#I've got decades of experience with herbs

[evilfloralfoolery]

I work in a shop that sells a fuckton of herbs and had the following conversation with a customer this morning: Customer: Do you have sneezeweed leaves? Me: ....what? Customer: Sneezeweed leaves. I want to make my own snuff. Me: What. Customer: You know, to get rid of evil. Me: W.H.A.T. I know what sneezeweed is, but I had no idea people used the leaves to make SNUFF. A book and supplemental google search began. Apparently, people actually DID use the leaves to make snuff and it WAS used to "rid themselves of evil spirits inhabiting the body" via sneezing.

What the fuck. What. The. FUCK.

I'm totally not going to be using this information for evil. NOPE. NOT MEEEEE....

(Note: Customer said she saw this on TikTurd, btw. Y'all, please don't get your herb usage instructions from TikTurd. 90% of the time, it's wrong.)

[merkavahpartyvan]

Talking to scientist ghosts from the modern era

So, for the last... year and a half or so, I've been (largely unknowingly) exposed to enough methane gas to cause someone to have massive distress and very vivid, often anxiety-fueled hallucinations, many of which were beyond anything I've ever experienced in my life. And that goes for the other occupants of the house. This was like when a whole town gets mass hysteria without realizing it because their wheat got ergot in it. There were a lot of times that I couldn't really tell what normal was or couldn't realize that I wasn't having a sane life experience.

The thing is, while this was happening, I was also practicing a lot of magic and doing a lot of spirit work. So you know those initiations where you do a lot of some hallucinogenic herb and then receive visions of the cosmos and learn to talk to spirits and animals and connect with some sort of spirit companion or guide? Well I did a lot of that, because I was sort of stuck in the house with nowhere to go, a lot of magic books, a lot of art supplies, and the ability to predict when a specific nuclear scientist's estate went on auction on ebay. I now own basically his entire nuclear papers and library.

So like now I talk to a nuclear scientist's ghost on a regular basis. Now that I'm in the new house WITHOUT the magic stinky gas in it... I can hear him BETTER.

I don't really know how to talk about Jerry and the experience I've had communicating with him, but I do want to talk about it. Not to prove anything, but to share a kind of experience that I don't think a lot of people are able to openly share these days, for fear of stigma. Honestly, after all the weird crap I've said on this blog, sometimes under gaseous influence, I think you all can take me going on about protons for a bit.

Jerry likes to explain his favorite science to me a lot, so I hear him go on about newtonian physics, astrophysics, particle physics... and philosophy too, since he got his degrees back in the days when nuclear physics was in the philosophy department. It's part of why I keep watching so many science videos and talking so much about nuclear stuff on my blogs. He's really interesting and he's helped me do research much faster than I think I would have managed on my own. He used to design nuclear submarine propulsion systems and he also had a specialization in how crystals form on an atomic level, so in my opinion he was probably one of the most interesting people on the planet when he was alive.

Nowadays he's a very interesting ghost who wants to teach me (and anyone else who will listen) about how hard it is to hit a proton when you need/have to. Also he can rattle off quite a lot on nuclear policy and diplomacy and he keeps telling me which companies in the nuclear space are just hyping theoretical models instead of actually having a working prototype. Every time I look up what he says it's correct. (After research I personally wouldn't invest in NuScale. This is not financial advice. I am not a financial professional and Jerry was not either.)

The thing is, there should be a lot of ghosts out there like Jerry. Not just because nuclear stuff makes you psychically weird and therefore more likely to project a force ghost (or whatever astrals are), but because all manner of sciences came about in the turn of the 1900s and their degree programs solidified in the early decades of the 1900s. So there should be a lot of ghosts out there who know like, 'modern' science. And other people besides me must be talking to them.

[perfectharmonyloveschaos]

Hey!! Im excited about this!! What’ve you got?!

🌹🌹🌹

I've not been writing a lot and was already re-writing this since I'm not too happy with my writing atm, so sorry for the wait cause I wanted to fix this up. I've been playing with a short one-shot based on the Ahsoka trailer!

Based on this post :

“Ezra would need a place to stay when he comes back. I’m just keeping the place warm and the pantry stocked.” For when he comes home, the words hang heavy in the silence, but they're there.

Ahsoka nods in agreement, ignoring the tickle on her tongue to ask Sabine about her whereabouts in such a scenario. 

“You’ve made it a home,” Ahsoka says instead, catching the tension that rises in Sabine’s back at her words. It lingers, sitting in the air between them, caught in the draft that slips in through the open window. “I think Ezra would be happy with anything as long as it had your touch-”

“Why are you here, Ahsoka?” Sabine sees fit to end the pleasantries there.  Her jaw clenches tighter, meeting Ahsoka’s eye for the first time since they entered the tower. The golden light dances across her hair, igniting the strands of purple, pink and red. Washed out. Dulled. Much like the light in the eyes of the Mandalorian girl, so eager to fight, that Ahsoka had met all those years ago. Sabine leans onto her hip. “We both know how little rumours can actually tell us. No one has heard of Thrawn or seen him in a decade�� or anyone that was on Chimaera that day for that matter.”

“Experience has taught me,” Ahsoka pauses to take a sip of the tea, licking her lips at the surprisingly pleasant mixture of herbs and fruit. “-that the truth first escapes as rumours. We can’t dismiss this, Sabine. Not now.”

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #5

As predicted, the mild sniffles I had yesterday are just about gone today! But also, since I got my immunity to The Plague boosted, I'm just a little bit tired. But that's okay. Unpleasant things are often only temporary, and if you leverage them right, you can weave unpleasant things into good things in the future - good things like temporary immunity to The Plague, in this case! Ahahaha~!

Though I'm a bit tired, I still had enough energy to strain the broth today! Check it out:

It looks a lot better now, doesn't it? I'm pretty pleased with how the color turned out! And my house still smells AMAZING after letting it simmer for a day and a half. Right now, it's in the fridge to let any fats rise to the surface and solidify. Later, I'll scoop out the fats, incorporate them into some flour, and then incorporate the flour into the rest of the broth; the result will be a very smooth, rich consistency that is good for a variety of things!

I thought I would have energy to get it all done today, but I don't; all that squishing of the excess water out of the scraps and back into the pot has left my arms and hands super tired, because unlike you, my body is kinda weak and noodley, hahaha!

So instead, I decided to make myself some tea and relax a bit. I make tea a lot, and so by now, I have what I like down to a science! I'll show you:

This is my tea thermos! It holds 34 oz of fluid (or about 1 liter, if metric is more your speed)! This morning while I was doing my things, I was delighted to find a box of apricot tea that I thought I had lost! So I made some, and added 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of honey, and 3/4ths of a cup of milk to it! After a lot of experimenting in the past, I found that this is the tea-sweetener-milk ratio that is ideal for my body's sensory hardware; someone else might have a different ratio that is better for them, and that is good too!

I wish I could make a mug of tea for you. But... when is the last time you've had tea, anyway? Do you even like tea? I ask because not everyone does, and that's all right. Maybe you'd prefer coffee? Or juice? Maybe even some kind of fizzy drink? Or just plain water? I wonder...

If you do like tea, I wonder which kind you like best! In my world, we have an overwhelming number of different kinds of tea - thousands and thousands of them! Lots of them use the leaves of camellia sinensis, but others use different kinds of herbs, fruits, and whatever else people can think of! Often, people will blend various different things together to come up with entirely new teas! The folks of my world are astoundingly creative, and so there's almost no limit to the number of very beautiful and very delicious things that exist here! I wish I could show them all to you!

In particular, there was this one kind of tiramisu tea that a company called Teavana used to make, back when it still existed. This was my favorite tea until it ceased to exist; I've not found any other suitable substitute quite yet. It had black tea leaves, blended with bits of dried coffee, chocolate, and mascarpone cheese, amongst other things. It was really good all on its own, but if you added just a touch of milk and sugar to it, it became unbelievably decadent, oh my goodness!! I wish I could give you a mug of this stuff! Alas, at this point, it only exists in the memories of the people who used to enjoy it, as far as I know. But I can show you a picture of what it used to look like! Here:

I hope you get to enjoy tea again soon if it's something that you like; I can't imagine that The Edge of Creation is especially well-stocked with anything that would offer comfort, nourishment, or joy to a living creature, ahaha...

...It's actually really sad to think about you being over there because of that. I have no doubt that you must have seen some astounding and hauntingly beautiful things during your time over there - surely much of it is stuff that I can't even begin to fathom. But a world without things like soup, tea, macaroni and cheese, soaps that smell nice, warm fluffy towels, blanket forts, and people to enjoy stuff like this with... it seems rather empty to me. Or maybe you have a different perspective?

Maybe someday, those of my world will be blessed to hear you tell us about what your experiences over there have been like and what you've learned along the way. Maybe you could tell us about it over tea and snacks, even! Wouldn't that be so nice?

Please come back to us safe and sound so that such a thing could occur, if to do such a thing with us would be a source of relief, comfort, and joy for you. And if that doesn't sound like a good time to you, then please come back to us safe and sound anyway, because you're still loved and important, even if tea and conversation, as a concept, might seem overwhelming or uninteresting to you - you don't have to perform for others or do what they want in order to be cared about exactly as you are.

Until next time.

Your friend, Lumine

[makhair]

Mickey Alan Kravitz MAK Hair Products Five 5 star amazon reviews

Mak hair products established 2012, specialize in hair growth support shampoos and conditioners, Non Comedogenic products and styling products. ZOE hair growth support shampoo and container, Listed are five 5 star amazon reviews.

 5.0 out of 5 stars

MAK "ZOE" Shampoo is The Best Shampoo On The Market! Amazing Results, Extraordinary Product Line. 5 Stars!

Size: shampooVerified Purchase

I'm a fifty year old male pharmacist with thinning hair. Over the years I've tried a plethora of different shampoos, tonics, oils, and of course Rogaine for men in an effort to preserve my youthful locks--much of which are silvery brown at this point. I can say with some certainty that I've managed to slow down the thinning process through my usage of several anti-DHT products spanning some three decades. I feel fortunate too that I am often complimented for having most of my hair left at such an advanced age. Hair is an outward, visible expression of our personalities and losing hair for whatever reason is not a pleasant experience for a man--and certainly for a woman. It is never easy to find hair products for myself that I genuinely like. Some products weigh my fine hair down, some products leave an oily residue, and worst of all a majority of products I try leave my hair dry and brittle. I am happy to relate to anyone willing to listen that the MAK line of products for hair is the holy grail I have been searching for all these years. The MAK 'Zoe' shampoo and the MAK conditioner products each wash out clean without weighing the hair down, and both products possess a pleasant, fresh smell that hints of lavender/citrus respectively. The burning question for me and many others is whether or not these products are capable of growing hair. Considering the impressive list of herbs, vitamins, and botanicals contained in this individual product, I'm willing to bet that this shampoo is entirely capable of fulfilling its claims for a majority of its users. I've only been using it for 6 weeks, so it is far too soon to tell for myself at this point. Hair growth is a very complicated, hormonally regulated process and I predict at least three months may be required to ascertain the real benefits of this shampoo. Nevertheless, I am impressed with the science behind the formulation of this product line and certainly plan to make it a mainstay in my daily ritual for this reason. Yes, the product line is a bit pricey but my own opinion is that MAK products are worth every penny. The shampoo and conditioner products are the best I've ever used and I can't recommend them highly enough. 5 stars for MAK Zoe Shampoo!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Product, they really work I had heard good ...

Size: shampooVerified Purchase

Great Product, they really work I had heard good thing about Mak products from my sister and I decided to give them a try and I’m really glad I did. My sister and I both have thinning fine hair and this shampoo really makes a big difference in volume, washe our nice, smells great and no build up. I have noticed a lot less hair loss and my hair feel and looks so much better. The conditioner also feels really nice, it’s a deep conditioner thats light weight, does not weight my hair down and only take a very small amount to do the job. I also started using the Mak hairs spray and vitamins, I will recommend these product to friend.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Product!

Size: shampoo & conditionerVerified Purchase

This is a really great product! I have thin hair, and the first thing I noticed after using this shampoo and conditioner, was an increase of fullness in my hair and more shine! And what I really love is I see MUCH less hair in the shower drain now that I’ve switched to this product. Definitely recommend for anyone that wants fuller, shinier, healthier looking hair, or for anyone that wants to keep what they’ve got! 5 stars

5.0 out of 5 stars

Clean and Light feeling

Size: shampooVerified Purchase

I have used this Shampoo for about 2 weeks now and I love it. I haven't seen much in terms of helping with hair growth as it hasn't been very long, but the absolute clean and light feeling I have to my hair is amazing. I only wash my hair twice a week to keep the purple coloring I have in and this shampoo does not strip the color like other shampoos. The cost is more than I would like to pay and I will have to see if I can continue to buy it, but I feel the product does an amazing job.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Favorite DHT blocker shampoo

Size: shampooVerified Purchase

I have tried several DHT blocker shampoo's and conditioner's over the years and by far this one has worked the best. With the combination of the shampoo, conditioner and the vitamin supplement they make I have noticed a dramatic improvement over the last few months. I have noticed way less hair loss in the drain and my hair looks fuller. My husband also uses it and loves the way his hair looks fuller. Happy we found this product.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Coping Mechanisms

After all that "What am I going to plaaaaaaaay?" and getting up too early, all of my plans for the day were effectively scuppered by my fucking disability, which I hate.

Look, I am a motherfucking adult. Motherfucking adults have to take out the trash from time to time. While my pain spike isn't so bad at this point (seriously, yesterday I couldn't even click the mouse without pain), it's still letting me know it's there. Even so, I like to have a trash can that isn't ... you know, full. If the trash can is full, I cannot put more trash in it, and then where does the trash go? So I took out the trash. I did not take out the recycling, but I am expecting delivery of a few more packets of seeds (more on that later), so the recycling's going to wait until it's not going to get stacked back up again in a week.

So point is, I went down the stairs with the trash (kitchen and bathroom), and took the lift back up, and then I thought, "I hurt and I am tired; I will lie down for a bit". Which ended up with me having a nap that lasted most of the afternoon.

Seriously. I hate this. I hate being tired all the time. I hate hurting all the time. I hate fibro fog and IBS and all of the rest of the absolute bullshit that this condition throws at me. I especially hate it during fucking pollen season, because then I get hayfever on top of everything else. I am tired and sore and miserable and I AM NOT COPING WITH MY CONDITION VERY WELL TODAY. Some days I cope well and other days I'm just depressed about it but today I'm just fucking angry. I'll get over it - I always do. It's a part of the process of effectively constantly grieving for my life before I developed the fibromyalgia. I'll probably always have moments of depression over it and moments of rage over it, but as long as I'm more or less maintaining an even keel, and living the best life I can manage, I guess I'll cope. This is why the therapy I had, like, over two decades ago is still helpful today, because it helped me develop the tools I need to cope with the "I hate my life" days, whether those words are spoken in anger or despair.

So, that thing where I'm expecting seeds. See, way back when this started, one of the things I did to be living the best life I can manage was to start a balcony-and-windowsill garden. The last few years, I've been trying to figure out exactly what shape I want that garden to take. I've pretty much given up on the vegetables - too much work for too little effort - but I'm trying my luck with raspberry and blueberry bushes, so fingers crossed for me there. But as I think I mentioned awhile back, my project this year is Tea Garden. Thing is, with everything that's been going on, I had cause to pull out my various books on medicinal herbs. I tried with medicinal herbs a long while ago but honestly, buying the herbs is expensive. But if I don't have to buy them - say, if they're growing on my balcony and windowsill...

So yeah, Tea Garden + Cooking Herb Garden. There's the berries, obviously (need to keep tending my alpine strawberries as well), and all the herbs that survived the winter (most of them), but I'm also going to be doing tarragon, lemongrass, various types of basil, St John's Wort, echinacea, marshmallow (seriously, it's a plant, look it up), chamomile, a whole bunch of other stuff. The ones like the echinacea and the lemon bergamot and the beebalm, I picked because they're pretty as well as useful in tea, and I wanted some nice florals for the balcony. May as well show off a bit to the neighbours, y'know? Of course, I do have to tidy up the balcony at some point this week. I need to clear up the remnants of the experiments with a balcony vegetable garden, at least partly because I'm going to entirely redesign the garden balcony space. I have a lot more herbs in general than I did last year, and they need someplace to live where there is sunshine, so I've got my eye on a couple of shelving units to put my plants on. Keep the shelves indoors by the big balcony window while it's still chilly, move them outside when the weather's a bit nicer. That just means I need more balcony space, so tidying. Just ... taking-it-slowly tidying. If I can be this exhausted just by taking out the fucking trash...

Nope. Nice thoughts. Hot bath. Meds. Food.

[kuromi-hoemie]

1. i am left handed

2. I've kinda played a lot of instruments and music was a p big part of my life growing up. my favorite to play were drums for 5 years and my second favorite was bass for 3 (❁´◡`❁)

3. i also skated for a decade. like on a skateboard down stairs n roofs n big gaps kinda thing 0: i was pretty good actually lol

i go up to 15 facts but I'll put the rest under the read more :3c

@ghoul-butch @thisismenoww @babyboodle @mellueminate @tranzjen @mothgirlyuri @limedotsoda

4. i used to get free public transportation thru my old job, but when covid first hit and i didn't have access to a car i made myself an ebike 🚴🏾‍♀️ it felt p cool whizzing around town at 30 something mph on my lil grocery run

5. i have happened to come across many witches and mediums in life so far and i feel like we always find each other at the right time (❁´◡`❁) the world is so interesting and mysterious! (do not ask me about this, this is my extremely long rant topic depending on who's asking lmaoo. related to something of a lifelong passion/fascination of mine)

6. i mention it in passing but i grew up with hauntings being a very regular thing across different houses and have experienced plenty in adulthood, but not as much as me n my fam all under the same roof. ghost stuff is complicated to rant about but this is basically tied to #5

╰(￣ω￣ｏ) this childhood is sort of the basis of my framework of understanding (as opposed to a Religion)

7. i used to pierce ppl when i was 18. i was good at it and had a lot of happy clients, but i was not certified. i also didn't like this shop i was wanting to apprentice for for trying to make me do a tattoo apprenticeship too (this was also actually what killed art for me and made me stop drawing entirely for 10 years).

🚶🏾‍♀️what i ended up doing is since the shops take 50% what u get paid anyways why don't i just charge half the price. i was snatching up so many of the younger customers in my age group bc of word of mouth, affordability, and my professionalism 🙂‍↕️ i took it very seriously and even a decade later it makes me happy to think there are ppl out there still happy with what i was able to do for them, the same way i feel so great w how i look thanks to the piercer I've been coming back to myself.

8. i grew up in a small city/big town by the beach (❁´◡`❁) i remember it fondly

9. i was caught up in a love triangle w twins once and it was as messy as you probably would imagine lmaoo

10. learned how to drive a forklift before i learned how to drive a car and was so good at it i had ppl w decades of experience watch me try to fit something on a rack and they'd be like “there's no way you're gonna make that fit” well guess fucking WHAT buddy!!! 💅🏾 every time, i loved having a lil audience

11. i lived next to this old lady who grew and sold hella weed and i also got one of my favorite pets from her. she gave me a little albino rat 🥺 the weed was funny bc we were a few blocks away from the police station actually pre-legalization 😹 she was cool as hell. she'd splice peyote w some other kind of cactus and in doing so u could harvest it in just 2 years i think? and it's supposed to take much longer otherwise, i never got to try it but that sounds cool

12. on that note I've tried salvia before which was rly funny and stupid but also so wild ajdjska. if u feel like u will still be fully present and aware no you will not lmfao i got yoinked into another reality in the middle of some prison break plot lmao 😭

13. i used to throw knives when i was younger and i got back into throwing knives again recently, and also am giving the spikes a try this time (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) very fun

14. i do 3D modeling and electrical engineering as a hobby sometimes but i ONLY am ever compelled to do it when it's for taking care of plants. my dream would be to have a huge lab complex with different zones for different climates for growing different kinds of plants separated by their general purpose (ie spices, medicinal herbs, fruits n veggies etc). but a bunch of others too just bc they're neat. i rly wanna play around w hydroponics and think being able to fully automate plant care and learning how to care for all of them sounds rly nice (❁´◡`❁) i could settle for a greenhouse too ♡⁠ apartment indoor gardening it is though huh (⁠´⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠.̫⁠ ⁠.⁠ ⁠`⁠)

15. i have never had a straight era. when i was little i knew of LGB and straight ppl but didn't ever see myself as belonging to one or thought about it. i watched the music video for Im Not Okay and Frank kissing Gerard immediately made me realize and instantly accept that i was bisexual. being bisexual has always been pretty matter of fact to me and as a kid i didn't hide it but didn't rly feel the need to talk about it either unless u asked lol. but like. i was never questioning, i wasn't even ever straight and i think that's really funny. i didn't get to intentionally explore myself as a queer person until my early 20s but i have always been surrounded by queer ppl and that's rly nice 👼🏾

if you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog <3 (absolutely no pressure)

I didnt have my first friend in the same grade that stayed my friend until 4th grade

My Choir teacher was in a hallmark movie

My favorite class is band

@hold-my-dr-pepper @somewhatcompetent @beechaotic @angel-and-the-serpent @babyqueenfangirl @definitelynotriana @smokee-bee (Sorry smokee!)

[tastesoftamriel]

Im curious, whats the richest ( both in price and the culinary way) and most decadent food that only the richest of the rich in every culture can eat/afford to have made?

If you've got expensive taste, you've come to the right chef! Growing up with the Thieves Guild meant a love for the rarest and priciest of foods at a young age. These are some of my favourites from around Tamriel, but don't be duped by cheap imposters!

Altmer

Summerset is said to be the most expensive Province in all of Tamriel, both to visit and to live in. However, the food is absolutely worth its weight in gold- literally. A single gryphon egg will set you back at least five hundred Septims, but it's worth every coin. Smooth, naturally flavourful, and guaranteed to make the best omelette on Nirn, it's every food-lover's dream to try this rare delicacy.

Argonians

Longlure eelfin is an enormous ocean fish found only along the coasts off Murkmire, deep in the heart of Black Marsh. It's prized for its lustrous scales, tender meat, and most of all, its caviar. However, these fish are extremely difficult to catch due to their elusiveness and enormous size. However, longlure eelfin caviar is a truly moistening experience, as the Argonians would say.

Bosmer

Marbled, 30-day cave aged timber mammoth steaks are some of the priciest meats you'll ever find, sitting at a whopping seven hundred Septims for a ribeye. Why is it so expensive (aside from size)? Well, the timber mammoths are treated like kings, fed on a diet exclusively of sugarcane and massaged from head to toe on a daily basis. As you can imagine, this is a lengthy and sometimes dangerous process, and the sheer amount of love and labour that goes into a gourmet mammoth steak justifies the cost.

Bretons

High Rock loves its expensive foods, but it's known for its pricey cured hams, made with the finest marbled pork and Rivenspire sea salt. It's usually rolled in a fresh herb crust, smoked, and hung to dry for up to a year, and is best eaten sliced thinly, preferably with a slice of melon and strong blue cheese.

Dunmer

Kwama eggs are a precious commodity, especially since the Red Year. These enormous eggs are mined in caves around Morrowind, and make the most delectable omelettes and quiches I've ever tried. Perfect when scrambled with scuttle and deep-fried garlic scrib.

Imperials

Cyrodiil is home to the finest vineyards in Tamriel (no offence, Summerset), and it stands to reason that the most expensive food is also wine-related. Burgundy parmesan, which is a parmesan washed in wine weekly, is aged in natural caves in the Nibenay Valley for up to fifty years, though is generally considered fit to eat at twenty years. It's a spiritual experience to eat, and is essential for the most upscale charcuterie platters.

Khajiit

Premium-quality moon sugar fetches hefty prices across Tamriel, but Elsweyr is also known for its rare and exotic fruits, such as dragonfruit and bananas. Outside of Elsweyr, fresh tropical fruits are dear and often hard to procure to begin with. I've seen a coconut sold in Windhelm for four hundred Septims! Dragonfruit, mango and coconut-infused mead poured over starfruit gelato is one of my current signature desserts.

Nords

Skyrim is famous for its mead, and also its salmon. Premium cuts of salmon, especially fatty salmon belly, are much beloved for their rich flavour and texture both cooked and raw. Salmon roe is also much loved particularly by the Altmer and Bosmer, and fetches a high price in the respective Provinces.

Orcs

Echatere cheese is an ancient, time-honoured tradition for the Wrothgarian Orsimer, and the most famous type is one infused with tundra truffle. Echatere cheese is typically smooth and mellow, melt-in-your mouth goodness, that pairs beautifully to the delicate flakes of precious tundra truffles. Perfect melted in a toastie or on crackers for a luxury snack!

Redguards

Saffron is one of Hammerfell's most valuable commodities, and dishes containing this previous pollen are fragrant beyond compare. It's also very versatile, making it well worth the coin. My personal favourite saffron dishes include cured vine leaves stuffed with saffron bulgur, roasted saffron chicken with pistachios and apricots, saffron milk pudding, and saffron and honey buns.

[transmalewife]

i had lyme (had the rash, got antibiotics) but i don’t really seem to have any resulting issues (about 3 years from when i was bit). can i ask, what’s your experience been with long term symptoms?

hey! you might be safe in that case, when caught early, the traditional method of one antibiotic for a few weeks works.

For me it's a bit complicated, since I have a bunch of other things wrong with me, and since lyme can cause pretty much everything in your body to break, it's hard deciding which is which. each time i get a new diagnosis part of me thinks it might have been caused by lyme

But basically, ok. I had a tick when I was three. I reportedly didn't have the rash, but since I've been allergic to milk since I was born, I was always covered in rashes, so who knows, maybe it just blended it. I've always had a terrible immune system, getting sick often, missing school, many, many allergies. I've had a mild cold every day for a decade and a half now. When I was six I got a weird rash that no one could explain, that was treated like psoriasis, despite biopsies showing it wasn't psoriasis. in retrospect that was probably lyme.

Between 8-10 I started getting really, really bad migraines, like to the point of wailing in pain. Got addicted to ibuprofen with pseudoephedrine and we all kinda moved on. a few years after that I started getting joint pains, I think, this is where my memory starts to get fuzzy too. for a few years that was waved off as growing pains. I've also had insomnia for as long as I can remember but it got really bad around 13, I would sleep like 15 hours total in a week. unsurprisingly, that's when the chronic fatigue set in, and the brain fog. I got diagnosed with gluten intolerance, and that helped for a bit, I would have trouble breathing sometimes, like suddenly i just couldn't take a full breath. my memory got worse. around 14 is when my depression started, and I was also having panic attacks, but this was different, like i could tell it was purely physical. I also had hallucinations sometimes, but your guess is as good as mine as to whether this was lyme, purely mental, or sleep deprivation.

The pain was getting worse, I couldn't do sports anymore. First year of highschool, so when I was 16, I started having really bad memory loss. I'd been forgetting more and more for years, but that's when it changed to something clearly neurologically wrong. Like i'd be standing somewhere, speaking, and then suddenly mid sentence I'd blank. And I'd try to remember what I was saying, then why I was there, then how I'd got there, then what i'd done that morning, etc etc, and I'd just get nothing. I'd recognize the place i was in if i'd seen it before, but all short term memories were just gone in an instant. That's when my mother finally took this seriously and took me to get tested (she'd just finished her first treatment for lyme at that point) and to a specialist that gave me antibiotics. many, many antibiotics, some every day, some one week one one off, some every 3 days. many supplements and medications and probiotics and herbs.

The first month was a nightmare (turns out i'm allergic to doxycicline, I was constantly nauseous and lost 10kg in a month) but after that it got better. I lasted 9 months, and the sudden memory loss stopped, my joint pain got better, as did my migraines, and my immune system, a bit. I should have stayed longer, but I was a dumb teenager who wanted to get drunk with my friends which you cant do on antibiotics and was tired of having to keep track of a chart of of like 30 pills in a day at 8 very specific times.

a bit less than a year later the chronic fatigue came back, as did being constantly sick, and really bad joint pain, mostly in my wrists, arms, and hips. like so bad you can't sleep. I remember when I was living with my friend one night i was crying and asking her to pull on my arm as hard as she could for hours at night because it was the only way i could be in less pain. I was missing school due to sleeping all day, but I was also severely depressed, and very badly medicated for it at the time, so that might be why.

I started taking some herbal supplements after that? I think? those few years are a bit of a blur tbh. but they're really effective, only we can't get them in poland, so i ran out at some point. late 2019 was my last really bad relapse. I was working during the week and studying on weekends, and that was it. I didn't leave the house, I barely left the bed after coming home. sometimes i was too tired to get up and eat. I bought a cane, because I started randomly falling over, and I was in so much pain sometimes i couldn't walk to the bathroom without holding on to every piece of furniture on the way. I started taking disulfiram after that, and it really did help. I think i only stopped because i finally got my adhd diagnosis and you can't mix those meds.

so to recap the breathing, weird neurological shit, rashes went away after the antibiotics, the migraines got better but I still get them, though much less often. My digestive issues got worse, because antibiotics absolutely wreck your gut microbiome. joint pain and chronic fatigue came back with a vengance, then got better while treated by disulfiram or herbs.

These days it's like that: in the summer I'm good. I mean my joints still crack obscenely loud, I need to take many, many vitamins and minerals every day, and drink unreasonable ammounts of water or i get dehydrated really fast, and if i eat things i'm allergic too, or am on my period, or just under the weather I get joint pain. The winter is a nightmare. The cold hurts like someone is putting needles into every joint, and after that they ache constantly. an hour long errand in the winter means 4 hours of recovering in bed. I don't need to use my cane as often as a few years back, but sometimes i do.

my plan is to move to a warmer country. my adhd is now medicated, and I've been diagnosed with like 5 new chronic illnesses this year, so we'll see how this winter goes after that. I'll try to buy my herbs when im in the us next month, so maybe that will help. weed helps with the pain and mental stuff. mild exercise and physical therapy too, though im often too tired for the first.

idk if this is at all helpful, sorry you essentially got a trauma dump, but I don't know how else to put this. there's probably a bunch of stuff i missed too, like unexplained eye problems, weird like spasms i get sometimes that might be tics

[alliswyattonthewesternfront]

Outlaw Garden flower harvest, featuring Sabbath who absolutely isn't thinking about eating these

I've never had much of a gift for flowers but I scattered a zinnia mix in the flower beds I made this year with mostly positive results! I think until I have a yard that isn't a cul-de-sac's informal drainage ditch cheap seed mixes will suit me fine.

This is only my second year with a solo garden. I'd only ever helped out in my pops' vegetable beds, and intermittently on the family farm (before it got sold to Garth Brooks Chris Gaines) but I think I've improved a lot! Or at least I ate a lot more of my own produce this year and lost a lot less to weather and pests.

Things I learned this year are:

Plant mint in a bucket/barrel because it will take over your herb bed if you aren't on it 24/7

Planting catnip or cat grass will not keep stray kitties occupied if you're someone that likes to feed strays. They will dig up all your flower bulbs and poop on your snap dragons. Garlic and onion are your only hope lol

In that vein, cats apparently like to RE BURY your bulbs in other areas of the garden. This is called "helping" and is how you get an iris in the middle of the pepper patch.

If you buy a watermelon plant because you feel sorry for it and think "eh no need to segregate it, it will probably die it's so far gone" you are wrong. It will explode everywhere and cross under the fence into your neighbors yard. They will not be delighted at the free watermelon on their side of the property. Watermelon gets the same treatment as mint, no matter how sickly you think it is.

Grow lettuces and cabbages at your own risk. Sure most people prefer garden fresh, but once you eat fresh kale/romaine/chard whatever, store bought will taste like sand. It is the most stark difference in flavor for any vegetable when it comes to homegrown vs store bought.

Willow shrubs (esp. pussy willows) are your friend if your garden is prone to flooding. I've got an incline on 3 sides of the back yard, and although raised beds helped I still lost a few plants to root rot from flooding that first year. They can soak up roughly 10 gallons of water per plant per week so be strategic! They attract a lot of songbirds and butterfly species so that's a nice bonus 😊

Climate change makes bolting even more unpredictable than usual if you're in a central/moderate climate. I keep a little notebook of what I plant year-to-year, and make notes in it to keep track of what each plant's self seed cycle is like vs what needs to be curbed (temporarily) by pruning. It saved me a lot of time and money this year!

Overall this has been a very rewarding experience. This is the first time in just under a decade I've lived in a place I could cultivate plants. I make a lot of mistakes I still feel more fulfilled than frustrated, and I look forward to everything I will learn in year three :)

[alder-witch]

It has come, the day I finally write you. I have a questions that have been burning a hole in my very being to be asked. I have my own deck. I got it back in 2014. But, I've been insecure about using it. So, it just there in my place being moved around. I would love to use it. I finally think I am secure enough to try. The problem is, no idea where to start. And if it should be cleansed first, given it deals with my negative emotionally state in the negative environment we currently live in.

Hello! I’m glad you did ask! It can seem overwhelming learning to read tarot but don’t let that make you feel insecure. I taught myself, so have many people. And with the internet, we have so much information at our fingertips. I’ll address your direct question first. To cleanse or not cleanse is entirely dependent on your personal spiritual practice and beliefs. Do you feel things need regular cleansing? Occasional? Do you pick up on energy and find cleansing helps? Or have you never had the urge to cleanse before? More questions on questions, I know. But the primary “rule” in the tarot is there are no strict rules to adhere to. Reading is an experience and you should only incorporate what resonates with you. Since you brought up cleansing, I’ll go on a limb and guess that you feel it needs it. Great! For me, I don’t regularly cleanse anything. But sometimes, a tool like a crystal or deck just won’t feel as good as it normally does, the little spark of energy or joy that I feel when I work with it just isn’t there. That’s when I cleanse. But your decision when, why, how, how often, or simply to not is entirely yours. Cleansing can be done a number of ways- but for cards, obviously you want to be wary of water and probably salt or anything that can scratch them. If you work with crystals, clear quartz and selenite are commonly placed on top of a deck overnight (or until the deck feels back to it’s normal self to you) but if there’s a crystal you feel drawn to use, by all means give it a try and see what the results are. Other ways are with incense, smoke from burning herbs, or even storing herbs with the cards can work too. Which incense or herbs you use depends on your spiritual path as well as whichever ones you feel work best. Again, play around with it and see what yields the results you desire. Now, onto learning to read. There’s so many ways from taking a class to looking up the meanings online. What worked for me, was getting a notebook and writing down keywords and maybe a small blurb about each card. I memorize best through writing. For you, a youtube video may do the trick, or reading a book on the subject (I learned with Easy Tarot by Josephine Ellershaw, but that was over a decade ago and I’m sure there’s many other books that are great. Look into Amazon reviews as well as Youtube reviews). But don’t stop there. Jump into pulling a card for yourself a day. Ask yourself what the card means for you, and then look to your books and notebook for added insight. Trust yourself. The more you do, the easier it will be to remember what card signifies what. From there, try two cards and see how they read together and how their meanings intertwine into one single message. Once you’re comfortable with that, jump into small spreads and continue to grow. You will find your own style as a reader, but only through trial and error. Don’t be afraid to play with your cards in mock readings and flashcard style or just admire their art. Don’t be afraid to try new techniques or add things to your readings (Incense, candles, crystals, statuary, whatever!) and just as importantly, don’t be afraid to drop what just doesn’t vibe! You’ll change over time, so will your tastes in decks and the things you include in your readings. Enjoy the journey, and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any more questions. I hope you were able to gleam some helpful tips off my response. 

[systlin]

Hello! First I feel you should know that you're basically the person I hope I can someday (soon) be. What with the beekeeping and the gardening and the good terms with local forest spirits and all. In that vein, I was wondering: where/how did you procure your herbalism knowledge? I've really been wanting to get into it and was thinking of trying to find an online class or something but don't know how I should go about finding a good one.

Books and practical study in equal measures. And it goes hand in hand with identifying plants. 

I got some basics from my mother, of the peppermint tea for upset stomachs vein. I always was interested with herbs, to the point where I soon knew all she did and wanted more, so I turned to books. 

I’ve been eyeballing a few courses, but to be honest a great many of them look like they’re simply re-hashing things I already know. Though there are a few that interest me, and I am saving the cash to take the few I still need to earn a certification. But most of what I know is self taught.

I read herbals for entertainment, just as I read plant guides for entertainment. I’d read interesting things, and then either grow the plants or buy them (Starwest botanicals, mountain rose herbs, shoutout for stocking my herb closet) and use myself as a guinea pig to see if the salves and teas and tinctures worked as advertised. Spend a decade or so doing this, and it’s amazing how much you can learn. (I started really studying at about twenty years old after years of cautious dabblling; I’m twenty nine now)

Once I gained some experience treating myself I branched out to family and friends. Next thing I knew, friends were hitting me up for their friends and family. And now here I am on the internet, answering asks from people on different continents and honestly I’m still trying to figure out what the hell happened but whatever I’ll roll with it.  

So, really, a LOT can be learned simply from digging around in herbals and books. I have a literal pile of herbals, some of which have been read fifteen or twenty times and referenced over and over again to the point where pages are permanently dog-eared.