Hey there, internets. I've been quite absent on this thing for a while now. I thought that maybe I'd put aside some time to resume wherever I left off. I've made a big move because I landed a job in a different city. So, it's no longer the tagline "and other things that grow in the desert." Instead, I have to rethink something else. Perhaps, "and other things that grow in central Texas landscapes." But then I'd have to rename the blog because gordolobos don't grow over here... Or do they?
So, okay. Out of curiosity, I actually looked up what these plants were. Funny, I was under the impression that they looked like brown and yellow daisies that could be crushed and used like an ointment. Nope. I'm wrong. My findings via UTEP's Herb Safety website:
Gordolobo and related species have been used for centuries in Mexico and other Latin American countries, chiefly to expel phlegm (mucus), to treat bronchial asthma and coughs. Gordolobo may be added to other herbs that also have therapeutic properties against respiratory ailments, such as Eucalyptus, for example, but the effectiveness of such combinations is presently unknown. Gordolobo tea is also used for gastrointestinal complaints, due to its purportedly anti-inflammatory activity. Externally, the tea is applied as a poultice to reduce hemorrhoids.
Pretty.
Well, I actually wasn't too far off:
They are kind of like daisies, I guess. I was thinking more like, let's see, how can I describe them? There were these pretty flowers that used to grow everywhere out where I was growing up. They remind me of lions and tigers because they had the same cat's coat color scheme and that they were fuzzy. They usually grow in bunches and have like a bulbous-looking center, with a generous mane of pointy little yellow petals. The "He loves me, he loves me not" game used to go on for minutes on end with those flowers. I wonder if I can ever find out what they're called, because those are the flowers I originally wanted to name my blog. Another idea I had for a blog was to name it after an herb my grandmother used to pick to remedy certain ailments. My mom originally told me that they were gordolobos (and for some reason it clicked in my head that those fuzzy daisies were what she was talking about), but that's not what they are. I forget what that herb is called, too. So basically, this blog is named after some kind of general idea of a flower/herb that grows out in the desert. How confusing.
Anyway, it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow (and every weekday now) for work. I'm looking forward to divulging my adventures in San Antonio as a newbie and as an enthusiast of arts and culture (ugh, that sounds so snooty). Tomorrow I'm starting it off right with a lecture at a local university about the importance of creativity. And John Cleese is the lecturer! How interesting that is. Hopefully he has no desire to fart in my general direction.
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You might check out the Museo Alameda. I posted some pics from an event there a while back, though I wasn't able to see the exhibits. It's in a touristy area, but the museum itself is an interesting structure.