Lavender Oil, Spearmint Tea and Rainbows

My Newest Endeavors

Now you will you see why I titled the blog as I did. I had never grown any kind of plants or herbs before so I decided that this year I was going to grow peppermint, spearmint and lavender. Well I made some wonderful smelling lavender oil which can be used in the bath. It effects a chemical in the body called cortisol which controls how your body reacts to stress, so I was very pleased about that. Then I made spearmint iced tea from my fresh spearmint and when my partner said it was the best she ever tasted, I think I probably walked around with a smile for a week. I also learned that you could freeze fresh spearmint in your ice cubes and they add a great mint taste to water or iced tea. Or spearmint is supposed to be good for mint julep, a drink which I have never tasted so I really could not say. It is good for nausea and headaches and other stomach upset, NOT the drink, the spearmint!! Peppermint however, though good for many ailments, is toxic to cats and dogs and can cause major neurological damage, can even be fatal. So, for the sake of our 2 cats and our cocker spaniel and any neighborhood animals that may come to visit I sorrowfully dug up and through my peppermint plant in the garbage for the safety of the animal neighborhood.
Now I have to become less sweet than spearmint and try to write a not too biting editorial response to a local woman who wrote a editorial in last weeks paper. Shewas saying that we would lessen poverty if teens that are getting pregnant would get married. I almost blew a gasket. I was 14 when I had my son, I would have divorced by 18 if I would have married his dad at 16 like he wanted me too. Now how would that have lessened poverty? Anyways, I'll let you know what I come up with. As you can read by my writing, although I am happy to work on peaceful home projects, I also have very strong opinions.