Dear Yogis,

On Monday, yesterday, I had a garden afternoon.   I have discovered over time that Chocolate Mint, Thai Mint, Mugwort, Lebanese Cress and of course Watercress can all provide a really good water crop.  So I planted each of them, again.  I did have a wonderful crop of watercress, but the tadpoles, (and there were many), decided that they like watercress, and they cleared the whole pond of it, so I have had to replant.  The roots are wonderful and keep the water clean and clear, and add a few fish to keep the mozzies down, and you have a balanced system (minus taddies).    Gardening is not a meditation for me, it is work – and in this time of no yoga classes, work is welcome.

These are photos of the pond.  Looks a bit wild and woolley, but that’s how it is…  I inserted two larger gold type fish who were (when I last looked) exceeding happy.  If the heron swoops in it will be unfortunate and underline why I should have stuck with pygmy perch – they are fast and you can’t see them.   If the sun comes out this afternoon it will be gumboot time – I can see changes I want to make.

A friend of mine in Central Victoria is growing Salt Bush, so my next summer I will have a tincture for the cat’s nose.  I am not sure the bush will grow the same with the same properties as the one I use … but I am happy to have the foliage and try.  I can make the tincture.  No-one has spoken to me about their supplementation.  I take lots, and my acupuncturist approved (surprisingly).  I make Olive Leaf Extract (I also make gin, but that is for another time), I take mega C and so should you – eating oranges is not enough. I also take big zinc, creatine, and turmeric (“hemp” boosted) milk.  What are you relying on?  I am getting younger by the day.  My skin is great, my poop is fantastic, and everything is clean and clear.  WHAT ABOUT YOU? If you need essences, hemp super turmeric…whatever.  I am here.  just ask.  yogafirst2@bigpond.com

I have tarted up my blog – it took some time, but I think it looks better, and gives you some options..  Please go to www.wildnweedy.blogspot.com     and let me know what you think.

On Tuesday and Wednesday  am going to focus on making masks.  I have been dancing around the fabric. i.e. not wanting to cut.  The fabric is so beautiful it seems a pity to make a mask out of it – but we may be wearing masks for a long time… we might as well have beautiful masks, not just one, lots.  One for every day – different colours, different fabrics.

Stay well, stay warm.  NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

 

 

 

Good morning my yogis and friends,

Here I am again.  It rained last nite, just when I was going seed collecting today.  Can’t collect wet seed!  But I will still get some greens.

I was talking to a student yesterday who wanted to go foraging and thought accompanying me would be a good idea.  Because it can be a ‘close-up” activity it wouldn’t work at this time – but when we get back to normal it will be fantastic.  Right now I will do a map so you can all see where I “shop nature” I will put it in the booklet of recipes “WILD’NWEEDY”.  Just the most obvious, and recipes, so you can actually use what you have collected.  Even if I did a map, you may trample over tiny plants.   The last time I did something like this I couldn’t get near my favourite place because of the cars, but, I will do it anyway.

This is an unusual time.  A good outcome is that the State Departments of Transport are going to overhaul the train schedules and usage, car registrations, tolls, road usage.  Apparently they have wanted to do this for a long time but didn’t because of the disruption.  Now we already have disruption, and they are doing the right thing.  Not ignoring what is happening.  I think it is a good outcome.  They have quite a long time to achieve a lot.  Even cleaning the trains in a different way has required thought, staff training etc etc… the complications are obvious when you think about them.

Hope you are managing the isolation.  It is quiet, but we can get a lot done.  Like the transport department, do what you have thought about for ages but haven’t done because of the disruption it may cause.  We have the disruption, so no more excuses.  The sky is the limit.  I used to take the kids foraging, they loved it (especially seeing that sometimes I would give them a day or so away from school on the basis I was “home schooling”) , then we would come home and cook what we had collected, and even swap things with neighbours..  Even fresh milk could be left at a letter box – which is where deliveries used to happen before dairies, bottles and cartons.  You might say “I can’t”, but really “YOU CAN”.

Don’t forget.  My booklet HOW (AND WHY) YOGA WORKS is on www.myyogabooks.etsy.com.  You said you wanted it.  I used the time to do Part one and it is on ETSY.  By the time you have read Part One, I will have Part Two done.  I am also working on the book of recipes called “Wild’nWeedy”.

NAMASTE.   JAHNE  Stay well and safe.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Yogis,

We are all on HOME-STAY orders.  Going out has become problematic, and we have got the garden in order, and maybe like my mum you are waiting for the dust to fall so you can use your spinner thing to get it up – and you have found (not surprisingly) that all this is not enough!  There is only so many times you can tidy the bookshelves….

How about something new and different? How about getting out paper and pen and actually writing to someone. It could be a relative, a friend you haven’t heard from in an age – but it also could be a prisoner on death row!  I write to prisoners on death row in the USA.  It is a lengthy process in the beginning as you can imagine (and I advise choosing the USA).  The administration need  to make sure that you are safe…  once you have jumped the hurdles of red tape (and this is a good time to take that on), you could start up a conversation that makes a difference in someone’s life (Google for details and how to proceed).  By the way, in this computer age, real, paper letters to anyone make a difference.

If you are even more creative, you could make the writing implement.  Making the paper is harder, but making a pen is simple.  Newsagents are still open so you can still get ink.  Now there is something you can make out of beetroot juice or soot.  But a bought ink lasts longer on the page.  I think I did a blog about the pens I made from hollow twigs.  Bamboo and elderberry are two woods I use.

I was out walking yesterday (collecting chunky greens for my stew) and I took photos of two wonderful stands of fungi.  Look at all those pine needles – great mulch for blueberries.

The first is a stand of Amanita Muscaria (poisonous), and the second is huge, about 2ft across and there are lots of stands of these around at the moment.  I think it is an Omphalotus Olearius (poisonous), it looks wonderful, but not to eat, although people who know more about these things than me might disagree.  That’s OK.  I am not that hungry.

Almost forgot to say – last night I was relaxing in my sitting room, the cat curled in my lap, I looked up and there was a mature large fox sitting on the other side of a window looking at me.  About 6ft away.   We just sat, and then the fox said goodbye and melted into the night as they say.  It was a magical few moments.  I am told they will come through a cat door if they feel safe?

Ancient Chieftains in Ireland were called Sinnachs or Foxes.  Druids believe that the fox is knowing and in possession of clear vision.  In common with the otter, the fox is said to carry a magical pearl which brings good fortune to whomever finds it.

Have a lovely day – take time out to get your writing gear organised and a space to do it – it is almost an art form.

Namaste – stay well and safe – JAHNE