7/31/2016

She can't eat what?

12

Sometimes your body screams at you so loud 
there is no choice but to listen
and take heed.

I've long held the belief that the majority of modern day ailments in
Western society are, without a doubt, strongly linked to what we eat.
Or don't eat in some cases.
In the last 10 years or so I've had this belief put to the test within my own framework a
time or two, and if my current health adventure provides the same positive results that I
was blessed with before, I shall be kicking up my heels quite well thru this decade.

You know that expression about making lemonade, right?
A short tale follows ....

While over in America the other day (that's what we islanders call the mainland)
I found myself driving around in circles.  Was a hot day (for here), just past 80F, 
and I had my dear woofie with me in the car.  She loves to travel so she goes 
with me whenever possible.  Anyhoo, on this particular afternoon I was taking
care of some body testing & adjusting and my fluffy one was in need of
a cool place to be parked while I was otherwise detained.
Hence the driving in circles.
Finally, rounding a corner somewhat near a park, I spotted a wide leafy stretch
of available curbside underneath the most magnificent trees.  I was gonna
have to walk a fair bit to my destination, but the deliciously cool shady spot for my 
dear fluffy one was absolutely worth the trek.
As I got out of the car and looked up to actually identify the gorgeous 
canopy we were parked below, I stopped dead in my tracks.
For there we were underneath two enormous black walnut trees
which happened to be dropping all their fruits over sidewalk & parkway
in great profusion.

Now the backstory to my stopping dead in my tracks is that last year
I looked high and low for one of these trees because I wanted to try my hand at
brewing some black walnut dye - deep, dark, tannin-rich goodness.
I asked around amongst all my island friends - and they of their friends - and
even went so far as to place an ad in the local online news rag ...
"Who's got trees??"

Nada.  None to be found.

Some suggested I go to eastern Washington where they're farmed in abundance
and then there was the ever present option of mail-order.  But I was keen for local so I
finally put my little dream on the back burner & moved on to something else.
So this particular day, which could very easily have been viewed as one filled
with one lemon after another, suddenly had me grinning like an idiot on the roadside,
chuffed to no end that this part of my particularly grueling adventure had brought me to
the very trees I'd been seeking for so long.


All this to say (in my somewhat roundabout sort of way) there will be
a slight delay to my next posting of the  52 weeks : bead sketches  installment.
I've been somewhat sidetracked by the inner voices so I'm more than a wee bit behind
although my iron cauldron is gratefully, now quite full.

I'll be calling this my black walnut "lemonade."


12 comments:

  1. yep....i do agree about food and ailments. i have become fanatical about what i will and will not eat, how it's made, etc. it has served me well the past few years. if only that message was the one spread world wide instead of what medicine will heal this or that.....but i guess that would not be beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry.
    ....and love how you found the walnuts. i have a friend who has brought me some on occasion. haven't done that in a long time. enjoy the process. can't wait to see your results.

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  2. OH Christi! I love this story. Ditto on the health/food stuff, AND the walnuts. When I first moved to New Mexico I had left behind a giant stash of lovingly dried walnuts from northern Michigan. I was in a longing search for a walnut tree here and found my tree almost the same way you found yours. It was an unexpected gift from the universe. I'm so glad you felt the same joy I did. Hugs.

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  3. every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven, tra la la

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  4. Laughing, similar thing happened to me. I had been on the look out for several years for a walnut tree only to find out that there is one on the property where I work! Figured it out when one of the owners handed me a walnut in husk and said, "what is this?" How did I miss that! Should go look and see if they are ready to harvest tomorrow. Deb G

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  5. I could be mistaken, but I think black walnut trees produce nuts every other year. That may be why you couldn't find any last year. I have an English walnut and a black walnut in my backyard (they are huge...and one is over 30 years old). I have to fight the squirrels for them..lol!

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  6. How fortunate! I'm sitting here grinning from ear to ear envisioning your trunk overflowing with dropped walnuts. Seems the universe heard your call... Enjoy!

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  7. You are so right about the food. Terry suffers from migraines due to a couple of reasons. His neurologist started treatment by eliminating certain foods from his diet. It helped a lot. Some headaches remain due to his RA and deteriorating vertebrae in his upper neck. But another thing happened. His blood pressure lowered to the normal range which allowed him to eliminate two of his meds.

    A few (oKay, many) years ago we picked Black Walnuts. I wanted to use them in baking. We set them out to dry. We were so naive back then. The squirrels stole them all over night. Every one of them. IN ONE NIGHT!!
    xx, Carol...from America!

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  8. Serendipity - what a wonderful word!! A long time ago we lived in California. Across the street was a walnut orchard. We loved to watch the progression of the trees and when the 'pickers' came in to harvest that was a 'watch from the front window' experience for my son and myself.

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  9. i just started looking for blackwalnutlemons. not popping out much here, but it's s-l-o-w-e-r here.

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  10. Thanks so much, everyone, for all the kind messages. I see I am not alone in my walnut cravings, ha! And as for our relationships with food, well, I'd like to heartily encourage anyone suspecting their ailments are so linked to please delve into some online research about the nutrition connection - the elimination of even one food item that's bothersome can turn one's whole body around sometimes .....

    My best to all and thanks for visiting here!

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  11. sorry i first this post now , walnut husk i collect them too here in DK and cook them in a cauldron, continue collecting and so on , i wish i had the black one as you have in USA the danish one do not have such a black-braun colour , but in anywere it works very well

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