ONE DAY ONLY -- BUY THE VISION ON AMAZON & QUALIFY FOR FREE GIFTS!
THE VISION by bestselling author Debi Pearl, the time is TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2009!
Purchasing THE VISION from Amazon.com on Tuesday, July 21st will qualify you to receive two more copies of the book from the publisher. Additionally, a coupon for a 25% discount off of your next Bulk Herb Store internet order will be offered to those with qualifying proof of purchase. This is the time to get your copy of THE VISION!
Qualify for your free gifts by meeting these simple requirements:
1. Order your copy(ies) of THE VISION from Amazon on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. Use this link to place your order.
2. After you receive an order confirmation from Amazon, send your receipt to Pearl Books by email at melcohen@hughes.net or fax to 931-593-2494. Take the time to ensure that your entire shipping address and email address are included.
3. For every copy of THE VISION you purchase from Amazon, Pearl Books will send you two extra copies free. You will also receive a discount code by email for 25% off any Bulk Herb Store internet order, valid July 22-July 31, 2009.
4. This offer is limited only to orders of THE VISION made on Amazon.com, Tuesday, July 21, 2009. No receipts will be accepted after July 31, 2009. This offer is void where prohibited and expires midnight August 1, 2009.
ONE DAY ONLY! Be a part of the Amazon blitz and order THE VISION on July 21. Then take advantage of your 25% online discount July 22-31!
CHARACTERS IN THE VISION CONNECT USING THREADTREE
The internet has become a dominant news source for an increasing number of people. The internet however is not just a place to read information; rather, it is a place where individuals can interact with other users, asking questions and offering their own input. As a result of this feature, cyber communities known as social networks have formed. In this way, people who may never personally meet are able to share ideas and information online.
One internet community, ThreadTree, makes its debut in new book, The Vision. By using ThreadTreeThreadTreeThreadTree is an actual social networking community (http://www.threadtree.com/). Intriguingly, this is just a single strand of the many glimmers of reality that weave their way through The Vision (ISBN: 978-0981973708).
ThreadTree and The Bulk Herb Store
ThreadTree was created for people who are curious about herbal treatments, natural medicine and various basic life skills. Even so, ThreadTree has the ability to encompass other interests. The membership has the ability to personalize their own page, join groups, participate in discussions and write blogs. There are plans to make herbal and health databases available in the future for those that desire to do research.
It may be difficult for readers of The Vision to know where imaginative story ends and where reality begins. Take the time to browse ThreadTree for yourself and buy your copy of The Vision by Debi Pearl today.
THE VISION INTRODUCES READERS TO HERBAL MEDICINE
In the book The Vision, by Debi Pearl, an herbalist combines various herbs and berries, fermenting them into a medicinal elixir. While the story line is fictional, the methods described for brewing are not.
Fermentation of organic or wild-crafted herbs and berries preserves the nutrients and enzymes of the fruit and plants. The naturally produced alcohol is a preservative of those nutrients and enzymes. This preservative action means that the beneficial and medicinal properties can be kept for extended periods in storage.
To make your own you will need to keep everything that comes in contact with your brew very clean. You will want to boil your jars and use the cleanest water you can find, distilled if possible. If you choose to use a chlorine bleach solution to clean your equipment, (one capful for five gallons will do nicely) be very sure all the bleach gets rinsed off. Even the tiniest amount of bleach will contaminate your brew with awful flavors and odors.
1. Place about a cup of wild berries and/or assorted herbs into a CLEAN blender.
2. Crush them to a pulp. You may need to add a small amount of distilled water.
4. Fill the jar with distilled water, leaving 3 inches of head space.
5. Stir often, at least 3 times a day for the first week, stirring up pulp from bottom of glass.
6. Keep a banded cloth over the mouth of the container to protect it from flies.
7. Within a few days it should start to bubble.
8. After about 2 weeks the bubbling will slow down.
9. By the end of week 3, the liquid is ready to be poured off of the sludge into a clean jar for storage.
10. Take an ounce each evening.
s gallon-sized recipe for Berry Herbal BrewThe Vision.
Click on the video below to preview The Vision
HOMEMADE LYE
Lye, fat and water are the three basic ingredients that combine to make soap. Lye dissolves protein and oily deposits, lending itself to cleaning applications in the home as well as being one of the main ingredients in making soap. Lye is often used as an oven cleaner component. A powerful wood-stripper, lye will often leave the grain of wood raised. Lye dissolves protein and oil -- meaning it can degrade soap and hair -- making it useful as a drain cleaner.
SAME NAME -- DIFFERENT CHEMICAL
Lye purchased from a store is not the same chemical as lye made from wood ash. The chemical name for lye made with wood ash is called potassium hydroxide. Lye manufactured for retail is called sodium hydroxide. These two different chemicals cannot be substituted in equal measure. Read recipes carefully to see which type of lye is used or you could be disappointed with your results.
WOOD MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Homemade lye is best made using ash from hardwoods like maple and oak or by using fruit trees such as apple. Don't try to make lye using ash from pine trees or evergreens. A consuming fire with lots of air should be used to produce thin, white papery ash free of charcoal chunks.
Enough ash will be needed such that a waterproof, non-metal container can be filled to a level 3 to 4 inches below the top. Ash containers may be large (wooden barrels) or small (5 gallon buckets).
PREPARE THE CONTAINERS
Get 2 containers that are not metal. The runoff of lye water will be held in one container while the other will be filled with ashes. At the base of the ash container drill a small hole. To stop the hole Use a non metal object such as a cork, wooden tooth pick, or a small dowel.
Layer the bottom of the ash container with river gravel. Grass, hay or straw should then be added and packed 4 inches thick. Pressing down firmly, fill the rest of the bucket with your wood ashes. Be sure to stop 3 or four inches below the top.
NOT ALL WATER IS SOFT WATER
At least five gallons of soft water will be needed, possibly more. Having only trace amounts of minerals classifies water as soft. You can get soft water using special filters, from lava rock sources like granite or from peat or sandstone. Distilling water will also make it soft. Rainwater is a natural source of soft water.
Secure your ash bucket in a place where it won't be knocked over accidentally. Enamel finished pans or glass containers can be used to catch the liquid drained from the ash bucket. Don't use metal or the lye could burn a hole in it. Place this container in such a way as to minimize any splashing.
Lye can be blinding if it touches the eye. Swallowing lye can lead to death. It is possible for lye to sear all sorts of surfaces, in particular fats and oils on the skin. Fats and oils combine with lye in such a way that salts are created which cause scars, permanent injury and burns. Note that lye burns may not hurt right away because the burn may be so severe as to have damaged the nerves (pain receptors) in the skin.
STAY SAFE
Safety precautions should be undertaken before beginning. Check to be sure the space where you are working is well ventilated. Look up the contact information for first aid responders and the poison control hotline and keep both nearby. Cover your skin with clothing to protect yourself. Don't expose your arms and legs by wearing short sleeves or shorts. Protect your eyes with safety glasses and your hands with rubber gloves. A container of vinegar should be within reach to neutralize burns to the skin. Washing with water worsens the effect of burns to the skin caused by lye.
MAKING LYE
Create a recessed spot in the surface of the ash using a dowel or other wooden rod. Boil one of the gallons of your soft water. Carefully use the full gallon of boiling water to wet the ash. When the water and ash combine, you will notice some boiling, splashing and spewing. Add another gallon of water to the ash container when the bubbling diminishes. You may need to add more ash to the bucket as the level of ash settles. Repeat this process until the ashes in the container are covered with water. Close the lid on the container.
Unstop the drain hole you drilled into the ash container and allow the liquid to runoff into the other container. A full day may be required for this.
Take the runoff from your ash bucket and pour it through again on day two and day three. Recycling the water through the ashes increases the strength of your lye.
A variation of this method is to leave the bucket sitting without draining it. Seal the bucket and leave it for three days in a place where it will not be disturbed. You don't want the bucket to be spilled accidentally so choose a storage location carefully. Drain the ash container when three days have passed.
TEST THE PRODUCT
The drained liquid is lye water also known as potassium hydroxide. A fresh intact egg placed into your lye can test its strength. When the proper strength, your lye solution should cause the egg to float with a portion of its shell exposed with a diameter equaling 2 or 2 1/2 cm's (about the size of a nickel or a quarter). A weak lye solution won't work well in most soap recipes. A weak lye solution will allow the egg to sink. You'll know your solution is too strong if your egg bobs up on top of the surface. Add more soft water. Don't use the egg for any purpose; dispose of it after this use.
Heating weak lye water will strengthen your solution by reducing the water content. Enamel finished pots have a protective coating that covers the metal, making them safe to use for this purpose, though they may not be utilized again for food preparation. Watch that you don't burn the lye when you heat the solution. You've reached the proper potency when a chicken feather held to the heated lye solution begins dissolving. Set the pan of lye water aside to cool.
STORAGE
To avoid splashing later, don't fill storage jars more than two thirds full of lye water. Store the jars (sealed tightly) in a space that is cool and dark, off-limits to children.
Dig a hole in an out of the way area to dispose of the spent ashes. When the ashes are cool, the hole may be safely filled.
Should you wish to dry your lye solution into crystals (potash), place it into a lye-safe vessel. You'll find that glass is a good choice for this project. Left in the sun, uncovered, the water will evaporate and crystals will form. Just as you would with lye water, follow safety precautions when storing potash crystals.
Here's a video I found on YouTube that shows a Living History interpreter explaining how settlers used to make their own lye from ashes using an ash hopper. The sound level is low, but the information is good.
MAKING BEDS, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
Disclaimer:I admit that my beds are not always made neatly. I further admit that there is more than one way to make a bed. What follows is the result of research and listening to people who make beds for a living and take care of patients for a living, not my own personal bias.
There's more to making a bed than just having something that looks nice. Standard nursing care has long recognized the importance in having wrinkle-free, smooth bedding to aid in the recuperative sleep of patients and as a preventative against bed sores. In cancer patients, sleep disorders are common. Along with lowering the noise level and dimming the lights, making sure that the bedding is dry and wrinkle-free is part of creating an environment where the patient can get the rest needed to be able to regain health.
Learning how to make a bed properly, even luxuriously, will not only prove useful if you are hosting guests, you will also find it helpful if you are caring for a sick loved one. Most importantly, you will find that when there isn't time to do any of the other things you might like to do for self-care. This is ONE thing you CAN do that won't cost you anything and will help you get the rest you need . . . . PLUS it should impress your husband. Who says you have to stay at a fancy hotel before you can enjoy the luxury of a finely made bed?
Before you make the bed
One way to make this chore easier is by folding your bedding in half lengthwise after laundering -- this means matching the sides and corners and smoothing out all of the wrinkles. This will create a crease in the center of your sheet that will serve as a guide when you are trying to center sheets on your mattress. This is a major help when making a large bed.
Hospital Corners, a solid foundation
The most common complaint about hospital corners is that this method of securing sheets does not allow for movement. However, the bedding can be loosened to accommodate the comfort level of the person using the bed when he or she gets into the bed. Having bedding in place keeps the legs from becoming entangled in the sheets and restricting movement during sleep.
In addition to contributing to a good night's sleep, hospital corners can save you money. Knowing how to fold hospital (or mitered) corners means that you can purchase flat sheets or make your own without being bothered with elastic binding. Also, this tight pleat will anchor your bedding without fraying the edges like some other methods.
Making hospital corners is a skill that takes time and patience to learn. Knowing how to make a bed tightly will ensure that there are no wrinkles when it's time for bed. I've watched lots of footage on how to make a bed.
Best Video for Hospital Corners
It should come as no surprise that none of them come close to the precise detail as one made by Sgt. Shane Medders. I highly recommend that you follow this link to see his video.
http://video.about.com/usmilitary/How-to-Make-Military-Corners.htm
The runner-up for instructional videos is an instructional video of a man demonstrating to nursing students the proper way to make a bed. He credits the U.S. Navy with his training in bed making.
This site has good photos with written instructions to show the process:
http://www.organization-makes-sense.com/how_to_make_a_bed.html
Once the Sheet is on . . . Then What?
This depends upon your resources and your needs. There are two separate categories for this. The first category is for regular household use.
REGULAR HOUSEHOLD USE
What follows is the order that bedding is placed onto the mattress. This list is a loose consensus of several sites.
1. A foundational sheet is placed over a mattress which has already been covered with a mattress protector. This foundation sheet can be fitted or flat.
2. A second sheet is placed over the foundational sheet -- Optional
3. A flat sheet -- the first top sheet
4. A thin blanket. Optional
5. Another flat sheet. Only necessary if you've added the thin blanket
6. A bedspread or comforter
7. Any additional quilts or blankets folded at the foot of the bed. Optional
Numbers 1 through 5 are anchored with hospital corners.
Numbers 1 and 2 are tucked on the sides as well as the ends.
Numbers 3 through 5 are tucked 3 quarters of the way up the sides of the bed and turned down for ease of access.
CHILDREN'S BEDDING -- CARE OF BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS
For this bed, you will need:
1. rubber sheet/pad
2. Bottom Sheet
3. Draw sheet/pad (for bedridden patients)
4. Top sheet
5. Pillow w/ pillow case
6. Blanket (use to cover bedridden patients while changing the linen)
7. Hamper (this is for your convenience when changing soiled linen)
When making a bed for bedridden patients or children that have difficulty with bed wetting, a waterproof mattress protector is a tremendous help. On top of this, you can then place another waterproof pad. Other items can be used in place of waterproof pads such as flattened garbage bags or even disposable plastic or vinyl table covers.
Helpful Hint:
You can save a little time when initially making the bed to make 3 or so layers of alternating plastic and bottom sheets. This way, when you must change the bedding, you can remove the topmost layer from the bed and have the lower layer already in place, ready to go.
Why a draw sheet?
Bedridden patients will require a draw sheet. A bedridden patient will need to be repositioned every few hours to prevent bedsores. A simple tool, draw sheets protect both the caregiver and the patient from injury. A draw sheet enables the caregiver to move the patient either from one side to another in the bed, or to reposition the patient higher or lower in the bed. To make a simple draw sheet, take a top sheet and fold it in half, matching the top and bottom edges. Position this on top of the bottom sheet between the chest level and knee level of the patient. Tuck the overhang underneath the mattress, smoothing out any wrinkles. A draw sheet also helps you turn the patient to one side when making the bed.
Making An Occupied Bed
Pull up the soiled bottom sheet and plastic liner and tuck it next to the patient's back in the center of the bed. Place the clean linen onto the stripped half of the bed and tuck the clean sheets onto that half. Turn the patient over the top of the soiled linen onto the opposite side and onto the newly made side of the bed. Remove the soiled linen and flatten out the clean linen, making the other side of the bed.
Click the video below for an example of how to make an occupied bed.
