Sitting here looking out my office window at the sun sparkling on the ice-coated branches of the Bradford Pear trees in my front yard. It sure is beautiful but … I really wish it would go away. Unfortunately, we’re not supposed to get above freezing for the next three days! Brrr!
So I decided while I’m waiting on the temps to warm up, I’d work on getting my office organized. That lasted maybe five minutes, until I got to the Appalachian Journey notes file and I found a few notes I’d jotted down during phone conversations with Daddy. Some of them were very hard to read–my handwriting has gotten atrociuos since I quit teaching. I’m not sure why I hadn’t ever added them to the computer file, but I suspect it’s merely laziness, so I decided I’d better get out my magic decoder ring and do my best to decipher the chicken scratch…
And I found a note about Aunt Bessie’s springtime ritual of giving Daddy a tonic made of ginseng (or ‘sang as
she called it) roots to clear away the winter blahs and get his blood pumping again. Below that, I’d written Tasted Terrible!!!!, underlined three times.
I’ve never had ginseng root tea but I trust Daddy’s taste and don’t think I’ll go looking for a cup anytime soon. Still, it got me thinking about a program I’d seen about harvesting ginseng and how it’s now listed on the endangered plants list and a lot of states have laws governing when and how you can dig the roots.
But if it tastes so awful, why is it being dug to the point of extinction? To answer that, I turned to my trusty research book, Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs, authored by Steven Foster and James A. Duke, put out by Peterson Field Guides:
“Root considered demulcent, tonic. Research suggests it may increase mental efficiency and physical performance and aid in adapting to high or low temperatures and stress (when taken over an extended period). Ginseng’s effect is called “adaptogenic”–tending to return the body to normal while increasing resistance to adverse influences on the body.”
So, it looks like Aunt Bessie was right; ginseng root tea taken as a tonic in the spring does have the ability to take away the winter blahs and get your body ready for the increased activity that comes with the warmer weather.
There’s a lot to be said for those old remedies!
CTHodges
christytilleryfrench
CC TILLERY 
14 comments
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February 18, 2015 at 9:18 am
wakingofthebear
My wife is a Master Herbalist, so I get a good dose of those natural remedies. They are so much better for the body than prescription drugs. I have enjoyed reading your books about Aunt Bessie, and sharing some of the herbal passages with my wife, who says, “I knew that.”
February 18, 2015 at 4:33 pm
CTHodges
Oh, I agree, wakingofthebear! I’ve recently started on a mission to get my husband and I off of the chemicals completely and switch to natural foods and rememdies. So far it seems to be working. Hmmm…your wife’s a Master Herbalist, huh? Maybe we need to add her name to our research list! Seriously, I’m in awe of herbalists and all their knowledge about the natural life. And I love that more and more people seem to be going that route these days
Thanks for commenting. We’re so glad you’re enjoying the books!
February 19, 2015 at 9:26 am
wakingofthebear
If you are interested, my wife’s web site is Howlingwolfherbs.com.
February 21, 2015 at 2:20 pm
CTHodges
Thanks, wakingofthebear! I’ll check it out!
February 19, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Snow, Sleet … and ‘Sang Tea | Dames of Dialogue
[…] Snow, Sleet … and ‘Sang Tea. […]
February 19, 2015 at 11:35 pm
Erica
Recently finished Whistling Woman and just now completed Moonfixer and will start the next one as soon as I type this note. These books are great. They flow easily and I feel like I’m sitting there with Bessie. Bravo!!
February 21, 2015 at 2:23 pm
CTHodges
Thanks so much, Erica. What a lovely comment to find on this dull, dreary, cold morning. You’ve really brightned up our day! Hope you enjoy Beloved Woman, too!
February 20, 2015 at 12:09 am
lorettawheeler
Such an interesting blog :)…I didn’t know the exact effects of the tea, but I knew it was supposed to be good 🙂 I’ve found, most of these old wives tales are based on something…and often more true than not 🙂 Lo
February 21, 2015 at 2:32 pm
CTHodges
Hi, Lo! I’m in the process of getting rid of all the processed foods in mine and my husband’s diet. I haven’t tried ‘sang tea yet but maybe I will when spring gets here (if it ever does!). Daddy said Aunt Bessie swore by it and while it tasted horrible, it seemed to work! Thanks for commenting!
March 1, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Michelle Ais
I just finished Beloved Woman and am dying to find out how Bessie and Fletch love and enjoy “Little John”. Are we getting close to a release date for Wise Woman? I thoroughly enjoy the Cherokee stories, life in simpler times and the old timey remedies. I get a kick out of the sayings at the beginning of each chapter as well. I’ve heard more than a few of them! I have always thought I was born in the wrong century, life back then was hard but so fulfilling. Keep up the good work. (If you need a proof reader, I’m available and I’m cheap! Lol)
March 2, 2015 at 2:14 pm
CTHodges
Thanks, Michelle! Sorry, I can’t tell you when Wise Woman will be released but we are working on it as fast as we can. I love that you feel you were born in the wrong century since I often feel the same way–especially since we started writing these books! It was a harder life but like you say, so fulfilling. Like Aunt Bessie, I spend a large part of my summer gardening, fussing with my herbs and “putting food by” as she called it.
Thanks again for commenting and your interest in the series. We’ll be sure to post here as soon as Wise Woman is released so stay tuned!
March 2, 2015 at 2:15 pm
CTHodges
Oops! Forgot to add, we’ll keep you in mind when/if we’re looking for an editor. You can never have enough eyes when it comes to getting a book right!
April 19, 2015 at 11:23 pm
Art Jones
I remember “Lowes Herbs” warehouse in 1975, when I drove into North Wilkesboro. An a few years back when hiking about, encountering the signs on the ground “I shoot, Don’t mess with my Sang”
Just read Heloise’s book of family in the mountains in the 1950s.
I imagined it a bit further south, in the Marshall area of the North Carolina Mountains,
April 27, 2015 at 8:29 pm
CTHodges
Hi Art. These days, ginseng is a very valuable plant in the mountains. I don’t remember Lowes Herbs. Are they still there? Sounds like a place I’d like to see. The first book in our Appalachian Journey series, Whistling Woman, takes place near Marshall, in Hot Springs where Bessie’s papa, our great-grandfather, was constable. We heard stories growing up about Grandpapa John taking his prisoners to Marshall, the county seat, in a horse and buggy. We visit both Marshall and Hot Springs often, beautiful little towns!