Well yesterday was overall just not my day, minor and frustrating things kept happening all day, but last night all of that faded away when our poor baby pup Ellie Mae burned her face on a small heater we have in the house. She's always loved curling up next to heat producing items, like the wood stove especially. Last night we had a small electric heater plugged in and when chase walked in to the kitchen to bring in his plate and help me clean up she must of accidentally rolled into the heater while asleep. I can't explain in words...I couldn't handle myself when I first saw her face, she looked like she had been badly beaten and abused, and my first thought was my poor baby girl was going to be scared for life and I just started balling. Her eye was swollen shut and huge and from her snout to the top of her head was wrinkled and red. Thankfully I have an amazing man who stays calm in frantic situations and helped calm me down as well as her. It was a scary feeling, and I felt responsible for letting her be alone in the room with that thing. We used a damp cool cloth to try and take out some of the heat, but she wasn't a big fan of having that against her face. This book below was the first thing we went to once our minds were in a rational state (ok when my mind was in rational state). We recently just bought this book at our local Tractor Supply just because it looked like our kinda thing. It has amazing tips and and home remedies for just about anything, including burns. I'm so glad I had it to go to last night (as well as mom) it was comforting having somewhat of an idea of what to do, while my mind was racing so fast I couldn't thing straight.
The funny thing about this book is that if you took my mothers mind and wrote it down it would be this book. She has always been an herbalist, and from a young age I was talking Homeopathic Remedies when I was hurt or sick. I used to never hold stock in them, but the older I get the more I realize momma knew best (and honestly I never was very sick as a child, so something was working). I called her last night and she reminded me of a plant (well you'd call it a weed) that grows outside about every ones house, that we used to use for bee stings and burns (even minor cuts can be treated with this plant to stop the bleeding). It will relieve the pain and swelling from a sting or burn. It's called Plantain, and looks like this...
I'm telling you, most of you have this in your backyard. The way I was taught to use it was to just pick it, chew it up and put it directly on the affected area. Yup, chew it. When you do that you make it into a poultice, which is like a mushy form of the plant. No it doesn't taste amazing, but its not awful, and its affective and quick. You could also boil the leaves in hot water and than use the water on a cloth to treat the affected area, but I promise you a watched pot doesn't boil, especially when pain is involved. Also if you spray your yard with any weed killers, I don't suggest chewing this plant up in your mouth, not at all.
I used to find it weird, all of the funny plant and herbal things my mom did when I was growing up. The more I come into myself though, the more I realize how valuable this type of knowledge is. It's a dying knowledge too. Our great grandmothers weren't going to the doctor, or drug store every time something went wrong. They looked to what they had and what was around them.
Nights like last night make me so thankful to have my wise momma, and my calm, level-headed man, and my healthy and happy little puppy. She is doing much better this morning, the swelling and red areas have all but gone away, and I'm hoping were in the clear from any permanent scaring. I'll tell you what though, when I saw that poor girl and her face, I was as close to a mother as I've ever been, and I know for sure someday I will be one worried and protective mommy who will be happy to have home remedies, and country wisdom on her side.
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