Hi Heather and captxray,
On the nettle tea: Of course, be very careful picking the nettles. Wear gloves and don't let them touch your skin. Read up on this before going further but it seems, if I remember correctly, that we just dried them and then could handle them. Dropping them into boiling water and then steeping them for tea would take the sting out too. But do read up on it before doing anything because it has been over 20 years since I've gathered nettles and I may not be remembering correctly.

Concerning the prostate: there are softer seats designed to prevent that problem for men, I think. And my DH did develope his prostate problem in the same year he took up bike riding again. We also bought our first mircowave oven during that year, which some people think contributes to the problem too. Anyway, thanks to saw palmette, broccoli, lots of vegetables and some fruits, his symptoms are pretty much gone. For the prostate, they say that an extract of the herbs must be used, that just using the leaves or berries will not do the job. And many of the prostate formulas being sold in the stores do not have the extract(s) in them. Walking is very good for that problem too.

Mullein is the herb I use for respiratory problems. I am prone to get a form of pneumonia because bulbar polio affected that system. Mullein has been my mainstay over the years for that and for colds. It also helps a person sleep. And it is one of the ingredients in a famous and effective herbal formula for hypoglycemia.

It seems you live in a very special place, captxray. There are probably many other herbs you could gather there, if you want to. When we lived at Leavenworth, WA I just went out into the big yard and gathered and ate my lunch while soaking up some sunshine and peacefulness.

The great blue herons used to fly over our cabin in the Canadian wilderness and land on the beach by us to fish for food. A sea otter would play hide-and-seek with me when I sat on my log at the base of the waterfalls and where the creek ran out into the ocean. Everyone needs a "sitting place" for quiet meditation.

Heather, thanks for telling me about Herbes de Provence. I don't know what it is but will look for it around here.

I came across http://www.usaweekend.com/98_issues...980503eat_smart<caveman.html ,

The article there says the Stone Age Diet included 65% fruits, vegetables, nuts, (legumes) and honey. Along with 35% lean game, eggs, fowl, fish and shellfish. That it included 7000 mg of potassium and 600 mg of sodium. It was taken from the work of S. Boyd Eaton who does think they ate legumes and that disagrees with Audette. However, I was interested in the percentages of the food intake and in the amounts of sodium and potassium. The amounts of those two minierals is so-o-o different from what people take in today.

I am enjoying knowing you two very much and others on this board. Today, though, I put my computer up for sale. If and when it sells I won't be posting unless I start using a public computer. Maybe I can do that some.
I'll have to explore that possibility.

Dandi