Healthy living

Bag of goodies for sore muscles

Posted on October 18, 2020January 29, 2021 by Jean Campbell

In fair weather, I spend every weekend possible in my garden in the vain hope of catching up. That frequently means the old back and feet are complaining by Sunday evening. As I've been toying with making my own home cleansers and body care products, I happened upon a delightful and accessible collection of recipes from Jan Berry's fantastic book, The Big Book of Homemade Products for your Skin, Health & Home. I have already tried out her Fresh Breath Dog Treats and the Honey,... Continue reading

Balance – It’s the Best

Posted on April 25, 2020October 2, 2020 by Jean Campbell

Pandemics and Gardening I love to garden. I am not necessarily great at it. But it is, most certainly, great for me. With one caveat. Balance. Planting, constructing, working with seed, reveling in the sites and sounds of the outdoors: this has been all I have been able to do. It takes me away from fear and panic in this unbelievable reality we are all sharing. ThrushBluebird dadEscapee All the while, my house is a mess, my brushes lay idle by my easel, my guitars sit lonely and... Continue reading

There’s Food in Your Yard!

Posted on March 22, 2020April 25, 2020 by Jean Campbell

My daughter introduced me to foraging a few years back. In an earlier post, As God is My Witness I'll Never Go Hungry, I detailed the beginnings of my attempts at foraging. I thought now was a good time to present the topic of extending your food supply with what is more than likely already in your fridge or growing in your yard. Keep it Growing! Romaine in cups I rely on live food. In addition to my salad- and greens-dependent self, I have a pair of rabbits who expect daily greens.... Continue reading

The Secret Garden – Breaking Ground

Posted on March 11, 2020March 20, 2020 by Jean Campbell

Sunday was a glorious day. After a week of many obligations and what seemed like never ending rain, I finally made it into the garden. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and my yard helper, Melvin, was there to assist with all the heavy lifting. We got way more done than I thought possible and I didn’t destroy my already tenuous lumbar. Fatsia Japonica First, the ugly dead bush came down. It will make fabulous chimenea fodder. Then Melvin brought round the plants... Continue reading