Skip to content

rachel wolf | clean

* Messy, Authentic, Magical Life *

  • Home
  • Blog
  • The Unplugged Family Activity Book
  • Herbal Adventures Book
  • About Me
  • LüSa Organics

Search Results for: ireland postcard

Ireland herbal retreat dreams

September 10, 2020September 10, 20201 Comment

Just for fun, want to dream with me? A few days ago on Instagram I posted: “New plan. When we can safely travel again, you come to Ireland with me on an herbal retreat. We tour off-the-beaten-path stone circles and burial tombs; connect with and learn from local herbalists, storytellers, and organic farmers; forage wild … Continue reading Ireland herbal retreat dreams

Postcard 9: Into the passage tombs

October 3, 2019October 3, 20192 Comments

I got out of the car to swing wide the cattle gate, allowing our car passage up the narrow mountain road. There was no sign to greet us, only “leave the gate as you found it” posted on a wooden placard beside the road. I slid the pin back into place, and we resumed our … Continue reading Postcard 9: Into the passage tombs

Postcard 8: Surf school

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019Leave a comment

When we take long trips like this one, we largely focus on free experiences. Because four to six weeks of paid entries would crush our budget in a hurry. So we spend our time exploring roadside ruins, hidden ancient sites, mossy forest trails, and other free-to-see locations and experiences. Despite this strict and mindful budget, … Continue reading Postcard 8: Surf school

Postcard 7: Into our very bones

September 26, 2019September 27, 20193 Comments

I love the notion of the nutrients and minerals of this place are becoming a part of our very bones. Our bodies are quietly growing blood and muscle and tissue from this very land, building us of this place before we leave for familiar soil once more. By foraging, we’re taking Ireland–and Iceland before it–into … Continue reading Postcard 7: Into our very bones

Postcard 6: Return to the sea

September 23, 2019September 23, 2019Leave a comment

Oh, what a delight to spin back toward the sea, for a few slow days of rest, sand, and ocean before us. Dingle Peninsula was recommended to us by our family and friends before our first trip to Ireland, and indeed we were glad to have come. So much so that this visit we returned … Continue reading Postcard 6: Return to the sea

Postcard 5: Ancient paths

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019Leave a comment

After leaving that ill-fated Air B&B before bedtime, we found a quiet place to sleep (or rest, at least) beside the sea. We woke as the sun rose above the mountains, gently illuminating the Atlantic coast. Everything ached, but we were grateful for following our hearts and making space for intuition, safety, and honoring our … Continue reading Postcard 5: Ancient paths

Postcard 4: magic (and mishaps) along the way

September 12, 2019September 12, 20192 Comments

Oh, where to begin. After our brimful week in Iceland, we headed on to Ireland for another month-plus of travel. If you’ve been around for a while, you might recall the September that we spent here two years back, exploring our way around the country, following the Atlantic coast. That trip inspired this one, as … Continue reading Postcard 4: magic (and mishaps) along the way

Postcard 3: Iceland farewell

September 9, 20193 Comments

It’s difficult to express the shear volume of magic we managed to wrangle into our one short week in Iceland. Good gracious. So much magic. From foraging crowberries to fording mountain streams; from ancient historic sites that still ring with the Sagas to soaking in seaside hot springs; from roaring waterfall views to bleary-eyed, early … Continue reading Postcard 3: Iceland farewell

Postcard 6: Sweet Maine

June 18, 2019June 18, 20191 Comment

The final leg of our trip was perhaps the most eagerly anticipated: Maine. The kids and I took a previous roadschooling trip there 2 1/2 years ago, and they’ve longed to return ever since. I’m not sure when a place has spoken so deeply to them as did Maine (excepting the western coast of Ireland). … Continue reading Postcard 6: Sweet Maine

Postcard 12: the boat

October 2, 2017March 16, 20186 Comments

Before our trip I stumbled upon a comment on an Ireland travel forum that made mention of touring canals in a rented barge (basically a tiny houseboat designed for navigating canals). I dug a little deeper and found a family owned barge rental company with an opening during our stay in Ireland. As it happened, … Continue reading Postcard 12: the boat

Posts navigation

Older posts

The Unplugged Family Activity Book

Herbal Adventures

LüSa Mama Instagram

lusa_mama

Rachel Jepson Wolf
Driving to town yesterday, Lupine and I came upon Driving to town yesterday, Lupine and I came upon a dead indigo bunting in the road. 

His mate was standing over him, then rising up to swoop down repeatedly over his still body, seemingly in a panicked dance of grief. 

It broke my heart. 

This was the second time we have witnessed this intimate and heartbreaking display. The previous time was with oriels many years ago, with one diving and swooping over their mate on an otherwise quiet country lane. It had the same effect on us both times.

Returning from town later that afternoon, I decided I would move him off the road to give them both a bit of dignity and peace. As we approached his body several hours later, there she was still hopping, diving, tending, grieving. Oh, my heart. 

I moved him to the grass (still close to where he died so his mate could find him) and fought back tears while we quietly drove home. 

Love is universal. And with it comes grief. Yes, even for wild things like buntings and oriels. 

The least we can do, I suppose, is to walk a bit more softly as we move through the world. 

Be gentle, be tender, be kind. And treat everyone we meet as though they've been through things we don't even want to imagine. Because, in all probability, they have.
Cardamom Date Balls Recipe Cardamom Date Balls ar Cardamom Date Balls Recipe

Cardamom Date Balls are my go-to road trip treat. Flavorful, packed with protein, and not-too-sweet-but-just-sweet-enough for car trip cravings. Making them this morning I remembered promising you this recipe two years ago and never delivering. Ope! Sorry it took me so long. Better late than never?

Feel free to substitute your own favorite sweet spices for the ginger and cardamom (cinnamon, clove, vanilla, black pepper, and fennel are all fun options). 

These are a great vehicle for dried herbs as well, so spike them with powdered dried nettle or other green friends to your heart's delight. (If you add fresh herbs, be sure to store them in the fridge or freezer or they'll spoil in a hurry.)

Pro tip If your date balls don't want to hold together, simply process for a couple of extra minutes or add nut butter of your choice 1 Tbsp at a time until they stick. 

Recipe below! 

Cardamom Date Balls 

3 C raw cashews
1 cup whole pitted dates
1/2 + 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp raw honey (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa or carob powder (optional)

* Blitz cashews in the food processor until finely ground and fairly uniform. Stop before they become nut butter! 
* Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
* Place dates in food processor (I learned from experience to check for rogue pits by gently squeezing each date before adding. Pits sometimes sneak into bags of dates, and trust me-you don't want to food process a date pit!). 
* Process until a relatively smooth paste is created and begins to form a ball. 
* Leaving the dates in the processor, return the cashew powder along with ground ginger and cardamom.
* Process until it comes together into a mass. When you pinch a bit with your fingers it should hold together. 
* Give it a taste and decide if you want the optional honey. It will depend on how sweet your dates are. I went for it and added the full Tbsp.
* Remove half and place in your mixing bowl (optional). To the half remaining in the processor, add cocoa powder, and process again.
* Form each batch into bite-sized balls using a wee cookie scoop or scant 1 Tbsp measure. 
* Store
Lupine and I spent yesterday afternoon building th Lupine and I spent yesterday afternoon building this upcycled mailbox. Our original mailbox post was literally hanging on by a splinter (and had been cracked and compromised for most of a decade), and we'd been dreaming of this one for a while. 

As for construction, she and I made it up as we went along! We're both delighted with the results. 

And it didn't cost us a cent! 
* Mailbox: used the one we already had it
* Wood: from our scrap pile and our original broken mailbox post
* Bike: from our local community free page 
* T-posts: on hand
* Misc: scrap wire, screws, & pipe strapping we had in the shop

It felt like equal parts problem-solving, art installation, homeschooling, and play. 

And I supposed it was! 

Because this is life-learning. 
This is empowerment. 
This is sustainability. 
And holy heck ya'll: this. is. fun.
‘Tis the season! ‘Tis the season!
Many years ago while running errands, I heard a ne Many years ago while running errands, I heard a newborn start to cry. 

The crying went on and then escalated, and the parent did not respond. The crying further escalated into a startle response-punctuated wail. Several of us stood by distraught, not knowing what to do. The baby, just days old, was in a full-throated meltdown in a car seat on the floor. 

We stared. We whispered. And I (we?) judged that parent HARD. A new parent myself, my milk let down and I wanted to scream, "PICK UP YOUR BABY!" They never did. The crying went on until finally, they finished up, picked up the car seat, and left the store. 

I went home feeling disoriented and shaken not only by what happened, but most of all by my own quick, fierce judgment of another human. That wasn't who I thought I was. I reached out to a friend (a midwife) to process, and when she suggested that postpartum depression could have been at play, my harsh judgment was replaced with a deep well of regret for the lens through which I had viewed them. Postpartum or not, I had been so focused on my own conceptions of the "right" way of moving through the world, that I only saw what they were doing "wrong" and not how I might show them grace or support them on their journey. 

I felt a well of compassion rise within me. Because what I judged to be "bad parenting" through my own filters may well have been a parent in crisis and in need of support (surely not my scrutiny). So I committed then to move beyond judgment and, instead, offer my hands and heart in service. 

Just a few weeks later, another parent was wrangling a screaming baby at the coop. Instead of judgment, I felt compassion. In a hurry to get home to my own family and the dinner I had to make, I paused, remembering my commitment. I turned to her and offered my arms. 

"Can I hold him while you finish up," I asked? No judgment-just service, compassion, and love (what I should have done those weeks before). The mom burst into tears, then gratefully handed me her crying newborn... (continued in the comments)
Body sore, belly full, heart tender. After a rou Body sore, belly full, heart tender. 

After a rough week on my part, we all dug in yesterday on the business of life. 

Prepping garden beds, starting seeds, foraging the first nettles of the year, and binging on fresh air and sunshine. And, most important of all, showing up for our kids and each other. And it was just what this heart needed. 

Garden, forage, love, replenish. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Life is hard work, my friend. It's usually messy, often overwhelming, and nearly always way more than we bargained for or think we can even carry. But day after day we pick it all up and walk a few steps. We can do hard things.

Life isn't always pretty. But it's raw and it's real and it's deep and frankly, it's what we came here for. So despite that rough week–or perhaps because of it–this weekend I'm drinking deep of this messy life in all the ways that I can. 

Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

What's filling you up this weekend, friend?
Here’s to sweet, simple birthday celebrations sn Here’s to sweet, simple birthday celebrations snuggled down here at home. How lucky I am to be able to gather with my partner of 25+ years, my octogenarian parents, and grown/nearly grown kids as I begin my 50th trip around the sun. I truly don’t take any of that for granted. 

Here’s to 49 and all the promise that it holds! 

(Shoutout to Lupine @lythari_arts and Sage @oakshedironworks for the homemade gifts shown in the first frame, and Sage’s partner B. for the mind-blowingly gorgeous and delicious cheese board—with a little help from @noblerind.)
Cinnamon rolls, sewing, & sunshine (Sunday). Work Cinnamon rolls, sewing, & sunshine (Sunday).

Working on a linen skirt this weekend with dreams of it landing in the dye pot this summer (once all the dye plants are up and vying for attention). Maybe goldenrod, perhaps birch or alder. More research is in order…

My amateur tip (because I’m no pro!): I’m sewing with 100% cotton thread so I don’t end up with stitches that don’t take up natural pigments (most thread is polyester and not natural dye-friendly), and hoping for the best. You can find natural sewing thread in quilt shops or big box fabric stores with quilting threads. 🧵 

(Pattern is the #estuaryskirt by the brilliant Meg @sewliberated. Fabric from @fabricsstorecom, my favorite source for linen.)
I stepped outside my comfort zone last weekend and I stepped outside my comfort zone last weekend and attended a class at our local folk school. We crafted Scandanavian birch bark boxes (which are harder than they look) using hand tools, bark, leather, and wood. 

I was grateful to try my hand at creating a beautiful and useful thing, and delighted to know that's it's something my Norwegian ancestors may have made as well, and used daily. 

Thanks to Nicholas for the patient and playful teaching and Driftless Folk School for sharing this functional, historic craft. 

Fun aside, of the 5 other students making boxes, one turned out to be a longtime blog reader (from clear across the state). Such an unexpected treat to meet them in person during class! Small world.

(And yes, staying true to character, I 100% was the only person to cut themselves and it was a spectacular, bloody mess.)

@wildroots.handcrafts
@driftlessfolkschoolwi
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

About Me

Recent Posts

  • Ireland Herbal Retreat registration is now open!
  • Protected: Wild Ireland Herbal Retreat Documents
  • Ireland Herbal Retreat
  • Ten simple tricks to tame anxiety
  • We went rogue and didn’t school our kids. Here’s how it turned out.

Categories

DIY Herbal Remedies

Learn about foraging, herbal remedies, and making your own preparations.

Blog Archives

An honest, messy, real-life look into our world.

LüSa Organics

Discover our small-batch, organic body care. Handmade for the whole family.

 

Loading Comments...