September Ties

September's almost spent, and don't I know it. It's been a month of cutting, lopping and digging... in oh so many ways.

It's been a month consumed with daily daily harvests and preparations for future Food and Craft and Healing.

There's still canning, drying and fermenting on the horizon and I foresee many a soup, stew and such made with a tomato base.

Amid the busyness, I've made time and space to sit with Nature, who is likewise engaged in making brisk and noticeable changes in her behavior and her appearance. 

And through it all I observe the Nature around me making ready for the months ahead.

I've prepared some of my typical herb bundles and made a few extra to have for sale at the studio. I have more to massage and tie, so some may end up online at Zibbet or ArtFire as well. If you're interested, let me know!

And September ushered in the inspiration to introduce my handcrafted Soft Salve NonScents available at my brick-n-motor at Whiting Mills in sunny Winsted, Connecticut as well as my ArtFire and Zibbet shops.

There's a few loose September threads to tie up, and I feel blessed to have a couple days left to manage them. And as I tie them I'm sure to be wondering ... what will October bring?

Peace.

A Web of Holistic Harvests and Preserves

 This week's been another filled to overflow with harvesting and preserving, not the least being these gorgeous quarts of Illini Gold heirloom purée.

 Goldenrod is our Herb of the Month and I've been harvesting it for weeks now, creating tincture, infused vinegar, honey and oils, to dry and jar up for teas and other uses in the months ahead, and to make this single-stalk Spirit Wand.

Today I take my cue from the lovely yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia, who's been busy harvesting amid the Chinese leeks and who has a respectable pantry built up. So today I shall make time to harvest and put-by, holistically, with some writing, some soap making, some herb harvesting, preparations for tomorrow's Spirit Wand workshop, a visit to the Winsted Farmers' Market and a big dose of Friday evening R&R on the deck this evening.

Peace.

More Room for Less

September arrived with a touch of autumn in the air. The days have been less humid and the evenings darken earlier and beg for an extra layer. It's quite kind of Nature to offer this, given the waxing of boiling pots in my kitchen. The canning continues every few days, mostly just to keep up with the tomatoes this year. And I must say that The Spouse has been a huge help this year. We already have several jars of purée nestled in with leftovers from last season, plus several jars of dried tomatoes... squash, green beans, beets, collards, kales, a variety of herbs. Next up will be more of the same plus the tomatillos, winter squashes, autumn beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, daikons, and other assorted abundance for which I'm so grateful. Admittedly, even as my pantry fills to overflow I find myself longing for the first frost and the autumn-to-winter downshift. ::nods:: Soon my dining table will have room again for actual dining.

Despite the frantic busyness of this aspect of the garden-to-pantry season, I do make time for the Mystery, for the spiritual side of life that nurtures and sustains me as much as any Ordinary "food."

I make time in my studio for making messes with students (and alone) and tidying up afterward. I make time for plotting and planning the year ahead in broad, holistic strokes and in focused, precise ways.

Making time for my heART journals has been spiking, as the Ordinary makes renewed and new connections with the Mystery and makes more room for exploring and evolving. It would seem that all things in these first few days of September are leading me to make more room for less. We shall see.

Peace.