“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you, love,
remember. And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts.”
-William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5)
Happy Grandparent’s Day
Today should be called, Unconditional Love Day, because that’s what I feel Nana & Granddaddy were.
September is the perfect month. I love September. It is my favorite month. I know fall is coming and the hills are going to go wild with color. I get to find all the heavy blankets, locate sweaters, and prepare for coolness, nips, and chill bumps. In September, we set a little moment aside to honor my favorite people in the world, our grandparents. We also get to send their most precious great-grandchildren back to school. Finally, in September, we get that first delicious cup of tea in total domestic tranquility. Oh, Enjoy! The adventures of summer are slowing. Everything is about to change. It’s a new start, September. I always feel that something wonderful is going to happen in September.
I was crazy about my Grandparents. The love they expressed for me is still so very present. I think of them daily and I try to honor them with my words each and every-time I think, or speak of them. They made me who I am today. They gave me my history, a sense of security, and all the confidence possible. Today find a way to connect with your own Nana and Pops. Develop new family ties. Adopt some new grandparents or maybe some grandchildren. That older couple down the street, or that child in the apartment above could be the perfect match for sharing life experiences, or for learning something new from someone who cares.
Memories Made & Memories Kept
In 1599, Shakespeare wrote the oft quoted line in, “Hamlet,” “Rosemary is for remembrance.” I am not sure of just what he knew about Rosemary in the 16th Century, but scientists are discovering a truth beyond this line from Hamlet. Rosemary has miraculously therapeutic health benefits, which can help us retain memory, and cognitive brain function. We allow worry just a bit about memory loss. Isn’t this one of our final fears, the casting of our memories with advancing age? However, advances in science are finding answers in the simple Herb, Rosemary.
There is research on Rosemary that shows promising results. Dr. Mark Moss, has published his and the findings of fellow scientists at the Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. Their field is neuroscience and they are looking into the value of Rosemary and Lavender as memory boosters. They have reported exciting news for improving our mood, memory, mental clarity, and cognitive reasoning skills.
This test was designed to determine what effect the herb, Rosemary had on our performance and attitude. One hundred test subjects were simply exposed to Rosemary, and were asked to take a whiff. Of this scruffy looking herb. This study centered around the human olfactory perception, or our sense of smell.
We say, “an apple a day to keeps the doctor away”, but soon, “a whiff of Rosemary keeps my memory Okay!” The chemicals within Rosemary are also being tested as possible breast cancer, and arthritis treatments.
Grow your Memory
Rosemary is a beautiful plant to grow. Growing Rosemary from scratch is so easy and fun. It is a wonderful project
for grandchildren to share.
Growing a pot or two of Rosemary cuttings will be nearly addictive, because it is so easy. Here is how.
Prepare your pot:
Fill a gardening pot with prepared organic potting material, make several holes for your future rosemary plants. A pencil makes the perfect urban homesteading shovel. Rosemary can be grown from cuttings. So carefully snip off a shoot, or “twenty,” from an organic & healthy Rosemary plant, taking a bit of the, “heel,” as you cut.
Add honey:
Take this freshly snipped stem and dip it into a bit of honey. Yes! Honey! It makes a great rooting gel, while it does not contain plant hormones, it does work nicely as a rooting gel. And it is just the type of thing my grandmother would suggest doing. Besides, I don’t think Nana knew about commercial plant hormones. Honey is easy, available and environmentally friendly. To use, just pour a tablespoon or less of honey into a separate dish and dip your future Rosemary root into the honey making sure to coat the tip.
Put in Place:
Press your little shoots into the prepared holes you have made in your organic soil. Place several cuttings into each pot to get that “bushy effect.”
Finally:
Keep moist, and in a sunny window.
As they mature, snap a few of those pine needle-like leaves each day and take a whiff. Let your Rosemary enhance your day.
Easy Ways to Add More Rosemary to your Life
Rosemary Tea
Boil Fresh Cold Water, place a sprig of Rosemary, or use Rosemary leaves into Tea Pot,add a pinch or two of mint and two well sized slices of lemon. Steep for intensity of favor. I like tea with a bit of mint, and lemon. Add a bit of honey if you like. Pour tea into cup and share.
More Uses
Add a three to four inch sprig of Rosemary to your next bottle of balsamic vinegar, add a sprig to your Olive Oil bottle for flavor, add sprigs of Rosemary to your barbecue coals, add Rosemary leaves to your sauces, marinades, and they are wonderful when used atop all things grilled.
This herb enhances all flavors.
Try your roasted potatoes with something more than butter. Try finely ground and tender rosemary leaves, garlic, a bit of minced onion, yogurt, sea salt, pepper and cheese it you must. WOW-tasty!
Top your salads…they always need a few finely pressed & tender leaves of Rosemary. What about a warm rosemary/honey butter topping for your next slice of hot bread.
No matter your current family situation, honor those who go before us, and if possible adopt some new grandparents along the way.
Save 10% in September on our Rosemary line of products, just click on the link. Natural Rosemary Products
Karen's Botanicals 