Manga-style drawing...

Due to a combination of factors, B has never taken naturally to drawing. His delayed fine-motor skills, hypotonia, & lack of binocular vision made it physically difficult for him to enjoy the process of drawing, & as a result, he never seemed to get the "point" of it nor was it an activity that he found soothing or helpful for passing time. When asked to draw in kindergarten, B usually produced mono-chromatic scribbles, which slowly changed as he received OT & visual-perceptual therapy. By the time he was 6 & about 8 months into these therapies, B produced this picture:

...which I have framed in my craft room. It is a depiction of the "Protections of the Sorcerer's Stone" from Harry Potter, inspired by a lego set he'd gotten that year. It is not only one of the first multi-coloured pictures B ever drew, but one of the first with a legible title, written himself. It represents enormous time & effort on his part & I cherish it. After this breakthrough, & B's development of binocular convergence, he became more amenable to drawing, but only if it was required for a school project & he often needed coaching while doing it.

B's reluctance to draw overcame another hurdle this past year when he started producing manga-style drawings of his own, original pokemon.



B clearly has some wonderful images in his mind! I particularly like the punnish names he gives them (Viaduck's was inspired by a Marx Brothers movie), his own particular twist on pokemon style :)

So what's the attraction of manga-style drawing for B? My main thought is that this sort of drawing has "rules" to follow, & that these "rules" make it more manageable & soothing to do. We learned the "rules" of manga-style drawing when one of my Sunday School students lent me the book "How to Draw Manga" by Katy Coope last January & I gave it a try. First, you draw your picture with a pencil. Then you trace the lines you want to keep in black ink (B uses a rollerball pen). Next you erase the whole thing, which leaves only the lines you inked. Last, you colour it in. B was fascinated by this process & the next thing I knew he was doing it (I prefer just to do pencil drawings :). I was kind of amazed that B took to this process because he usually hates erasing anything he's written & has been known to meltdown from having to erase, but he likes doing it as part of a manga drawing. He also takes particular care with the colouring, a new facet of the process for him. We really enjoy B's pokemon creations very much. They have a lot of thought & backstory that go with them, & I really love that this style has freed B up to finally enjoy using his imagination in the visual dimension.

Onigiri

In my recent post in Life in the New Republic I mentioned onigiri rice balls, & in the comments section Kristina mentioned that her Charlie might like them, so I thought I put the recipe here. Onigiri are traditional kids' lunchbox food in Japan. The book "The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking" by Gaku Homma waxes enthusiastic about them (he calls them omusubi) & their place in children's lives in Japan. If you have seen the Miyazaki movie "Spirited Away" you have seen Sen/Chihiro eating onigiri. Our Japanese teacher, Tomoko, taught me to make them by hand last fall & I have since found some very kawaii & appealing onigiri moulds that make them even easier to put together.

The base for onigiri is, of course, rice, but japanese-style sticky rice must be used or they won't stick together. A friend who has spent time in Japan recommended the Kokoho Rose brand to me as the best of the american-grown short-grain rices, so that's the brand I buy (in 10 lb. bags...). I also have a rice steamer, which simplifies things, but there are directions for stove-cooking on the package. The rice is lightly salted before moulding into onigiri. Traditionally you also need fillings for onigiri: fish, fish roe, pickles, & the like are traditional. We have very specific preferences in our house, though. C likes tuna salad as his onigiri filling. I prefer pickles, shiitake cooked in shoyu & mirin, or crab salad in mine (or just half a honeyed umeboshi plum stuck to the outside). B likes them plain with no filling. You can wrap the outside with a strip of nori (toasted seaweed used for sushi) or sprinkle on some furikake (there are many kinds, usually with a goma- sesame seed- base). There are 2 main shapes for onigiri, triangular (if you've ever seen the "Fruits Basket" manga or anime, the triangular character that represents Tohru is an onigiri) & barrel-shaped, but I've seen round balls in pictures, too, so I expect there are regional variations. The onigiri in the picture above are both made with a mould, the one on the left has umeboshi on the outside, & the one on the right has goma shio sprinkled on it (the other half of the umeboshi is inside :).

To make them, lightly salt some cooked/steamed rice while it's still warm. Tomoko taught me to use plastic wrap to make shaping the sticky rice easier, & to protect hands from hot rice. So, place approx. 1/2 cup of the salted rice on a sheet of platic wrap that is draped over the palm of your hand. To add a filling, flatten the rice a bit, make a depression in the middle, & add about 1/2 tbsp. of filling. Then fold the rice around the filling, wrap the plastic wrap the rest of the way around the rice, & mould into shape by squashing it gently between your palms. Try not to let the rice touch your hands at this point. Also, try to keep the filling in the middle & not let it squirt out of the onigiri. When it's nearly the shape you want, dip your hands into water, remove the onigiri from the plastic wrap, & finish shaping with your wet hands. You can add nori (slightly wet one end so it'll stick) or sprinkle on furikake now. If you can't serve them immidiately, do not refridgerate- the rice will get hard & nasty. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap & set aside for no more than a few hours (this will depend on the filling- pickles will sit safely much longer than tuna or other fish products).

I get most of my ingredients at the local asian market, but what I can't find locally I get online at Asian Food Grocer. I found some of my onigiri moulds at eKitron.

I should mention here that onigiri are finger-food, so no hashi or fork & knife are required :) One nice thing about the onigiri, even the plain ones, it that they can make boring food look much more appetising. I often make fun-shaped onigiri for B's school lunch, add some cooked edamame for colour & nutrition, some carrots cut into rounds or flowers, & finish it with cookies & fruit. One of B's teachers microwaves it briefly (~20 seconds) for him so that the onigiri are softer. We made onigiri for B's buddy who prefers to eat only white food & he loved them.

Enjoy!!

Herbal oil for inflammation & pain

I was looking over my past posts here & realised that I never put in the healing oil recipe that is a companion to the healing salve. The oil is easier to make, although it can still take time if you make your own comfrey infused oil, as I do. I originally made a variation of this oil for sciatic problems when I was pregnant with my son, B, who is now 10. I derived the recipe from research in various herbals, particularly Valerie Ann Worwood's "The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy". Looking through my recipe book (being a former lab tech, I keep notes on practically everything) I don't find exactly when the recipe was refined to what I currently make, but I know that I have been making & sharing this oil for at least 8 years.

What does it do? I developed this oil to relieve nerve & muscle pain from chronic sciatica (due to arthritic degeneration in my lower back), & that's what it does. Based on my herbal research, the St. John's Wort oil & the comfrey are both traditionally used to combat nerve & muscle pain, & the lavender oil is a general pain-releiver. I use it every night after showering, rubbing it into the areas that are currently giving me trouble. Over time, the arthritis has gotten more severe in my knees & hands, so I have been using it to help relieve pain in these areas. I am not able to take NSAIDS (usually used to relieve arthritis) of any kind, so have had to find alternatives. I also use herbal tinctures to help with the inflammation & so far things are kept under control by the combination of tinctures & oil.

I began sharing the oil with friends quite some time ago. I gave it to a friend who had broken her neck in a car accident, & fortunately recovered all functioning but was left with considerable, chronic nerve pain. She found the oil gave her relief, so I eventually gave her the recipe so she could make it herself. My stepfather, who had rheumatoid arthritis, was plagued by intermittent swelling in his wrists & used the oil to relieve the swelling & pain. More recently, I have been sharing this oil with friends from my son's school, who have used it for plantar faschitis, stress fractures, & arthritic knees, with good results. So, without further ado, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
* comfrey infused oil (see below)
* St. John’s Wort infused oil (I purchase this from Mt. Rose)
* lavender essential oil
* clean bottle **
Half-fill the bottle with comfrey infused oil. Fill the bottle (roughly the same amount) with St. John’s Wort infused oil, to within 1/4 inch below the neck of the bottle. Add lavender essential oil to 1/8 inch below the neck. Cap, shake well, & label.

**pretty much any bottle, glass or plastic, will do, but it should be sanitised first. I put them though the diswasher to sanitise, but washing well with dishsoap then pouring boiling water in the bottle & lid will also do the trick.

To use, rub into the area where you are experiencing pain. I have never had trouble with this oil staining clothing, but I also rub it in until the skin is only mildly oily.


To make comfrey infused oil:

Ingredients:
* dried comfrey leaf (preferably organic)
* organic olive oil
* clean quart mason jar or similar jar with well-fitting lid **(see above)
* cheesecloth
* clean bottle for finished oil (to hold approximately 16 oz.) **(see above)
Half-fill the mason jar with dried comfrey leaf. Add olive oil to within 2” of the neck of the jar. Cap, shake well, & allow to sit overnight. The next day, top-off the jar with more olive oil (the comfrey will absorb some, so the level will be lower) to within an inch of the top. Shake daily for the first 2-3 weeks. Place in a warm, dark place, if possible. Allow to macerate for at least 1 month, although the longer it sits, the better.

To decant, pour contents of mason jar into a large square of cheesecloth (I put it in a strainer over a quart measuring cup). When it stops dripping, gather the edges together, twist, & squeeze. The leftovers may be composted. Pour finished oil into bottle, label, & store in fridge. It will need to be warmed to room temp before using. (Store St. John’s Wort oil in fridge, too.)

Baking as "therapy"...

I come from a long line of cookie-bakers, although I'm not the most dedicated baker in the family by far. I tend to bake as the mood takes me, & as I find the time (which makes holiday cookie baking problematic, since that's the busiest time of year round our house!). I have become more intentional about baking over the past few years though, thanks to the birth of my child, B. I bought my first bread machine when B was very little (I'm on my 4th machine :) because I didn't want to buy bread with preservatives in it, & I wanted to be in charge of the ingredients. I love my bread machine :) I have been very happy with the King Arthur Baking Company for their great ingredients & gadgets, too. Over this summer B has been helping me more & more with the baking & I taught him a very reliable way to measure flour: scoop the measuring cup overflowing with flour, chop across the top of the cup with the edge of a knife to settle the flour evenly, then slide the knife across the top of the cup (with the edge, not the flat side) to remove the excess flour. B is now my expert flour-measurer, which is very cool. It takes me about half the time to bake bread & cookies with him as it does without his help!

When B was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, one of the associated concerns that came to light was his low muscle tone. This causes B's fingers to hyper-extend (he's what we used to call "double-jointed" because of the hypotonia) & of particular concern were his hyper-mobile thumbs. When B was 7 years old we had him evaluated by a hand surgeon, at our pediatrician's recommendation, because she was concerned that these joints were so weak that he might injure himself doing regular kid-things, like climbing or catching himself when falling. Thankfully, the surgeon ruled-out any possibility of potential injury but did mention that the thumb joints are a particularly difficult area to strengthen, & recommended squeeze balls & the like. B is not the kind of kid to use squeeze balls, but something I saw in the King Arthur catalogue made me think I'd found a substitute :) I purchased this cookie scoop 3 years ago & we're still going strong with it. When B first started using it he needed both hands to squeeze the cooky dough out, but these days he uses it casually, one-handed.

So, to encourage baking therapy, here's my favourite chocolate-chip cookie recipe (formerly a toll house recipe, but adapted over the years to be my own :).

Set oven to 375 degrees

Cream together with mixer:
1/2 cup softened butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup crisco (butter-flavour is nice)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use organic sugar)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Add while still mixing:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour

When flour is well mixed in, stir in 1 12-oz pkg of chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks, or a mixture of chocolate & mint chips, or chocolate & cappuccino chips- yum!). B dislikes nuts, so we don't add them.

Drop by the tablespoonful (or scoopful :) onto an ungreased cooky sheet & bake 9-11 minutes for regular sheets, or 13 minutes for air-bake sheets, till lightly browned. Cool on racks.

Makes 5-7 dozen cookys (if you fill the scoop flat, rather than rounded, you get a couple more dozen).

What we do is: I get the mooshy stuff into the bowl, then B measures the granulated sugar, then I do the stickier brown sugar (we do 3x 1/4 cups). He gets the mixer going & creams the butter/sugar mixture while I measure the rest of the ingredients & add them. By the time we get the last cup of flour into the bowl his arm is getting tired, so I finish the mixing & then mix in the choc. chips with a rubber spatula. The I fill the scoop & hand it to him to squeeze onto the cooky sheet. Voila! Cookys we both feel good about! Enjoy :)

The body pillow...

A few weeks ago B & I made a "body pillow" together. I bought one when I was pregnant with B & it really helped to ease the sleeping discomfort. I put it away for quite a few years, then started using it again last year when my back started acting up. B has become very attached to my body pillow. When he is distressed & needs comfort he can often be found burrowed under the covers of our bed, hugging the body pillow. C & I had been brainstorming ideas to help B's difficulties with falling asleep. He had noticed that B prefers the sofa pillows, with well-fitting, quilted cotton covers, to his regular pillowcase, so B & I decided to go to the fabric store to choose some fabric for a new pillowcase for his pillow. It occurred to me that it might also help if he had a body pillow of his own. In the photo above you can see the body pillow & B's bed pillow, both with matching Star Wars fabric covers (he picked it :). B helped me to measure it, sew both the pillow & cover on the machine, fill the pillow with stuffing, & hammer on the snaps (his favourite part :).

The instructions do not give specific yardages, since you'll want to alter it to fit your recipient. The key to making the pillow easy to make was using 36" wide muslin for the shell, since then I could just measure how long I wanted it, plus seam allowances, & then fold the fabric in half (widthwise) & stitch to make it the right size for hugging. The only ironing was to press a hem for the top seam for easy filling with the stuffing & stitching the thing closed.

Materials:
2 yds of 36" muslin
~2 yds fabric for cover (measure your finished pillow)
matching thread
~6 bags of shredded foam stuffing (I went to find a weight measurement on the partial bag leftover & was appalled to find nothing to indicate weight :( )
3 snap closures (or velcro, or buttons, etc.)

Tools:
sewing machine
scissors
tape measure/yardstick
snap setter (really helpful for the hammer-on snaps) & hammer
pins

* Measure how long you want yours to be, then add 1" for the seams. I measured the body pillow to be about 6" longer than B, for grow-into purposes.

* Iron 1/2" hem along one short edge.

* Fold the whole thing into a long tube, ~18" wide, with the ironed-down edge facing you.

* Stitch the bottom (unironed edge) & up the long side using 1/2" seam. I used a slightly shorter stitch than usual, for strength.

* Turn the shell right-side out.

* Fill with the shredded foam. B & I opened the foam bags & stuffed them into the shell before we emptied them, to prevent foam from getting all over (it did somewhat anyway :). We tested occasionally to make sure the pillow was not filled too firmly, so it's huggable.

* Sew the turned-under edge closed using a 1/4" seam. This is awkward, since the pillow is so long, so you may want someone to support the end for you.

* To make the cover, cut the fabric 3 1/2" wider than your pillow & 5" longer.

* Iron one of the short edges first 1/4" to the wrong side, then another 2". Unfold the 2" before stitching the side seams.

* Fold the case wrong-side out & stitch the bottom (unironed) & side seam. I usually go over these seams with a zig-zag stitch (just outside the straight stitching) to finish them & prevent fraying & weakening of the seams, since the case will be washed repeatedly.

* Fold the 2" ironed-down part at the top of the case back to the wrong side. Stitch this hem down.

* Turn the case right-side out. Add the snap/velcro/button (your choice) closures.

To put the pillow into the case, imagine the case as a large sock & the pillow as a foot, scootching case & fitting the pillow right into the end of it. Then slide the case up to the top of the pillow & fasten.

We made B's matching pillow case from a leftover yard of fabric. I measured his pillow, adding seam allowances & a hem for snap closures, like the body pillow case. It just fit the pillow, lengthwise, but the snug fit was what we wanted.

B does seem to find it easier to get comfortable at night with his new body pillow, although we still find him in our bed, snuggled up to my pillow, when he's upset (maybe I need to make his pillow mom-scented?)...

The ball blanket

My son, B, has always had difficulty settling-in to sleep at night. We rocked him to sleep every night for the first 2 1/2 years of his life (& also every time he woke up in the night, which he did at least once a night for just about as long...). As B got older he found ways to soothe himself to sleep, although still needed help falling back to sleep when he awoke in the night. When B was 8 years old he developed OCD, which pretty much did-away with his falling-asleep skills. B's school OT at the time suggested that a weighted blanket might help him sleep by giving him proprioceptive feedback & we were ready to try anything that might help... When I looked for weighted blankets in the OT catalogues I was taken-aback by the expense- nearly $200 for something that might not work, so I decided to try to make one myself. The ball blanket was the result & it turned out to be a great success & B still uses it today. The blanket itself cost me $75 in materials. I made a removable cover out of white muslin (recently tie-dyed :) so we could travel with it, and it pretty much goes everywhere with us (except on airplanes...). This particular blanket weighs 10 lbs., but this could be modified by changing the amount of balls it contains. When I went looking for my notes on the ball blanket project I was appalled to discover I had none :( However, the need to do a few repairs on the ball blanket this summer allowed me to recreate the design, so here it is.

This project is best undertaken by someone with good sewing skills (who has quilted or made clothes) & who doesn't mind doing some hand-stitching, since the cross-quilting of the balls in place can't be done by a regular machine.

Materials:
6 yds sturdy fabric ~44" wide (I used denim)
matching thread for sewing
sturdy thread (buttonhole or doubled cotton) for quilting
approximately 4 gross small, rubber balls*

Tools:
sewing machine
scissors
yardstick/tape measure
2" sewing needle (for hand-quilting)
pins to mark channels to be hand-quilted (I used 1 3/4" flower-head pins)

* a note about the balls: I bought the balls for B's quilt from Oriental Trading Company because they were inexpensive. I used a mixture of 1" & 3/4" balls for texture variation. They were a bit smelly when they arrived (a plasticy smell) so I washed them & set them in the sun to out-gas as much as possible. I was worried that the lingering smell might bother B & make the blanket unusable, but the slight odour didn't bother him a bit. If this is a concern, having a removable cover may help until the smell goes away, or making it & letting it sit & air out until the smell goes away. FYI

The finished dimensions of B's blanket are 34" wide by 62" long. If your child is 10 or older you may want to make it a bit longer & wider. which you can do with the same amount of fabric. B can still use his (he's 4' 10" now) just fine, but if I were making it now I'd give it some room to grow.
*For a blanket like B's, cut the 6 yards of fabric 125" long (2 x 62" plus 1" to allow for 1/2" seams) and 35" wide (1/2" seams on the sides, too).
* Fold the whole thing in half (with the wrong side of the fabric out) so that it measures 62 1/2" X 35".
*Iron a 1/2" seam to the wrong side on the short edges, where you'll be loading in the balls &, eventually, sewing the whole blanket shut.
*Stitch the long side seams so you have a bag closed on 3 sides, with the folded-over edge open.
* Turn the bag right-side out.
* Mark the midpoint of the blanket lengthwise with chalk or pins & machine stitch from the folded bottom edge to the top, turned-under edge.
* Mark the midpoint of these 2 channels & do the same. You'll have 4 channels to load the balls into.
* Divide your washed, degassed balls into 4 equal(ish) groups & load them into the channels. B really enjoyed helping me do this part...
* Pin the top shut. Machine stitch closed. (This may be unwieldy, but is possible :).

Now for the hand-quilting...
* Lay the blanket flat on the floor (a table is much nicer, if you have one big enough to lay the blanket out flat on...).
* Start moving the balls along the channels to distribute them as evenly as possible.
* When it seems even, find the middle, crosswise, of the blanket & pin right across so the balls can't escape through the pins.
* I further divided each half of the blanket into thirds & pinned across. Getting the balls evenly divided is difficult, but by pinning before sewing you can fix any glaring imbalances before you've committed yourself with needle & thread. You could also divide the number of balls you have by 28 (4 channels x 7 channels) & try to get an approximate count of every square you pin. I arrived at the estimated number of balls I used by counting 3 channels worth of squares (by feeling through the fabric) & doing an average. Then I just rounded-up to the nearest gross # of balls to see how many I must have used.
* Once everything is balanced & pinned, start hand-stitching across each line, removing pins as you go. I initially used a thickish rayon thread with about 1/2" stitches but the combo of largish stitches & slippery thread allowed the balls to sift to the ends, making this summer's repairs necessary. This time, I used sturdy cotton thread, doubled, & made no larger than 1/4" stitches. It took longer, but I don't think I'll have to do this repair again. (B helped me pull out the old threads & re-pin the channels).

Here is the blanket mostly stitched with a few pins still in it.

And here's a close-up of the pins & hand-quilting.

Once the quilting is done, so are you. To make a cover, you need the same amount of fabric. I made it 2" larger width-wise (add 2" to the cutting dimensions above) & 6 inches longer in total length to allow for a finished edge. I turned the short edges under twice, 1/4" the first time & 3/4" the second, ironed it flat. Do not sew this edge shut, but finish with snaps or velcro (I used 1/2" velcro the full width of the opening.

I suspect this idea could be adapted to other weighted items like vests. let me know if you have questions or additional ideas!

Lego lamp links...

Last week I blogged about a project B & I did, pictured above. We found the mason jar lamp adapter at the Nancy's Notions site. We used a mason jar from the basement (cleaned it up, of course :) & filled it with surplus legos before adding the lamp assembly. For the shade, we used the square shade at the bottom of the linked page. B had downloaded a set of ExoForce images from the Lego site & we composed the images he wanted to use in a drawing file in Appleworks. We printed out each image (there's a different one on each side) on paper & checked it against the lampshade template before printing each one on non-adhesive printer fabric (the lamp shade already has adhesive on it, like a giant sticker). To find the printer fabric, Nancy's may have it, or your local JoAnn (or other) fabrics store, but it might be cheaper from Dharma (see the links in the sidebar). Printer fabric comes in 8 1/2 x 11" sheets that just fit your printer & it just fits the lampshade sides as well. I used the template that comes with the lampshade, cut into sections, to cut each piece of fabric to size, with over lapping edges on the top & bottoms- just enough to wrap over & glue down with fabric glue. The finishing touches were white, single-fold bias tape glued with fabric glue along each each edge between the fabric pieces to make it look neat. I did the gluing on waxed paper & set the shade on the waxed paper until it was dry. I wouldn't use more than a 60 watt bulb in the lamp, since higher wattage may singe the fabric...

To recap:
materials & tools used-

mason jar
something decorative to put in the jar
lamp assembly & shade from the link
single-fold bias tape
fabric or printer fabric (plus computer, printer, & images you want to print onto the fabric)
fabric glue
waxed paper
scissors

Have fun!

Healing Salve...

I promised my "high-maintenance girlfriend" Marie (aka my therapist, tee-hee) that I would post my recipe for healing salve, aka "boo-boo salve" as well as the recipe for making anti-inflammatory oil (which will follow). I originally created this recipe for a good friend's kids & have been making it for 10 years now. It has become practically essential for every-day life with a growing child's scrapes & bug bites & I always make enough to give to friends. It really does make things heal faster & smells wonderful to boot...

To make this you'll need a small double-boiler of some sort. I use a tin cup in a pan of boiling water. You will also need containers for the salve. I have used little tin containers, glass containers, & plastic ones- all work just fine. You'll want a Sharpie pen to label the jars, whichever you choose. An adhesive paper label is more permanent than just writing on the jar, but I always put the date I made the salve on the bottom of the container for reference.

A word about asepsis... I was a lab technician in my pre-mom life & some habits, like aiming for asepsis, die very hard- luckily for my herbal preparations & beer-making :) Asepsis means making sure you keep things as clean as possible when making something medicinal (of for any cooking, for that matter). It means making sure you wash your hands before setting to work, making sure you've wiped the counter where you're working, & making sure all of your utensils are clean before using them. It's common sense, but I always keep asepsis in mind before setting to work, especially if I plan to share some of the salve with friends. I have made it a habit of only using brand-new containers for the salve, although I usually recycle the old ones for other purposes. This is a personal preferance, mostly because I'm never sure I can get them as clean once they've been used, as they were right from the supplier. The best way to sanitise used containers is in the dishwasher on "sani" cycle, or whatever you have that's similar. I use this for beer bottles (which I do re-use) & it's never failed yet... The metal salve jars tend to rust when I put them in the dishwasher, & the plastic ones sometimes warp, so that may be why I just get new ones...

The Recipe:

4 tbsp calendula infused oil*
3 tbsp comfrey infused oil*
1 tbsp St. John's Wort infused oil*
18 drops lavender essential oil**
9 drops chamomile essential oil***
11 grams of beeswax #

jars or tin(s) to hold 4 oz of salve

Place infused oils (not the essential oils!) & beeswax in inner pan of double-boiler, bring to a boil, & stir occasionally until the beeswax melts. Take off the heat, stir in the essential oils. Pour immediately into jar(s). Allow to cool until set. Label jars. The salve will last at least a year before losing it's "virtue" (as they used to say).

notes on ingredients:
* infused oils are oils that have had plant matter soaked in them. I make my own (except for the St. John's Wort) & will add the recipe for infused oils at the end of this. I always use organic oils, usually olive oil, to make infusions. Mt. Rose has them already made for you.

** don't use lavender essential oil labelled or described as "spike" lavender. It is very astringent & medicinal & not the lovely scent usually associated with lavender. I use Mt. Rose's 40-42 Blend, not labelled as organic, but in our house we go through lavender oil like candy, so I have bottles on each floor. It's the only essential oil that can be used undiluted on the skin & we use it for bug bites, itchy patches, burns, & to protect wool yarn & wooly clothing from moths.

*** chamomile oil is really expensive these days, but you don't need very much for this recipe. I use either Roman or Blue, which Mt. Rose has under "Precious Essential Oils", so you can get it by the 1/8th ounce without mortgaging the house...

# I use herbal-preparation-grade beesway purchased from Mt. Rose . It goes a long way & does not go bad...


Here's the recipe for infused oils-

Ingredients:
* dried herbs (preferably organic)
* organic olive oil
* clean quart mason jar or similar jar with well-fitting lid
* cheesecloth
* clean bottle for finished oil (to hold approximately 16 oz.)
Half-fill the mason jar with dried comfrey leaf. Add olive oil to within 2” of the neck of the jar. Cap, shake well, & allow to sit overnight. The next day, top-off the jar with more olive oil (the comfrey will absorb some, so the level will be lower) to within an inch of the top. Shake daily for the first 2-3 weeks. Place in a warm, dark place, if possible. Allow to macerate for at least 1 month, although the longer it sits, the better.

To decant, pour contents of mason jar into a large square of cheesecloth (I put it in a strainer over a quart measuring cup). When it stops dripping, gather the edges together, twist, & squeeze. The leftovers may be composted. Pour finished oil into bottle, label, & store in fridge. It will need to be warmed to room temp before using.

A couple final words...
As with many kids with autism, my son is extremely sensitive to scents. The fake, floral scent of most perfumes send him right through the roof (& usually out of the room...). Interestingly, & wonderfully, B does not react this way to any essential oils used for scent or in medicinals I've made. Over the years, I've discovered that lavender oil has a soothing effect on B & presently his bath soap, handwashing soap, & shampoo, plus all of the cleaning & laundry products used in our home, are lavender-based products. I get his soap from Indigo Wild, the shampoo in the natural foods section of the market, & my cleaning products from Mrs. Meyers. I haven't worn commercial perfumes for years & use only products from Indigo & Mt. Rose, which I love. At one point, we used Indigo's Lemon-Lavender spray to create safe space for B & he had a bottle at school as well as at home. I believe firmly that the calm & peace we have at home is enhanced by being aware of our aroma-surroundings.

Enjoy in good health!! If you have questions, please leave a comment...

Welcome to Jedi Workshop!

I've been thinking for a while about starting a companion blog to Life in the New Republic that shares some of the ideas I've come up with or resources I've discovered for making adaptive devices for B. Since life isn't all about weighted blankets & tricks for enhancing fine-motor skills, I'll be sharing other things I've found that enhance our family life with a child with autism, such as boo-boo salve & aromatherapy recipes, origami patterns & fun to make gifts for kids of all abilities- that sort of thing. I'm hoping that others with similar ideas will share them through the comments page so that I'll have the chance to learn what other good stuff there is out there... Stay tuned!