Verdant Suburbia

01/11/2025

My family learned something new today: the wildfires in California cannot be fought with sea water. Do you know why? If so, please *do not* give the answer here. If not, I’d love for you to post your hypothesis and then Google for more info.

Sometimes there is more value in recognizing that we don’t have all the answers than it telling others how to do things that we know nothing about. Today, in this conversation, you get bonus points for your wrong answers. So have at it. Normalize putting curiosity over certainty.

My hypotheses: I learned from Florida hurricanes that salt water on electrical elements can spark fire. Maybe that’s the issue? Or maybe “salting the earth” impacts future plant growth in a way that makes matters worse?

I googled “why can’t you fight wildfire with salt water.”

My love and respect to all those who are in the thick of it in California. I wish you health and safety, and I wish a quick recovery for your communities.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year! How are you feeling this morning? Whether in the presence or absence of alcohol, hangovers happen. Dry air, lots of chatting, eating sweet or salty foods, staying up late—they take a toll, often starting with dehydration.

If you’re feeling less than your best, consider whether this might help: a spoonful of chia seeds, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt. Fill the rest of a tall glass or quart jar with water and sweeten to taste. Drink as much as you can out of the gate, and sip the rest as you go through the day, until it’s gone.

Wishing you wellness, today and all through the year.

11/30/2024

I so love the holiday where we pause in the gifting and the running around just to settle in with loved ones, eat a delicious and drawn-out meal, and celebrate the abundance in our lives.

I also know that the history of that day is tainted with abuse. Today I give an extra helping of thanks for my indigenous friends, and for the ways they have taught me to live lighter in this world. I cheer you on as you work to reclaim what was stolen from you.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I’m wishing you a life of abundance, for today, the next year, and always.

My turkey prep includes a pink grapefruit. Those who know me well know that I have an unusual obsession with citrus peel. This year I cut the peel into niblets and tossed it into a pan with 4T water and 6T glycerine. I simmered it over low heat until the liquid was absorbed or evaporated. Added a pinch of salt. Next stop: the dehydrator.

There was more. I “accidentally” ate rather a lot of it. I’m looking forward to sugar-free candied grapefruit!

09/18/2024

Equal parts frozen pineapple and mango + a couple glugs of Tart Cherry, Turmeric & Ginger Tonic + a few shakes of Turmeric Twist seasoning blend + enough water to get the whole thing moving in the Vitamix = pumpkin spice smoothie deliciousness. Yesterdays’s serving of fruit with dinner.

The tonic (really a juice blend) and seasoning come from Frontier Co-Op, distributor to natural health stores.

09/09/2024

Congratulations to my friend Mary Colvin who found out, while we were at Great Lakes Herb Faire this weekend, that her book hit #1 on Amazon for its category. Check out “The Herbalist’s Guide: How to Build and Use Your Own Apothecary.” It’s an excellent book for beginner and intermediate herbalists who want to dig deeper. Check it out!

03/12/2023

We made a quick trip to Frankenmuth and we discovered what might be our favorite store ever: Sticky Situations. A family-owned business, they have two beekeepers who travel the country to help pollinate monoculture farms. I spoke with the daughter of the family, and she told me about how they take the honey from those adventures and infuse some of the same plant matter to enhance the flavor.

They cannot certify their honey as organic because they can't track each individual bee, but they work with organic farms to produce the best honey they can manage. The tasting room in Frankenmuth has samples of everything they carry. A special find: apple syrup, made from apple sap.

If you're in the Frankenmuth area check out Sticky Situations!

What we do We’re a small family-owned place with two beekeepers. Oh, and a few million honeybees. Tucked amongst the quaint shops in Old Mistick Village, CT; Peddler’s Village, PA, and River Place Shops, MI; Sticky Situations is the ultimate tasting room experience. You’ll taste. You’ll lear...

03/08/2023

Don’t you love it when a puffy package arrives in the mail and you know it’s something you really want, and not just another advertisement? Today I got a lovely squish from my friend Carli at Dandelions and Dreams.

I make a lot of my own body products, and people love to gift them to me. It’s rare that I buy them from anyone else. This one is worth it. Carli has been doing a deep dive into botanical skincare. This salve is silky and nourishing, but it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling behind. Get some!