An Unusual Cup of Perilla Tea

   Today was a beautiful fall day, one of the last before forecasted stormy days.

So I pulled up some spent plants and weeds, and trimmed some shrubs. 

But before I discarded the perilla plants, I decided I wanted to keep a 

few leaves and try it. I'd read it was used in Oriental cooking, and for soups and salads,
and that it had many health benefits too. It tastes a bit like basil, mint and cinnamon.
 I brewed some tea with a handful of leaves, and thinly sliced a few leaves to garnish
 the chicken-avocado salad Emilie and I had for lunch.

Perilla tea

Perilla leaves thinly-sliced atop our salad

slivers of perilla leaf garnish 

Easy-to-grow perilla .Some say " it will grow between 2 cigarette butts in a sidewalk crack"
It's a pretty burgundy foliage plant, in the mint family. It is also called Beefsteak Plant,
It's bug resistant,and grows in hot sun, where coleus doesn't thrive.
   Some depise it, say it's invasive and toxic to cattle and horses.
Others love it grown as an annual as a pretty foliage with other flowers.
Click here to learn more
It received both good and bad reviews on this blog: Dave's Garden 

Perilla Frutescens

It would be nice if it helped me with my sinus infection, 

I'm getting tired of Dayquil and Theraflu! 

 I like learning about plants that others don't appreciate

. Like the Bittersweet I wrote about a few years back.

After supper I like to take the kids for a nature walk.

 We like crunching along in the fall leaves and and 

checking out the neighbor's Halloween decorations.

  

I promise I didn't eat these, although my friend harvests shelf mushrooms.

I just can't positively identify them and don't want to poison myself.

Some fungi

A goblin  on a tree

Emilie likes to help cook and bake.

Her  Mama bought these slice-and bake refrigerator cookies at Aldi.

Would you eat unusual plants you found? 

I guess I'm a bit of a hippie. But I love finding natural cures and free food  in nature. 

 Love, Linda

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    But of course, every month is for me. Having breast cancer  has changed me so much. I love deeper, feel everything stronger, appreciate life more every day, care more about everything. Cancer has made me more determined, more stubborn. I know God has kept me here to do important work, and that I have a purpose.  I am watched carefully by a few doctors and other medical people- oncologist, breast surgeon, radiologist, endocrinologist, diagnostic imaging center, nurse daughter. I think about it every day. I pray it won't come back,  I pray I use each  day for good, that I am making a difference. I wore pink every day this whole month, I read updates on cancer research, status of Joan Lunden and other celebs with breast cancer.   I talked about it a lot, hoping to share information and  show gratitude.  I reflected on the goodness of the people who have helped me, and I tried to be an encourager to others around me.

     I keep really busy with the grandkids, and it's very good for me to be with them a lot. I spend 3-4 days a week with them.
    Also I love working with my vintage "Junque"- displaying, selling it, I think work is very good therapy- tremendous amount of exercise -physical and mental.  So I continue running my online store, my booth at the Antiques Co-op. 
     I still have a few  Selective Residential Services clients I  run errands, clean or paint for,  and  I go to car shows and sell car literature with Ted.
 No time to mope around! Doing lots of jugglin!

   I have to thank the amazing people who've been working with me for 3 years, to make me well.
To beat cancer,  it really requires a team approach.  My team goes above medical treatment, by always making me feel they really care, keeping a close watch on me!
.

  Here's some of my favorite support team members! I love these ladies!

Super encouraging physical therapist, Michele, who helped me with
 lymphedema, and post-surgical therapy, me, and my very resourceful 
nurse-navigator Randy,who advocates for me, and makes everything go
 smoothly.

Thank you to my doctors and many other  professionals-nurses
and technicians who've worked so diligently to help me beat cancer.  

My beautiful breast surgeon, who's brilliant, skillful and so caring!.
She has recently left me to go practice in Florida, and I miss her terribly.

 My  wonderful oncologist, who managed my chemo 
 always listens and helps me stay well.


I am so thankful for my dedicated loving family, and my supportive 
friends, for count less ways they love me, help me, lift me, nurture me
entertain me, enrich my life, and are always there for me.

Thank you, my dear ones, for all your love and support!

  Just for fun, here's some  of my pink stuff, from my Etsy shop,

 because I love vintage style.  I like old things, with a story to tell.

 Unique, and often made better, and less expensive than new things! 

 It's good for the environment to recycle, reuse, re-purpose.

Buy Vintage and support small business!

Vintage Treasures by Grandmalay

pink owl pin

pink sequin posy pin

Vintage Vera scarf

50's speckled pink pottery planter 

I support myself selling vintage,  adding new stuff , trying to keep the listings up above 1000 items, so stop by my shop and see if there's a few vintage treasures you like!
I have so much to do, my boyfriend says, "You need 2 lifetimes to get done all the stuff you want to accomplish".  but I just do the best I can..

    Please get your mammograms and pay attention to your body. If something doesn't feel right, get it checked out. Nothing is too small to tell your doctor about.  I waited too long, and my lump  grew fast and I was "lucky" it didn't become stage 4 and spread somewhere else.  I know that it was God's grace and healing power that has kept me alive, made me well. I am so grateful for each day.

                                                               Love, Linda