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... And then I crested a hill and found where my h

... And then I crested a hill and found where my heart must have been steering me all along: the fire circle where we spent countless days in the past decade, as the kids grew up before my eyes. Our favorite corner of the forest.

I was taken aback by how overgrown it was, our birch “chairs” sprouting mushrooms and weeds tangling our ring of stones. It had been so long since smoke wove between these trees–three years?–and I wondered where the time had gone.

A small cry got caught in my throat.

It wasn’t regret or sadness, just an awareness of the passage of time; a connection to the ghosts that were and will never be again. It was standing beneath those trees holding hands with the past.

It was remembering; longing. Bittersweet...

(read the rest over on the blog.)

Just popping in to say, "Hi! I'm not dead!" (Becau

Just popping in to say, "Hi! I'm not dead!" (Because I posted that I had COVID and then ghosted for a week.)

I'm over here feeling better, doing my thing, and working on a blog post on herbs for immune support (for obvious reasons).

xxoo,
Rachel

Probiotic, foraged soda… Lupine @lythari_arts a

Probiotic, foraged soda…

Lupine @lythari_arts and I got out of the house yesterday for a much needed forage out on our road after most of a week in Covid isolation.

We were gathering herbs + sumac berries for a few naturally fermented sodas. My friend Dwight @dwightzietlow taught us this wild yeast magic, and we can’t get enough!

This simple mix of raw honey, fresh herbs, fruits + berries, and tart sumac naturally ferments to provide a sweet-tart bubbly treat. The first batch I made with Dwight was hop, goldenrod, New England aster, and wild plum. And I couldn’t get enough.

Today’s flavors?
Goldenrod, Sumac, + Black Cap
Wild Grape, Sumac, + Aster
Basil + Lime
Grape, Yarrow, Sumac, + Pine

Looking forward to sipping these beauties soon.

Want to make your own? If you get the chance to learn directly from Dwight, I strongly encourage you to do so. if that is not an option, here are my notes from his instructions (shared with permission):

In a half-gallon jar, combine 1 C raw honey with enough non-chlorinated water to fill your jar about halfway. Stir well to combine. Add 1 C fresh herbs/berries/flowers/fruit of your choice along with 1 lemon OR 1 lime OR 1 panicle (cluster) of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) drupes (berries), plus 1 TBSP live vinegar (ACV, etc). Top off with water to the shoulders of the jar, give it a stir, and cover with a breathable cloth secured by a rubber band. Allowed to ferment for two days at around 80°, stirring twice a day to prevent spoilage of plant matter above the surface of the water. After two days strain out and compost solids, and transfer to kombucha bottles, swing top beer bottles, or other tight sealing beverage bottles. Keep at room temperature for one day or more, checking daily for carbonation (burp them). When you’re pleased with how bubbly it is pop it in the fridge to chill. Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 months (but don’t leave them out or your bottles will probably explode). 🫧

#foraged
#foragedfood
#probiotic
#naturallyfermented
#wildfoodlove

First, thank you for the kind and loving words on

First, thank you for the kind and loving words on yesterday's post. You all are magic.

Second, Monarda is also magic.

As you may have seen in my last post, I have Covid. Yay. To address the respiratory implications of that, I did a Monarda fistulosa (wild bee balm) steam this morning, and holy heck, friends. This plant is MAGIC. I already knew that it was magic, but this was some next-level stuff.

It’s been a favorite herb for many years, ever since it called to me from the side of the road and asked me to pull over and pick some when I was sick with a cold (which I did). But now, having a smorgasbord of covid symptom fun going on, this ally is shining like never before. *No, I'm not offering you medical advice, yes, I'm simply telling you what I'm doing to get comfortable. Chat up your doctor before you do anything crazy, etc.

On a plant walk I did with Linda Black Elk last weekend, she mentioned using Monarda in a neti pot for sinus infection care.

Bee balm has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, making it an excellent choice for a variety of respiratory complaints. Linda’s recommendation inspired me to try it today, on account of having lung and nasal congestion. (I love an herbal steam when I’m not feeling well, So it was an easy sell.)

There’s a recipe in my kids’ herb book, Herbal Adventures, for a monarda steam, but you really don’t need a recipe. Just throw a little dried bee balm (the wild lavender-colored type, m. fistulosa, that grows in the Midwest is best, but use what you have) into a large pot or heatproof bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Drape a towel over your head and carefully inhale the steam. Don't burn yourself, and if you threw in too much bee balm it might just be a pungent herbal punch to the nose. If so, let it steam off for a minute, then try again. If desired, you could also add some pine or cedar needles, which if I weren't feeling so lazy right now I would have done. Then get comfy, breathe deep, and let the magic happen.

Two hours later my sinus pressure was nearly gone, my congestion had largely cleared, and my lungs felt as good as new.

Thank you, bee balm. I don't like to pick favorites but you're my fa

Um, hi. So, a confession? I’m one of those no

Um, hi.

So, a confession?

I’m one of those non-immunocompromised people who never stopped masking. 👋🏼

2 1/2 years in and I’m still 😷 at stores, the library, other indoor public spaces, eternally fogged glasses be damned. I do this not out of fear but as a small precaution for myself, and as a courtesy to others (specifically the immunocompromised in our community).

And then one day recently I threw caution to the wind & went unmasked indoors in public for the first time. I was at a funeral where literally no. one. else. was. masked. And weird as this sounds, I didn't want to be dramatic or center myself unintentionally by solo masking. Is that silly? Because I admit this explanation makes zero sense, but here we are.

Basically, I'm already weird enough without being the Lone Masked Girl, so I punted.

Fast-forward a few days and lo and behold and areyouevenserious I have COVID.

Gah! (Or, as we say here in Wisconsin: ope. And also: uffda.)

There are so many analogies of other "just this once" situations gone wrong that I could bust out here, but I'll restrain myself.

Yes, I did expect to get COVID eventually. I think the vast majority of us will. But getting it after my first ever maskless romp through the big world is fraught with some heavy questions that I'll never have answers to. Like: did I make a COVID pick-up or delivery at the funeral? Or perhaps neither? And if it was a delivery, how many people might I have gotten sick? UG, YA'LL. Just asking this question makes me wish I'd made a different decision and let my masked weirdo flag fly.

For the time being, I'm safe at home, resting, recuperating, healing. I have my little vintage camper as a cozy germ bubble away from my peeps, a nice pile of herb books, and all the remedies that this table can hold. And the WiFi reaches, so three cheers for the internet.

All this to say–YAY HERBS–WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU? and also (when I get out of this camper someday): hi, I’ll still be masking into the unforeseeable future. Because: ANXIOUS WEIRDO FOREVER.

P.S. Happy to share herbal thoughts later if you're interested. LMK.
P.P.S. Be kind. To me and each other.
P.P.P.S. Boo, germs.

My blog has evolved by leagues over the past decad

My blog has evolved by leagues over the past decade. And it will continue to evolve as I breathe it back to life. From a crafty-homeschooly-homesteady land of DIYs, to a place to document our imperfect life unfolding, this space has been many things (and will be many more in the years to come).

At the moment, I'm contemplating putting up herb profiles now and again as a way of both organizing my thoughts and herbal knowledge and also offering an educational resource to you.
For those who read my first book, Herbal Adventures, think those plant chapters but without the formal recipes. Things like how to ID in the field, common lookalikes, uses, energetics, etc.

Does this thought bore you? Are you wild with excitement about it? Thoughts? Reflections? Witty commentary? Do tell!

Discover what you love. Then seek out others who l

Discover what you love. Then seek out others who love it, too. Get out there and make connections, build community, learn from one another.

Because this is where the magic unfolds. This is where life happens. Out here, doing what we love alongside others who love it, too.

(Pop over to the blog for the full story of my weekend at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival.)

Discover what you love. Then seek out others who l

Discover what you love. Then seek out others who love it, too. Get out there and make connections, build community, learn from one another.

Because this is where the magic unfolds. This is where life happens. Out here, doing what we love alongside others who love it, too.

(Pop over to the blog for the full story of my weekend at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival.)

Discover what you love. Find others who love it, t

Discover what you love. Find others who love it, too. Make connections, build community, learn from one another. This is where the magic unfolds.

A truly superb weekend was had at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival. (I expect a blog post is in order...)

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Time travel
Wild Food Festival
A summer finale (or maybe two)
One more project before he goes
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