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Mullein – Home Remedies

A Ride Through the Woods

Yesterday, I had a wonderful ride on a four-wheeler with my friend F.M. (she likes her privacy). My friend is 80+ years old and gets around like a young person. She is teaching me to identify Mullein. She lives on the land her husband grew up on, and generations have lived there before them. There’s evidence that Native Americans spent time on this land, too.

We had a beautiful ride through the Kentucky woods behind her house. The trees were stunning with their fall colors. The creek and rocks were timeless. This was my first time in these woods. It was such a treat. I saw remnants of previous houses and barns, the spring where she gets her drinking water and places they hunt.

Learning to identify Mullein

F.M. is a retired nurse yet she makes home remedies which were passed down from her dad to her and now to her daughters and to me. On this trip I was the student. She showed me how to identify Mullein. Best places to look for it growing. We found a lot of dead seed heads but finally found some living plants. We collected leaves and one plant with roots which I was able to plant in my herb bed at home.

She told me how to make use of the leaves. Last night I was able to take some washed leaves and steep them to make a tea to help my husband with congestion.

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Feeling Gratitude for Life

Gratitude

Gratitude Gratitude

 

My Clean Car

Feeling gratitude for life. Last week I was on my way home from my latest trip to Malawi. https://www.facebook.com/reddingmissions  I met up with our small team and flew out of the Columbus, Ohio Airport. My friends met me with my car at the airport. They had cleaned and fueled my car. I felt so loved by this act of service. My car hadn’t looked that good in a long time. My small town in Kentucky doesn’t have a carwash so I was thrilled to see my car so clean.

The trip to Malawi was wonderful and so many great things are happening as this work continues to grow. God is just amazing. Check out the Redding Mission Trips Facebook page to see how you can get involved.

Gratitude

I feel such gratitude that God has blessed us with this work in our empty nest years. I was excited to get home and share with my husband so many things that happened on the trip and plans for the future.

With my Diet Coke in hand I turned on my current audio book and headed home. I am thankful I was able to sleep on the plane and felt rested so I could get home to my husband sooner.

I was traveling I-71 South. About half way home my car made a terrible left jerk and I hit the guardrail. Something broke under the car and the whole wheel, tire and some part flew off into the median. All I could see was a white cloud. I felt like I was floating My car came to a stop on the edge of the left lane. It was finished.

Two men (off duty firemen) blocked the road so that I would not get hit. They called 911 and checked on my mental and physical condition. Though I was a bit shaken I was not injured. They acknowledged the goodness of God.

I tried to call my husband but couldn’t reach him. I called someone from church who went and told him to call me. Soon he was on his way.

It took a while but the Sheriff’s. car showed up and made the report. He also took me down the road to wait for my husband.

I feel so much gratitude to God for the fact that I escaped without injury except for a little scratch on my hand. Thank you Lord for life. I am thankful for my life, thankful my wheel didn’t land in the other lane, and thankful no other car or person was involved or injured.

 

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Scotland Part 4 – Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond  boat ride, history, and castles along the shore. It was a privilege to share this adventure with our two oldest sons, their wives, and little Asher. It was a beautiful day.

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Scotland – 3 Glasgow Cathedral

We met Jon and Arlene Galloway for breakfast and a great visit after so many years. I love that in the body of Christ we always have the most important thing in common. It was really neat to find out our daughter-in-law Emily’s family were also mutual friends with the Galloways and had shared some special time in Scotland when Emily was a baby.

On our way to the Cathedral we passed a thrift store so of course we had to stop. We found a few treasures and loaded back into the car and headed to the Cathedral.

We had a great tour guide who was very knowledgable. This is the oldest place I have ever touched. I was awed by the fact that people have been sharing and preserving God’s word for so long. The size of this cathedral, the markings of the masons showing pride in their work. This is an amazing structure. It is still in use today.

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Visit to Scotland – Part 1

McEwan Hall Dome

In March my husband and I had the great opportunity to visit Scotland. Our son graduated with his Master’s Degree in Philosophy, Science, and Religion from the University of Edinburgh.

Because of Covid graduations were postponed. The school set a date and invited those who had completed their work during the pandemic to come for a special graduation.

Graduation was held in the beautiful McEwan Hall. It was a wonderful day and a wonderful accomplishment. Afterwards we walked around the campus and attended a reception for the graduates. The receptions were held by department.

This was the reason we were in Scotland but there was so much more to our trip I will try to share soon.

McEwan Hall DomeMcEwan Hall Dome

The Dome
The Dome

Us in McEwan Hall
Robotics Lab
Micah receives his diploma
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Morning or Evening Person, Which Are You?

Isn’t this a funny question? So am I a morning or evening person? I find this is more of a question of sleep patterns. When do I sleep best?

Every test I read to determine whether I am a  morning or evening person deals with my sleep patterns and energy levels during the day. That’s probably a good measure. Some studies suggest that morning people are happier than evening people. When most of the world is on your schedule you would probably be happier too.

Childhood

As a child, I could sleep deeply through anything (rain, storms, morning wake-up calls, fights, etc.). I could also stay up late reading the last few pages of a captivating book. I never remember having a bedtime. I do remember being sleepy in school.

My natural tendency is to go to bed early and rise early. I am thankful that I have a lot of energy and can be flexible with sleep and other things too. When I wake up early, I feel excited about a new day. I have a lot more energy in the mornings and get a lot done. Yesterday, I woke with a lot of energy, and by noon I had accomplished a long list of things and hit 10,000 steps!

Motherhood

After the birth of my first child, Micah, I was never going to sleep the same again. Yes, Daniel Redding, all conversations lead to childbirth. Even when you sleep, there is a heightened awareness of sounds. After having 11 children in 22 years, I learned to survive on a few hours of sleep. When my children became teenagers, I couldn’t sleep until I knew they were safely home. I was up early with babies and late with teens. I treasured our late-night chats. In the 1990s, when I was pregnant every year, if I was a morning person or an evening person, I don’t know. I was surviving.

Working

In 2014 I went to work after 35 years of raising children. My early schedule meant another change in my sleep patterns. I could function at work on 6 hours of sleep for a day or two, but I usually needed at least 7 hours of sleep. I loved the early schedule.

Empty Nest

Now if I wake up in the night, it is not to the sounds of a baby crying, but it might still be my children or friends in different time zones. Or I might awake thinking about one of my children. I use this awake time to pray for my children just as I did when I was rocking and nursing them back to sleep long ago.

I am an adult now. I can sleep whenever I want to!

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For Mothers

This is a reprint of an article I did on my original Redding Mountain blog. I thought it fit well with my last post. To see the original article click on the link below.

I miss the days of happy children playing.

A Quote for Mothers

“If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would have the courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents. The mother would then be able to hold herself in “wise passiveness’ and would not fret her children by continual interference even of hand or eye – she would let them be.”

Charlotte Mason

Now if I could learn to play and take time relax maybe I would be a better mother:)

I already know how to work.