"Old Well" oil painting by Ukrainian artist Aleksandr Kryushyn
Just outside our back door is an old well that was likely dug in the 1850s by the people who built our house. I like to imagine I could still draw water from it. That I could sit beside it and make a wish or pray. That I could let down a bucket and bring up fresh, clear, cold water.
Wells symbolize refreshment, community, healing, and abundance.
I’ve chosen the name “Wednesday At The Well” for the once-a-week emails/blog posts I’ll send you that will hopefully include refreshment and enhance our sense of community.
Yes, you read that right! I’ll send only one email each Wednesday.
Why
I want my emails to be more personal while still highlighting products for sale in my shop. And I value your time; we're all receiving too many emails these days, so once a week feels right.
What To Expect
Each Wednesday, I’ll share a few personal things such as a book I’m reading, a favorite recipe, art or music I love, aromatherapy blends, teas, or other natural remedies that are helping me, and what’s happening in my life.
I’ll also highlight a few Delicata House products, either what’s new or what I recommend right now.
So here we go…
What the Nectarine Tree Told Me:
This past Saturday, as we were driving home from visiting one of our kids, I spotted blossoms on one of the fruit trees in our old orchard. Most of these trees appeared to be either dead or dying. Or so I thought!
When I went out to the tree I was thrilled to see so many blossoms. My husband told me it's actually a nectarine tree and he'd only seen fruit on it once.
Today I went to visit it again, to make a flower essence for myself, and to listen to what the tree had to say. This might seem weird, but trees and plants do have things to teach us. What came to me as I stood with my hand on the lichen-covered trunk was:
What we think might be dead in our lives, the old neglected areas of ourselves, may still have life left in them. They may surprise us with new life and bring themselves to our attention, as the nectarine tree did to me.
I was all for purchasing new fruit trees and chopping down whatever was in the old orchard. I thought those trees were lost causes, but there is still life and wisdom to be found in some of them. And now the trees have my attention and I will tend and nurture them. Perhaps some of them will thrive again.
Film:
Have you seen Nyad on Netflix yet? It's all about the true story of 64-year-old Diana Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida in 2013. Annette Bening and Jodi Foster star in this uplifting film. If ever there was a story about resurrection and how new life can spring up in a neglected or forgotten part of life, this is one. It's one of the best films I've watched in a long time.
Aromatherapy Blend:
For seasonal allergy relief, I like Lemon, Laurel Leaf, Niaouli, Hyssop, and Black Spruce, or whatever of these I have on hand at the time.
Below is a simple recipe for the diffuser. If you're diffusing in a tiny space, use only 6 drops total; in a larger room use all 10 drops. Don't keep your animals, particularly cats, trapped in a small, unventilated room with a diffuser going.
Alternatively, put these drops in an aroma nasal inhaler or mix the 10 drops into 1 oz. of lotion or carrier oil and rub into chest and upper back. Keep away from eyes.
Allergy Relief Blend for Diffuser, Inhaler, Lotion or Massage Oil
- 2 drops Lemon
- 3 drops Black Spruce
- 2 drops Laurel Leaf
- 1 drop Hyssop
- 2 drops Niaouli
Book:
I am drinking in the exquisite beauty of The Comfort of Crows: a Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. It combines her poignant, poetic words about the wild animals, trees, and plants in her backyard in Tennessee and her heartbreak for what's happening to the planet with art by her brother, Billy Renkl. Ann Patchett calls it, “ A howling love letter to the world”. If you enjoy nature writing, this is one you'll want to read.
Crystal I'm Working With:
I've been wearing a Picture Jasper bead bracelet for several months and I can honestly say it helps me feel more calm and connected to myself and the Earth. My mom wears hers often too. I plan to start selling them in the shop in May; in the meantime, I have Picture Jasper Towers in the shop.
Recipe I Love:
I've finally found the perfect gluten free dairy free Coffee Cake recipe I've been searching for since 2013. It's from the Minimalist Baker blog and it's delicious. (I did have to add a bit more flour to the crumble topping so it would crumble, but other than that it was perfect.) It got eaten very quickly by those I shared it with, so I think that speaks for itself.
Did you know I have
Under $10 and Under $20 sections in my shop? (Here are a few products from these sections.)
That's all for now!
May you find refreshment today,
Kim