Hi all you lovely fans of the Earth pathways Diary….. glennie here
This week I have been busy trying to decide what submissions to send in for the 2012 Diary…. All of the Earth Pathways team submit their own work for the great voting process just the same as everyone else…… (Submissions need to be with Jaine by the 31st October so the count down is on!)
But there are so many possibilities, from photos, to writing about the many things that move me, delight me, and inspire me…… I have songs and poems and pieces of artwork…….. I wonder what to choose…… only 5 too! However can I decide?
Recently I have had a love affair with the Elder Tree and everyday I sang to the Elder trees while gathering baskets filled with gorgeous ripe plump Elderberries. These all have to be plucked from the stems. The recipe books say with a fork but I love to do it with my hands, feeling the soft fullness of each berry, sending my Love and thanks to bless them most royally. For days my fingers were stained a deep rich purpley red that made me very happy – I don’t know why!! Elderberries are renown for throwing off colds in the winter and boosting the immune system. I made many jars of Elderberry tincture, a wonderful dark rich Elderberry syrup and 2 gallons of Elderberry wine which is gently plopping away on my table.
I took photos of the makings and may decide to submit these, along with recipes
Here is a photo of the lovely red stalks after I’d picked the Elderberries off
And one of the brew boiling up to make the wine
And this, the mush after I had made the syrup
……..And jars of syrup. This is supposed for be for my granddaughter, Evie Rose, (who is 3), as we can’t give her the tincture because of the alcohol, but it is so delicious that my 18 year old daughter May and I keep having a naughty swig…. Good job I made lots! And it will keep our immune systems boosted up nicely!