The Wheel Rolls On...

It has been more than a full turn of the wheel since I posted, but life has been very busy, both mundanely and reenactment wise. You might be wondering what we've been up to.

Projects

First, we had our helmets redone:

After that, I spent some time to make Murdaigean a period helmet liner like mine. Of course, since his was the second, it turned out much better and nicer than mine!

 It is made from linen fabric and stuffed with 100% natural cotton balls. The edges have since been finished with red wool yarn. It does a much better job of wicking away sweat than the blue padding that many folks use, it works as well at protecting the head (if not better) and it looks better too!

Herbal Medicine

This year at Pennisc, I had the opportunity to replenish my herbal medicine kit. I've been getting far more serious about learning herbal medicine. I like the idea of being able to recognize and use the plants around me for healing purposes. Unfortunately, I don't get out to the countryside to gather the plants as much as I'd like, but Pennsic is a nice opportunity to buy a huge variety of already harvested and dried herbs at great prices.

Recently, I came down with a terrible cold. The antibiotics and over-the-counter treatements weren't doing much good and I was miserable. I dug into my kit and created a tasty tea that did a great job of drying up the mucus that was clogging my sinuses and lungs. Here's the recipe I used:
1/4 tsp. yarrow
1/4 tsp. peppermint
1/4 tsp. hyssop
1/2 tsp. chamomile
Brew in 1 1/2 cups water for 5 minutes. Strain plant matter and add honey to taste. Enjoy three times daily until cold clears.  

Next time, I'll talk about Pennsic and post some pictures!

~Ceanag