Dandelion Wine, Blessed Beltane, Happy Summer!

The Dandelions are Blooming! They bring forth the Happy Child of my heart!

We are making the wine this year, and the Yeast are happily bubbling away, munching their feast of sugar in the wine pot. What a Glorious sound...well brewing wine. Care is taken in every step. And love is communicated and shared amongst Plant, Human, and Yeast Culture. We are merrily partaking in the process together. Ahhh... I do love winter's snows and the crisp fall air. And yet how we can experience that there is everything to love about every season, about this most precious place called Earth.

Bless everything, and the Blessings return...

Here is the receipe I use for Dandelion Wine, from the book, Healing Wise, by Susun Weed:

"Dandelion Wine a la Laughing Rock
our year's supply for rituals and medicine

2 gal/8 liter crock
3-5 qts/3-5 liters blossoms
5 qts/5 liters water
3 pounds/1.5 kg sugar
1 organic orange
1 organic lemon
1 pkg/8 grams live yeast
wholewheat bread toast

Find a field of dandelions in bloom on a glorious shining day.

Follow the honey bees to the finest flowers.

Pick them with a sweeping motion of your parted fingers, like a comb.

I leave the green sepals on, but get rid of all stalks.

Back home, put blossoms immediately into a large ceramic, glass, or plastic vessel.

Boil water; pour over flowers.

Cover your crock with cheese cloth.

Stir daily for three days.

On the fourth day, strain blossoms from liquid.

Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus (omit rind if not organic) for 30-60 minutes.
Return to crock. Add citrus juice.

When liquid has cooled to blood temperature, soften yeast,

spread on toast, and float toast in crock.

Cover and let work two days. Strain.

Return liquid to crock forone more day to settle.

Filter into very clean bottles and cork lightly.

Don't drink until winter solstice.
Preparation time: A week's worth of effort yields a drink

not only delightful but good for your liver, as well."

Welcome Home

I know that Spring has come

when roused from my bed

by their trumpeting overhead.

I welcome them home

with a song in my heart,

but know too, that death of the greening

soon come in time

when they depart.

Welcome Home My Friends.

Thank You, Mr. Silverstein

Just How brillant can one man be?

Thank you, Mr. Silverstein.
I offer a few selections of his many gems, here, from:

Falling Up

poems and drawings

by Shel Silverstein

- copyright 1996, by Shel Silverstein.

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THE VOICE

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long,

"I feel that this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong."

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What's right for you-just listen to

The voice that speaks inside.

***********************************

WOULDA-COULDA-SHOULDA

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas

Layin' in the sun,

Talkin' 'bout the things

They woulda-coulda-shoulda done . . .

But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas

All ran away and hid

From one little did.

***********************************

THREE STINGS

George got stung by a bee and said,

"I wouldn't have got stung if I'd stayed in bed."

Fred got stung and we heard him roar,

"What am I being punished for?"

Lew got stung and we heard him say,

"I learned somethin' about bees today."

( note: this poem has an illustration to go with it that must be seen )

************************************

Amma

"The desination is only one - oneness.

So do not criticize anyone.

Never injure the feelings of your friends

or your spiritual companions.

Let them have their own beliefs.

Show respect - that is your responsibility to mankind."

~Amma

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

May there be peace everywhere

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings be happy