Day 148/365 – On Norway
5/28/17 Besides the experience of staying at the gorgeous Juvet hotel (see last post), there are a number of hikes in the immediate area, and a 10-minute drive away there are amazing viewpoints and a breathtaking winding snake-road at Trollstigen. As is apparently a common sport and pastime, Norwegians were walking up hills with their […]
Day 147/365 – On Juvet hotel
5/27/17 The Juvet hotel , featured in the movie Ex Machina was our final destination after an initial 3-hour delay in JFK, a hectic run-through Oslo airport to make our transfer to Alesund, and a 2 hour car ride to Valldal. Words cannot describe the beauty of the scenery as well as the brilliant architecture […]
Day 146/365 – On international flights
5/26/17 Ah flying. It’s so enticing in theory, but somehow between walking shoe-less and being flagged up and down, examined and felt up, the hype dissipates pretty rapidly. Combined with little legroom and being confined to a chair for hours, between people who will probably be annoyed at you getting up to go to the […]
Day 145/365 – On rhubarb apple jam
5/25/17 I’m up to my elbows in rhubarb again, thanks to Lancester Farms CSA! I’ve decided to continue the dessert trajectory with it – this time with jam! See my makeshift recipe here. 🙂 Bon apetite! Bonus: Rhubarb contains anthraquinones to help stimulate bowel movements, so this jam can help you out of a jam..hehe.
Day 144/365 – On graduation
5/24/17 Yesterday I officially completed my first year at Arbor Vitae traditional school of Clinical Herbalism in NY. It was a full, comprehensive, immersive, and a little overwhelming year of diving headfirst into studying, identifying, and just being with plants. I loved every second of it! Although it delegated a lot of the organizational and […]
Day 143/365 – On phyllotaxis, Fibonacci and the Golden Ratio
5/23/17 Another fascinating concept that was introduced by Richard Mandelbaum in class was that of Sacred Geometry. It seems that all things in nature tend to grow in a particular pattern, which in the end resembles a spiral. Not only is a spiral representative of infinity and continuity, it’s also the optimal way for things […]
Day 142/365 – On Gaia theory
5/22/17 Not sure if I’ve written on this topic before, but even if I did, I will repeat myself anyway. The subject of Gaia came up again at our herbal camping weekend, with my Arbor Vitae teacher, Richard Mandelbaum. It was a beautiful afternoon at Gather Wild Ranch, and we sat around a circle surrounded […]
Day 141/365 – On natural insect repellent
5/21/17 Good news about ticks and other insects: there are some natural things you can use to ward them away. Drinking astragalus tea wards off mosquitos and acts as first defense versus any potential infections, building overall immunity and keeping the periphery separate from the interior. Garlic flower essence is also good to take internally […]
Day 140/365 – On ticks and Lyme
5/20/17 Speaking of ticks (continued from yesterday’s post), that has become increasingly alarming for folks camping or living in the country. I hear repeated stories from people living on farms and upstate that the growth of ticks is increasing, as is the rate of Lyme infection within the human population. This is one of the […]
Day 139/365 – On the great outdoors
5/19/17 It’s so amazing to spend some time in the country, especially when you’re a resident of an urban city. It’s instantly relaxing the second you cross the boundary. The breath slows and deepens automatically, and therapeutic in more ways than one. Not only is the air less congested and filled with fuel exhaust, smog, […]
