Easter Camping 2020

This year's Easter was both exactly the same as every other year and also not the same as life ever was before Corona.  I mean, we usually camp on Easter.  We spend most of our holidays away from the hustle and bustle of usual consumerism and chaos.  But this year?   This year, there was no chaos to escape, only the mundane daily life we've grown accustom to in quarantine.  We met with close friends, who've also been isolating and remained probably more than 6 feet apart in the fresh desert air.  We stayed up late talking under the stars, we watched the dogs play in the wash and dust, we were attacked with wind and rain by surprise, we ate breakfast burritos for brunch on Easter Sunday and enjoyed our home away from home.  It was the most normal anything has felt in the past couple weeks and we're grateful for our time outdoors, with family and for the wild fresh desert.

Hope you had a wonderful safe Easter if you celebrate.

 Vera asked me to get a picture of the heart shaped cactus.

 the blooms were so beautiful as well.

 the dags.

 camping chef.

 Easter Brunch.

and my Sonja Sass.

What's the most normal feeling thing you've done this isolation period?

Mesquite Tree Uses; Tea, Tinctures, and Flour

This past weekend Husband trimmed our mesquite tree, it was seriously over grown and encroaching the house and making it hard to walk under it was so weighted down.  He asked me to help him move the branches, and when I approached them, I had the sudden urge to gather all the leaves and save them, I wasn't sure for what if they were safe for consumption or just for smoke sticks but I gathered a large bowl of them anyway and then helped him move the branches to the back yard to later be used as firewood.

When I was finished I set off to google to see what I could find about the leaves.  Turns out there is a long history of use of the leaves.  I knew the pods were good for flour, and I've made my own from that before, and the bark of course could be used in salves or oils.  I didn't realize the tar had such a long history - thought I don't include much of that specifically here you can find more via the links attached.   But after a few short clicks I was pretty confident in the safety of the leaves, nothing scary came up or really even contradictory so I made tea.

"Sore throats were treated with a hot tea blend of the clear sap plus inner red bark, while stomach aches were treated with a tea made from the leaves. Toothache was treated by chewing the root. For flagging appetite, a tea made from the leaves was taken before meals. Along with medicinal uses, the bark was used for baskets and fabrics, the wood used for tools, building and firewood, and perhaps most importantly, the pods are a protein-rich food." 1

I drank it.  I waited and I didn't die.  I did have really bad neck and back pain that was slowly subsiding and then ended up with a headache on the opposite side of my body as the original discomfort, but I would have to drink more to see if there's a correlation.  Which I totally plan on doing because I don't think they're related but I'll keep you updated.  The other odd thing that happened when I was gathering and moving was my feet started burning like itching and burning I had socks and rain boots on.   I took them off scratched and then put coconut oil and roman chamomile EO on them.  But am I allergic? was it unrelated?  The tree bark and leaves were no where near my feet and my hands didn't itch or burn.  Anyway, I'm trying to be better about observing all reactions even if they seem unrelated because honestly EVERYTHING is related so it's just a matter of finding the connection.

"Beans from the mesquite tree have some very real benefits in terms of nutrition. They are very sweet due to their high fructose level and thus don’t require insulin to metabolize. They contain around 35% protein, more than soybeans and 25% fiber. With a low glycemic index of 25, some scientists are looking to mesquite to regulate blood sugar and combat diabetes."2

"Tea made from mesquite leaves was used for headaches and stomach trouble. This tea also was used to cure conjunctivitis and to heal painful gums." 3

In the mean time, I'm drying a bundle to smoke cleanse the house, and have a jar ready to go for alcohol to make a tincture.  Patreon members will be the first to know if and when it's available for purchase - or maybe I'll gift some of the bottles away.  If you're not a member of Woven Ritual (my wellness and art) patreon check it out and see if you're interested or follow the instagram.



Resources; 1) https://savorthesouthwest.blog/2014/06/28/marvelous-and-medicinal-mesquite/
2) https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/mesquite/mesquite-tree-uses.htm
3) https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2013/07/07/mesquite-trees-provide-food-fuel-medicine-and-more/
and https://www.henriettes-herb.com/archives/best/2000/mesquite.html