Herb Place coming soon to Tennessee Ridge!

Hopefully the Herb Place will be open Nov 1, watch for outdoor sales.. located in front of walking path entrance in TN Ridge. I hope to teach about the medicinal plants in our area and how to use them. Hope there is an interest for that here. I will be selling herbs and all naturally scented aromatherapy products at great prices, or learn to make your own.

Happy Summer Stoppers

Be sure and send in your plant pictures to karen@altnature.com for help identifying plants, will try to help all I can. And don't forget to visit the Altnature Store at www.store.altnature.com for Poison ivy remedies and natural bug sprays before you venture out in the woods.

TIPS

The best way to keep chiggers from attaching is to get in a hot bath and scrub as soon as possible.

You can by permathone and spray it on your clothes. Follow directions carefully. I'd rather have chemicals on my clothes than rubbed into my skin. I use this method because nothing spoils a day in the woods more than a massive chigger or seed tick attack, and the stuff works great. In fact having suffered through more than my share, they have made me sick and itchy for a week or two. to avoid that, a little chemical exposure is acceptable to me.

For areas not covered by clothing, I use my tick and chigger shield. It works excellent at repelling all kinds of critters from bare skin. Should not be used by small children or people with sensitivities to essential oils.

Til Next time - write someting won't ya?
Take care, Karen

Bloodroot is Blooming!!

Found Bloodroot blooming on the bluffs Sunday, stay tuned for video. They close up in the evening. Rue Anemone also blooming. These are well worth looking for with camera in hand. Don't wildcraft bloodroot, its endangered. Check for plants and seeds at easywildflowers.com
Spring has come to Land Between the Lakes Area TN
Erin St. Patricks Day Festival and Parade Saturday!

OT - scoliosis and slowing down

I've had some people inquire about my back problems, if you check out the picture on this page it's self explanatory.
http://health.allrefer.com/health/scoliosis-spinal-fusion.html
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1380.html

I've had scoliosis since I can remember, was in a back brace at 13 and had corrective surgery at 17, after which I wore a plaster cast from my waist to under my arms for nine months.

Here is a description of the surgery
http://www.answers.com/topic/harrington-implant

They fused almost all of my spine into one unbendable piece. And everything went pretty well for the next nine years and two pregancies, at least better than you'd think. Then everything started settling and my spine is trying to rotate, but the rods aren't budging. And that's pretty much what the last 16 years have been like.

The only reason I'm writing this is because its hard to hide a disability no matter how hard you want to. I've tried pain meds, thinking that would help me keep on my feet hours a day, but its not the path I want to walk anymore. So I don't have a big herb garden anymore because digging clay hurts, I may walk a little funny and sit down a lot in my herbal videos, I can't stand on my feet all day, so I work from my laptop a lot. I'm looking forward to spending my good days in the woods this year.

So- no apologies for having ads on my site and trying to make a living from my writing and pictures. I can't help anyone if I don't help myself the best way I can. I love plants and I care a lot about people that write to me asking for help, and do what I can. I love making herbal soap and all that, but mass producing it myself isn't the way to go. I do a lot better writing at my laptop and improving my web site than bending, pouring and lifting 20 pound pots of soap.

The herbal path is my way of life, I just may not travel it the same as a lot of you. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, I just want to be taken as an herbalist at heart.
With that being said, I should never have to mention it again.
Herbal Blessings, Karen

Almost Here!

Spring is almost here, be sure and check the web site to identify and wild herbs that might be growing around you. Even weeds can be pretty when you find out they are useful.

Sorry for my unorganized blogging, trying to get the hang of it. Hope to have spring video of Bloodroot and Liverwort soon. BF is making plans for an herb farming venture, essential oil distiller and tincture press. Might get to do something besides Jewelweed this year.

Let me know if you need help identifying plants.
Herbal Blessings
Karen

Harvesting Ginseng

Finding and harvesting ginseng in Middle Tennessee. Shows close up of plant and ginseng root. Also includes taking pictures and giving thanks to Nature.

Altnature News

Thank you for visiting the new blog. I was very disappointed with my previous blog, it crashed a lot and people kept posting spam on it. So that's why you have to type in a word that shows up in a picture now.

Working on herbal videos and hoping to have many more in the new year. I hope Google video catches on more because its better than Youtube, in my book anyway. I really think that in 07 video is going to be the thing to be doing, and plan to put a lot of effort into teaching wild plant education that way.

Its almost Christmas, so not real active outdoors at this time. I did notice that chickweed is blooming. For the last month I haven't seen much of anything except the aromatherapy candles I have been making, and the mess that goes along with it. It smelled good at first but unfortunately I can hardly smell the essential oils anymore so going to have to take a break from that.

My site, Altnature.com, is going through a lot of transition with my sponsor and stuff. Well actually he had to quit being my sponsor for a while. It's not my place to get into the why's of that. I just want to say that I very much appreciate his efforts, optimism and best intentions and hope things go well for him and we are working together again soon on our educational projects.

Happy Holidays everyone. However you celebrate this time of year, I hope you get to spend special time with the loved ones in your life. Because that's what makes life worthwhile. It's not what's under the tree, but the people around it that matter.
Peace and Love, Karen