Yikes...

Yikes....!!! I've been feeling a herx coming on since last night and, WOW, here it is. I'm in severe pain in all my joints - shoulders, hips, knees, inner elbows, neck, and even my lower back is involved. It's hard to explain the feeling, but I can honestly say my very bones hurt. However ... NOTE TO SELF: The herx is what ultimately makes us better! Stay focused, relax, breathe... And go take a hot bath and some aspirin... followed by sleep.........

Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a herx reaction and a bacterial flare, and even a food allergy reaction. But sometimes the herx is so huge that there is no doubt, and that's where it's at for me at the moment. It hurts to lift my arms, and climbing stairs is an exercise in sadomasochism (did I spell that right?).

Anyhoo, let's talk about something more fun. I did make nettle soup yesterday... an experience, for sure. Began by watching a 5 minute video online about harvesting nettles and making soup. It said exactly the same things Karen had told me, but it was fun to watch anyway. Interestingly, the guy making the nettle soup poured cream into it at the end, then said, "Enjoy - this would cost you $15 a bowl in a fine restaurant." I have personally never seen nettle soup on a restaurant menu, but hey, one of our local bistros makes a side dish of sauteed fiddlehead ferns, so there are probably eateries out there that serve up nettles, too.

So I donned a pair of gloves and went out and trimmed the tops off about a dozen nettle plants (we have hundreds of them). They are actually quite lovely, I think. Rather delicate looking with pretty leaves; about 2' tall right now. Karen once pointed out to me the importance of knowing what nettles look like, since we also have foxglove growing in our yard, from which digitalis is made. The plants look somewhat similar, so we wouldn't want to pick the wrong one!

Once I had a large bowl full of leaves, I brought them inside to wash them. By this time Erick was home and joined me in rinsing the leaves (there were a few little tiny black beetles hanging around; they clung to the bowl and I was able to set it outside so most of them survived to tell the tale). We then tossed the nettles into boiling water, and let them bubble away for about 40 minutes before doing anything more with them. In the meantime, I sliced up my last monster leek and sauteed it with crimini mushrooms, garlic, and some spinach. When the nettles were done I combined it all together, and then put in a few tablespoons of white miso right before I took it off the heat. This was something I felt compelled to do, and was surprised later to see a recipe on the internet for nettle soup with miso.

Earlier in the day I had told a few people that I was going home to make soup from stinging nettles. Amusingly, I was met with a variety of reactions - and they were not necessarily enthusiastic. My mother said, "You're crazy." (and no, she doesn't want to try it)... Llynya said she'd had nettle soup before and it left a funny buzzing feeling in her mouth; she said she would pass on sampling it. Neighbor Rikki stated emphatically, "I detest nettle plants!" but then said, "I want to try some, okay?" Lauryn was the most positive of the group, expressing great interest in the soup-making process and stating of course she would try it. So I set a bowl aside for her and her family, which I will deliver to them tomorrow. Hopefully, I will soon be able to report what both Lauryn and Rikki thought of the soup.

Erick was the first to bravely sample some. I had thought he'd be a little hesitant, but he dug right in there and ate a big bowl in just a couple of minutes, proclaiming it "tasty" and "yummy." I must admit I was happy he tried it first, and when he didn't bat an eye, I proceeded to have a bowl of my own. I, too, found it rather delicious. After quite lengthy boiling I thought the leaves would boil down like spinach and become a lot smaller, but they actually didn't shrink very much. The water turned a beautiful green color - I wonder if weavers use nettles for dying yarn....?

So that was the big adventure. I will probably make the soup from time to time. It's fairly time-consuming, but worth it, especially as it is so nutritionally charged. It's actually supposed to be good for one's joints. Obviously, I didn't eat enough!!

That's about all I can muster for tonight. It's been a busy week of teaching workshops, reiki sessions in both my office locations, and meetings at the Whidbey Children's Theater, as well as a variety of projects that are in various stages of completion. I think I'm about to officially call it a week a bit earlier than usual, and just chill for a couple of days, hang out with friends (Lauryn & Rikki, we're still on for tomorrow, which is now technically "today", since I see it's 1:00 am!!), take naps, and watch the last two nights of Erick's play (it's fun having an actor in the family). But first, off to a deep, steaming bath in the soaking tub, and then it's lights out. I'd like to think I'll sleep in a bit, but my inner alarm clock always seems to go off around 6:30 am....

Thanks for taking the time to read and contemplate all this. Sweet dreams, one and all,

Sukie