Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Setting Up


A lot has been going on since my first post, but I've been too busy to get it all posted up here. I've got at least 3 posts in my head right now, it just takes a surprising amount of time to get a post done!

But as of this evening, I'm finally starting to feel settled. I have a lamp, I have a chair, I have a drying rack, I have a desk (it's really a sewing table!), I have an organizational system.

I have a black krim tomato plant, dead nettle, pea seeds, apple cider vinegar, and 190 proof alcohol. But this is all for other posts...

The nightstand, vanity, and desk were all freebies - just needed some TLC.

No, not the most elegant system, but it works.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

New Blog for a New Adventure

Today I started school at an herbal medicine program at the California School of Herbal Studies.

Why the title "Old Song Resung"? It's the original title of a poem by Yeats, Down By the Salley Gardens, and was subsequently set to music. It's a favorite song of mine, and as I was listening to it one day a while back, it struck me as a phrase particularly relevant to herbal medicine. Herbs are the original medicine. Herbal medicine is about finding harmony, and now we use herbs in coordination with modern/western medicine. Herbal medicine these days is an old song that is being resung.
School was great today; I'm really excited to be at this school, with really great teachers and students. But seeing as anyone reading this is friends and family, let me start with the adventures leading up to today.Last Thursday (my birthday, incidentally), I drove with my good friend Michelle from Salt Lake, across Nevada, through some crazy driving in Reno, some intense driving in the Sierra's, and some beautiful spring weather in Sacramento, to get to Santa Rosa. Friday it rained all day :P, but I got some free furniture, which is handy, right?
Saturday, Michelle and I drove to San Francisco for the day. (Parking tip: Golden Gateway Garage only $3 all day long!) We walked around little Italy, and spent a lot of the afternoon in Chinatown.Alcatraz is scary.

Seeing their herbal medicine shops is an experience - learning TCM will be interesting! We walked around the wharf, and drove to a bakery called Paulette - a bakery just for macarons. A-maz-ing! We might have bought one of every flavor (15 macarons total) ;)
Sunday as we got in the car to drive to church, my car died. Thus ended the fun part of "the move". But with lots of help from lots of wonderful people (most of all my Dad, thanks Dad!), I got my car back all fixed up today.
Not so lucky that my car died. Lucky that it broke down at my apartment!

I'm starting to feel settled, and I can't wait to share all the great things I learn at herb school!
Here's a preview:
Medicine Making
Growing Plant Medicine
Week camping trip
Firemaking and Cordage
Aromatic Medicine
Herb Walks
Seaweed
Medicine Show