Spring is about possibilities. I cherish Spring.
This weekend I thought incessantly about it, and how good it will feel to reconnect to loved ones that have been apart from us. My family usually enjoys Spring traditions like egg hunts and family celebrations with heaps of food and drink.
This year the landscape is different, to say the very least. But my goal is to celebrate everything, and make traditions wherever we can. Life is short.
Traditions mean food to me. So we started off the morning with these winners, hot cross buns! They were delightful, which is everything one could want in a Spring morning food, but I didn't have the patience to get them into perfect circles. They were, however, no less edible. In fact, they were nearly perfect.
I was on track to do have a successful morning, but it got sidelined by Radar's desire to keep other dogs away from the house. And while socially distancing, I had to run over and remind her she doesn't own the whole neighborhood. I personally find this infuriating. But it's hard for her, I have to remember...
Once again, we (I) had to walk it off.
So we went outside for our own egg hunt in our wild garden.
We all came back with scratches on our legs and ankles, but it was so worth it. Our oldest of course was the champion, but sweet as he can be, he went back and left some of his eggs for his brothers. We were so pleased as it looked as though our small field trip outside had brightened all our moods.
I should mention one thing about Spring in Vermont- people call it "mud season". My youngest figured it out today.
After playing outside for a bit we decorated some eggs, and then headed back out to explore. Asa found these gorgeous cattails, bursting with seeds. His hands are red from our egg dyeing, not from anything else.
Speaking of, you can use a natural food coloring you can buy online or you can be adventurous and make pigments with a little help from your kitchen. I love this site for how-tos, and one of my very favorites, this one, I love for how-tos and just about everything else. The colors come out beautiful and it really lasts (as you can see).
Though I first saw the redness when he found this, and I lost my, ahem, composure at first glance.
We never did find the wearer of these beauties, or the remnants. But holy smokes these are so stately and majestic. We are trying to think of a good hiding place that will allow us to keep them free from the dreaded little brother hands.
We ended the night with a bonfire and our wishes for tomorrow. The night was beautiful.
Before tucking the boys in, I caught a glimpse of this beautiful pussy willow our beloved neighbors gave to us.
Pussy willows are so beautiful, delicate and hearty. They grow in cold Northern climates (aka my home) in the wet ground. It's hard to imagine that something so beautiful can grow in essentially mud and rise up to signal Spring. It's our version of the lotus, in a way. I have so much to say about them, but mostly I'll save it for another day. Tomorrow I get to wake up and make a birthday cake for our oldest, our pioneer. I'm going to conjure that willow-lotus and hope I wake up with some good cake making superpowers. I'll let you know how it turns out.
But one thing I will say about willow plants is that the bark is the reason we have salicylic acid, the active command in aspirin, and actually, an excellent acne treatment (though not one to reach for in kids). Though it's not really made from willows as often any more, it's good to have the info in case we ever want to do this at home. (Which you know we will).
You can use a 2% or 3% wash or tonic to get rid of acne bumps, but it is better at prevention at the earliest signs. At a higher percentage (6% plus) you can use it to remove thick scaly spots on skin, like dry cracked heels. Even higher (40%) will treat a wart or callus. The lower strength is one of my personal favorites for mild acne or rosacea, because it works, plain and simple. I just love when that happens.
Plus, it might make you think of Spring. I'll take all thoughts of it I can get.
xo, Dr. Swae