Herb Journal: Milky Oats/ Oatstraw

I made a tea of oatstraw once, and read all of the properties that it described, and it was a disappointment. Although I thought that it seemed mineral rich, I didn't feel relaxed, or any of the calming and sedating sort of effects that I had anticipated, based on it's description of something that aids adrenal burnout and people who are stressed out due to just running on fumes for a while. I knew that something must have been wrong, and that's when I realized, it wasn't oatstraw, but milky oats that had that strong effect. The oatstraw to me, seemed nutritive, but didn't do anything to my mind.. then we went on the camping trip and Amber started talking about milky oats. Ahhhh, light bulb. The milky top of the oats are the potent medicine, the oatstraw.. eh.. not so much (at least in my opinion). The tincture of milky oats is actually pretty tasty, it is sweet, tangy and seems sort of.. well, nourishing as well. But nourishing to the soul. I can't say that there are a large amount of tinctures that taste good to me, so I'm happy to say that this is one of them. How nice! I can drink it, and not make a squinty face. After drinking a few cups of water with 3/4 dropper full of tincture, I started to feel a bit spacey. Started to feel also grounded, and more focused on myself. When you put your energy into looking outwards, and you are so busy observing and reacting to people and their stupidity (just something that occurred today), it takes all of you.. you will just go from one outrage to another. Wouldn't it be great to have sane people around you all the time, people who make you feel more calm and secure, than people who throw off your sense of what's what with their own ridiculous perceptions and hyperactive intolerances and projections. Wow, I need new friends. Or to stop wasting my time with ones who make me seethe and foam at the mouth. It's very hard to stay focused when other people are making you panic. Then you realize, it's not what you actually think, but what they are saying is frightening, and it takes your sense of what is real along with it. How do you build those walls, those protective layers ... so that idiotic people do not shift your sense of calm and well being with their hysteria, or distorted views of you..? Seems I have gone into a somewhat reflective state, and I feel like the milky oats certainly took it down enough. I am feeling somewhat like this is not just a sedative, but a narcotic. Wow, I'm feeling mellllooooooooow. Nice plant! Let's all just chill and sing a hare krishna mantra.