Feb 23, 2011
Hump Day Hunk
This one's for Jamie, who isn't feeling well. Take one of these and go right back to bed. ;-)
Feb 22, 2011
Home Remedies - Part Nine
Whether it's grandpa's secret recipe for a hot toddy, or Uncle Bob's sure fire cure for the hiccups, home remedies have been around for a long time. Between the rising cost of medicine and the length of the lines in the waiting rooms, more and more people are turning to home remedies for their minor illnesses. This series is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to home remedies. It should go without saying that the remedies in this series are for entertainment purposes only.Coughs
Put the hair of the patient’s head between two slices of buttered bread and give the sandwich to a dog. The animal will therefore catch the cough and the patient will lose it. – A Northamptonshire, Devonshire, and Welsh Folk Remedy
Take one cup honey, half cup vinegar, one small teaspoon cayenne pepper. – the Farmer’s Advocate, 1876
Eat some dark chocolate. Chocolate can feel good on a sore throat, if you let it melt. Theobromine, a component of chocolate, has been demonstrated to relieve coughing.
A pint whiskey, 2 boxes rock candy; 1 tbl. glycerine. Put in bottle and shake, 1 tbl. at a time.
Mix 20 drops of garlic juice with pomegranate juice and drink it. It is beneficial in all types of cough. If you are averse to strong garlic, simmer the garlic until soft. Muddle one clove garlic with one tbsp honey. Stir in one tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The combination of garlic and acidic vinegar or lemon juice really opens up sinus passages and, along with the honey, breaks up phlegm. Garlic and honey are also loaded with vitamins and have antiseptic properties.
Infuse three drachms of garlick and half an ounce of mustard seed into a quart of white wine, let it stand a week closed up and drink a glass of it as often as you please. – the Complete Vermin Killer and Useful Pocket Companion, 1778
Three newly laid eggs, unbroken, over which is poured the juice of six lemons and allow to stand for forty-eight hours. Then pick out any bits of the egg shell which are not dissolved. Add one half pound of rock candy and one pint of Jamaica brandy; mix well and bottle. Dose: one tablespoon three or four times a day. – the New Cookbook, 1806
The use of raw onion is valuable in a cough. This vegetable should be chopped fine and the juice extracted from it. One teaspoon of the juice should then be mixed with one teaspoon of honey and kept for four or five hours-it will make an excellent cough syrup and should be taken twice daily. Onions are also useful in removing phelgm. A medium-sized onion should be crushed, the juice of one lemon added to it, and then one cup of boiling water poured on it. A teaspoon of honey can be added for taste. This remedy should be taken two or three times a day.
Grind coriander and sugar candy in equal quantity and take 1 tsp. of it with a cup of rice soaked water. It will be beneficial. This will give relief from cough.
One of the most effective and nauseating-sounding cures for persistent catarrhal infections, which may cause both coughs and bronchitis, is the drinking of the warm water into which all the goodness of the cabbage or leeks has leeched during cooking. Nasty though it sounds, it does taste quite savoury and should be taken night and morning. It is also an ancient remedy for whooping-cough. This will help in treating cough.
A sauce prepared from raisins is also useful in a cough. This sauce is prepared by grinding 100 gm of raisins with water. About 100 gm of sugar should be mixed with it and the mixture heated. When the mixture acquires a sauce-like consistency, it should be preserved. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime daily.
The Honourable Mr. Boyle’s Genuine Sirup For Coughs: This excellent remedy cannot be made too public. It is thus prepared. Take six ounces of comfrey root and twelve handfuls of plantain leaves: cut and beat them well: strain out the juice: and with an equal weight of sugar, oil it to a sirup. -1814
If you dry chestnuts (only the kernels) both the barks being taken away, beat them into powder and make the powder up into an electuary with honey, so you have an admirable remedy for the cough and spitting of blood. – Nicholas Culpeper, 1652
Buttonwood, white oak, and white ash barks, equal parts boiled in water and sweetened with honey. Dose: one tablespoon three times a day. – the Primitive Physick, 1747
Buy a chest rub that contains camphor or menthol and apply it to your throat and chest. Both of these substances have been FDA-approved as topical antitussives, which simply means they stop a cough. They should not be taken internally.
If you don’t have any store-bought chest rub, try making a mustard plaster to loosen up chest congestion. Mix one part mustard powder and two parts flour in a bowl. Add just enough water to make a paste. Spread the paste on a dishtowel, fold the towel in half, and press it against the skin. (Never put the mustard mixture directly on your skin.) Check your skin often and remove the plaster if your skin becomes too red or irritated. Some people suggest using an egg white instead of water to make a plaster that’s less likely to burn.
Feb 21, 2011
Martinet Monday
martinet ~ a strict disciplinarian; one who adheres to rules
Last week was crazy busy. Along with my goals I had a fair amount of freelancing work to do as well as a couple of unexpected excursions that took up valuable time.
For anyone who missed it, I took part in another AW blog chain, this one where we try writing in a different POV. Mine is a humorous (I hope) piece that you can read HERE.
My game playing is fast becoming a thing of the past and when Twitter becomes too distracting I *gulp* shut it off. Tough love, people, tough love.
Although I started an example for last week’s poetry form, I just didn’t have the time to finish it. Maybe once I’ve exhausted the forms I’ll go back and repeat the ones I didn’t provide an original example for and give them another shot.
Did not get to my Scribe’s meeting. I got a last minute call to do some freelance work and I was later than I expected. That’s just the way it goes some times. I did make it to the monthly poetry reading though.
My focus was a little better last week. I’ve been concentrating on Forever and For Always – it’s up to 73,000 words now – and I’m sticking with it until it’s done. I’m not going to say how close to being done it is, every time I do I find another plot hole. :-)
This Week’s Goals:
Tuesday: Part nine of my series on Home Remedies. This week we’ll see how to handle those pesky coughs.
Wednesday: Another Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: The poetry form of the week will be the Abhanga. Whether or not I have an original example to offer will depend on how much freelancing I have to do this week.
Friday: Chapter 12 of Fire. So . . . just what is Rayne’s secret? And is she ready to reveal it?
Elsewhere in my week:
There’s a poetry meeting tomorrow night, which is always a fun time.
I will finish Forever and For Always. Yes, that’s right, I said finish. I’ve been dicking around with this novel long enough. Time to get ‘er done.
And that’s pretty much it for my week, at least as it stands right now. You never know what might pop up to divert my attention though.
So how do you plan to spend your Family Day (Canada) or President’s Day (U.S.)? Anything interesting in the works?
Last week was crazy busy. Along with my goals I had a fair amount of freelancing work to do as well as a couple of unexpected excursions that took up valuable time.
For anyone who missed it, I took part in another AW blog chain, this one where we try writing in a different POV. Mine is a humorous (I hope) piece that you can read HERE.
My game playing is fast becoming a thing of the past and when Twitter becomes too distracting I *gulp* shut it off. Tough love, people, tough love.
Although I started an example for last week’s poetry form, I just didn’t have the time to finish it. Maybe once I’ve exhausted the forms I’ll go back and repeat the ones I didn’t provide an original example for and give them another shot.
Did not get to my Scribe’s meeting. I got a last minute call to do some freelance work and I was later than I expected. That’s just the way it goes some times. I did make it to the monthly poetry reading though.
My focus was a little better last week. I’ve been concentrating on Forever and For Always – it’s up to 73,000 words now – and I’m sticking with it until it’s done. I’m not going to say how close to being done it is, every time I do I find another plot hole. :-)
This Week’s Goals:
Tuesday: Part nine of my series on Home Remedies. This week we’ll see how to handle those pesky coughs.
Wednesday: Another Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: The poetry form of the week will be the Abhanga. Whether or not I have an original example to offer will depend on how much freelancing I have to do this week.
Friday: Chapter 12 of Fire. So . . . just what is Rayne’s secret? And is she ready to reveal it?
Elsewhere in my week:
There’s a poetry meeting tomorrow night, which is always a fun time.
I will finish Forever and For Always. Yes, that’s right, I said finish. I’ve been dicking around with this novel long enough. Time to get ‘er done.
And that’s pretty much it for my week, at least as it stands right now. You never know what might pop up to divert my attention though.
So how do you plan to spend your Family Day (Canada) or President’s Day (U.S.)? Anything interesting in the works?
Feb 17, 2011
Quaternion
In researching this form I found two very different definitions.
First we have a verse form named for the algebraic equations that were introduced by Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 which had to do with the multiplication of three dimensional imaginary units by four dimensional objects. The connection between the algebraic concept and the form is they both have a 3 by 4 concept.*
Quaternion is a poetry style where the theme is divided into four. Each part explores the complementary natures of the theme or subject. The word quaternion is derived from the Latin word quaterni, meaning four by four. The poem may be in any poetic form.
FOUR SEASONS
By Anne Bradstreet
Another four I've left yet to bring on,
Of four times four the last Quarternion,
The Winter, Summer, Autumn & the Spring,
In season all these Seasons I shall bring;
SPRING
Sweet Spring like man in his Minority,
At present claim'd, and had priority.
With Smiling face and garments somewhat green,
She trim'd her locks, which late had frosted been,
Nor hot nor cold, she spake, but with a breath,
Fit to revive, the nummed earth from death.
Three months (quoth she) are 'lotted to my share
March, April, May of all the rest most fair.
SUMMER
When Spring had done, the Summer did begin,
With melted tauny face, and garments thin,
Resembling Fire, Choler, and Middle age,
As Spring did Air, Blood, Youth in 's equipage.
Wiping the sweat from of her face that ran,
With hair all wet she pussing thus began;
Bright June, July and August hot are mine,
AUTUMN
Of Autumn moneths September is the prime,
Now day and night are equal in each Clime,
The twelfth of this Sol riseth in the Line,
And doth in poizing Libra this month shine.
The vintage now is ripe, the grapes are prest,
Whose lively liquor oft is curs'd and blest:
For nought so good, but it may be abused,
But its a precious juice when well its used.
WINTER
Cold, moist, young flegmy winter now doth lye
In swaddling Clouts, like new born Infancy
Bound up with frosts, and furr'd with hail & snows,
And like an Infant, still it taller grows;
December is my first, and now the Sun
To th' Southward Tropick, his swift race doth run:
The second cites this form as English, a twelve-line, three-quatrain poem with a fixed rhyme scheme.**
The Quaternion is metered at the discretion of the poet and is rhymed aabb ccdd abcd
THIRD DIMENSION
By Judi Van Gorder
Forgotten in a tight airless attic,
a thing that was to prove problematic,
a Halloween reflective diorama
in reenactment of a psychodrama.
The shoebox, webbed and painted black,
a tiny coffin's cedar lid drawn back,
inside a body stiff in death, an axe
imbedded in the head, a final tax.
A challenge to create this poematic
with ghoulish display in frightful panorama.
The sounds with screeching tone, elegiac
and words don't always tell the lonely facts.
*Poetry Magnum Opus
**Poetry Base
First we have a verse form named for the algebraic equations that were introduced by Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton in 1843 which had to do with the multiplication of three dimensional imaginary units by four dimensional objects. The connection between the algebraic concept and the form is they both have a 3 by 4 concept.*
Quaternion is a poetry style where the theme is divided into four. Each part explores the complementary natures of the theme or subject. The word quaternion is derived from the Latin word quaterni, meaning four by four. The poem may be in any poetic form.
FOUR SEASONS
By Anne Bradstreet
Another four I've left yet to bring on,
Of four times four the last Quarternion,
The Winter, Summer, Autumn & the Spring,
In season all these Seasons I shall bring;
SPRING
Sweet Spring like man in his Minority,
At present claim'd, and had priority.
With Smiling face and garments somewhat green,
She trim'd her locks, which late had frosted been,
Nor hot nor cold, she spake, but with a breath,
Fit to revive, the nummed earth from death.
Three months (quoth she) are 'lotted to my share
March, April, May of all the rest most fair.
SUMMER
When Spring had done, the Summer did begin,
With melted tauny face, and garments thin,
Resembling Fire, Choler, and Middle age,
As Spring did Air, Blood, Youth in 's equipage.
Wiping the sweat from of her face that ran,
With hair all wet she pussing thus began;
Bright June, July and August hot are mine,
AUTUMN
Of Autumn moneths September is the prime,
Now day and night are equal in each Clime,
The twelfth of this Sol riseth in the Line,
And doth in poizing Libra this month shine.
The vintage now is ripe, the grapes are prest,
Whose lively liquor oft is curs'd and blest:
For nought so good, but it may be abused,
But its a precious juice when well its used.
WINTER
Cold, moist, young flegmy winter now doth lye
In swaddling Clouts, like new born Infancy
Bound up with frosts, and furr'd with hail & snows,
And like an Infant, still it taller grows;
December is my first, and now the Sun
To th' Southward Tropick, his swift race doth run:
The second cites this form as English, a twelve-line, three-quatrain poem with a fixed rhyme scheme.**
The Quaternion is metered at the discretion of the poet and is rhymed aabb ccdd abcd
THIRD DIMENSION
By Judi Van Gorder
Forgotten in a tight airless attic,
a thing that was to prove problematic,
a Halloween reflective diorama
in reenactment of a psychodrama.
The shoebox, webbed and painted black,
a tiny coffin's cedar lid drawn back,
inside a body stiff in death, an axe
imbedded in the head, a final tax.
A challenge to create this poematic
with ghoulish display in frightful panorama.
The sounds with screeching tone, elegiac
and words don't always tell the lonely facts.
*Poetry Magnum Opus
**Poetry Base
Feb 16, 2011
Feb 15, 2011
Home Remedies - Part Eight
Whether it's grandpa's secret recipe for a hot toddy, or Uncle Bob's sure fire cure for the hiccups, home remedies have been around for a long time. Between the rising cost of medicine and the length of the lines in the waiting rooms, more and more people are turning to home remedies for their minor illnesses. This series is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to home remedies. It should go without saying that the remedies in this series are for entertainment purposes only.Colds
Put your hat on the table, drink well from a bottle of good whiskey until you see two hats. Then get into bed and stay there. – Canadian Prairies Remedy, 1821
One tablespoon molasses, two teaspoons castor oil, one teaspoon paregoric, one teaspoon spirits camphor. Mix them and take it often. Will cure any cold. – Canadian Pioneer’s Doctor Book
Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids may help thin the mucus, thus keeping it flowing freely and making it easier for the body to expel, along with the viral particles trapped within it. Water and other liquids also combat dehydration. So drink at least eight ounces of fluid every two hours.
Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. It can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever.
Sip chicken soup. A long-time folk remedy is now a proven fact. A cup of hot chicken soup can help unclog your nasal passages. Researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach found that hot chicken soup, either because of its aroma or its taste, "appears to possess an additional substance for increasing the flow of nasal mucus." These secretions—what comes out when you blow your nose or sneeze—serve a first line of defense in removing germs from your system.
Take a quarter of a pint of horehound water, a quarter of a pint of coltsfoot water, a pound of reasons (raisins) of the sun stoned, pound the reasons very well then mingle these together then set them on the fire boule them like marmolet then take it off and put it into two ounces of honey and one spoonful mustard then set in on the fire and let it simmer a while then put it into a pot and take as much as ye quantity of a walnut first in ye morning and last at night. – A Book of Simples, 1750
Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.
Vitamin C is wonderful for the cure of common cold. It can make the symptoms less severe or can shorten the length of a cold from seven days to two or three days with less coughing, sneezing, and other symptoms. In fact, vitamin C works as a scavenger in our body throwing out all toxins. If you feel a cold coming on, you should start taking Vitamin C.
Zap it with zinc. Sucking on zinc lozenges can cut colds short, to an average of four days, researchers in Great Britain and the United States have discovered. Zinc can also dramatically reduce symptoms such as a dry, irritated throat. The down side is that zinc has an unpleasant taste. There are, however, lozenges on the market that contain honey and/or citrus that are a lot easier to swallow. But do not take more than the amount recommended by your doctor. Zinc can be toxic in large doses.
This must be strictly attended to every evening, that is, whenever you pull off your shoes or stockings, run your finger between all the toes and smell it. This will certainly effect a cure. – The Long Lost Friend, 1856
Pare very thin the yellow rind of an orange, roll it up inside out and thrust a roll into each nostril. – Primitive Physick, 1747
Some of your garden's aromatherapy plants can be infused into massage oil, then rubbed into your chest. Lavender, peppermint, and yarrow can all alleviate congestion. Lavender may also stimulate immune function and induce much-needed sleep. Yarrow and elder flowers can promote sweating and help break a fever.
A humidifier will add moisture to your immediate environment, which may make you feel more comfortable and will keep your nasal tissues moist. That's helpful because dry nasal membranes provide poor protection against viral invasion.
To reduce congestion and help clear sinuses, try a steam treatment:
Put lavender, eucalyptus, or mint in a medium-sized bowl; use 8 drops if you have essential oil. Pour 2 cups of steaming hot water over the herbs or oil. Cover your head with a towel, lean over the bowl, and slowly breath in the steam. Blow your nose gently as mucus is loosened. Continue to breathe steam for about five minutes.
Apply fresh cow dung to your chest in the form of a cross.
Wear the skin of a white weasel around your neck
Put some mequite leaves under your hat.
Catching leaves in your hand which fall from the trees in the Fall will cure a head cold.
Take dried frog skins and make a powder of them. Mix with fruit juice and drink.
- Texas Remedies
Feb 14, 2011
Moonstruck Monday
moonstruck ~ 1. dreamily romantic or bemused 2. mentally deranged, supposedly by the influence of the moon; crazed
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
I’m happy to report that last week went much better than the week before. Got some reading and writing done as well as editing.
My posts last week were all written and up as scheduled, and I even managed to write not one but three original examples of the featured poetry form. It helps that it was a fairly easy form to write in. ;-)
I’m still doing well at staying away from the games, but Twitter is another matter. It’s just so tempting with all the chatter and the links and the chatter. I think maybe I need to get out into the real world more. LOL
This Week’s Goals:
Tuesday: Part eight of my series on Home Remedies. Let’s see . . . we’ve covered fevers, frostbite and sore throats, I think it’s time we learned how to deal with a cold.
Wednesday: Another Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: The poetry form of the week will be the Quaternion. We’ll have to wait and see if the Muse inspires me with an original example or not.
Friday: Chapter 11 of Fire. What does the Mother have to tell Rayne? She’s so old and sick . . . can anything she says be trusted?
Elsewhere in my week:
I have another Scribe’s meeting tonight. Our normal schedule would make it next Monday, but as you know, if you’re in Canada, next Monday is Family Day so the library’s closed. Anyway, the topic is “pineapple” and so far my mind is blank.
I have to make time this week to visit one of our local coffee houses. They're currently displaying the paintings of a local artist and someone in my poetry group suggested we all take a look to see if we can come up with an Ekphrasic poem or two. An Ekphrasic poem is one that draws its inspiration from another work of art.
I'm not sure but I think there's a poetry reading scheduled for this week as well. Guess it would behove me to find out before I miss it.
If you’re on Twitter, then you’re already aware of the amazing number of links that get posted there. I already have too many sites bookmarked so what I thought I’d do is keep track of some of the ones I’ve found particularly useful/enjoyable/entertaining and post them on Tuesdays on Random Writings.
I still need to work on that pesky old focus issue. It’s getting a little better but it needs to get a lot more better before I’m happy with it. Of course it’s really just mind over matter. Ask anyone who’s been through cognitive therapy.
Again this week is looking a little light on the goals, but I’ll be filling in the gaps with the usual writing, editing, and reading. I’m still not quite at the point of setting proper writing goals instead of ‘get some done’ - maybe next week. ;-)
And that’s it for my week. How about you? Are you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
I’m happy to report that last week went much better than the week before. Got some reading and writing done as well as editing.
My posts last week were all written and up as scheduled, and I even managed to write not one but three original examples of the featured poetry form. It helps that it was a fairly easy form to write in. ;-)
I’m still doing well at staying away from the games, but Twitter is another matter. It’s just so tempting with all the chatter and the links and the chatter. I think maybe I need to get out into the real world more. LOL
This Week’s Goals:
Tuesday: Part eight of my series on Home Remedies. Let’s see . . . we’ve covered fevers, frostbite and sore throats, I think it’s time we learned how to deal with a cold.
Wednesday: Another Hump Day Hunk for your viewing pleasure.
Thursday: The poetry form of the week will be the Quaternion. We’ll have to wait and see if the Muse inspires me with an original example or not.
Friday: Chapter 11 of Fire. What does the Mother have to tell Rayne? She’s so old and sick . . . can anything she says be trusted?
Elsewhere in my week:
I have another Scribe’s meeting tonight. Our normal schedule would make it next Monday, but as you know, if you’re in Canada, next Monday is Family Day so the library’s closed. Anyway, the topic is “pineapple” and so far my mind is blank.
I have to make time this week to visit one of our local coffee houses. They're currently displaying the paintings of a local artist and someone in my poetry group suggested we all take a look to see if we can come up with an Ekphrasic poem or two. An Ekphrasic poem is one that draws its inspiration from another work of art.
I'm not sure but I think there's a poetry reading scheduled for this week as well. Guess it would behove me to find out before I miss it.
If you’re on Twitter, then you’re already aware of the amazing number of links that get posted there. I already have too many sites bookmarked so what I thought I’d do is keep track of some of the ones I’ve found particularly useful/enjoyable/entertaining and post them on Tuesdays on Random Writings.
I still need to work on that pesky old focus issue. It’s getting a little better but it needs to get a lot more better before I’m happy with it. Of course it’s really just mind over matter. Ask anyone who’s been through cognitive therapy.
Again this week is looking a little light on the goals, but I’ll be filling in the gaps with the usual writing, editing, and reading. I’m still not quite at the point of setting proper writing goals instead of ‘get some done’ - maybe next week. ;-)
And that’s it for my week. How about you? Are you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?
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