.....sunny lemon balm

Yogis,
I heard a new weather term today – ‘flash drought’. Supposedly that it was what we are in right now in the Washington DC area. It’s scientific definition is a drought that comes out of nowhere and isn’t on anyone’s radar. You really have to laugh sometimes.

The entire month of September saw only .11 inches of rain, which I can attest to by how many hours I stood in front of my garden with the hose nozzle directed at all of my plant friends.  My arm would start to ache, although I will say it did give me the chance to notice each and every one of them individually as I assessed their particular moisture needs.  But even with my tender care everyone is drying out.

Add to that the small herd of deer that has set up camp in the woods directly behind me. At night when I’m getting in bed I can hear them stirring and picture them heading right for the garden under the cover of darkness. Mornings I now find entire arms of my Mexican sunflowers missing and my poor Clary Sage took a real beating this week.

I knew I better get serious about making any final plant medicines while I had the chance! This week I was blessed to spend a couple of days with delightful lemon balm………

When anyone asks me about lemon balm my immediate response is that she is like the sun. When life is suddenly feeling a little dreary, things feel sort of stuck, and your spirits are low, that is where she shines! Her presence is like the parting of the heavy dark clouds that at times inevitably make their way through.

Lemon balm is in the mint family (remember square stems). She is a lovely light green simple looking upright clumping plant who blooms small white flowers and returns year after year with very minimal care. Her seeds will often germinate additional plants close by or at times halfway across the yard. She is even happy in a pot. In fact she always seems happy!

Throughout the summer I place her cuttings in vases throughout the house and she adds a delightful flavor to your water. This week I sat with her to make both an infused oil which I will use in salves (my first time which is exciting) and then the next day I chopped her leaves and stems to soak in brandy for a tincture. Strong, yet gentle medicine.

Simply being around her brightens my day! That’s the joy of plant medicine. Brushing my hair back from my face the aroma of lemon on my hands is intoxicating. No one can inhale her scent and not find a smile on their face.  But when life calls for a little more help she is right there. Some drops of the tincture under the tongue or in water each day can work wonders. And what I have noticed is that when I forget to take her……it means she has done her job. The sun is once again shining!

Lemon balm is also used for anxiety, stress, stomach upset and insomnia. Her influence is calming and cheerful. As the days get shorter in this often melancholy season of fall, if you decide you might like to meet or try her in a tincture, let me know. I would be happy to introduce you!

The forecast is for sunny days ahead,
SARAH

......never lonely

Yogis,

I am alone a good portion of each day. No longer in a corporate job, I have no office to go to in the morning.  As I get older, I don’t enjoy shopping much so besides a short weekly trip to the coop, my food is my CSA share with most of my other needs met by the brown boxes of Amazon and alike. My car sits idle and I am in silence.

Yet I never feel lonely……I was reminded of this while out in the garden.

If you are a gardener or spend time with plants you know what I mean when I say that each plant has a personality. Some are silly, like lemongrass, while others are more serious, like sage. Rosemary is no nonsense where mint is a free spirit. And hard to find anyone gentler and kinder than lavender. When I am with them all I am surrounded by friends. They surprise me each day.

Then there are the bugs. Of course, the butterflies fluttering around me, but the bees who bump into me in their zest to reach the goldenrod and the red beetle convention that is held annually on the dying butterfly weed. The earthworms as I dig and the occasional praying mantis who stares and uses that front arm to let me know who’s boss. I know them all.

There is the wind. Oh, the wind. When a breeze rushes through and brushes my skin, I feel hugged. At times gently and other times feeling as if I am being swept off my feet. Dancing with and leaning into the arms of wind. A gift.

The sun’s rays give me warmth while winking and daring me to try something new. To be uncomfortable. When the luminous rays of the moon shine on me, she reminds me that I am a sensual being, making me feel alive. They both make me tingle.

The frog I almost stepped on yesterday made me laugh and when the hummingbird bathed in the spray from my hose, her innocent sweetness made my heart fill with joy. They lighten my day.

Human companionship is incredible, but when it isn’t possible, or perhaps you’ve had too much, remember that all of the Universe wants to befriend you. As I wrote the above, it became clear that we are never alone……and most certainly should never feel lonely.

Under the ever watchful eye of the trees,
SARAH

......butterflies

Yogis,

You’ve probably noticed I have an affinity for butterflies……..

Picture this. A land where there is a time of year where towering trees are so thick with water filled leaves that you can’t even see beyond. Much of the ground covered with a thick lush carpet of green, soft on the toes. All around you stalks have risen from the ground, all different heights, reaching for the sun with their vibrant colored heads. The air filled with the melodies of animals sitting in the trees.

As if that wasn’t enough, nature created fairy tale creatures with wings stamped by vibrant colors, who flutter through the air with grace. Their pattern a zigzag so as to appear like a falling leave. Wow. Universe you have outdone yourself. How amazing are butterflies!

While originally creating my medicine wheel garden, I knew I wanted them to play a role. I researched which plants draw them in. Echinacea, sunflowers, black eyed susans, zinnias and one of their personal favorites, butterfly weed, all found a home in the wheel. This year I added one more, mexican sunflower, a late blooming vibrant orange floor that I grew from seed, for which they seem most grateful.

You can get a sense of the health of a local environment by its butterfly population. As pollinators, along with the bees, they are crucial in our ability to enjoy fruits and vegetables. They then feed on rotting fruit and decaying corpses, acting as a clean up crew. Being low on the food chain they also provide nourishment to others and help by eating many weedy plants. Butterflies are necessary.

The next time you refer to someone as a ‘social butterfly’, thank the butterfly, because indeed they are. Over the years I have taken hundreds of pictures and learned that if I approach with an open heart, they respond in kind. Flying close they allow me to get within a couple of inches to photograph them, even accidentally landing on my orange shirt. At this distance I can see the intricacies and injuries to their wings, of which there are plenty.

I find ones with holes, missing half a wing or the bottom frilly edges in tatters, not unlike our summer clothes by the end of the long season. If I pay close attention, I can begin to tell them apart by these unique markings.

And how can you tell a moth from a butterfly? Get close….. The antennae of a butterfly are like two straight poles with bulbs at the end. A moth’s antennae are feathery. Both drink freely of the nectar with their extendable proboscis, a site well worth observing.

And all of this before even discussing their unimaginable ability to completely transform themselves from one creature to another while held in a capsule of their own creation! Butterflies symbolize change, hope and rebirth. A representation of our soul. Reminding each of us as they flutter by that you can indeed be whatever it is that you choose to become.

I am listening……

Butterflies make life brighter,
SARAH

.....misunderstood goldenrod

Yogis,

Poor Ms Goldenrod. She always seems to take the blame.

As a late bloomer, it isn’t until early September that she puts on her show. Large plumes of tiny yellow flowers bloom brightly on tall upright stalks. A lover of crowds, she is typically surrounded by many of her friends creating a vibrant display. Often gathered along sides of roads, in open meadows and in fields, goldenrod sways with the breezes of the approaching fall as if to capture your attention.

It is at this same time of year that the telltale sneezes and watery eyes of fall seasonal allergies kick into gear. Of course, the wave from Ms Goldenrod, and the tissue in hand get woven together in our mind, convincing us that she must be the culprit. But alas, she is not……..

It is virtually impossible to be allergic to goldenrod, but ragweed on the other hand can wreak havoc to the respiratory system. Ragweed, however, is a green somewhat shy nondescript plant, choosing to bloom at the same time as goldenrod, and often, right under her shadow. Very sly.

Not only does goldenrod not cause you suffering, she offers healing in so many different ways. This week I sat in the garden and spent time with her making medicines.

I began by making a tincture. Taking a tall stalk, I removed all of the leaves and flowers and chopped them up into a mason jar, filling it to the top. For this batch I chose brandy as the solvent, pouring it into the jar until all of the plant material was covered. The jar will now sit inside out of the sun for a minimum of six weeks before I strain out the plant and bottle the now medicinal liquid.

Next, goldenrod infused oil. Exact same process except I used good quality organic olive oil as the solvent. Oils must be strained after six weeks and will last about a year. I will then take this oil and make it into salves.  

Upper part of the stalks with flowers cut, tied with a rubber band and hung upside down to dry will provide tea for the upcoming cold winter days.  And the goldenrod vinegar I am making by soaking the leaves and flowers in pasteurized apple cider vinegar for a month in a dark place, will be a wonderful mineral laden addition to my salads.

So many ways to use her. But what will she do for us?

Goldenrod as a diuretic offers aid to the kidneys, helping to reduce the risk of kidney stones, remove urinary gravel and reduce inflammation of the urinary tract. She offers relief for joint pain and arthritis and is also a skin healer for wounds and eczema.

An ally for the upper respiratory system, she helps alleviate congestion, sinusitis, catarrh, colds and even….. ahem…..seasonal allergies. A salve rubbed in can calm muscle pain and she has a particular affinity for neck pain.

Watch for her as you drive about these next couple of weeks and wait for her wave. She will be the one covered with bees and butterflies. And now you know you don’t have to be afraid to get close to say hi……

Thank you goldenrod,
SARAH

.......sand in my sleeping bag

Yogis,

Another successful two-day camping trip to Assateague Maryland is in the books.  An island south of Ocean City, Assateague is best known for its wild horses. I am not sure if this was the fourth or fifth year, but it has clearly become a marker on my end of summer calendar.

Once again, I was blessed with an east breeze meaning no mosquitoes or biting flies. Thank you Universe..…. But there was a mixture of wind, sun, rain, cool breezes and one gorgeous sunset.

As I woke on day two, I realized that in order to enjoy camping, with the added layer of camping at the beach, there are certain things you have to be OK with. You don’t necessarily have to love them, but you can’t be irritated or upset by them, or there really is no point in going. Here is the list I came up.

You have to be ok with:

·        Setting up a tent and other camping contraptions that love to take off in the wind….while there is wind.

·        Being outside for 48 straight hours and accepting whatever weather Mother Nature throws your way with grace. Even the 2 am rainstorm which leaves a small puddle in the tent.

·        Having all your belongings slightly damp in the morning.

·        Having you slightly damp in the morning.

·        Being hot…..being cold

·        Taking a shower but then having to stick your sandy foot through your pant leg, ensuring that you have sand – well, everywhere.

·        Being dirty, no matter how many showers you take

·        Feeling completely dependent on a flashlight for your every move after 8pm

·        Sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag that is of course, sandy.

·        Squatting outside the tent during the night and hoping no one is watching you, among several other concerns that this position brings up –  multiple times a night if you are my age

So why do I do it? How could all of this bring me enjoyment?

The second night as I snuck out of the tent for the third time the sky had finally cleared. There was a chilly breeze and I stood in utter awe of the infinite stars above. For a moment time stood still.

Being sweaty, dirty and sandy with nothing between me and the sky above makes me feel alive! I am offered a sense of connection to something greater. It stirs me.

I know camping is not for everyone, but there is something that makes each of us feel alive. That fills you with pure and simple joy all the way to your core. Those things that cause you to tingle and your heart to flutter.

What is that for you? Have you made time for it lately? If not, put that marker on your calendar. Life is meant to be lived.

Still finding sand in my ears,
SARAH