The Misunderstood Dandelion

Well, here's another late nighter,,, an herbally-induced, but still quite impressive, got-the-zip- on study session. I guess I've just gotten so used to studying late at night when it's quiet and there's no distractions(or at least fewer) that it's getting to be my regular schedule. But, you know, when you upset your system by forcing different hours on it, you're not doing yourself any favors. As a matter-of-fact until you get used to different hours of wakefulness, you are stressing your ALL of your body systems. That's like everything from your glands to your digestion, or your ability to fight invading viral and bacterial menaces. You can't think as well, you can become touchy, emotionally, and just downright grumpy and ill-tempered.
So, what do you do? I mean like, besides sleep for 2 days? You start feeding your body the kind of fuel it needs to sustain the major functions and clean up all the waste produced by the inefficiency of over-worked and stressed-out organs. This is such a simple concept that I have always failed to understand why most people just don't grasp it. If your body is working harder,,, you give it better fuel! Right? Like what kind of a genius does it take to figure that out? But nobody seems to understand this most basic fact of our corporeal existence, namely, if you want the machine to run correctly and not let you down when you need it most, treat it nicely. Think of your body as a jet fighter, hmmm, well maybe just a regular old family car, it gets you around, and that's about it. I still prefer treating my body more towards the jet fighter idea, you don't want to go into combat with your fuel tanks half full, do you? You wouldn't want to go into combat without checking the gauges, without airing up the tires, with shoddy off-market jet fuel? Or old oil, used ammunition, etc etc. Do you see my point?
I won't go into all the ways and things you can do to keep your body healthy, everyone is different, so who am I to say? But there is one little thing you can do, that is pretty much universal, no, not sex, although that too, can suffer from a stressed out system. What I mean is help your body dispose of it's toxins and poisons that build up in every part of you, but most especially in your liver and large intestine. Ick! Gross, Right? Yeah, well look at a picture of a cancerous colon or a liver in the last stages of cirrhosis, that will wake you up! You see, it's just as important to clean out the waste as it is to put the fuel in the system If it doesn't run smoothly or gets plugged up, you are in a world of hurt, in more ways than one.
And you know what? There's a little plant out there in your front yard or maybe across the street, down the block or where-ever, that will help you detoxify your body and get running with a full tank again. I'll bet that everyone reading this, both of you if I'm lucky, has seen this little plant many, many times, so many times that you don't even notice it except for when it fills your yard with pretty yellow blossoms. Or when a commercial tells you to get rid of it with Agent Orange, because your neighbors do.
That's Right! The lowly, misunderstood dandelion is one of the best herbs around to help you clean up your act! All parts of this little beauty are edible, but the root is what your liver and intestines crave. Well, sort of anyways. Besides being high in several vitamins and lots of minerals, it tastes really good too! The leaves can be boiled like spinach, or when young, they are excellent in a salad. The roots must be boiled also, like a carrot or parsnip. They can also be dried, powdered and put into capsules. And bonus of bonuses, the flowers make some real fine wine, dry, slightly tangy tasting, with lots of medicinal properties and a potency of legendary proportions. More about this little goodie in a future article, for the time being this is Woodco, signing off and passing out, Good Night!

Wow! I didn't realize it but a month has gone buy since I updated my blog. For all of you out there who follow me, I'm sorry, won't happen again. For both of you, I have a meager excuse, I've been going through finals at school and studying my proverbial ass off. Didn't do too badly, but that's another story, eh?
The big news is; It's Really Springtime Out There! You can tell by that green stuff covering the ground, I remember it being called something like grass? Lawn? Weeds? Who cares, it's Green! I know, it's been spring for awhile now but the garden is sprouting, the grass needs mowing, and best of all,,,,,,,,,,the herbs and mushrooms and other wild goodies are starting to show signs of buds and flowers. Yeah! Hopefully, I will have some exclusive pics of local herbs and edibles coming up real soon. It's just about time for wild strawberries! They are the first of the berry producing plants in the wild to have something for us, followed by currants, dwarf blueberries, huckleberries, serviceberries, blackcaps, thimbleberries, wild raspberries, gooseberries, and elderberries. Then there's wild(choke) cherries, wild plums, and wild apples. I'm sure there's others, I'll think it over.
Feel free to add any to my list. Just thought of another, hawes from the hawethorne tree, we've got lots around here and they have excellant medicinal properties. I'll get back to you real soon, promise, Happy Trails to you, Woodco