I overheard Cait explaining to someone recently that what I do for fun is to spend time outside, especially on windy days. I intuitively understand the benefits of being out in nature—I don’t need scientific proof.
But if you do, there is actually a word for this: uitwaaien. “It’s basically the activity of spending time in the wind, usually by going for a walk or a bike ride. Today, the practice is so common that it’s known as ‘uitwaaien.’ … Read More
While this year has seen some damages to some of my fruit trees–I lost all my plum trees and one cherry tree–I continue to get a bumper crop of Asian Pears.
My three trees are bearing so many pears this year that I had to pick at least half before they were fully ripe to prevent the branches from breaking from the weight. Even with that, I lost one limb in a windstorm.
So what do you do with the … Read More
Life is indeed overwhelming these days. What with the non-stop political circus ramping up to beyond frenzied levels, just for starters… Even so, we need to find a way to not be distracted and to remember to expand our consciousness beyond our short-term, short-sighted actions.
Earth Overshoot Day came on July 29 this year. This is the second time the day, which marks the time at which humanity has used up its allotment of natural planetary resources for the year, … Read More
This is a Black Locust tree. Our property is full of them. And at this time of year, the most glorious scent wafts through the air. I do believe it may be my all-time most favorite smell. If only the web had a scratch-n-sniff feature… But come to find out, perfumeries have also discovered this heavenly scent and its used in many perfumes.
It’s also one of my all-time favorite wild edibles The flower clusters taste like the sweetest of … Read More
My long-time readers are probably almost as familiar with the road I daily walk on as I am. These two decades started with Kiera 1 and Lilly, and continued with Kiera 2. She has been gone 4 years now, but I have kept walking, I guess as much out of habit as anything.
Lately, I’ve used the walk as a kind of meditation to help clear my mind of work pressures. One of the easiest ways to push away work … Read More
My wish for all of us is that we remember that we are all connected. We all share the same home–Planet Earth. We all share the same gene strands that make us human. And we need to do a better job of remembering what we have in common rather than always focusing on our differences. There are no winners in war. Just one side that appears to lose less.
To help you remember the depth of our connection to ALL … Read More
As my day begins in the hush of predawn darkness, as usual, I make my way outside with the dogs. Looking up at the stars, I listen to the muffled sounds of paws padding through dew-covered grass. And I think about how my life has changed over the years.
For someone looking from the outside in, the changes would appear fairly dramatic. So much so, that if assigned with the task of matching up my “then” with “now”, most people … Read More
As I’m getting ready to harvest my garlic, I do what I’ve always done every year. I go grab my garden journal to get ready to record the harvest date, and the yield and quality of the bulbs.
I’ve been keeping a journal of my garden almost since I began. It’s a habit I picked up from the old woman who taught me.
She drummed into my head, “Karen, if you want to see if what you’re doing works, you’ve … Read More
