Foraging notes: collected black mulberries, boneset, Northern bayberry and plantain today for food and medicine. The mulberries I'll either eat fresh or add to the white mulberries in the freezer. The Northern bayberry I'll dry to use in cooking all year instead of bay leaves (why do we continue to be dependent- in a cold winter area -on European bay laurel, which is not hardy here, when there is this gorgeous, hardy, native shrub with identical culinary uses?). The boneset I'll tincture just in case this coming winter I get one of those yucky chill-then-sweat, teeth-rattling, joint-aching flues. I pray not, but this is the queen of herbal treatments for such symptoms should it come to pass. The plantain is going into an infused oil that will eventually be made into a salve for all sorts of skin irritations including rashes and bug bites.
A Day in the Life: Also sent out my email blitz for the dance benefit for Invisible Children that I have co produced and choreographed for this month. Gave an insider's tour of NYBG to the person from Dances Patrelle's patron's who'd won the tour at a silent auction last fall.
Confused yet? My first career was professional dance, my second ethnobotany. Hence the multi-focus life!
