Kelleys Custom Creams Newsletter, No 11

This is one of our over six foot tall tomato plants in late afternoon. They have really been astonishing this year, and as usual fit in with my mental meanderings.

They are in pots, and actually SMALL pots. But adapt to that they did, and we did too in terms of how we watered and fed them. So far the results have been outstanding. So: These plants have been flexible enough to thrive in a setting that is good, but not perfect. I think we can all do the same. I recently read yet another article about seeking guidance, and prayer. So often when we do these things we are asking for things to be as we want them to be, making demands in a way, bargaining. Not accepting things as they are and asking questions about how to abide with that, work with it, learn from it. We can reach plateaus in things. Plateaus in work, relationships, healing. Sometimes we get bored at these plateaus, or frightened. But there is always a way of enquiry and something to learn. We can be flexible, and gentle at the same time, with ourselves, and make progress. It's certainly worth a try! Coming up as we are on another solstice, then fall and winter, we need to also be thinking about helping our immune systems stay flexible, so they can meet the changing weather and new germs with equanimity. Elderberry syrup is marvelous for this, and you can find it at good health food stores. A basic brand is SAMBUCOL, but some herbal preparations have it in combination with other immune boosters such as boneset and echinacea. Elderberry works by preventing invasion of cell walls by viruses and their pointy noses, so while best to take at the outset of flu season, it also lessens the severity of a viral infection once contracted. Also, useful for colds.

Mints are wonderful plants when you're working away at such things. Mint teas, mint flavorings in rice dishes, pasta, beans....my personal favorite combination is peppermint, cilantro, and green onion chopped together. Great as a marinade (with oil and citrus juice) for chicken, great stirred into a pilaf, or almost anywhere. Any time of year, too!

This picture is of our hops plant, another marvelous restorative for the nervous system. Teas, tintures, and, well beer. But, you can also see, through the leaves a fugitive mint plant! There is also, straight back to the left, an Elderberry.