Skyhooks wrote:
> I cook fairly well most of the time, but I definitely have a brown
> thumb when it comes to gardening, etc. Afew months ago, I purchased
> an "aloe" plant, just to have around, and because I knew its
> "insides" (the gel-like stuff) works well for burns. Thankfully,
> aloe plants also tolerate a lot of "abuse" and "neglect."
>
> Well, guess what I did tonight? I steamed-burned a part of my hand
> when I tried to clean a small 8" cast-iron skillet. Go figure, just a
> fraction of a second of exposure to steam can do a lot of damage to
> human flesh!
>
> After I ran my injured hand under very cold tap water for quite a few
> minutes (about 10 min?) and then some more, I amputated a stalk of the
> aloe plant... and as if deveining a shrimp, I split the aloe stalk
> right down the center, but not all the way through to the opposite
> side, then layed the "butterflied" gel-portion of the aloe plant next
> to my burned (er, steamed!) knuckles and fingers.
>
> What a relief! Does anyone else have a story to share about aloe
> plants???
>
In Costa Rica (and other latin American countries) they hang an aloe plant
(bare root up) behind the bar in the cantinas.
The plant lives for a remarkablly long tome. I think it is supposedto bring
good luck or health or whatever.

Ken.