Common Sense Home Good News Letter 11/26/23
The falling snow gently draped over the landscape like a gossamer quilt. Along with the snowfall came the somnolent calm as the wild things acknowledged the arrival of the true cold and eminent winter. It had been a mild fall thus far, but the chill must come in the north, prompting all to rest and begin anew in the spring.
Rest.
So needed, so often hard to come by.
Our modern society pulls at our attention 24/7, if we allow it to do so. Many of us have a plethora of demands on our time – work work, home work, family responsibilities – it’s important to keep self care on the list, too.
Remember that when it comes to sleep, “early to bed” actually does make a difference. Some sources say that an hour before midnight counts as much as two after (Dr. Sarah Myhill is a proponent of this claim). A recent study out of the UK correlated a sleep start time between 10 and 11 pm with the lowest risk of heart disease. No matter when you go to bed, most people tend to function best with a fairly consistent sleep time.
Be careful to balance out the holiday treats with healthy food, outside time, and staying active. Sugar and alcohol can depress the immune system, so be mindful when you make choices. Sugar and alcohol also deplete magnesium in the body, leaving you more prone to muscle aches and cramps. (You can try some of my favorite magnesium cream to help with this.)
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season, but don’t forget to take a lesson from nature and take some time to rest, too.
All our best to you and yours,
Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)
This week’s featured articles…
It’s one of my favorite groundcover plants, as well as a favorite for herbal teas. This week we’re giving a shout out to mint with two new articles. First up, how to grow and propagate mint.
Did you know that mint doesn’t always grow true from seed? Individual plants will have higher or lower concentrations of mint oils compared to the parent plant. If you propagate a cutting from a particularly fragrant plant, you know you’ll end up with another fragrant plant.
I’ve seen examples of this in other mint family plants, too, like catnip. Our cats will seek out specific plants, while completely ignoring others. (Catnip is a different genus, but same family.)
Once you have your mint, there are many different ways to put it to use, from desserts to headache remedies. It can also help boost your mood and soothe your stomach.
Check out “How to Use Mint Leaves for Food, Medicine, & More” for details.
This chicken and wild rice soup recipe works great with leftover turkey, too. Soups are a regular on our menu, though I often don’t use a recipe. I’ll try to take some notes this winter so I have more recipes to share.
Popular on Instagram – my new amaryllis is blooming and the guys have the north and south wall siding up.