MARCH 9

      GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU

      If you suffer from menstrual cramps or premenstrual discomfort, you may find the following bath remedy to be soothing and calming. The water will dilate your blood vessels and relax your muscles, while the herbs provide aromatherapy.

      2 tablespoons dried lavender

      2 tablespoons dried rose petals

      3 tablespoons dried chamomile

      2 tablespoons hops

      Combine the herbs in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour in a quart of boiling water. Cover and let sit for an hour. Strain the herbs and pour under the running tap of a warm (not hot) bath.

      MARCH 10

      FREE VACATION

      When my husband is away, I sometimes spend the night in the guest bedroom in the old-fashioned double bed I used before I was married. It has a fluffy comforter, ruffled pillow shams, and pretty sheets. If I adjust the miniblinds just right, I get a lovely view of the treetops and city lights, a nice contrast to the tar-and-gravel rooftops and power lines I see during the day. And because there is only one outlet in the room, just enough for a lamp and a clock, I read in bed instead of watching TV Spending the night in the guest room makes me feel as though I’m staying at a bed and breakfast. As Jane Austen once said, “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”

      MARCH 11

      HERBAL SOAP BALLS

      Here’s an easy, inexpensive homemade gift that the little ones can help with. The kids will love the pulverizing, and recipients will like its clean fragrance.

      1 tablespoon dried herbs, pulverized (you can use rosemary, sage, thyme, peppermint, or a combination)

      5 drops matching essential oil

      1 personal-size Ivory soap bar, shredded and placed in a mixing bowl

      Pour ¼ cup boiling water over the herbs and add the essential oil. Let steep for 20 minutes. Bring this mixture to a boil and pour over the soap. When cool enough, mix well by hand and let stand for 15 minutes. Mix again and form into 3 balls. Place on plastic wrap and let stand for 3 days. Makes 3 soap balls.

       MARCH 12

      HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

      My husband swears by these.

      4 cups flour

      1¼ teaspoon salt

      6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

      approximately 1¼ cups boiling water

      Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl. Mix the shortening in by hand until the mixture resembles cornmeal and feels slightly gritty to the touch. Stir in enough boiling water that the dough sticks together. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for approximately 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball, place inside the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. After approximately 30 minutes, divide the dough into 10 to 12 balls, and roll each flat with a well-floured rolling pin. Cook in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, about 20 seconds on each side. Makes 10 to 12 tortillas.

      MARCH 13

      THE PLEASURE OF GIVING PLEASURE

      Pleasing someone else is a pleasure like no other. Cook a special dish for your mate, find the perfect sweater for a friend, treat your child to her favorite ice cream. Today, indulge someone else in his or her simple pleasure and notice how good it makes you feel.

      MARCH 14

      SCENTED NOTEPAPER

      We all send letters so infrequently these days that when we do, it should be a pleasurable experience for both the sender and the receiver. You can add a romantic touch to your personal correspondence by scenting your stationery. It’s incredibly easy. This recipe makes enough for you and your friends.

      8 ounces unscented talcum powder

      15 drops of your favorite essential oil or perfume

      6 small, closely woven cotton or silk bags, open on one side

      ribbon

      notepaper and envelopes

      1 plastic bag

      In a bowl, combine the powder and perfume. Cover tightly and let sit for a day. Spoon the mixture into the bags and tie with ribbon. Place the bags in between the layers of notepaper and envelopes in a box and put the box into the plastic bag. Allow to sit for a few days so that the scent will permeate the paper. Makes 6 sachets.

      MARCH 15

      INDOOR GREENERY

      When it’s gray and dreary outside, I like to plant an indoor kitchen garden in a sunny window. One of my favorites is a lemon herb garden, because it lends such a tart fragrance to the room. You can either put plants in one long container or use a variety of small pots. Choose from lemon basil, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, lemon balm, lemon geranium, and lemongrass to fill the air with the delicious, tangy scent of citrus. Treat these plants to plenty of sun and well-drained soil. Be sure to pick the blooms off of lemon verbena and lemon basil. The more you pick and use these herbs, the more prolific the plants will be. Consider mixing in a yellow flowering plant to visually highlight the lemon fragrance. What to do with all this lemon flavor? Try making lemon honey: Coarsely chop ½ cup lemon balm or lemon verbena and place in a saucepan with 1 cup honey. Over low heat, cook for 20 minutes, then strain out herbs and store honey in a container with a tight lid. Or make lemon butter: Soften ½ cup butter and mix in 2 tablespoons of finely chopped lemon basil or lemon thyme. Great for seafood and pasta.

      MARCH 16

      AN EASY PICK-ME-UP

      When the winter doldrums really grip your family, how about hosting a slumber party for all your children’s friends? They will love it, and even if it gives you a sleepless night, at least you won’t be bored. To make it a night to remember, buy inexpensive plain pillowcases and have the kids sign them with permanent markers. Provide a variety of colors for artistic inspiration. Parents can later stitch over the names if they want and have a keepsake.

       MARCH 17

      FLOWER BARRETTES

      These are wonderful for kids of all ages.

      plain plastic hair barrettes

      small dried flowers—(small rose buds and baby’s breath are nice)

      glue gun

      Decide on a pleasing arrangement, and hot-glue the flowers onto the barrettes.

      MARCH 18

      GOING OUT FOR BREAKFAST

      My father was an old-fashioned country doctor who made house calls and visited his patients in the county hospital every day except Sunday. On Saturdays, he would get up early and, on the way to the hospital, stop for breakfast at what my mother always referred to as “the dirty diner.” It was a greasy spoon in an old railroad car with split black leather booths whose chief appeal to my dad was the break in his routine of coffee and the newspaper