So interesting the way the seasons connect us over great spaces! Joe & I are also looking forward to trimming our orchard soon, which is also made up of wild apples as old as the settlers to this land alongside newer introductions that we make in efforts to carry on stewardship into future generations :) Fascinating history, thank you for sharing.
To you as well! Hmmm, we've turned the corner, now we just have to wait and see if it will, in fact, ever stop raining in this very odd winter we're having! I mean logically, you know it can't last forever, but sitting here watching it out the window and listening to it on the roof, I do begin to wonder...🤣
Oh you too – here we've had rain bar one or two days for about 6 weeks... I tell myself at least the groundwater reserves will be doing OK. I think you might normally expect snow now, yes?
Yeeesh, 6 weeks, you win! 🤣 I'm definitely thankful for what must be some terrific groundwater replenishment after a few dry years in a row. Yes, at this time of year, precipitation should be coming in snow-form! To have had such a rainy autumn, and now straight through December, is sort of mildly hilarious since 1) this is the first year we've finally been able to start these long-planned construction projects and now we're just constantly rained out and 2) the kids were so excited for this winter because they missed it so much last year when we had to be down in Texas and now it just stubbornly refuses to snow! Such is life, of course. 🤣
Thankyou Roselle for your post about your apple trees. I have written extensively about the symbolism and healing properties of apple in my book:
Healing Plants of Greek Myth. Here are a few excerpts:
The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is sound advice. Apples, eaten raw and whole, including the skin, help to protect the blood vessels from the build up of fatty deposits, help to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma and bronchial hypersensitivity. It is important to avoid pesticides by eating organic apples.
Apples are a rich source of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids and phenolic acids, all of which are strong antioxidants. Quercetin, one of these antioxidants, whose conjugates are only in the peel, inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro.
Different varieties of apples contain different amounts of each compound. Apples do not deteriorate during storage but apple juice loses most of its important phytochemicals.
When we slice open an apple crosswise, we reveal a pentagram of five pips, while sliced lengthwise we reveal a heart, both symbols of the goddess Aphrodite, divine guardian of harmonic order and proportion. Apparently when students began their first day at the Pythagorean mystery schools, they were each handed an apple sliced in half and asked to meditate upon it. The pentagram is a golden figure and we are reminded of it in the Homeric hymn to Aphrodite, the copper-haired goddess.
According to Apollodurus, the earth goddess Gaia produced the first sacred apple tree and gave it to the goddess Hera as a wedding present. The Ladon dragon twisted and twined, serpent-like around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides, guarding the golden apples. Hera was a jealous goddess who tormented the illegitimate offspring of her unfaithful husband, Zeus. One of these was Hercules, who she sent to kill the Ladon dragon, in the hopes that he would not survive. But Hercules succeeded in killing the dragon, much to Hera’s annoyance.
Angela, I'm so pleased to read this! And thank you for your erudite contribution.
Much of it is also in my own book (including the pentagram at the heart of an apple and its symbolic 5 stations). I didn't know that about apples and the Pythagorean mystery schools, though; nor the name 'quercetin' (interesting, as Quert is apple's name in old Irish).
It occurred to me ages ago, when I first saw your book, that we should do a swap. Would you be up for that?I'm interested in what you're doing. Only problem for me is that the copies I have here in Brittany are all seconds. Maybe when I've ordered some 'good' ones?
Stewed apple and cinnamon gets recommended to nearly everyone I see passing through a herbal clinic who has issues with blood sugar, cholesterol, heart/circulation issues, inflammation... both the pectin and the quercetin have important roles, but it's the whole apple that really works wonders -- as Angela says, the apple a day . With so many herbs and nutritious fruits and vegetables people are now being marketed the extracts in pills, but the whole plant has a completely different and more powerful alchemy.
Yes, I completely agree, Jan, about the whole apple (plant) and the apple/cinnamon combination. Our diet is entirely wholefood-based here, and of course mainly veg/fruit/herb, being vegan. We've frozen a lot of our Bramleys as a purée with cinnamon and ginger. (My partner eats about 6 whole apples a day, fresh – it's his big 'vice'! Good for cholesterol, indeed.) Lucky clients, to be offered such wise advice.
I'll email you soon; very much wanting to meet up early in the new year. Hope you had a gentle festive time.
That was simply wonderful Roselle, so many little facts I don’t know included. But, mostly, I cannot deny, I loved this because of your beautiful deerhound... he looks so much like my own who I miss more than any other dog I’ve had... that photo brought tears to my eyes...🥹
Happy between days to you... I’ve been walking today, finally a moment to breathe...🤍xx
Ah Susie thank you. I was glad of the excuse to slip Ash in. If there is a Significant Other in this world, for me it was Ash. I was devastated for a long time when she died. Yes, I've lived very happily with other dogs, before and since, but... you will understand.
Glad you've managed to be out walking. It's been slower for me the last few days than I remember ever. Must be getting old enough not to have to fill every single moment!
Wishing you a gentle and inspiration-filled year's turning.
Thanks, Susie. When I read my comment back I thought it was ridiculously over the top; but it feels true, even if I wouldn't normally admit it (except perhaps to a dog person!).
Hi Roselle, it would be interesting to read each other's books though at the moment I'm in India, without any of my books, and I may still be here until the end of March. But I could send you a Pdf, without the pictures, if you like. I'm interested in the chemistry of the plants we use as medicine, (or we could use as medicine if we knew which ones to use.)
I'm also interested in the healing properties of food, for many of the things we eat have medicinal properties.
But which of my books would you be interested in? There are three published and all are about healing plants. A fourth one is with the publishers.
No hurry! I must head over and read your Indian journey.
Yes, I've always used herbs as remedies for self and family, including the animals (currently have a tincture mix being made up at the chemist's here in France); and also, like you, food as medicine; my vegan book addresses that a little. Both 'my things', so I think we have masses in common.
No I'd love the hard copy - but really no hurry, as I still need to order, as I say, some 'firsts' of my own. Hard to choose: I'm naturally drawn to the Celtic herbs but already know a fair bit about those; the Greek ones much less so.
So interesting the way the seasons connect us over great spaces! Joe & I are also looking forward to trimming our orchard soon, which is also made up of wild apples as old as the settlers to this land alongside newer introductions that we make in efforts to carry on stewardship into future generations :) Fascinating history, thank you for sharing.
Oh yes I love this connection too, as you know. Gosh, some of your apple trees are truly old. I suspect few of ours are.
Blessings to you Sydney over there, as we turn a corner back towards the light (well, we did that a few days ago, but you know what I mean).
To you as well! Hmmm, we've turned the corner, now we just have to wait and see if it will, in fact, ever stop raining in this very odd winter we're having! I mean logically, you know it can't last forever, but sitting here watching it out the window and listening to it on the roof, I do begin to wonder...🤣
Oh you too – here we've had rain bar one or two days for about 6 weeks... I tell myself at least the groundwater reserves will be doing OK. I think you might normally expect snow now, yes?
Yeeesh, 6 weeks, you win! 🤣 I'm definitely thankful for what must be some terrific groundwater replenishment after a few dry years in a row. Yes, at this time of year, precipitation should be coming in snow-form! To have had such a rainy autumn, and now straight through December, is sort of mildly hilarious since 1) this is the first year we've finally been able to start these long-planned construction projects and now we're just constantly rained out and 2) the kids were so excited for this winter because they missed it so much last year when we had to be down in Texas and now it just stubbornly refuses to snow! Such is life, of course. 🤣
Reading that, no, I think you do! :-)
We'll call it a tie! :)
Thankyou Roselle for your post about your apple trees. I have written extensively about the symbolism and healing properties of apple in my book:
Healing Plants of Greek Myth. Here are a few excerpts:
The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is sound advice. Apples, eaten raw and whole, including the skin, help to protect the blood vessels from the build up of fatty deposits, help to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma and bronchial hypersensitivity. It is important to avoid pesticides by eating organic apples.
Apples are a rich source of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids and phenolic acids, all of which are strong antioxidants. Quercetin, one of these antioxidants, whose conjugates are only in the peel, inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro.
Different varieties of apples contain different amounts of each compound. Apples do not deteriorate during storage but apple juice loses most of its important phytochemicals.
When we slice open an apple crosswise, we reveal a pentagram of five pips, while sliced lengthwise we reveal a heart, both symbols of the goddess Aphrodite, divine guardian of harmonic order and proportion. Apparently when students began their first day at the Pythagorean mystery schools, they were each handed an apple sliced in half and asked to meditate upon it. The pentagram is a golden figure and we are reminded of it in the Homeric hymn to Aphrodite, the copper-haired goddess.
According to Apollodurus, the earth goddess Gaia produced the first sacred apple tree and gave it to the goddess Hera as a wedding present. The Ladon dragon twisted and twined, serpent-like around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides, guarding the golden apples. Hera was a jealous goddess who tormented the illegitimate offspring of her unfaithful husband, Zeus. One of these was Hercules, who she sent to kill the Ladon dragon, in the hopes that he would not survive. But Hercules succeeded in killing the dragon, much to Hera’s annoyance.
Angela, I'm so pleased to read this! And thank you for your erudite contribution.
Much of it is also in my own book (including the pentagram at the heart of an apple and its symbolic 5 stations). I didn't know that about apples and the Pythagorean mystery schools, though; nor the name 'quercetin' (interesting, as Quert is apple's name in old Irish).
It occurred to me ages ago, when I first saw your book, that we should do a swap. Would you be up for that?I'm interested in what you're doing. Only problem for me is that the copies I have here in Brittany are all seconds. Maybe when I've ordered some 'good' ones?
Blessings for the turning year.
Stewed apple and cinnamon gets recommended to nearly everyone I see passing through a herbal clinic who has issues with blood sugar, cholesterol, heart/circulation issues, inflammation... both the pectin and the quercetin have important roles, but it's the whole apple that really works wonders -- as Angela says, the apple a day . With so many herbs and nutritious fruits and vegetables people are now being marketed the extracts in pills, but the whole plant has a completely different and more powerful alchemy.
Yes, I completely agree, Jan, about the whole apple (plant) and the apple/cinnamon combination. Our diet is entirely wholefood-based here, and of course mainly veg/fruit/herb, being vegan. We've frozen a lot of our Bramleys as a purée with cinnamon and ginger. (My partner eats about 6 whole apples a day, fresh – it's his big 'vice'! Good for cholesterol, indeed.) Lucky clients, to be offered such wise advice.
I'll email you soon; very much wanting to meet up early in the new year. Hope you had a gentle festive time.
love the 5 apples a day. And lovely to meet up soon. xx
That was simply wonderful Roselle, so many little facts I don’t know included. But, mostly, I cannot deny, I loved this because of your beautiful deerhound... he looks so much like my own who I miss more than any other dog I’ve had... that photo brought tears to my eyes...🥹
Happy between days to you... I’ve been walking today, finally a moment to breathe...🤍xx
Ah Susie thank you. I was glad of the excuse to slip Ash in. If there is a Significant Other in this world, for me it was Ash. I was devastated for a long time when she died. Yes, I've lived very happily with other dogs, before and since, but... you will understand.
Glad you've managed to be out walking. It's been slower for me the last few days than I remember ever. Must be getting old enough not to have to fill every single moment!
Wishing you a gentle and inspiration-filled year's turning.
I do understand Roselle, some dogs leave a deep and everlasting hole in our lives don’t they... one that, eventually, we accept will never be filled.💔
I am envious of your slow days... oh to be so calm and quiet..! Maybe next week..? Enjoy..! X
Thanks, Susie. When I read my comment back I thought it was ridiculously over the top; but it feels true, even if I wouldn't normally admit it (except perhaps to a dog person!).
Love to you.
ok. We'll talk when I get home
Hi Roselle, it would be interesting to read each other's books though at the moment I'm in India, without any of my books, and I may still be here until the end of March. But I could send you a Pdf, without the pictures, if you like. I'm interested in the chemistry of the plants we use as medicine, (or we could use as medicine if we knew which ones to use.)
I'm also interested in the healing properties of food, for many of the things we eat have medicinal properties.
But which of my books would you be interested in? There are three published and all are about healing plants. A fourth one is with the publishers.
Hello again Angela
No hurry! I must head over and read your Indian journey.
Yes, I've always used herbs as remedies for self and family, including the animals (currently have a tincture mix being made up at the chemist's here in France); and also, like you, food as medicine; my vegan book addresses that a little. Both 'my things', so I think we have masses in common.
No I'd love the hard copy - but really no hurry, as I still need to order, as I say, some 'firsts' of my own. Hard to choose: I'm naturally drawn to the Celtic herbs but already know a fair bit about those; the Greek ones much less so.
Let's talk when you get home.