Like Bilbo Baggins, I am a reluctant traveler. There have been way too many travel days in the last few months. The reasons for leaving home-base have been positive – seeing the people I love and attending cool workshops. But at the end of it all, I’d rather be home with my … Read more
I spent the last week in Qigong teacher training at Kripalu Retreat Center. The training was wonderful, and I will write more about it in future blogs. But what I want to focus on this morning is simply cultivating our awareness of stillness, which is a part of Qigong and many other mindfulness practices. It … Read more
Everything Changes When I started gardening many moons ago, it was impossible to get organic produce at local stores. I also had a house full of children. Growing plants we could make meals with was a top priority. However, all of that has changed. Drifting Toward Easy My work schedule is hectic, there aren’t … Read more
Dandelions and Marches What do dandelions have in common with young people and the March for Our Lives? It’s not a riddle. They are prolific and beautiful. And they embody strength in numbers. Until yesterday, I was simply going to write about dandelions, one of my favorite weedy medicinal herbs. Dandelions have lots of attributes … Read more
The Strange Practice of Daylight Saving Time Those of us living in the U.S. (excepting Arizona and Hawaii) have lost an hour this morning thanks to Daylight Saving Time (DST). The reasons for changing the time seem a little fuzzy to me. Originally (1918) the goal seemed to be about saving energy, but research shows … Read more
Pruning the Honey Locust Tree The winter-sleeping honey locust in my front yard is barren. In the summer the tree is green, full, and beautiful with graceful feathery leaves. In the fall it turns golden with long flat seed pods. Winter, as with most deciduous trees, has it looking a little like a skeleton and … Read more
The mindfulness focus this week is circle of influence…contemplating the reach of our actions and what if anything we can do to change the world. Sadly this is not inspired by the garden, but instead by the ongoing gun violence in this country. It is easy to be overwhelmed by … Read more
The view out our window on Friday morning looked like we were inhabiting a Loreena Mckennit song. Even as the weather app was assuring us there was no precipitation in Denver, we walked out into air that was wet, thick, and cold. Grey mist hung in the air and a crystalline film enveloped trees … Read more
Today is Super Bowl Sunday. It’s an odd day for those of us not into sports. But here is a thought for my fellow non-sports people – maybe the Super Bowl is about connectedness. I used to be completely baffled by the popularity of football and especially Super Bowl Sunday. (Sorry to … Read more
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a beautiful plant, a healing food, and a symbol of personal power and protection. Growing up in an Italian American household, garlic was a go-to seasoning like salt or pepper. I was shocked to discover as I got older that there are kitchens that exist without garlic. This seems … Read more
