Intentional living
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Forest bathing invitations
“Place your feet firmly on the ground and feel the connection with the earth. Think of all the roots twisting and stretching out underneath you,” says Beth in her soothing voice. I am sitting in the forest on a collapsible stool. Beth is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide. Our small group has paused here, among the trees, to sit, close our eyes and allow ourselves to open up to the forest. She encourages us to slow our breathing and take note of any smells and sounds around us in the breezy forest air. It’s like we are prepping our senses, getting them ready to engage with the forest.…
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Director’s cut
It was an ordinary street sign: a green rectangle, fixed atop a metal pole, white letters indicating the street name. A common sight. But special to me. Meaningful. It was at the end of the street I grew up on: Seagram Ave. And in the summer of 1991 I had to move from this safe and familiar street. As distraught as I was (as teenagers can be) I was determined to apply my surly energy to taking down that sign to stow it with me. Dressed in black, in the dark of night, I met my best friend at the street corner (she also lived on the street and empathized…
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Bring on the garlic
In May the only plants growing in my little garden were neat rows of garlic shoots. I planted the cloves in the fall before the earth froze. As the summer progressed the shoots were overshadowed by towering tomatoes and climbing vines on either side (the invasive beanstalks went so far as to wrap around the shoots like a pole). Underground however the bulbs steadily grew. Unlike other fickle vegetables in my garden (I’m talking to you zucchini!) this allium batted a thousand. I planted 9 cloves and harvested 9 shapely bulbs. I never thought I would describe the humble garlic as “plump and juicy” but this description fits this homegrown variety.…
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A savvy beaver
I am fascinated by this photo. The slender hourglass shape carved by the beaver is striking. It looks fragile, yet perfectly balanced. I have seen many pointy tree stumps completely chomped down by beavers, and others with a few nibbles, but this trunk stood out as it was so very close to completion. Another bite or two, chomp chomp, and it surely it would fall. I took the photo a couple years and keep thinking about it. There must be meaning, a message, a hidden truth, to be uncovered in this finely chiseled trunk. But what? Then at the cottage this week I saw a beaver swimming across the lake.…
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A garden in bloom
It is my habit to check on my little garden each morning. Inspect. Prune. Sniff. I am constantly amazed by the amount of growth that happens over night, stems reaching up, leaves stretching out, limbs twisting about, expanding into the empty spaces, and most joyously at times, sprouting a pretty flower. That’s what I found this morning: the first zucchini blossom. I have already harvested bushels of lettuce, kale, arugula, and eaten plenty of crunchy salads, but it’s the summer squash and scarlet beans that adorn my garden like jewels. Gems of splashy orange blossoms and tiny red flowers. Pretty to look at, absolutely. But those fragile blooms are also…
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Perfumed air
I have been stopping lately on my neighborhood walks. Simply to take a deep breath. And smell. The delicate scent of blossoms have been wafting through the air and it’s quite delightful. I do enjoy the bright springtime bulbs and woodland wild flowers like trilliums and marsh marigolds, but let’s face it, they are mostly nice to look at. Blossoms on the other hand, win you over with their fragrance. Right now, it’s the heady scent of lilacs in my neighborhood. I was also lucky to see the lilacs at the Royal Botanical Gardens recently. Apparently the Lilac Garden is “one of the largest and diverse collections in the world.”…
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The Garden of Epicurious
A few months ago I awoke in the middle of the night to a harrowing shriek. It was a terrifying sound. My mind started thinking of horrible possibilities, like someone in pain or dying. I got out of bed and looked out my window to the dimly lit street below. There they were. A pair of foxes. One tilted its head back and screamed. The sound was the call of a red fox. No one was dying or in agony. It was simply two foxes out for a midnight stroll. My sense of hearing is not faulty, but my mind certainly did play tricks on me. According to the Greek…
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Summer sunshine in a bottle
By most accounts, 2020 was not a great year. One bright spot was the nice weather. The relatively warm winter and plenty of summer sunshine was uplifting for my spirits, and more importantly, ideal conditions for plants to flourish. The vegetables from my summer garden are long gone of course but there is one crop to be enjoyed long after the summer rays are gone. Grapes. It was a great year for growing grapes in Ontario. Warmer than average temperatures through the entire growing season produced juicy and flavourful grapes. Winemakers are excited about this 2020 vintage. Say. No. More. I have been eagerly watching out for the 2020 wines…
