Interviewed!

[kellan_the_tabby]

Interviewed by cellio; as required by the rules, ask for questions and I shall grant them you.

1. What's the significance of your default userpic?

I've identified with wolves for a long, long time. I joke these days that I was raised by the dog, but I'm slowly realizing that it's less a joke than I originally intended -- I seem to speak 'dog' like a native. This unnerved people, sometimes.

But...oh well. I decided a while ago that I wanted a wolf as a userpic and spent a while finding the right one -- she looked about right. Schwink, crop, and there we are.&g

2. Other than "more available time", what change could most enhance your enjoyment of the SCA?

...I don't know, honestly. I find myself, despite my fierce love for my local group, drifting slowly away. It's not anything about the SCA, at least not to my perception; it's me that's changed. As such, I don't know what would talk me into playing more.

That said, I find myself merchanting. And with more success at events, so far, than at mundane things. This may (or may not) turn the tide; we shall see.

So I suppose if anything your answer is 'people buying lots of my stuff'.

3. How did you get into making soaps, salves, etc?

Potpourri, oddly enough. I bought some, determined it smelled like artificial horribleness, and decided to make my own. With some help from ladypeyton; I learned how to make my own. And then she sold me this lovely, awful book: Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal. It has recipes for a million zillion things. I tried a few, and they worked. A few more. They were lovely. Relaxing. Pampering.

I'd never gotten much pampering before. I found out that when it's made out of the real thing and not fragrance oils (many of which I've since determined make me sneeze), I like it a lot more.

Eventually, I ran out of room for storage, money for materials, and friends to give the stuff to. So I started selling it.

I've also developed an interest in herbal medicine -- a lack of insurance will do that. So far I haven't found an herbal remedy for asthma though it's not for lack of trying. I don't feel comfortable selling remedies for anything very serious but simple things like a calming tea or a spray that'll keep off bugs seem pretty safe -- and if I help a few people out in the process, that makes me pretty happy.

The rest, as they say, is history.

4. What's your ideal date like?

I haven't been on a date in so long...

I dunno. I want to say something like hiking, but I'm so out of shape I wouldn't be impressing anyone at all if I tried it. I do enjoy it, though so as long as someone was willing to put up with me walking slowly and wheezing a lot...

Dinner-and-a-movie just doesn't appeal to me as a date thing. The conversation's always stilted over dinner and you can't really talk much during the movie (though I tend to talk more than I should).

I see a date as a chance to get to know someone. So, really, a gaming session, or a hangout at a friend's place talking until all hours, or a hike (assuming I don't wheeze to death); those are all pretty good ways to get to know someone. Or perhaps working on something together, weeding the garden or washing dishes after a feast.

An unusual perspective, I suppose. And not much chance for conventional romance. But if I'm washing dishes alone and someone comes over, gives me _that_ kind of smile, and offers to take half of the pile to the sink next to me? I think that's pretty romantic.

5. The genie in the bottle will grant you one superpower. What'll it be?

Waffling between 'flight' (a long-time dream of mine), teleportation (I'd get to visit people and places), and healing (self-explanatory I hope!).

The healing would burn me out, fairly immediately. I wouldn't be able to hold back and if it took anything out of me at all, I'd be out of energy pretty much immediately. So despite it being my dream, probably not a good idea.

Flight gets you shot at these days.

I guess it's teleportation...

Thank you! That was fun. :)

Comments

re asthma and herbals medicines

[questrix.livejournal.com]

Thought I would pass this along since I too suffer from asthma.

A friend of mine, herbalist, makes a concoction out of mullen. Each summer we go and pick leaves of the mullen plant, commonly called lambs ears. We make sure that we are no where near contaminated areas, ie sides of roads. We pick the leaves being careful not to bruise them. Pick tonnes.

Then we take them back home, and with a very soft brush, brush off all the dirt and bugs and crap. Discard any leaves that have brown or yucky spots on them. Once cleaned, them place them in a big clean pickle jar and shove as many as you can into it. Once loosely filled, cover with apple cider vinegar. Cover jar mouth with plastic wrap and then lid. Plastic wrap so vinegar won't react with lid metal.

Then find a very dark place in the house, in a cabinet for instance and let the mix ferment for 6 weeks minimum. After 6 weeks, its ready to be decanted into a clean container. Make sure you use a strainer to get all the big bits out. Some material will pass through, but that's okay. It will settle on the bottom. We usually use old wine bottles with clean corks from the local brewery place. Then store in a dark place.

To use, find a shot glass and pour out 1oz and take it in one big swallow. It is strong, and will make you cough, but it definitely works. I haven't had to take my puffers in over 5 years.

It also works well for chest colds. You know those colds that you just can't seem to move out of your lungs. The mullen works on the lung linings and gets the crap moving.

Hope this helps.

Q

Re: re asthma and herbals medicines

[kellan_the_tabby]

...wow.

I made a tea with mullein and a bunch of other stuff -- alas, including calendula, which is related to ragweed, which I'm allergic to -- so I wound up not drinking it any more. I did help before the allergy problems kicked in, though. Not a lot, but some.

I'll give that a try -- thanks! Now, to see if it grows around here...