Flicking Feathers

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz –

If someone had told me when I was younger that I would actually enjoy being awake before dawn, I would have laughed.  But over the years I have developed the habit of waking up with the sun.   And since we turned the clocks forward in anticipation of the Spring Equinox on March 20th,  I’ve been up  just in time to witness the rising sun as it paints the eastern sky with watercolor shades of pink and yellow; everything looks so new and fresh in the muted light of dawn and life is just beginning to stir in the dark recesses of the woods.

Seed Saving Time: Spinach

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz

Spinach is one of the very earliest crops planted and harvested from the garden in spring.  As a member of the Amaranth family (formerly classified as the Chenopodia family), spinach is naturally packed with fiber, protein, and high levels of essential vitamins and minerals.  If you’ve never grown your own spinach or had freshly prepared spinach, you are in for a real treat!  And if you already love spinach and grow it in your garden every year, then why not try saving your own seed?  You’ll not only be rewarded with oodles of eating pleasure, but you’ll save a ton of money, too!

Jill’s Herbal Diary: Natural Ingredients for Herbal Preparations

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz –

When I first started studying herbs and herbalism, I was fascinated by the multitude of natural ingredients that are used alone or combined with other ingredients to make herbal preparations like lotions, salves, soaks, and compresses.   The following includes interesting tidbits of information for each ingredient, but is by no means a complete list of their attributes or actions.  Of course, a lot more could be said about each ingredient, yet this list might just inspire you to look for more ways to use a particular ingredient or to try some of these in a new way!  As always, please feel free to add your knowledge or share your thoughts!