The In-between Chat - July
Hello Friends,
In April, I announced that I would be temporarily changing my writing/publishing schedule from weekly to every other week because of the busyness of the growing and medicine-making season. But each week, I gain new subscribers and followers, and I want to maintain some connection. Substack stats indicate that 90% of my newsletter readers access them via email, which might mean many of you don’t visit my Substack site.
I decided to offer an occasional “chatty” newsletter for those in-between weeks with links to previous articles (I’ve written over 100) on For the Love of Nature, as well as recommended writing and other media.
The CDC is reporting a significant increase in ER visits for tick bites. Ticks are vectors for multiple diseases and conditions that affect humans, so knowledge and diligence are important for anyone who spends time outdoors.
Pesto is one of the easiest ways to preserve the taste of summer for winter use.
The Herbal Pantry: Pesto 101
One of my favorite ways to preserve herbs and greens for use throughout the winter and early spring is to make and preserve a variety of pestos. The classic version is well known: sweet basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) or Parmesan pounded with a pestle in a mortar until it forms a thick, uncooked sauce.
Recommended Reading
In my Congressional district, a Trump-endorsed candidate says she wants to protect our daughters from trans people, which is one of her motivations for running for Congress.
Apparently she has no interest in the actual crimes committed against women every minute of every day.
And it appears to be getting worse. Writer Linda Carroll asks this important question: do men like women?
Michelle Teheux is a writer who covers the economic reality facing over 50% of wage earners in our country. She’s wondering when the Trickle Down theory begins to actually work.
My friend, Ann Kramer, who writes the Substack Fractured World — Build Wholeness, has been challenging the current systems of our culture for decades. She and Lawrence Winnerman have created a series of discussions called “Imagining a New Economy: The Nuts and Bolts of Building an Integrative Economy.”
Before you scroll past because you think economics is boring, I encourage you to give it a listen. Economics controls every aspect of our lives, whether we are struggling to pay monthly bills or live with considerable wealth. In the US, tech bros, political leaders, and the top 10% are advancing policies and corrupt practices that benefit only themselves.
Have you heard of the Third Act organization?
It’s a community of Americans over sixty determined to change the world for the better. Third Act harnesses an unparalleled generational power to safeguard our climate and democracy.
I have joined a small group of Third Act Writers, and we have created a Substack called Democracy, People, Climate, & The Planet.
We are a group of writers who want to encourage discussions about the connections between democracy, climate, and the health of people and the planet.
Things I am Enjoying
Books
Nonfiction: Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister (2018). Our anger is not only justified, but can fuel action and justice. We have a history.
Fiction: Whidbey by Tira K. Madden. I have a fondness for stories that feature the PNW. Whidbey Island is located in the Seattle/Puget Sound region, and the story is a well-written whodunit that takes on some of the problems in the American justice system.
Shows
The last season of Grantchester on PBS…always sad to say goodbye to British shows.
Life on Earth, also on PBS. Wildlife champion and journalist David Attenborough’s dedication to sharing stories about those we share the planet with.
Cape Fear on Apple - Javier Bardem is soooo good in this psychological thriller series.
Sugar on Apple - A neo-noir series featuring Colin Farrell with a twist that may surprise you. The cinematography is unique.
My Garden
A cold start to summer (we call it Juneary in the PNW) meant a late start for my vegetables. But the rhubarb harvest was overwhelming - over 10lbs!
Our weather has been amazing - sunny, temps in the 70s with highs in the 90s now and then. The garden is coming on!
I love creative pivots. This is a good one.