I started growing my Santa beard in April this year after a lengthy hiatus from facial hair. Now that I’ve stopped shaving, my barber has introduced me to beard oil and it’s looking pretty darned good. Come November and December, I’ll be the Singing Santa performing a lot of my own original seasonal songs, sporting my homegrown beard and accompanied by Chris the Accordion Guy.
I am writing something about the moon and it gets a decent chunk of words in this issue of Grainews. Said subject usually raises keen interest among my readership. A Grainews reader (name not shown by request) from out Balcarres way west of Melville, Sask., asks for information about children who are born during a waxing moon (increasing in light) and children born during a waning moon (decreasing in light).
I am also including some news about possible therapeutic benefits from eating kale. It is known to be a good dietary start to help block cancer of several types, especially lung cancer and bladder cancer. Flea beetles and white cabbage moth butterflies with those black dots on their wings love kale. Besides for salads, this leafy veggie can also be steamed and used in stir-fries.
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So that’s my summation of what you can expect but, before that, let me give a tip of my hat and a Singing Gardener spirited sing-out of welcome to all. Glad to have you in the front row. New subscribers to Grainews and existing ones can update and/or renew their subscriptions by phoning 1-800-665-0502.
What does the moon say about baby births?
The next full moons for the rest of 2022 are Sunday, Oct. 9, Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Wednesday, Dec. 7. The questions asked are what does folklore tradition have to say about when the next child born into a family arrives during a full moon, a waxing moon or a waning moon? Will it be a baby boy or baby girl? Down through the centuries the sex of a child to be born has always been of intense interest to the parents and relatives. I cannot vouch for or guarantee accuracy but here’s some food for thought I can give you. Some or all of this may or may not be true.
When a baby boy is born in the wane of the moon (diminishing light), the next child will be a girl and vice versa. When a birth takes place (boy or girl) during a waxing moon (increasing in light), the next child will be of the same sex. Wean boy babies while the new moon is waxing but wean girl babies while the moon is waning. This is said to result in sturdy boys and slim, sought-after girls when grown. Children and animals born at the time of the full moon are larger and stronger than those born in the wane of the moon. It’s also believed with considerable basis in fact that springtime-born animals — calves, foals, dogs, cats, lambs, etc. — benefit from having a full season in which to grow and develop toward maturity well before winter.
Some other lunar lore
Police in London, England, have noted there are more dog bites at the time of the full moon than during any other times of the moon. Medicines, tonics, herbal remedies, massages and other healing therapies are said to be more effective when begun as close as possible to the time of the full moon. Internal worms are more active during a full moon and animals in particular should be dosed to cleanse and eradicate them of worms at or near a full moon. If you want your hair to grow quickly, get it cut on Oct. 1, 2, 3, 7, 27, 28, 29 or 30 in 2022. If you want your hair to not grow so fast (that is less quickly), get a haircut on Oct. 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 in 2022.
This year, Christmas falls on Sunday, Dec. 25, just two days after entry of the new moon on Dec. 23. According to folklore, that’s good news. The nearer Christmas comes to the new moon, the better the following year (in this case 2023) will be for agriculture, gardening and business. Anyone planning a marriage should have the ceremony take place during a growing moon, with closer to the full moon being best. For gardeners and farmers, the new moon is the most powerful phase of the waxing moon as it has full growth ahead of it.
Old expressions, thoughts and beliefs about the moon still survive and some are fun and educational to know about. Lots are surprisingly true having survived for centuries — others perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt.
Kale could be a lifesaver
If someone told you that by eating kale regularly your risk of getting lung cancer, bladder cancer and some other cancers can be lowered substantially, would you believe it? Personally, I’m spending more time at the food pharmacy than at the prescription pharmacy by following solid guidelines from ongoing research that confirm an old adage many of us already know. Food is medicine and medicine is food.
I seeded kale during early spring and again in August using a cold frame. Raised beds also work well for me in August as flea beetles are usually fewer in numbers. However, this year I found cabbage moth butterflies to still be quite active and eager to lay their eggs. If you find kale leaves peppered with holes or in worse condition, you’ll know that pesky insect pests have been present. I recommend starting kale seedlings in cold frames with tops that swing open and on raised beds. Kale also grows well in containers that are placed on waist-high tables.
Lightweight row covers live up to their name as useful insect pest barriers without heat buildup. Heavyweight row covers, also available, provide efficient frost protection down to -5 C during early spring and autumn frosts. Flea beetles, cabbage moth butterflies, aphids, thrips, caterpillars, carrot rust flies, maggot flies and leaf miner flies can all be kept out when an appropriate row cover is carefully applied and secured. It can also be applied over newly seeded beds to aid germination and decrease water evaporation. Lightweight row covers can be seven and a half feet wide and range from 20 to 200 feet in length. Heavyweight row covers can be 10 feet wide and range from 20 feet to 200 feet in length. For more information on row covers, contact West Coast Seeds at [email protected] or by calling 1-888-804-8820.
Wisdom of the pickle jar
We’ve all heard it. Time is precious. Handle with care. Here’s an experiment. This is not just for procrastinators but for anyone who puts off unpleasant duties. Fill a clean, empty pickle jar with sand and then try to add some pebbles or stones. It simply can’t be done because there’s no space. We’ve got to put the pebbles in the jar first and then fill the spaces in between them with sand. Life is like the pickle jar. Each of us is given the same amount of time daily. If we fill time with unimportant things, there’s little or no room left for the meaningful tasks.
To put it into practice, try this. Tonight, write down three of the most pressing duties that need attention tomorrow. The next day, look at the list and tackle the first major item. Keep plugging away until it’s done, or no further progress can be made. Then move onto the second and then the third task. Once the major tasks are completed, start with the smaller stuff and fill in the spaces with leisure and little things. We need to move the big stones first. That’s the lesson from the pickle jar.
