the most inspired was a mexican-style chocolate liquer. the idea was to blend “spicy” and ”lovely” into  the perfect drink. i took 2 dried chipotles, 3 cinnamon sticks, a nutmeg and several large pinches of raw cacao nibs, a whole vanilla bean and some brandy. into a quart jar. let me tell you. 2 whole chipotles is too much.  1/2 of one would be just right for me. experiment according to your own taste.

ruby slippers

the most boring but truly versatile and also drinkable was ruby slippers. very easy. take a whole bag of frozen raspberries. blend with enough vodka to fill a 1/2 gallon jar. wait. strain. it is brilliantly red. vanilla bean is a bonus here, as is cinnamon. this is blendable too.

hello. is it me you're looking for?

the most fancypants liquer i made was chestnut. i had read in the ny times(dining) that italian chestnut liquer was over a hundred dollars a bottle and thought
“screw that, i’ll make my own!”

sure, theirs was probably aged and in a lovely bottle and all…

so i roasted 2 pounds of fresh chestnuts. in  a cast iron pan in the oven. just keep an eye on that. after they cooled, , i halved them and filled quart jars halfway. to one i added 2 scoops of raw honey, to one i did not.i prefer the insweetened, and this is adjutable. it is really rather exquisite. and easy! it’s like “what is that flavor?”

i don't need your fancy italian bottle!

i also tried a roasted hazelnut liquer, along the lines of frangelico. same idea as the chestnut. very smooth. this combines well with vanilla and nutmeg too.

i came across some very nice satsumas at the market and i peeled 3 and filled a jar with the pieces. i added a little maple syrup and several cinnamon sticks. this one does not have a snappy name yet. when you use whole fruit it helps to press it out in your tincture press or a jam or cheese press. to really get that juicy goodness some muscles should be working. you know what i’m saying?

or…you can save the fruit in there and enjoy a little summer flavor  in the dead of winter. for example, i will cut up some peaches, cover in brandy, then eat  them as a dessert in winter. mmm.

ah, staring into the infinite red well of longing. again.

for a real warmer try the  blend i call “ice fishing”–though we haven’t had much ice this year, it’s an homage to my childhood. i filled a quart jar about 1/8 of the way with dried ginger, added a vanilla bean and filled it with brandy. yes, that was a little too much ginger,  i need to dilute it. so i would suggest 1/10-just cover the bottom of the jar. or cut with seltzer. this is very nice with citrus zest. truly warming, good with anything apple…pie, crisp, baked apples, etc. also lovely in a mug of tea. ginger hot toddy, anyone?

jars!

the solstice liquer i make every year– but change just a little bit each time. it is a fruity  winter warmer with as many organic oranges as i can fit into a big jar. i add a lot of cinnamon sticks, or chips, 1-2 vanilla beans depending on how fancy you are,whole  cardamon pods, a nutmeg, and a few peppercorns.any kind.  fill the jar with brandy and sit for 6 weeks. this one requires a press to squeeeze out the orange juice. it is delicious. the peel stays on while macerating  to give a little hint of  bitter. i don’t mix it with anything, it is very orangey. this one is my go-to holiday brew. it’s  warming and practically health food.

too much ginger

there is nothing like a nip of handmade warming goodness on a cold night to warm and relax or a toast with friends and family to celebrate the bounty of our earth. i encourage you to try your hand at a little something, and of course to drink responsibly and don’t drive or operate heavy machinery.

lydia walks scruffy

Perhaps you are aware that our culture has a mixed relationship with dogs right now. At one extreme we make them fight, at the other we coddle them, even buying diapers and babylike clothes. We value looks  over health and behavior, and seek “papers” that say our dog’s daddy was good-lookin’. And we do everything possible to avoid seeing the truth of how many unwanted dogs get abandoned, gassed and just plain neglected every day. Puppies are cute, their baby faces call out to us every time we ovulate, giving us the false promise of a furry friend replacing all that we do not have.

But something goes wrong. Walking every day seems like too much work, the fuzzy puppy behavior isn’t so cute anymore at 50 pounds, and whoops we forgot to train the dog to pee outside only!  Whatever happens, literally  millions of dogs end up at the shelters every year. Many are quickly labeled “unadoptable”, and probably a few truly are, but most could be just fine with a little training. Others are rescued and enter the dog foster system. Many dogs on petfinder are in foster care. This is a volunter network of  nationwide dog-lovers who have stepped forward to care for shelter dogs  and train, exercise and love them while they wait for a new home.

lydia with jasmine

Why do people foster? We are helping the dogs, and that is a beautiful and fulfilling thing. But also I believe when we care for these dogs we are helping ourselves. Yes, people, when you foster a dog you can learn about dogs, other humans, and yourself. You can learn about training dogs. You can learn about healing dogs. The love I have gotten back from my fosters and adopted dogs so far is unmeasurable. It is infinite. It is medicine.

There are  myths about fostering or adopting an older dog as opposed to a puppy. Most importantly, the dog will not bond to you like a puppy. false. Guess what? AN OLDER DOG CAN BOND TO YOU. Yes, there is the possibility that an older dog will need rehabilitation. And that is not appropriate for everyone. But most just need consistency!

2 catahoula females from shelters: aster and jasmine

So–that is the why. What about the how? You love dogs, you are upset by the excess gassing and abuse, you want to help. What next?

Find a shelter or rescue in your area. an internet search or petfinder are both ways to do so. Also, check with your local animal control officer, dog trainer, pet supply store or ask around at  a dog park or dog-friendly event to find recues you can work with. Talk to them. You usually have to do a basic application. You can request particular dogs, or only big/small dogs, or only males, or a specific breed that you like. You will  tell them if you have kids, or cats, or other dogs. You can say “give me whomever!” You will take photos of your foster dog, take her out to the park and when people say how great she is, mention that “she’s adoptable!” You are this dog’s new agent and you promote her like a rock star.

In the meantime, you are training the dog. Assess what she needs to work on-is it socializing? housetraining? walking nicely on leash? The potential adopters will look to you for answers about the dog. So be honest and upfront about her limits-please don’t say “oh, she loves cats” —for example— but leave out “for dinner”!!

scrufy does not let life get her down

Your house and yard should be dog-proofed. I will not introduce a new dog with bones and balls lying about. Do not be afraid to use tools in the management of your foster dog. Some people use crates, prong collars, liver bits and baby gates to help train the dog. It depends on the level of training needed and your personal style. Using calm energy, anticipating problems BEFORE they happen and exercising the dog are all great free methods.

‘

"sit, please!"

When the reality of the shelter systems is too much for us to handle, we need to ask ourselves what to do. “can i foster”?  If not, what else can I do for dogs ? Support fosters! Support rescues and shelters. Offer to walk a dog, buy some dog food and share photos and information about adoptable dogs with your network. Talk to others about adoption. Do not shop at stores which sell puppy mill dogs. Talk about the realities of puppy mills. Offer support to pet owners who are struggling with behavioral or logisitical issues and considering giving up a pet.

Becoming a foster was a great decision for me. I am setting a good example for my kids. Fostering gives my own dog a job to do and a friend to play with.  It is a lesson in letting go. When I see a dog who was literally cast aside like garbage running, playing and being healed by nature my heart just sings. And every time the van pulls up full of dogs, and they go to their new adoptive home or foster home, my heart is bursting with joy. It is a wonderful moment to share and i am thankful to have the opportunity and ability to be a part of something so actively helpful. Fostering dogs provides healing to ME and helps me to see what love and devotion actually looks like. It has been oneof the best experiences of my life.

don't jump, aster!

aster and jasmine, both shelter dogs.

vitamin d deferred

i am on the verge. on the verge of a new year. on the verge of the subconscious. i used to think at any moment the stars would align and i’d finally be the awesome person i always wanted to be. i am not waiting anymore. i am doing.

verge-noun, an edge or border

an extreme limit beyond which something will happen

a grass edging

a wand or rod carried in front of a bishop or dean as an “emblem of office”

old french from latin-virga-rod

verge-verb-to incline in a certain direction

from latin vergere-to bend, incline

reaching

the verge is where i am often, but it is especially noticeable in the winter when quiet and cold take over, when many distractions have left town and i am left with myself. i have made my peace with the winter, and the edge, and how i incline in various directions. it is not to say that i’m not still longing-longing for paris, for  someone else to clean my house, to be 6 ft tall and willowy, for tropical fruits and piles of cash. but that is a tiny part of my life. i am also revelling. reveling in my dreams, my power, the subconscious, words and writing, music, food, loving my best friend lover, appreciating my kids and dog and my 4’11 not so willowy amazing body and odd mind. winter feels giving to me in an inward way, a way i hesitate to call magical but what other word can we use for the subconscious reservoir that exists for all of our daydream lucid extrasensory instinctual needs.

red.

the earth is still there for us. it does not need to be a juicy july fruitfest in order to feed us.  our whole self must be fed, mind, body and heart. the stuff we carry around can be sorted, the verge is a good time to choose what serves us and what does not. and dreams are a good way to decide.

metal

oh, and herbs. winter is a fine time for herbs. elder and linden tea. mugwort tincture. my favorite bedtime blend- little sugar dream nectar. rubbing on of pine salves, spruce tips tea and warming foot rubs. ah, baths and steams ! nettles chai-with ginger, fenel, cinnamon. liquers made with chestnuts and chipotles and satsumas and cinnamon sticks. and vanilla, lusty vanilla. all spring-summer-fall i planted and harvested and tinctured and dried…..and now i enjoy the luxuries. the joy of what i made. the partnership of human and plant world. ach, what luck! what gratitude!

ever green!!

nothing like the moment when the heart just cracks open and we are levelled with thankfulness and optimism in the midst of what could only be called a twisted and obscene world. so, my friends, i wish you all the most brilliant new year ever, and extend my love and care to all of you. happy happy new year, happy dreaming and happy herbing.

tree

the arcade, america's first mall

my meditation for the winter is “trust in renewal”.

heads sought

the rain and snow only make us stronger and more fabulous. new england winter, nor’easter, wind up my skirt. it builds character.

ghost stairs

in the winter we have plenty of time to face our ghosts, or hide from our ghosts, or act like we don’t know they are all around us. the land, the buildings, the peeling paint, our families, our roots our own actions nothing disappears it just fades. it is hard to grasp history. it is easy to look away.

little chair

we wait for the sun to come back, wait for the green to reappear, wait for the plants to take back the buildings and the worms to take back the detritus of our lives. the gift of winter is time, time to try our tinctures and teas, time to write our poems and songs, time to play our music and be still and allow our meals to simmer for hours.

saints and stuff

it is my wish, on this day, the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, that we can find ourselves sharing, that we can feel our gratefulnes stirring, that we can find ways to forgive ourselves and see each other in a new light. a winter light.

empty playground

eat, drink and be merry, my friends, for our time here is short.

botanica art

alder

i don’t usually post about individual herbs–there are “planty” of wonderful blogs out there of herbal monographs. however,  alder just isn’t getting it’s due. yes, i am talking about alder, not elder-alnus species. the tree. yes, i am mixing tree bark and liquor and calling it “medicine” and i love it.

i originally learned about alder medicine from kiva rose of the anima center, her wonderful blog the medicine woman’s roots is highly recommended. i stumbled across a freshly downed alder tree and dragged it home in the snow. it was fun taking the bark off and watching it turn red, drying it slightly to reduce the emetic property and making a beautiful tincture. i quickly met with many nasty situations in need of alder’s medicine-terrible cavity, sinus infection, bad clogged ear, swollen blocked lymphatics. worked 100% each time. sounds kinda ear-nose-throat—-but wait—-it worked wonderfully for the worst uti ever. with monarda.

so why isn’t alder in many modern books and stuff? well, like several of my absolute favorite medicines  it is not really available at the store. i sell the tincture and i’ve only had one request for it ever. one website calls it “tonic and astringent, cures ague.” yeah, they aren’t beating down my doors for THAT.  “contains tannin-astringent/diuretic.” have these people even tried it? maybe not. compare to a quote from kiva rose “alder is a primary herb in my practice”…houston, we have a problem. is it a conspiracy? probably not. i wonder if perhaps there is no “alder is good for x” crap that people love. how to understand a plant that has so many varied and  fabulous functions? why are we always trying to understand everything anyway? just try it.

alder

alder seems to always grow near water whether with it’s feet in a river or just in a nice low-lying or mucky spot. don’t overlook muck, it produces some of the finest medicines in the world.  it is definitely cool in nature and can be combined with something warmer if needed. it is dry and moving. like MOVING so if you aren’t ready, buckle your seat belt. i like the tincture best but an oil can be applied externally or to ear infection. dried bark can be decocted. leaves, cones and catkins are used too.

alder

alder can help us with things conventional medicine can’t, that which resists antibiotics or which modern medicine doesn’t even believe in. the next time someone tells you “it’s probably going to be fatal” give me a call, get some alder tincture….or better yet, make your own.

“lifestyle choices” can be a very sensitive issue. i hate tv, juice, cheap plastic crap, mc mansions, baby formula and sudafed. but hell i am not up all night giving a crap whether or not you do, too.

you have too many kids! you don’t have enough kids! why don’t you save the earth by recycling!

lest you think i do so with judgement, allow me to share a story. in conversation with a random guy at a party, i found he was a public  bus driver in providence. for those who don’t know, the ripta bus is a hotbed of insanity and desperation. i asked him how he managed to keep his cool in the day to day, and he said “love and respect to everyone.” that’s it, people. best. f-ing. advice. ever. you don’t have to like someone, you certainly don’t have to like their behavior. but when i am talking to someone about herbs or health, even when we are in disagreement, i hold respect for them as a person.

i am highly conscious of judgement-a young mom, working class with no formal education i have known my share of judgement from others. soemone else is always doing it better, has cuter kids or better-trained dogs or a fluffier cake. but you know what? so what. i love you, you love me, we are free to disgaree. (yes, i hacked barney)

wild animals!

sometimes it is very easy, and i am speaking from experience, to forget that the world is wild and we are not always modulated by screens and devices. we think of our “choice” as– which brand of X consumer goods should i purchase. but we are human animals first, consumers second. or 12th or whatever. choice also means should i lay down in this mossy patch and exchange energy with my surroundings now or later?

yeah, there is energy. you can claim religions or atheisms all you want, but nobody wants to admit to that vital force. whatever, don’t. it’s there.

food

i think this is a response to being in a craft store today, and being surrounded by fake flowers and ornaments, and realizing that we(humans) paved over a huge chunk of raw earth to sell crap that imitates the plants that we paved over. it’s just straight-up suspicious.  the holidays really bring out the best and the worst in our culture. the impulse to give, and the guilt which drives it. the love, and the ease with which it crumbles with a few cups of punch/truth serum. we are beautiful, and we are ill.

happy holidays.

i know it seems this has nothig to do with herbs. but it all comes back to forming relationships with plants and the world around us. getting to know plants intimately, making friends with random birds and pearls and piles of compost. don’t let your experience of the world be mediated by someone else. plants aren’t just for ”gardeners” or “herbalists”. plants are for everyone!! intimacy is an art which we can practice at any time. nature  is always available to us, just waiting for us to notice!

aster absorbs vitamin D

welcome to november, my friends! my, but it is easy to forget the seasons for us city-dwellers. what with all these modern conveniences and indoor lighting. i’ve had several questions lately about seasonal depression! yes, indeed the time of no light is upon us, yarding up, ok. yes, i have some advice.

good morning.

1. it is always a good time to say hi to the earth. i don’t care if there is 300 feet of snow–make a connection. say hello. or thank you.

2. go outside. i can’t stress this enough. get a coat and some wool socks. you won’t die. just go for a walk. dance. move.

3. take your vitamins. b12 and D are 2 i like to supplement in the winter. if your diet consists mainly of cheetos and ben and jerry’s please don’t ask me why you feel like crap.

4. sleep is beautiful. dreaming is doing something. recharge, regenerate. now is the time to give yourself to the practice of rest.

5. yes, herbs can help. many people like lemon balm in winter, this may be a good time for st john’s wort too-fresh plant tincture, please, not

wal-mart sjw tablets.  nourish the nerves!! heart herbs like rose and hawthorne are sustaining. feed yourself with milky oats and nettles.  moisten with violets, dream with mugwort, unstick with scullcap. now is the time to bust out those beautiful basil elixirs and sage honeys.

6. do the work of letting go. give up old ways that don’t work, bad habits, emotional pain. move through stuff at a pace you are comfortable with.

7. look for stagnation-a major danger of winter. physically, emotionally and mentally challenge yourself. go for a hike, do some yoga, take a class, have that tough conversation, do some writing.

8. comforts help. delicious warm food, snuggly friends, hot toddy,inspiring music, and a bath. i like a massage oil with vanilla and cinnamon, ginger tea, a good book  and a catahoula leopard dog.

9. know when to ask for help. if you are feeling very down, it is ok to talk to someone about it. you don’t have to go it alone! make connections! and if you see someone else struggling, ask them over for lamb shanks and booty bass.

10. yes, dark chocolate IS a medicinal herb!

late november rose

linden

i will be working to bring you more information about how to get involved, so watch for updates!