The story of stumbling upon the meaning and significance of these living artifacts started about 10 years ago. I had been running an apothecary in Mississippi (2012-2017) and, of course, spent a lot of time outdoors walking trails. I eventually started to notice these unusually shaped trees, most of them bent at 90 degree angles. … Continue reading
Filed under sustainability …
Cordage and a Worthwhile Hand Cramp
I did get a hand cramp. But, it was worth it. Let me back up a bit. Working with my hands has always been healing. And, recently, I had the chance to learn something new…something I had been wanting to learn…basic cordage making. My first imprint of the process was at a Chumash Cultural Day … Continue reading
Grandmothers Can Tell It Like It Is
When I worked as the Retreat Manager at a silent, contemplative retreat center in a holler out in the mountains of WNC about 10 years ago, the (amazing) cook gifted me this book. I haven’t picked it up in years. I opened it up and turned directly to this page. Sobering words, but words we … Continue reading
Brand Names and Small Crafters for Clean Threads
Something shifted in me around the time of my pregnancy back in 2017. Even though I had owned my share of hemp and organic cotton clothing…and steadily sifted through the endless racks of thrift and consignment store shops for second hand threads…fibers…all of a sudden…became more of an interest for me. There was something about … Continue reading
Deforestation, Gut Health, & Microbes
What does deforestation have to do with human health? Here’s what I think. When I went through psychosis back in 2001, I met brick walls when trying to get help from doctors. I was terrified for my life, severely depressed, having heart palpitations, losing sleep, experiencing dizzy spells and tingling in my eyelids and lips, … Continue reading
Peruvian Pepper Tree and Why Invasive Plants Matter
When I moved to Santa Barbara, CA with my family, just this past April, I quickly took note of a tree that reminded me of weeping willow. It’s furrowed trunk greatly contrasted, the light feathery leaves that fanned the air. And, it was everywhere around Ojai and Santa Barbara. There is even a Pepper Tree … Continue reading
Zine: Seasonal Living with Herbs & Food of the Deep South
THIS ZINE IS SOLD OUT… A project I’ve been working on for 8 years or so has finally come to fruition! Some of you have read previous blog posts on traditional foods ways, herbal medicine, and living with the seasons. While others of you have actually attended a course or workshop with me. Well, this … Continue reading
Fibers That Won’t Choke The World
With the little one on its way…I’ve been obsessing about fabrics, textiles, and yarns. As an herbalist and plant-worker, I’ve always been drawn to natural fibers and plant dyes, but this nesting season has taken it to a whole new level. In addition to this, my increasing awareness of microplastics has deepened my commitment to … Continue reading
Ramie & My Nettle Sweater
As an herbalist, the plant world constantly intrigues me. Beyond medicine-making, plants continue to lure me into plant-dye experiments, cord-making, and other curiosities. Naturally, fibers and textiles are of interest and I’m always intrigued by traditional techniques and the revivification of lost ways… And so, today’s topic is the natural fiber, ramie. Ramie or China … Continue reading
Forest Bathing, Mississippi-style
Between cutting down the old-growth cypress forests of the Mississippi Delta, the clear-cutting of the coastal long-leaf pine forest, and the cutting and then conversion of the beech-magnolia climax forest to the monocropping of pine trees for the paper and wood industry… there is not much left to speak of when it comes to … Continue reading
Lindsay Kolasa 