making things

I've been making good use of the basic quart jar. The last pickings from a late-bearing elder, Sambucus sp., made up a second batch of tincture with the extra berries going into the freezer. I probably won't need to make elderberry tincture for a few years now.

The golden elixir in the threesome up there is oatstraw, Avena sativa, infusion, something I drink several times a week as a source of vitamins and minerals. I buy oatstraw and other tonic herbs like nettle and red clover by the pound and drink them on a rotating basis. Directions to make infusion here.

Hard to believe but that is one whole cabbage fermenting in the quart jar. I recently attended a program on fermentation and the presenter recommended using Real Brand Orsa salt from natural mineral rock-salt deposits in Utah. That is as close to local as we inlanders (in Colorado) can get, salt-wise. The presenter also said to place a few cabbage leaves on top of the shredded cabbage to act as a barrier during the fermentation process but I forgot to save some leaves so I used kale leaves instead.

Bone broth has been simmering in my kitchen the last few days. Every so often I roast a good-size pasture-raised chicken for dinner and then make bone broth with what remains. I make it Meg's way -- you cook the first go-round with 1 T. salt and 2 T. apple cider vinegar for no longer than 2-3 hours, then strain. Save all the bones, etc. and repeat for another batch -- the same way -- but simmered for at least 12 more hours. Meg even goes a third round but I haven't tried that yet. 

I am thinking about what color and stitch to use on my moon cloth for the current moon phase. I want the stitching to reflect the super moon but it just hasn't clicked yet, I'm a little behind.

The prompt for Journal52 Week27 is kindness. The vines around the heart sort of look like elderberries but that wasn't what I was thinking at the time. Some of the best things happen when I don't plan too much. 

xo

last day of summer

The last day of summer.....Japanese indigo leaves for the dye-pot.....calendula flowers for salve-making.....the garden gives us more food than I ever thought possible back in June. It is very wild here now, Buddha's garden is cram-packed and the Maximilian sunflowers are having their way with me.

Good-bye summer. I had a really good time.

weekend

I'm hunting for baskets all over the house. Baskets are the very best container for drying plant material because air can circulate. Sometimes I place the basket on a makeshift pedestal (a glass or bowl) to help things along even more. The pinkish-red flowers are trimmings from a pelargonium, not sure how well they dry so it's just an experiment for the dye-pot. From there moving counter-clockwise are calendula, basil, dyers coreopsis, sage and lemon verbena with Japanese indigo in the middle.

The first lesson in my first watercolor class over at Daisy Yellow. Using good watercolors with a good brush on good paper for the first time, too. Love love love watercolors. I never knew.

Evenings and mornings are pleasantly cool-ish in Denver now. Yesterday I even wore a shawl while I had my cup of Irish Breakfast tea outside. I'm looking forward to sweaters and scarves and socks again.

Even though it's already half over, I wish you some very happy weekending. xx

there is much to do

Today is a waxing moonday in Libra and with summer winding down, there is much to do. As they say on Game of Thrones, winter is coming. About now is when I start to baby things in the garden again because I know they don't have much longer to live. I harvest and water and weed more fervently than ever. I'm there for them in the beginning and at the end. I guess that's when we all need someone there for us.

I haven't done very much dyeing lately but that's about to change. There are plans and more plans.

This journal page is layers of paper and paint with words pasted on top of it all. The prompt for Journal52 Week 26 was elements, I still think creating backgrounds might be the best part.

I recently reread To Kill a Mockingbird before reading Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. I prefer the former and not the latter but I'm glad I read them both. One reviewer said the first book was what we want to believe and the second book was how it really was.

These are interesting times and winter is coming.

the spiral

I wanted to sort something by color. This is most of my embroidery floss, but not all. Next time I'm in a sorting-by-color mood, it'll be books. 

The garden is going full-speed trying to make up for lost time. Japanese beetles have been traveling westward since 1916 and they've finally arrived safe and sound and in great numbers from what I hear. I've only found about 15-20 so consider myself lucky -- they're beautiful beetles which doesn't help matters any.

These are Chinese 5-Color Peppers from a plant I bought last May. I'm going to ask the hot-pepper-lover around here to taste test them.

A dandelion puff on a shelf in the kitchen.

The prompt was Q & A for my Journal52 Week25 art journal page -- I have the question but no answer, sorry.

The kale chip recipe suggested by Michelle in comments last week -- they were all gone 24 hours later -- actions speak louder than words.

Still loving this little vase I made with the bright spirits. It's almost always filled with flowers from the garden.

I scoured 12 ounces of cotton fiber yesterday -- simmered it in water/washing soda/dishwashing soap for two hours. I've never had great results with cotton in the dye-pot (other than in the indigo vat) but this extra step in the process may change all that.

And here we are at the beginning again. Summer is flying by and sometimes I feel sad that it's all happening too fast. But then I remember life is like traveling a spiral and a year from now we'll be back at this same place on the spiral. Only better -- and wilder -- and hopefully wiser too. xo