Father’s Day – Sunday, June 17

Father’s Day all began when a young woman wanted to honor her dad.

In May of 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash., sat in church listening to a Mother’s Day sermon. She decided she wanted to designate a day for her dad , William Jackson Smart. Dodd’s mother had died in childbirth, and Dodd’s father, a Civil War veteran, had taken the responsibility of singlehandedly raising the newborn and his other five children.

The following year, Dodd wanted to celebrate Father’s Day on June 5th, her father’s birthday, and petitioned for the holiday to be recognized in her city. Needing more time to arrange the festivities, Spokane’s mayor pushed the date back by two weeks, and the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, according to the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitor Bureau.

At the first Father’s Day celebration, young women handed out red roses to their fathers during a church service, and large baskets full of roses were passed around, with attendees encouraged to pin on a rose in honor of their fathers – red for the living and white in memory of the deceased. Dodd then brought her infant son along on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city, bringing roses and gifts to home-bound fathers.

While Congress was quick to officially declare the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914, after it was first celebrated on May 10, 1908, it took much longer for Father’s Day to be legally recognized. But thanks to Dodd’s celebration, Father’s Day steadily gained popularity.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge said that he supported it, in order to establish closer relationships between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations, according to the Library of Congress.

And the holiday gained more traction in 1938 when a trade organization, the National Council for the Promotion of Father’s Day, which was formed by men’s clothing retailers in New York City, decided to take up the cause, according to Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays (Princeton University Press, 1995).

President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it a permanent holiday. Since then, Father’s Day has become a time to recognize the many different father figures in our lives.

Ash Knight – A Road Less Traveled

I’m not even sure there was always a road…….

If you haven’t had a chance to meet Ash, our newest employee at the Harvest Moon, you need to do so. Don’t let her quiet, somewhat serious demeanor lead you to doubt that her life’s story is any less interesting, playful and full than………well, just about anyone else you can think of. Ash has so many great stories of life, adventure, and learning to share. She should write a book.

Where to begin?

Have you ever heard of Vipassana meditation? If you live in Floyd, I’m guessing there is a chance you’ve at least heard of Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are. Ash is a practitioner of Vipassana and also coordinated the volunteer kitchen staff at the Vipassana Meditation Center in Massachusetts for more than 5 years. During a Vipassana retreat, for the attendees, also known as ‘the sitters’, there is NO TALKING, absolutely none, for hours, days and weeks. Some people attend a month long sit without speaking a word. Ash was responsible for coordinating a group of volunteers from around the globe to serve the meals during these sits. Ash said it was an exciting challenge to create recipes and systems to feed and care for such diverse groups of people.

Ash continues to meditate 2 hours each day with her husband Kaba, mornings and evenings. They are believers in mediation as a form of self-knowledge and self-care.

Ash and Kaba spent years….. more than 10 years…. living on the road, travelling in their van, visiting friends and family, attending and working at meditation centers, and attending Rainbow gatherings. During these years, they would sometimes stop to earn a little income by working at an organic farm in Alachua, Florida. Here they camped in a tent set up by a creek, cooked their meals over a campfire, and dreamt of the ruffled kale leaves or stately heads of romaine lettuce they harvested and packed during the day.

Ash and Kaba are now happy to call Floyd their home and are enjoying the process making new friends and deepening their relationship with the natural beauty of this region. Ash and Kaba each have a son and daughter from previous relationships and now have 8 grandchildren between them. Ash looks forward to her regular visits to Durham, NC to see her 1 year old grandson.

We feel fortunate that Ash has joined our Harvest Moon community. She enjoys working at the Moon as it gives her the opportunity to meet new people in the community, work with a supportive staff, and be surrounded by good food!

Ash loves walks in nature, gardening, reading, cooking and Open Mic Night at Dogtown. Asked when she is happiest, Ash said when she is feeling the illusion of being in control (sly smile), to which Kaba quickly reminds her that this is just an illusion.

AHCC is an extract of the mycelia (root systems) of medicinal mushrooms and the best-selling immune supplement in Japan. It has been shown to modulate the body’s immune system in more than 20 human clinical studies and is used in more than 1,000 health care facilities around the world. Rather than being directly anti-bacterial, AHCC increases the numbers and/or activity of several kinds of immune cells such as natural killer cells, T cells, and dendritic cells, as well as cytokines, the chemical messengers of the immune system.

ANDROGRAPHIS Native to India, andrographis offers antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties. It is widely used in the treatment of Lyme disease. Beyond Lyme disease, numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of andrographis to reduce the length and severity of common viral illnesses. It has shown activity against viral hepatitis B and C and Chlamydia. Andrographis has been used for dysentery and shows activity against pathogenic strains of E. coli. It is active against common roundworms and tapeworms. In a 2011 study, andrographis was found to be beneficial for ulcerative colitis (as compared to drug, mesalazine). Excellent antiviral and antibacterial properties, important for treating Lyme disease, and important for gastrointestinal restoration. Provides coverage against viral relapse.

CAT’S CLAW Native to the Amazon, cat’s claw has a long history of traditional use for treatment of a wide range of inflammatory conditions. It also has been adopted by the Lyme community as a primary herb for use in treating Lyme disease. Cat’s claw is antiprotozoal and may provide coverage against Babesia.

JAPANESE KNOTWEED Truly a wonder substance, Japanese knotweed (JKW) offers exceptional antimicrobial activity. JKW is active against a wide range of stealth microbes.

It is a primary herbal antimicrobial. JKW is a very important general antimicrobial for Lyme, Mycoplasma, fibromyalgia, and viral infections. It also provides coverage against Bartonella, Mycoplasma, Candida, and has anti-fungal properties. It has been found to disrupt bacterial biofilms. JKW is a systemic antimicrobial that crosses the blood-brain barrier, and it is protective of the central nervous system. It’s also anti-inflammatory and supports immune function.

QUERCETIN In chronic Lyme and associated diseases Quercetin is an herbal medicine that decreases pain, limits and improves Herxheimer die-off reactions, improves bladder inflammation and irritation in interstitial cystitis, and decreases allergic reactions. Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant.

Through a variety of mechanisms quercetin lowers inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins. Cytokines are made by the immune system in response to chronic infections and the killing of Lyme germs. Cytokines treat infections by turning on various white blood cells, but also cause pain, achiness, fatigue, hormonal dysregulation, and poor sleep. In chronic Lyme and associated diseases the immune system makes too many cytokines. In a sense, Lyme disease is a syndrome of cytokine dysregulation and excess.

SARSAPARILLA Sarsaparilla is native to South America, but Smilax species with medicinal benefit are common around the world. Sarsaparilla is thought to bind endotoxins. Endotoxins are the debris created when pathogenic bacteria are killed off. Sarsaparilla also offers antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is commonly used in Lyme disease protocols. Traditionally, it is used for treatment of psoriasis and other skin conditions. Sarsaparilla is a synergist for Lyme protocols and important for restoration of gastrointestinal function.

STEVIA While it sounds too good to be true, there is legitimate evidence suggesting a beneficial stevia side effect could include killing Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease. It’s important to note that this was a lab study where scientists dealt with the bacteria in test tube and petri dish situations, so we need to follow up with studies in humans to see if stevia effectively kills Lyme in humans. In other words, we need clinical trials. But, we do hear some people say that they feel better when taking stevia extract.

TEASLE Teasel Root for Lyme Disease is produced from the roots of the specific species of the biennial teasel plant Dipsacus Sylvestris. Don’t confuse it with Dispsacus Fullonum. Teasel is commonly found in Europe and Asia, bears small fruits and can grow up to 5 feet tall. The Chinese use Teasel for its ability to maintain the meridian of the liver and the essence of the kidneys.

Teasel Root is used for healing from Lyme Disease and for good reason. Borrelia, the Lyme bacteria, is a spirochete bacteria which means its body is spiral shaped and designed to drill into tissue such as joints, organs, and even bone. While buried within the tissue of our bodies, the spirochetes are cleverly concealed and out of reach from antibiotics and the immune system much like in a biofilm or cyst form. Teasel Root is used for its ability to pull the bacteria from tissue, and into the blood stream, exposing it to antibiotics and the immune system.

We also offer I-tal Acres Lyme Support Formula and Detox Compound, two locally made tinctures that should be taken together. They are both synergistic blends, the Lyme Support containing many of the herbs listed above which help fight off the bacteria and the Detox Compound which contains herbs that help the body to process the toxins as they die off.

May we all have a Lyme-free summer. Be proactive, and I hope we can.