run out of my current supply.  

I put some in a smaller container for traveling and camping.

Catnip Tincture ~ Yarrow Tincture ~ Homemade Bug Repellent © May 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Powerful Herbs ~ Learning as I go

We are to heat up to the 80's today.  They sky is looking strange this morning.  One direction looks like a storm brewing, and the other, the sun rising with very dark clouds above it.  We had very bad wind yesterday.

Once again, you are being entertained with a blog draft from June of 2017.  To be honest, I don't remember buying the book.  I think a blog follower sent me her copy, but anyway, a very old draft to entertain you with.  It does have me thinking about other herbs now.  I have, as of last year, started to harvest our wild growing goldenrod.  I had to laugh reading this draft, because I do not remember growing Gotu Kola seeds indoors either.

We are blessed with a lot of wild growing herbs and weeds, but you do have to know what you are picking as well.  Stinging nettle requires some very thick gloves, or your hands will be pricked by the stinging part of the nettle.  

When we had barn cats, I never had a problem finding wild growing catnip.  I dehydrate it for my homemade bug spray (which does work, but has to be applied often or you just sweat it off).

Do you have a favorite herb?  Do you have a favorite herb resource book?   Do you infuse a regular herbal tea for health reasons?

I hope you enjoy this today.  I think I have reduced my drafts down from 80-something to under 30 now.  

Remember this book?  I actually bought it after borrowing it several times from the library.   It's half full of recipes, has pumped me up in the way of adding more herbs/spices to my meals.  I do already, but this has pushed me to a new level.  


I've learned a new word recently - adaptogen .  I'm researching herbs for a brain booster tea, or infusion, and keep coming across ingredients such as "Rhodiola."  When I looked up this ingredient, I see it is a plant grown in the arctic, but not enough research for me.

So far my list of herbs for a "brain booster" tea I've collected are:

~Gingko
~Rosemary
~Gotu Kola, and herb grown in India (new one for me, but Mountain Rose Herbs carries this and I also bought seeds and have started them indoors this year.
~Ginseng, an adatogenic herb

Other herbs I'm considering:
~sage, my research has found it in "thinker's tea" recipes
~peppermint
~Green tea


I'm checking out more and more books from the library.  I hope to find a tea recipe that is suitable and with ingredients I can trust putting in my body. 

So many of the books I want to read are printed in the UK and only on Kindle.  Hmpf.  I don't want to read books on my computer and I don't have a kindle.  Kind of frustrating, but my library will still get my business.

I just learned about eyebright and goldenrod too.  Both are good for spring/fall allergies.  I'm reading as much on these as I can, and have plans for the goldenrod this fall.

I have also been experimenting with different herbs for a hot cup of healing tea.  I felt the second tube that was horribly and very roughly put down my nose and down my throat last winter, damaged my throat.  It hasn't been the same.  I've been drinking a hot tea (off and on) with a bit of sage, thyme and chamomile.


Powerful Herbs ~ Learning as I go  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
 

Lavender Syrup

 Have you ever made homemade lavender syrup?  Have you purchased this syrup and used it?  

I was curious, as I thought it would be good in an evening cup of tea.  I was also intrigued with it as a lemonade, but  wasn't so sure about the floral flavor bit.

Note:  I now put a canning label on things I make, and write the expiration date on it vs. the date I made it.  It makes it so much easier to check at a glance than looking over the calender.

I chose to use honey, but the recipe states you can use other options if you prefer.  The recipe and instructions are found online with Detoxinista.

I also did a bit more research, and you can even make the syrup sugar-free, by using monk fruit in place of the honey/sugar/maple syrup.

I also found more recipes with different amounts of honey or suggestions for adding things like vanilla extract.  I will be trying more recipes to find the one we like the best.

If you have tried Traditonal Medicinals tea - Nighty Night, the syrup smells almost exactly like this eveing hot tea (the lavender scent).  I made the syrup specifically to add to this tea for additional benefits.

The results were pretty good.  I also made myself a lemonade (just water and and real lemons squeezed), and used the syrup for the sweetener.  I was skeptical, because I have tasted lavender candy a few years back, and it tasted like soap.

The lavender lemonade was pretty darn good.  Homemade is is the way to go, if you are wanting to try this conconction.

Lavender Syrup  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Hair Detangler ~ Update

 In the beginning of February (2024), I made homemade hair detangler (recipe is online with Mommypotamus).  I was quite impressed when I brewed the tea for this on the first batch.  It uses marshmallow root for the tea making part, and it creates a wonderful "conditioner" spray for the hair (mucilage properties).

My review?  It takes about as much effort to comb out my hair with homemade detangler vs. store bought (chemical free/no preservatives).

I have new hair growth underneath the back hair, and very slightly around the brow area.  It is said that the marshmallow root can repair damaged hair and encourage new, healthy hair growth.

I absolutely love my hair after using it, and I letting it dry as much as possible without a hair dryer.  My hair is softer, feels better, and looks so much better.  My scalp feels better as well.

The only draw back I see, is that by storing it in the refrigerator, the oils (jojoba and any essential oils if you add them) in this will harden.  I have to take it out of the refrigerator, with enough time to "thaw" it all, prior to using it.

Otherwise, when you get down to the bottom of the spray bottle, you are left with mostly oils and it will definitely make your hair look oily.  By this I mean, if you use it daily, and use it right out of the fridge, before the oils can warm up to a total liquid spray.

Also, I drape a towel around my next when I spray this on, so that the "tea" does not stain any of my clothing.  So far it has not, but to be sure, I do this as well.

Overall, I will continue to use it, and see how much new hair growth, and repaired hair I get.  My daughter, the hair stylist, said it has to be much healthier for my hair vs. store bought.

If I remember, I will try and update in maybe 6 months of use.  It is very easy to make, and use.  The first batch I added lavender essential oil, but the next batch is without any essential oils (to see if it really made a difference).

Homemade Hair Detangler ~ Update  © Feb 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Cold Weather ~ Sage Tincture ~ Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins

 The water hoses (and I tell you, there are a lot) were all drained and put in storage, the camper winterized, and the last rosemary plant dug up and brought inside.  We had our first hard freeze now. It also snowed yesterday evening here.

I got one more jar of sage tincture started.  The tincture has come in handy for sore throats, and other uses.  Anyway, I was happy to have enough sage to use, prior to the hard freeze.

The most recent pumpkin recipe tried, was one using Einkorn flour.  If we make these again, I plan to cut the butter/sugar in half and try it that way too.  The recipe is on Jovial's site online I believe.

Egg Shells ~ Lilacs ~ Rain moves in ~ Yarrow uses?

 

I  have been saving egg shells for the garden(s), and even when I shelled eggs for egg salad.

Lilacs are in bloom, and it smells wonderful outside.  I cut a few to bring indoors.

I love snail mail like this!  A Mother's Day card from a blog follower.  Thank you!

Rain is moving in.  We need it, but I wish the evenings were warmer to get this garden planted.  Spring time is always a battle of weather for planting.  I got basil, parsley and cilantro seeds soaked and planted before the rain.  Last year I had to buy plants for some reason or another.

Any medicinal herb gardeners here?  Wondering what the best use is for yarrow?  I have grown it for two years, and failed to harvest it.  I read it's good for IBS, ulcers, and other digestive issues, but wondered what your go-to is to make with it (if you grow it)?

Tuesday Tidbits

As hard as I try to put balance in my day, I find myself in the kitchen for hours.  First, breakfast prep, then dinner prep, then snack prep, then dishes...just seems endless.  Some days I love it, other days not so much.

I sliced up some carrots and bell peppers for my husband's lunch/snack, and realized he may want a dip.  Then I found myself making hummus, and more dishes to wash.

During our weekend shopping trip, we could not find borax.  We had to go to two stores to find ground pork.  It's beginning to look like more shortages or lack of product (or lack of employees to get the product on the shelf?).

While we were at Wal-mart to get supplies, I walked down the yarn aisle to look for Caron Simply Soft yarn.  They have completely taken all name brand yarn out (other than some redheart), and replaced it with generic brands.  Frustrating.  It seems the only place to get a good selection is JoAnn Fabrics anymore (higher prices though).

We called the dept. of transportation in our county, to have them pick up the dead deer.  They got rid of it yesterday thankfully.

We are gearing up for a snow storm tomorrow.  I'm not sure how much we will get, but I have a lot on the to-do list, and I could always take it as an excuse to crochet for the day.  

I still have laryngitis.  I've switched to sage tea (sage I grew, and dehydrated), and taking Four Thieves Vinegar.  I slept better last night, but we'll see what happens by the end of the week.

Homemade Lip Balm

 

Homemade lip balm has been made.  I originally made it with calendula infused oil, but now make it with lemon balm infused oil, plus essential oils.

Instead of buying the holder to hold up the tubes, I just wrap a few with rubber bands, and it works great.  I save the rubber bands from any mail delivery.  I also use a can, washed and dried (from chickpeas/beans etc.).  I bend a "spout" for easy pouring.

I did not write down the source for my recipe, but there is one on Mountain Rose Herbs online, and many other recipes to use online.  Trust me, it took some work to get the binder out of my office, ha ha!  I'm just glad this is done.  I use the lip balm all the time.

I try to keep notes on my recipes.  I had written this makes 10, but I got 9 tubes.  I guess it will depend on tube size.  Anyway, the benefits of growing medicinal herbs.  

Fog ~ Rosemary's Famous Face Cream ~ Signs of Spring

 

Yesterday started out with a lot of fog.  The weather warmed up to the 60's and felt so great.  Today it's dropping down again with wind and rain.  We are now in the mixed up time of year where we can get snow, rain, fog, nice days, ugly days....just typical for us.

I had high hopes to hang laundry on the line, but the wind was pretty nasty out.

I needed more wood on the porch, but someone left the garden cart out by the coop (full of dirty straw that needed dumped).  Wasn't me.

I finally got my homemade face lotion made.  I use the recipe in Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs book (A beginner's guide).  I will need to make more oil this summer for the next batch.  I store the extra lotion in the refrigerator until I need it.

Signs of spring are showing up in the flower beds now.  Some areas are a bit over crowded, so I may be digging and splitting them up after they are done blooming.  

Update on the general store and consignment  - no response via email.  Although I had to clear up about 1,000 emails, there was zero back from the store.  If I don't get one today, I'll just call and check back in.

It Arrived! ~ Restocked Lip Balm ~ Woodpecker ~ Feverfew

Finally!  After 2 1/2 months, my pressure canner has arrived.  We are still waiting on about 3-4 more orders from months ago.

I accidentally made the first batch Calendula (because I was reading my recipe.  I re-wrote it now, so I reads "Lemon Balm Oil" as well.  I have to put the lemon balm in tubes, so I can take them on motorcycle rides.  The slide trays work at home though.  Not sure where I got my recipe.

\Red bellied woodpecker?

My feverfew bloomed for the first time ever!

We got a 10 minute rain storm late evening.  Thankful for the rain.  However, all day they kept saying an all night threatening storm.  I stripped my porch, took hanging pots down etc.  Now I have to put it all back.  All for 10 minutes of rain.  No 70mph winds they kept saying we'd have.  Oh, and no tornadoes.

Question ~ Garden Work

Where is the best place (and cheapest) online to purchase a gallon of organic olive oil?  Thanks in advance.  I cook a lot with it, but need to make some things using it too.

My tulips are starting to bloom, and our ornamental apple trees are in full bloom.  We have two tree starts we need to dig up and move.  They grow quickly and are pretty spring and fall.  I tried to buy more tulip bulbs early in the year, but there are none to be had.  I'll try again this fall and fall plant them.

With rain arriving late, we decided to get the pea fence ready, tilled and cleaned up.  We didn't start our work until about 1pm due to the weather, and it was definitely a physical workout.  No problem here getting outside and exercise.  We were worn out.  We didn't plant 3/4ths of the garden last year due to massive rain and late planting, so we have to clean out dead weeds first (more work than normal).  

Nothing has been planted yet.  We still need to take the pea fence out and move it, then plant.  It's raining now, and will rain all day, so that's not on the to-do list today.

I managed to get one rain barrel up yesterday.  I'll get the other 3 up after this rain.  I need the water to water the veggie plants indoors to ready them for the garden.

I started another jar of Four Thieves Vinegar yesterday.  I will continue to make them to keep for preventive health care.  I know it works, and Rosemary Gladstar's recipes have not failed me yet.

Snow Returns ~ Cleaning Finds and Other Rambling

First, we got rain, then it turned cold and the snow returned.  I spent a few hours doing more cleaning, and purged a bit more. 

The snow will fall all day today, and freeze, and then turn to rain.  Glory be.  Mother Nature is on a drinking binge.  Daughter had school, but some closed.  Speaking of school, it was "80's" spirit day.  I dug out my very antique 80's double wrap belts and she pulled out her mini-skirt.  We had her in a rockin' outfit in no time.  By the way, the only reason I had my belts, is that I had put them into the kids Halloween costume totes.

In the process of cleaning, I found my lost fold-able (making them so portable for travel) readers for the Harley.  I also realized I am storing more yarn under the bed (yikes!).  More!  It's thread yarn.  I need more hours to crochet, ha ha!

What do you all think about this corona virus?  I came across a list of suggested medicinal herbs, but they are all Chinese herbs, which I have never heard off.  I am making sure we have Four Thieves Vinegar on hand, as well as homemade "lysol" wipes made with tea tree oil, a good supply of ginger root in the freezer, and many tinctures.  Not to mention real vitamin C and D.  I'm starting to also wonder if this will cause tourism dollars to drop to an all time low this year.  I'm not so sure I want to be traveling.