Tips From A Crone

Painting: BIRTH OF THE CRONE © Helen Redman

When you're washing hair--yours, your kids' or anyone's, take care to hold the head forward so that the soapy water runs away from the head and face, and not back over the head, ears and neck.  This is true if you wash your hair in the shower as well.  Be careful to bend forward.  Why?  This lets the sopay water carry the dirt, dry skin, oils, and all the gunk we put on our hair away from our body.  If all of that runs back over the head and ears, some of it will surely land in the ears and get all mixed up with the natural wax our ears produce.  It sticks like glue and grows, picking up all the grime that comes its way.  This little precaution will save you a lot of doctor bills to clean out plugged ears.

Your tip about a care package reminded me of one I gave at a baby shower. I found a big basket, made to look like the old-fashioned baby baskets, then filled it with a few things for baby, but mostly for mom and dad after the baby was born...I padded it with a receiving blanket, then put in a bottle of wine, with a bib tied around it, two glasses, with pacifiers stuck in them. There were little boxes of crackers, cheeses, sausage, cookies, etc. It was their third child, and I felt it was time someone pampered them! (Our thanks to Pam for sharing another idea for a "care package".)

RUST AND CORROSION — Before you throw away something you think may be lost to rust, corrosion and age, try giving it a cola bath. :) There's something in the syrup of the dark colas (doesn't matter what brand) that takes off this gunk. If you can, soak the entire item in cola and you'll see the rust and stuff falling off. Then, after it's soaked for a while, give it a good scrubbing and your piece of "junk" you almost threw away will be new looking, and sparkling clean. I haven't heard of a metal this doesn't work on, and it's certainly worth a try before you give up and head for the trash. Makes you wonder what this stuff does to your insides, huh?

WASH YOUR HANDS — Remember your mother nagging at you to wash your hands all the time? Well, as usual, Mom was more right than she knew. :) With all the strong viruses and germs we have today, it's more important than ever to remember to wash your hands often. If you work at a job where you handle things that others handle, even papers, you're handling their germs as well. The soft soap found in public bathrooms, especially at your work, is very drying so it's important to use some kind of lotion after washing your hands. Men — this means you, too! If your hands become overly dry and the skin develops little cracks, you're inviting all kinds of germs to creep in. There are many hand lotions and creams that are non-greasy and have no perfumed smell that come in the little travel size that's perfect to keep at work, or in your pocket or purse. Not only does it keep your hands from getting dry, chapped and cracked, it also gives them a protective covering from whatever you may have them doing.

ANOTHER SKIN SOFTENER — A great discovery for protecting your skin from drying out is the after-sun lotion made by a number of companies. I especially like those made for the Hawaiian climate. They have the oils of all kinds of exotic flowers and fruits in addition to healing and moisturizing agents. The next time you go shopping for cream or lotion, be sure to check them out. It's not the most expensive thing on the market, and it's not loaded down with alcohol-based perfumes, but it soaks in immediately, is not greasy, has no smell, and leaves your skin feeling wonderful. This is not the intensive protection of Bag Balm, but for everyday use (even under makeup), I recommend it highly. It's very soothing and healing, and I think you'll like it. It's also excellent for people who work outside to protect the face, neck and ears against the wind and sun.

(This tip comes to us from Kevin and Bridget Hardwick of Beaverton, Oregon. Thanks for sharing. Julia)

COUGH REMEDY — As this is the season for feeling awful and many colds are in abundance now, I have a recipe for those who are brave enough to try it. This is a non- alcholic remedy. The brave part comes from the taste. It's awful, but it really, really works. Usually a bad cough will be gone in 2-3 days.

Take 1 cup horehound leaves. Mix in sauce pan with 3 cups water. Boil for 10 minutes. Strain and add a little peppermint oil, a toothpick dipped into the oil is sufficient. Sweeten to taste, usually a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar will do. Cool bottle. Can store in fridge for up to 6 months.

Dose, 1 teaspoon 4 times a day.

You will want to have something to get rid of the bad taste believe me. I know some will say why would I want to use this if it tastes so bad. I have used this myself for bronchitus and have not had to go to the doc. to get antibiotics. My neighbor and her husband have used it and their bad cough was gone in 2 days, and they to avoided a doc. visit.

This will also not make you sleepy like most over the counter cold remedies.

COLD FEET — Question from the webmaster: How do I keep my feet warm in these cold Georgia mountains?

Answer from the Crone: If you can't get a warm man, try a hot brick wrapped in flannel. :)

ON KEEPING WARM — The colder weather reminded me of some old tricks used by hunters, outdoor guides, and people who are in the out-of-doors during all kinds of weather. If you have trouble keeping your feet warm, try lining your shoes with newspaper and then apply a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. That's right — black pepper! I don't know why that works, but I'm told by many sources that it does. If you're sleeping outside, put a thick layer of newspaper between your sleeping bag and the earth. If the earth is damp, put a heavy piece plastic down first, then the newspaper, then the sleeping bag. To keep your feet warm, heat some large rocks in the fire and wrap them in a light blanket or something that won't scorch or melt. Better than a hot water bottle. :)

A real treat for all of you interested in the old ways. Guess what I found on The Web — THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC.

They have done a great job with their site, and you'll learn things you never expected. Visit and enjoy.

FEATHERS — Science has discovered something which the ancients have known all along: there is something about the chemical make-up of a bird's feather that breaks up the electrical energy we pick up during the course of a day. When your energy drops, and you begin feeling tired and listless, "sweep" around your body with a broad, firm feather. Large turkey feathers are good for this, and they are easily available in most craft stores and in stores that sell Native American crafts. The turkey feathers we find in stores today are white and come from the turkey breeders across the country. The colored ones were the white ones that have been dyed. If you can't get a large turkey feather, smaller feathers wrapped together work just as well; 3 or 4 make a good "broom". This is a good selling point for bookstores that sell feathers.

People who work with the public should do this when they get home to clean off the day's contacts. People who do healings and body work, especially hands-on work, will find a great difference in the effectiveness of the treatments if you will sweep the person you're working on before you begin, and then sweep yourself off when you're finished.

HOT PACKS — If you need a hot pack, and don't have one handy, try heating salt in a frying pan, or even a microwave. Once it's hot, pour it into a washcloth or clean cloth, tie it securely, and apply to the affected area. It's wonderful moist heat that works. This is especially good for camping and other out-of-doors activities where you don't have electricity to plug a heating pad into.

SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE — I learned about the magic of tobacco first hand when I tore the ligaments and tendons in my leg. Take shredded chewing tobacco (NOT cigarette tobacco, and NOT chewing plugs, and NOT powdered tobacco such as snuff), but packages of the moist, shredded chewing tobacco. Pack the damaged area with the tobacco directly on the skin. Wrap a towel loosely around the area just to hold the tobacco in place. Leave it on for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, scrape all the tobacco off, put it into a bag, and shake all the loose shreds off the towel. Wait 10 minutes, and repeat the process. Do this 3 times. After the last treatment, take the bag with the used tobacco out of the house and throw it into a dumpster or some closed container. Ideally, you should bury it, but with the weather we're having, that's probably not possible for most of you right now.

This treatment is wonderful for strains, sprains; any type of soft tissue pain — and I have even used it effectively for an abscessed tooth to break the poison sac. Of course, I put the tobacco on the outside of the face. It's a good idea to keep several packages of tobacco on hand and, if you're a camper or spend a lot of time outdoors, be sure to take it along.

ICE PACKS — Do we all know that the soft packages of frozen vegetables make great ice packs? If they're in a hard bunch, just drop them on the floor once or twice to make them pliable. Also, if you're struck with eye fatigue, or headaches, try putting a wet washcloth in the freezer for a few minutes. It's more effective that just a cold cloth.

TIRED EYES — All the beauty experts tell us how cucumber slices are good to place on the eyes to relieve tired eyes. If you have no allergies to witch hazel, this works wonders if you keep it in the fridge. Saturate cotton balls with it, and lie down with the wet cotton on your eyelids. Oh, it feels so good. If you don't want to try the witch hazel, a solution of boric acid and water works, and if you don't have that, ice water does well also.

EMERGENCY SPLINTS — If you are like the rest of the world, most sudden injuries happen when all the drug stores are closed! If you have an injury that needs to be stabilized to relieve the pain, try cutting strips of heavy cardboard (like a cardboard box) to fit the area. Pad this with cotton or gauze to keep it from chafing the skin, and wrap the padded strips securely around the area with an ace bandage, or flannel, or anything you have that is strong, but soft. This will at least keep you from doing more damage to the injury until you can get to a hospital, or doctor, or some other facility for professional help. This also works with injured animals until you can get help for them.

ROUGH AND/OR CHAPPED SKIN — Investigate Bag Balm. It's a treatment that's as old as the hills, and it is used extensively by dairy farmers to keep cow's udders soft and supple so they don't dry out, crack and bleed. If you stop to think about it, it makes sense. If it works on a cow (and it does) why wouldn't it work on a human? It does. Most large drug stores and the popular super grocery stores that have everything under one roof carry it. Of course, if you live in the country, you can always get it at the local feed and grain store. Stop laughing at me! I'm very serious. It comes in a small, square green can, and it's thick so a little goes a long way. There's nothing in it to irritate the average person's skin, but read the ingredients. Rub on elbows, knees, heels, and pat on your face where the skin is dry and wrinkled. Let it set for about an hour before taking your bath. If you have to be out of doors in the weather, put some on your hands before you go out to protect them. There are now other companies making the same product, but I don't know about them. Also, I'm sure that every country in the world has its own product that is designed for the same thing. Bag Balm is the oldest in the U.S., and the one I use. I truly do.

COFFEE — If you make coffee in a coffee maker or percolater, sprinkle just a little salt on the grounds before you start the process. It takes the bitterness out. This is good to remember when you're making camp coffee. Also, egg shells in a camp coffee pot will "settle" the grounds so you don't get a mouthful.

HICCUPS — Swallow down a spoonful of peanut butter, slowly. Don't choke yourself. It stops the spasms in the esophagus by blocking the air flow, I guess.

SKIN IRRITATIONS — With Spring on the way, we will all be out of doors more; especially the kids. If they come in with grass itch, or insect bites, or chiggers (don't know what chiggers are?), make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the area. It's better than scratching the spot until it bleeds and gets infected. The baking soda will take the itch and burn out.

BE CAREFUL — If you're in the country, or anywhere that is not your own yard, watch the children carefully. Don't let them pick pretty berries and stick them in their mouths. Many of these are poisonous. Also, with all the wet weather, be on the constant lookout for mushrooms popping up everywhere. Pull them up by their roots, and put them in the garbage disposal or the dumpster right away. We lost a beautiful black German Shepard several years ago because he got into a patch of mushrooms in the back yard that we didn't know were there. Killed him.

DOWN MEMORY LANE — Thanks to a friend in Oklahoma City, I was turned onto a series of books called "Foxfire" (Anchor Books, Doubleday). This is a collection of old, old lifeways from the hill country of the deep South. If you enjoy the country remedies, recipes, and old lifestyles that are becoming lost, you should read these books. When you do read them, take the content very seriously for it's not a joke, and the books are written with great respect by researchers who actually lived with the people they wrote about. I got my copies from sjourney@rapidramp.com.

THE POUNDING — This custom dates back to pioneer days, and was practiced widely. I don't know its origins, but it's something we should continue today.

When a couple got married and set up housekeeping, it was customary to have a "pounding party". This meant that each guest brought a pound of something: flour, salt, butter — whatever was needed to stock a house — in order to give their friends a good start on their new life.

This is a custom that my family still carries on, except we call the gifts "care packages". For any occasion when you're stumped for a proper gift, try this. Buy one large gift (large in size, not in cost), like a plastic bucket or wash basin or cooking pot, or whatever, depending upon the occasion. Then fill that container with the ordinary things of life that we all need and use every day: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, after shave, cologne, paper towels, toilet tissue, Kleenex, etc. You get the idea. Perhaps you have access to something that your friends might not be able to find in their area. What a treat to include that! Something they won't buy for themselves; something new to try. The ideas are endless. Wrap each item, put it in the container, then put the container in a box, and wrap the box.

Sound mundane? Believe me, it's not. The one gift we always open first is our "care package", and I've never given this to anyone who was not delighted. Try it — you'll love it — and so will everyone else.

TAKE GREAT CARE — In our zeal to be clean and tidy, PLEASE don't mix cleaning compounds; not even with water until you read the directions and the cautions on the label. This may sound like a very childish and simple-minded thing to say, but you wouldn't believe the things that people mix together. Every cleaning compound has a toxic element in it, or it wouldn't work. When you mix those toxins, you can get dangerous and even deadly mixtures and fumes. I had a neighbor once who mixed bleach and ammonia to clean her front walkway. It burned the lining in her lungs and left her with permanent damage to her respiratory system. Being clean is one thing. Being reckless can be fatal. Be cautious.

Just learned of a great treatment for cuts, scrapes, scratches, bites, whatever skin disruptions you have.  The little pot of Carmex we've all had for years and years for sore and chapped lips!  It doesn't burn, and it has no toxic effects...safe for kids.  Give it a try.  It can't hurt. :)

STAIN REMOVAL - My last laundry tip is toothpaste. When all else fails, the cheapest white toothpaste is a blessing. It will draw amazingly...I once had a niece who got red nail polish on my White Stag skirt; she was nowhere near as upset as me, and she said she'd take care of it. She did, putting a lot of nail polish remover on the spot, which made a huge blob. Then she got the toothpaste, smeared it all over the blob, and said to leave it overnight. I did, and washed the skirt the next day. It came out immaculate. So get some cheap white toothpaste - the chalkier, the better - as a must for the laundry to reduce the damage due to stains...I keep an old toothbrush by the washer just for this purpose.

Forty-nine Uses for Vinegar:

1. Kill grass on walks and driveways.
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have starved.
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water: one gallon of tap water for watering rhododendrums, gardenias, or azaleas.
4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known.
5. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.
6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength vinegar; rinse.
7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching on.
8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears. Use a clean, soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar.
9. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little in their drinking water.
10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over night.
11. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in 2 cups of water and a  tablespoon of vinegar.
12. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons water before boiling eggs. Keeps them from cracking.
13. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot the irritation with vinegar and relieve itching.
14. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white vinegar; you may have to reapply.
15. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to dissolve sticky residue left by shampoo.
16. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.
17. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
18. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow.
19. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
20. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling.
21. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
22. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.
23. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.
24. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
25. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
26. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe away the grime.
27. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
28. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
29. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2  cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
30. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through.
31. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
32. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
33. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth.
34. Clean china and fine glassware. Add a cup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.
35. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
36. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
37. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.
38. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
39. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
40. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
41. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
42. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar before washing.
43. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in the  machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.
44. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
45. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
46. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.
47. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.
48. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in. Wash off.
49. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

I hope these tips are useful to you, and that you will share your own "country medicine".

Namaste. Julia

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