This is the year to create your garden! It’s a wonderful feeling to saunter out into the yard and pick all the fixins' for a wonderful salad, savory herbs for seasoning, and flowers for beauty and fragrance. Container gardens, kitchen gardens, fragrance gardens, whatever you like, start planning now; spring will jump out of the snowdrifts before you know it.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Have you always wondered if Valentine’s Day was just another holiday dreamed up to plunder our pocketbooks? It actually started back in Roman times.
February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno, Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The next day was The Feast of Lupercalia, celebrating fertility. Girl’s names were written on pieces of paper and put into jars; the boys would pull a name and that would be their partner for the festival. This would often result in an ongoing relationship and sometimes, marriage.
Emperor Claudius II of Rome, also known as Claudius the Cruel, was having a hard time recruiting soldiers because of the men’s reluctance to leave their women, so he canceled all marriages throughout Rome. A priest, Father Valentine, married couples in secret. He was caught, beaten to death and beheaded on Feb. 14th.
The church, in an effort to get those pagans in line, replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day on February 14th. Valentine’s Day greetings became popular during the middles ages and really took off in Britain in the 18thcentury. From there the retail industry took it to new heights of consumerism, with Valentines accounting for a quarter of all cards sent today.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by telling someone you love how much they mean to you and why. It doesn’t have to be romantic love. Include some flowers, wine, chocolate or a nice meal to emphasize your point. We all appreciate feeling loved and appreciated.
Colorado Garden and Home Show, February 9 -17. The big guy with gardens, demos, classes, and aisles of new ideas. info here
High Plains Snow Goose and Heritage History Festival, February 15 – 18, Lamar.
Birders and history buffs get together to view the migration of thousands of snow geese. Tours, presentations, craft auction, and barbeque banquet.
www.highplainssnowgoose.com
Denver Restaurant Week, February 22 to March 3. Try a multi- course meal for 2 at that posh restaurant you’ve been wanting to check out. Hundreds of Denver’s top restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for three tasty prices: $25, $35 or $45. Make reservations early, the 6-8 PM spots fill fast.
https://www.denver.org/denver-restaurant-week/
Free Day
Denver Art Museum – Saturday, 2/2
Denver Zoo –Sunday 2/3,, Monday 2/4
Museum of Nature and Science, Monday, 2/11
Denver Botanic Gardens –York Street, Monday, 2/18
My first intimate encounter with cayenne came when, as a budding herbalist, I found an article that recommended sniffing a pinch of cayenne up the nose for congestion. I was having a dinner party and was quite congested so I gave it a snort. It did indeed clear up congestion, setting fire to my cranium, as fluid ran out of my nose, eyes, and mouth. It provided a good laugh for my husband and callous guests.
That said, cayenne is a very healing herb and helps with digestion and improves circulation.
It is high in Vitamins A, C, B complex, calcium, and potassium. Capsaicin, an extract of cayenne and other peppers, is used topically to reduce nerve pain. It works by reducing substance P, the primary chemical used by nerves to transmit pain signals. I’ve read that if you apply the powdered herb to an open wound it will stop the bleeding. But what will stop the screaming? I can only surmise this was written by the same sort of sadistic herbalist who recommended the sinus snuff. Use cayenne as a seasoning, as a supplement in capsules, or in a premade ointment.
