Reading Material

Apparently when I decide to learn about something I take it on through full immersion.  I started out  asking for book recommendations about medicinal herbs and bought 2: Homegrown Herbs and The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook. Then I found out about a sale in the brand new Farthing Collective store and bought 2 Raleigh Briggs titles (Make Your Place and Herbal First Aid). All the while I'd forgotten I'd pre-ordered Easy Growing. Fortunately each of these books fills in where others leave gaps. And for anyone wondering? Rodale's Encyclopedia, while the thickest book in my herbal library and brimming with information, is the last one I pick up when looking for information.

Since I'm finally starting to keep an actual garden journal (outside this here blog), I've also found it handy to rip out pages of seed catalogs, since those descriptions are what enticed me to try out those particular plants.

Maybe this will be the year I remember exactly why I was so excited about starting anise hyssop, shiso and knit bone.

What have you got sprouting in your garden plans?

Vacation, all I ever wanted

Pardon the disappearance,we made it to the beach and had a lovely vacation. In fact, we came back so well rested we spent the past couple days doing some intense cleaning including, but not limited to: the refrigerator and steam cleaning all the rugs in the house.

Cleaning is not a normal pre-vacation activity, but I knew I'd be much happier coming home to a clean house than a messy one. Then spending a week in a house without stacks of papers and clutter made it hard to come home to a clean yet cluttered space.

With clean spaces all around and a well rested body and spirit, I'm finally ready to really tackle a few personal goals: really digging into Beautiful You, a book introduced to me by Amber Karnes. I meant to do the book club but didn't get my book until too late and excuses and more excuses.

Now I feel ready. What about you? Do you feel as beautiful as you actually are?

Printed Word Matters

Are you a Good Reads-er? Although I've been told (*ahem* Ashley!) I'm not great about keeping up with my account (I just deleted a book that was supposed to be, but never actually was, checked out from the library that had been in "currently reading" status for something like 800 + days) I do have a stack of books I savor every chance I get**.

**Translation of "every chance": When I'm not 1) chasing, playing, snuggling, cuddling, blowing raspberries with M; 2) creating interesting concoctions also commonly called family dinner; 3) drawing, scanning, printing, listing, selling prints; 4) absorbing time on the internet; 5) cleaning; 6) doing laundry; 7) sleeping.

This means reference books are about all I can handle right now, but that's okay since my stack is primarily made up of them.

Canning for a New Generation by Lianna Krissof
Well, I haven't actually gotten my grubby little hands on this one, but it should arrive tomorrow (along with Vera, which I rationalized as research and development, and Good to the Grain, because I. made. bread. people! and I want to make more. More more more!) and I'm ready to try out some interesting pickle recipes.

 
Start with the Soil by Grace Gershuny
is an out of print book from Rodale. It was recommended by Annie Novak. When I crossed the recommendation while reading an interview with Novak, there was a sudden clicking sound in my brain; an undeniable realization that I need to learn more about the dirt I'm using and abusing. You can read it straight through like normal people do, or if you have an adorable little 2-legged distraction that prevents normal activities, you can pick it up and read a chapter at a time. . . which is how I'm getting through it.

The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe
The full title sounds like a book for the apocalypse, so I'll just keep it to the first title. I don't usually include brimstone in my reading, but the scope of the content seemed like an important resource for what we've got going on at our house (especially that last bullet point).

I know a lot of you out there are busy with kids and general daily life, so do you piece together bits of free time to read? How do you do it or are you waiting til later to savor the printed word?