A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Byatt

Shelley, thanks for the link.
I understand the feeling of broodiness, went through that some years ago, and ex didn't want to have anymore children, I just felt dreadful, couldn't be around babies or even go into Motherca$e. Hope you can come to some kind of resolution.

Fuddle, does the cow parsley smell awful?

I feel like I have been walking around blind in the countryside as not aware of so many edible plants.

fuddle

No Byatt they just don't smell at all.

prepareathome

fuddle wrote: »

Sat here distraught. My elderflower just wasn't smelling... turns out it's cow parsley. Back to the drawing board!

In my photo the white flowers under the elderberry tree/bush??? are cow parsley, they seem to have taken over all round the edge of that front garden.......

greenbee

Fuddle - lots of things look like cow parsley (I had this discussion with my dad at the weekend...) and they all grow UP on stalks from the ground. Elderflowers grow on branches from shrubs/trees. And sometimes smell of cat pee...

lizzyb1812

All this talk of elderflowers and washing them brought up a memory, so I checked my Food for Free by Richard Mabey and he says "Never wash the flowers as this will remove much of the fragrance". I have also heard that airborne pollution is not the problem with roadside green stuff but the water run off from the road that carries chemicals with it to the plant roots. So perhaps best to seek elder away from roads and give flowers a good shake to remove any insect life - not had a problem with insects in the flowers myself anyway.

Mabey says buds can be pickled or added to salads, flowers can be eaten straight off the branch, berries can be added to apple pies or blackberry jelly and he has a recipe for elderflower fritters to be served with sugar and mint as a dessert. There is also a recipe for Gooseberry and Elderflower Preserve.

If you don't have the book I highly recommend getting/borrowing it. I have the Collins Gem version which is small enough to take with you when foraging and has a handy what to look for when calendar.

Byatt - I know someone who successfully and actually pretty easily got the electricity people to cough up after a few days of on/off power cuts damaged their freezer stocks so go for it.

Fuddle - elderflower heads are about 8" across - huge compared to cow parsley

prepareathome

Byatt wrote: »

PAH, paramedics??? :eek:

I poisoned myself and as hospitals were full from some trouble in city they stayed and dealt with me instead of taking me in, they stayed for 5 hrs, I know a doctor or two popped in and I was wired up and had drips, totally my own fault Cannot praise them high enough, I could not have had better treatment at A&E, in fact I am sure I had better. District nurses have popped in 3 times to take my BP as it is still rather high and heart tends to race on and off ( like having a panic attack without the panic weird)and see if ok. I also got the dementia test, had that quite a few times over the years as fibro fog when in full force is easily mistaken for Alzheimer's and even my own doctor has had me checked out for that - it was through that I was diagnosed with the fibro way back. All my own stupid fault, trying to be a bit to OS

I felt even worse when I heard from son how he had to take his partner to hospital at 3am and had tried to call us to go and watch the kids but hubby wasn't answering calls and I couldn't as she refused to let him dial 999 but she had all the symptoms of a stroke. They said it wasn't one and by time she got there symptoms were easing off, but she was still talking as she thought clearly but was talking gobbydegook but body was starting to work again so poor thing - only 28 was sent home as they are so full but to go for lots of tests and a warning to dial 999 if it or anything else happens.


Oh well hope tomorrow am ok as I have an open day at a cemetery - no not for a plot there but to help as a volunteer as its an old one that is being restored and I hope to be able to help by doing things on-line for them if its not to much and not needed to follow a deadline. If I can't at least I get to have a look round as really want to see what they have achieved.

Hugs, love and healing to allxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Byatt

Ohhhh PAH, how awful...I am so glad you are feeling somewhat better...take care...and I'm sorry about DS's partner, all very scary. Could it have been a migraine? :A:A

prepareathome

Don't know with DIL ( they are not married she doesn't believe in it but they have been together since they were 14 and lived together mainly since 18 ( had a few hiccups) so I call her DIL as what else would I call her and she happily accepts that as we get on well ( she lived at mine from age 16 - 18 ). She didn't have pain and what she had apart from words coming out as gobbydegook was numbness over most of her body but both sides and couldn't move her arms, but she said she could breath ok. She is waiting for tests on Thyroid so don't know if that can affect her that way, Luckily she already has appointment to see her doctor on Monday so will take it from there.

Got mixed feelings eldest son just rang, he forgot earlier to tell me he is now an official Australian Resident. Happy for him but it is so final, although I knew he never wants to live here again. Now he wants us to seriously consider moving out there even if not near him in Melbourne.

Byatt give DD a big hug from her auntie pah when you see her poor kid ( although she would most likely not be amused me calling her a kid)

Hugs, love and healingxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

prepareathome

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

All this talk of elderflowers and washing them brought up a memory, so I checked my Food for Free by Richard Mabey and he says "Never wash the flowers as this will remove much of the fragrance". I have also heard that airborne pollution is not the problem with roadside green stuff but the water run off from the road that carries chemicals with it to the plant roots. So perhaps best to seek elder away from roads and give flowers a good shake to remove any insect life - not had a problem with insects in the flowers myself anyway.

Oh that is good to know the water run off from road by me is into the drainage system not my garden at all so then I should be ok thankyou

fuddle

goodness pah how did you manage to poison yourself? Hope you got some sleep last night, you've sure a lot to contend with right now. Sending wishes out for DIL, I hope they can find out what it is soon so you can all have peace of mind.

I've been up since 4am. So tired (ha pun) of not being able to stay asleep on a night. I've been crocheting my winter house coat, back and one front panel done, just started a sleeve. It looks worse and worse but I don't care, I'm enjoying it and will be warmer while I'm in the house come winter.

Going to do some housework jobs today and want to do some gardening if rain stays away. DH out fishing so just me and the kids.