Can you hear me now?

This is the beginning of something (a print? a pattern? a pile of paper for the recycling?). I've been walking around town, snapping photos of the elephant ears dominating the transitional landscaping. I love the ways the veins replicate natural systems, the veins create detailed patterns and maps of imaginary watery worlds.

Elephant ears #inprocess #drawing #botanicalart #illustration

See this Instagram photo by @wolfienthesneak * 2 likes

This painting by Mabel seems to replicate the pattern in the leaves just perfectly! Maybe she'll teach me how she did it so I can use the same technique when I'm ready to add color. Or maybe I should just let her add the color?

Window Shopping

We've started the school year with 2 new germs calling our house a home and I'm bustin' out all the hippie concoctions I can to get them out of here fast. In the meantime there's a lot of sitting around, tending runny noses, and soothing scratchy throats with hot tea.

During the downtime I've been window shopping on the internet: daydreaming of purchasing a new litter box for The Sneak (read: any new rug we bring into the home, the more expensive, the more frequently used), and finally finishing the bedroom.

Pottery Barn Eleanora rug that reminds me of the interesting layers found in rock formations

Pottery Barn Eleanora rug that reminds me of the interesting layers found in rock formations

Linden Calling

Little did I know that when we rented the goats I would be given another plant path to explore: herbs! Laura and Dr. Dave are members of the NC Herb Association and they told me about a then-upcoming Wild Herb Weekend.

Well that wild weekend was this past one! As someone prone to horrible anxiety, I used my years of inner work to get through the issues and actually mingle and learn some stuff! Without getting into all the workshops (yet? Maybe in other posts?), I found an especially helpful space in the classroom of Marc Williams. I took 2 classes from him:  an ethnobotany course on medicinal herbs used by NC's First Nations, and Formulation of Aphrodisiacs.

Before I go any further, I've had a You Grow Girl post in the back of my mind for a long time. This year I've really honed in on some linden trees in bloom, making note that this is my year to forage their blooms and learn about them further. On Saturday Laura offered a class on making sun tea, and one of the teas was linden based. Naturally I had to try it if I was on the verge of my own harvest. That night a bunk mate offered me a tincture made with wild berries, cocoa, and linden. We talked about the specifics of it, the uses and the reasons she picked that particular combination. Guess what? Linden is good for opening the heart!   

Now, let me get this straight: aphrodisiacs? At the risk of TMI, give me a few beers or a bottle of wine and I'm good. But after the first class with Marc, his approach to herbs and his general charm as a teacher, I knew I wanted to stay and learn some more, no matter the topic. Aphrodisiacs it was.

The clincher, so to speak, was that it was a course on heart opening, not necessarily focused on gettin' some action. The class covered a bit of the science, a bit of tradition and lore, and a lengthy discussion about appropriate herbs and methods of use.  I don't know about you, but with all the news lately I think my heart has gotten a bit hard and closed. It could, and still can, use some opening, some receptiveness, a lot less guarding. I guess there was a reason the linden flowers were calling.