POW WOWING

I believe I come from a line of Pow Wowers. Pow wowwing is a form of Appalachian Faith healing. It is done with herbs, incantations poultices, chants and prayers. Each practioner is different and each area is different. Another name for femal practitioners would be a Granny.

I have researched this area for years and am fascinated with the concept. In the last month though I have figured out why I am so fascinated.All around are areas in the natural that I am powerless over. Especially in areas of health. Not only my own health, but that of family and the furry beings in our house.To watch baby furries die one after the other, to see loved ones anxious, friends and family struggling with lifetime health issues is not easy.How wonderful it would be to incant and everything be alright. To use a poltice and loved ones be cured. To sit in the sun and all is well.

My maternal grandmother did many interesting acts with us that I would put under the heading of pow wowwing. When I was in the hospital as a kid for long term care. She would fight to get me the bed by the window. Then all through the day she would move my bed so that I would get the sun.She would bring in the outside for me. She would bring in flowers from her garden, wildflowers from the road. At different times she brought fish in a small bowl,a hermit crab, and a turtle. I vividly remember a nurse looking in on my room one day and asking my stylishly dressed "Cookie", "Where do you people come from?" She couldn't imagine we were just 60 miles down the pike.

Then there were the rocks. There were always rocks. Cookie had collected rocks from all over the world and taught me to gather rocks also. Case in point: If I had a complaint of being hot, she offered a rock from John Bryan's State Park creek. She told me to remember when we found the rock. Remember what a nice day we had and how cool the creek was. And to take a nap. It worked then and it works now, she says witha pocket full of rocks specifically picked out for the day.

In the children's hospital where I spent so much time there was a twist on pow wowwing I also. There were 2 simple cures that worked for just about anything. The first was coloring. If you hurt, couldn't sleep, missed your mommy, it didn't matter what you were brought a coloring book and crayons. It actually seemed to fix about anything. (I haven't found this to be different today.)

Now f things got really rough and you pushed your nurse button just a little too much you were offered Majic Water. The nurse explained to you that if you really felt bad, she could bring you majic water. Now she couldn't give you much because it was so powerful. Just one of those little white paper cups they brought your pills in - that was more than enough. And it was so powerful that you would be asleep before she left the room. Majic water always worked.

Years later I was seeing an Acupuncturist originally from China. One of the clients was loudly complaining of her condition. The Dr. went over to a water container and poured a very small amount of cool water and explained the potency. She drank it and was immediately relieved. Majic water is obviously universal.

So what ever we offer in times of trouble - try your own sort of pow wowwing - it can't hurt and it may be the only thing that transfers comfort and relief. The only thing to get us through and allow us to be willing to do it again the next time.

New Ventures, Old Lessons

Much has happened in my life lately. And I am aspiring to take it all in stride, although it does not always look that way. Recently I have been re-introduced to the book, Advice to a Young Wife from an Old Mistress, as told to Michael Drury. (See Amazon.com) It has helped to put a few things into perspective.



I am looking at two out-patient surgeries respectively in November and December, both right before the holidays. I am relieved to have dates, but also realize there are preparations to make. My fiance is wonderfully supportive, and have no doubt that we will be able to rise to the occasion. But what will I be when it is said and done? What choices can I make?



I have reduced my "outside of the home" charity work and am focasing on being a homemaker. I am attending college online and am daily taking care of 10 cats and 1 St. Bernard. But how can I "feed myself" intellectually and emotionally and still be an interesting person to my fiance and frankly to myself?



I have started by resigning my post at the clothing/food bank and trying to focus on the Circle of Love charity group I had founded. We are trying to make sure children and seniors in the area are getting hats, scarves and gloves for the winter season. Even though I can not make alot right now, I can work out distribution and find others to help make.



I have found some women missionaries in various parts of the world and am attempting to pen pal with them. This could afford me interesting correspondence and sharing more of humanity.



Well, I have also started by turning off my television in the day time. (Quite frankly, Loki, the puppy did this, and several lamps also were unplugged.) I run either CD's or NPR radio during the day. This not only affords me with great music, but seemingly real news.



I do not like all the programs on the NPR, yet I make myself listen to each and every one. Why? So I am informed, so I have more to talk about than myself and cleaning and cooking, and because learning is an effort. And effort takes choice.



Also I am reading War and Peace (see dailylit.com). Literature allows me to feel, bigger and broader, and to realize the congruency of people and experiences. Daily I am making time to read blogs that I appreciate, commenting on the state of our nation and our world. This also keep me out of a self centered listening and talking mode.



I am trying to get Christmas shopping done, much via the internet and try to look at it that then I can enjoy the season itself. I am frustrated with the fact that usually I make a lot of gifts, but since my surgeries are carpal tunnel, most of that is out of the question. Even though I try very hard to stay in the day, it is encouraging to me that with time I should be able to enjoy doing art, music and needlecraft again.



My fiance has installed Dragon, Naturally Speaking on the computer and this affords me writing privilages. This not only allows me to do my school work, but write this blog, letters and my writing interests. Writing is not only a wonderful outlet, but a mind worker. It marries the self and others naturally. Writing is quickly becoming my favorite and most productive pastime.



The computer also allows me to make a little pocket money typing. At $1 a page, I will not get rich, but it allows me to help out and feel financially productive in a straining situation.



As always the surest way to sucess is to remember to ask about others lives and remain in their day to day activites. To ask about their daily affairs with as much intensity as they ask of my health issues. To not allow a day go by that I don't share my man's day at work and his heart.



Hey, these seems like things I should be incorporating in my life anyway, don't they? I'll let you know how it goes.