Day 150/365 – On Thrive movement
5/30/17 Speaking of peace persevering over violence, I have a very interesting documentary to recommend – Thrive. Watch it today! Follow the money: who controls money, controls the world. But we can thrive, if we become conscious of what’s happening and what is possible. Just putting it out there. That’s all for today.
Day 149/365 – On Memorial Day
5/29/17 Memorial Day, for some people, has become just a holiday Monday that you get off work, go to barbeques and buy stuff on sale. But how many of us really commemorate the deeper meaning of the holiday? It honors those who have died serving in our country’s armed forces. And in doing so, it […]
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 […]