Day 13, Friday. The Bay Leaf

I friend of mine from Colorado has been drinking Bay Leaf Tea for a while now, I kept thinking I would try it, but then it would skip my mind.

Today, when she posted her cup of tea on Facebook, I immediately went to the kitchen.

I went into the china cabinet to find a fancy cup and saucer to use.

This cup & saucer was something that I bought when I was on my way from Colorado to Eau Claire to the University in the fall of 1971.

Gail was moving back from Colorado after several years working in Denver, but she had grown up in St. Croix Falls, WI and was ready to live closer to family.  

She had a very small UHaul and I had a couple of suitcases, so she agreed to let me tag along.

I really don't remember if we drove straight through, but I'm guessing we did.

I stayed a night or two at  Gail's house somewhere in the Twin Cities area before someone, I'm guessing Glenn, came to get me and transport me to Eau Claire.

Somewhere along the line, I was shopping and walked past a store window that had these cup & saucer sets.  I think they were $7, which for me at that time was a lot of money.

But I decided I had to have them and they have traveled with me through life every since.

They rarely get used, kind of small and fancy, but now I have decided that I will use them for my Bay Leaf Tea every morning. Gotta get my $7 worth of use out of them.

There are many benefits of drinking bay leaf tea. Some of the most widely known benefits are:

1.  Bay leaves are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Also regular inclusion of bay leaves in meals promotes general health.

2.  They have been proven to be useful in the treatment of migraines.

3.  Bay Leaf contains enzymes that help to breakdown proteins and digest food faster, helping to calm indigestion.

Recipe for Bay Leaf Tea

• 16 oz water
• 3 bay leaves
• Juice1 large or 2 smaller lemons

1. Place ingredients, together, in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Drink, after it cools down

A hot cup of bay leaf tea can be very comforting. The aromatic fragrance that the leaves release is calming and the essence of the spiced tea makes bay leaf tea delicious.

Source:  https://www.flushinghospital.org/newsletter/the-benefits-of-drinking-bay-leaf-tea/

I also decided that one thing that 'might' have played into my racing heart yesterday was the tea I had been drinking.  It is herbal and is for Immune Support, but it has quite a variety of herbs included, so perhaps there was an interaction with my medication or my heart, either way, I'll take a break from that flavor of tea for awhile.

I seem to remember that my Grandmother Frederikke just drank hot water after a meal, so that might be my other easy option.  A bit of lemon perhaps, or just plain is fine too.

***

It was nice outside today, sunny most of the day, I lopped off 2 more bushes at the ground.

I'm forcing my bushes to have a fresh start or die, their choice.

I have 3 of those Barberry bushes with the terrible spiky thorns.  I had a Naturalist tell me that one problem with those bushes is that mice can hide under them and prey cannot get to the mice.

Well, that settled it for me, those are going to be gone if I can get them to die.

I'll start with a chop down and go from there.

I'm all about having less mice in the area.

***

It is interesting to see how people react to the SaferAtHome guideline.

Some folks take it in stride and maybe for some it is not a big stretch to stay home more.

Some folks really struggle, are bored, mad, 

think it is wayyy over blown and just want to go back to normal.

And some folks become enforcers.  

Our local Community Center when our Seniors group meets is closed like all other municipal buildings.  The Librarian works off and on in the library, but it is closed to the public.  Local folks noticed that the coffee clutch guys were still gathering in the mornings for coffee and cribbage.  Well, wasn't right, and it's not smart, but I was a little surprised to see the barrage of comments on Facebook and I also got a phone call from a concerned citizen.  So, the Village has been notified and that has been handled.

I think I fall into the first category.  I'm quite a solitary person so this doesn't feel that bad to me.

I do feel at LOT of pressure to do more stuff around home.  I keep thinking of a million jobs that need done around here and there is an endless list of sewing projects.

But so far, I am able to keep things on balance.  A little gets done each day; well most days at least.

Be Well.