It’s a beautiful day here today; sun shinning, birds singing, snow melting. A perfect day to really feel the tendrils of spring getting stronger. It was only 15° this morning, and the forecast says this will be the last of the really cold nights. Woohoo! We still have snow on our land, piles that slid off the metal roofs on the north side of each outbuilding, and a few inches in the forest, where it is cooler. Give it another few days in the 60s and it will be gone. The birds have started selecting which of our birdhouses they will occupy. I see them sitting at the opening, looking in, and I imagine them contemplating the pros and cons. I also imagine them wondering why I haven’t come to clean out last years’ nest, and thinking that if they stay there looking in long enough, I will get the idea and do it. Okay, okay, today is the day that will happen.
I always cut a few branches of forsythia and pussy willow at this time, to bring some spring inside and see blooms a little early. I knew forsythia was medicinal and used in Chinese medicine, but I had never looked up simpler uses. Fortunately, my inbox had the latest post from a like-minded herbalist, gardener, nature lover, Barbi at The Outdoor Apothecary. Check out her forsythia article here. I will definitely be adding the flowers to my salads and making a simple syrup!
As I flip through my We’Moon 2021 datebook, I come to this, for this day, this season. This so resonates with me! Does it for you?
Spring Equinox There is a truth faster than any thought. More immediate than all our dearest visions of ourselves. It is the thing that reaches, without thought, for love and comfort, to be soothed with tenderness, to be protected in fear. It is the thing that sends us out, questing recklessly, pushing edges of comfort, safety and sense. It is the legacy of the animals we have always been, the cumulative wisdom of spring – new every time, ancient, timeless. Hone your instincts. Pay attention to those truths that guide you, to the impulses that rule you beyond all your careful reckoning. This is the season of the wild. We are teeth bared, in need of both adventure and tenderness. Instinct is a whip, cutting through confusions and contortions both personal and collective. Seek fluency instead of control. Hone skill and honesty instead of management. The wild will not be gainsayed. It’s language needs to be remembered, spoken as easily as any tongue of cultivation and strategy, if we are to come back to the belly of the Earth. We’Moon 2021 Maeanna Welti @ Mother Tongue Ink 2020
I just made these delicious, paleo muffins today that are a staple for us I thought you might enjoy. They are also SIBO and Keto friendly! I make the batter in my blender and just pour into the muffin tin. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 12 small muffins Heat the oven to 350°f. Grease a muffin tin or use cups (I found they stick to the paper too much for me). In a blender, blend in: 2 large bananas 4 eggs 2 tbs maple syrup 3 tbs Ghee or Coconut oil melted 1/2c Coconut, Cassava or Tigernut flour 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and cloves 1/2 tsp baking soda and baking powder 1/4 tsp salt You can add a favorite nut to the top of each before baking, or your favorite icing for a more decadent treat, once they’ve cooled. Bake approximately 25 minutes or when a knife comes out clean. Eat warm or cold! We store them in our fridge and make a new batch as soon as they run out.
I am deep into the prep work for my Women’s Gardening Apprenticeship and so happy to be having it this year. More supplies are being purchased, menus of delicious foods being created, and so many details that make this course enjoyable. We have a full class of 10, with a growing wait list! Now that we have lived with this pandemic for a full year, we know the routines needed to be safe, not to mention we are outside and in a barn with good ventilation, as well as the opportunity to be vaccinated. The small class size and ample space make this possible and I am so grateful. I hope this spring finds you filled with new ideas and ways to live your life more true to you.
TIME TO GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY!
Much Love, Suzanne
