Michi Harper

Back in the victorian era, women wore hoop skirts and crotchless bloomers. It was polite to stand with your feet together,  because a wide stance, indicated only by the feet, indicated that one was "having a slash". So women could pee anywhere pretty discreetly back then, because of their clothing.

I first ran into this issue on a visit to Eastwind commune in Missouri, where they were experimenting with humanure and didn't want us peeing in the future fertilizer.
I really had trouble with this.

Issue #1 As an anthropologist, I believe that women evolved hiding to pee, because the combo of the position of squatting and the action of urinating leave us vulnerable to predators. I never found a place to pee that felt safe. When one's pants are around one's ankles, it's impossible to move quickly. You guys will have a better understanding of this if you poop outdoors. The position, the vulnerability, all that goes along with your pooping, we deal with every single time we urinate. I think the fear of being caught whilst copping a squat is probably ingrained so deeply in us that it may be hardwired in our limbic system.

Issue#2 the paper! Air drying might be okay if one has skinny thighs and wears no underwear or pants, otherwise, we need TP. Carrying used TP in one's pocket is disgusting, and burying it isn't always easy

Issue#3 Women, in general, when going to the bathroom, do not necessarily differentiate the signals for bowel movements out separately from urination. While urinating, we may start to poop and that's just grand if you are on a toilet and have TP. One can train oneself to differentiate the biological urges (after all, men can do it) but there is a learning curve!

I know this is an old thread. I hope you don't mind my two cents. Thanks for your consideration.

Tristan Vitali wrote:

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:
Brian - see if you can find out what cultivar she's growing and maybe grab some seed or a tuber to trial at your site.

I would be happy to test them for heat tolerance, here, in North Central Texas.
Michi

Here is some info about the chemistry of salicylic acid http://www.pharmacopeia.cn/v29240/usp29nf24s0_m74300.html

There must be a simple chemistry test for this compound to determine how strong your infusion or tincture comes out.

Any chemists around?

Asprin is acetylsalicylic acid, I think.

I am another one of those ppl who can no longer take NSAIDS. Years of prescription strength ibuprofen and naproxyn have left my gut unable to tolerate them anymore. I take turmeric for inflammation and sometimes Pain-Eze (meadowsweet and Ca. poppy from Rainbow Light). Pain-Eze works about as well for me as a regular strength ibuprofen used to. It's especially good for muscle pain.

If you get migraines, and can tell when they're coming on, Feverfew is most excellent for stopping them in their tracks, but you have to catch it in time.

Michi in Denton, TX

Tyler Ludens wrote:What staple crops are you growing these days? ...

I'm currently growing several kinds of roots and tubers; Radish, Turnip, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Jerusalem Artichoke. The other staple crop that did well for me this year is Winter Squash; I seem to have two varieties; Tatume and something I don't know the name of that makes large oblong fruits. These fruits are too large for just the two of us to consume in a short period, so I'll have to figure out how to preserve them, probably by freezing the pulp.

My husband is from San Antonio, where a large Latino population has made Mexican candies very popular. He Candies winter squashes (especially pie pumpkins) like one would candy ginger to crystalize it. Chunks of peeled, deseeded squash flesh are boiled in a sugar syrup, then dried. In Mexican candied pumpkin, I have never seen any spices added, but Lee uses pumpkin pie spices. The result is a candied squash that tastes and has a texture like one would imagine a pumpkin pie gumdrop! here are basic instructions: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Candied-Pumpkin YUM!

Michi in Denton, TX

Matthew McCoul wrote:I get some pretty bad tension headaches. A better description involves long chains of cuss words.

I also don't like pills much. They're a last resort for when they're warranted.

I've got some corkscrew willow that I'm told is one of several kinds of willow I can make tea out of to get the salacin. I'm thinking about mixing that with green tea for the caffeine. Does anyone know if that combination is safe? I expect it is, but best to ask.
Also, do i use the green smooth bark of younger growth or the greyish woody bark of older growth? The partway between kind?

Not sure about that species. White willow is most common used medicinally. The bark part You want to harvest will be the INNER bark layer. This combo is in a lot of OTC migraine meds, so it's relatively safe. Willow bark tea tears up some ppl's stomachs though, just like asprin.