It Was Independence Day

For those of you  not in the cool kids club, the title of this post is a nod to the band 311. And, of course, tomorrow is the 4th of July. We are going to a party with some friends and we get to see more fireworks, but really this post isn't so much about the holiday as it is a mix of random things spilling from my mind. :)

First, let me say that I am drinking bitters and I have tea in my hair. True story. I am really excited about the bitters and I really want to share with you. So, I had been looking for something to turn up my digestive fire, get the juices flowing. I am kind of in the middle of a cleansing period and revving up my digestion was just instinctual. Lucky for me a friend recommended I try the organic bitters from a company in Vermont called Urban Moonshine. 

I chose Joy and Citrus Digestive Bitters. I have been using Joy periodically throughout the day whenever I get the urge (like right before a Yoga session) and the digestive bitters I have been taking before and after meals. I love them! A little booklet came in the package and it showed how to make a bitter beverage (among other cool things). You put a dash of the bitters in a cup, add ice and pour in soda water. Okay...so I am looking at the booklet again and it seems they may have been suggesting making like a shot of this. Oh well. I put several dashes of the bitters into a cup, added ice, filled it with lime flavored soda water and then squeezed real lime juice into it. So good. If you are intrigued with the idea of bitters for aiding digestion you should visit the Urban Moonshine page and read up on them. If you're not into ordering things online, you can probably find bitters at your local health food store. I remember taking Swedish Bitters in my twenties and I'm pretty sure they came from a small herb shop. 

As for the tea in my hair, well, it is chamomile. I brewed it early this afternoon in a BIG cup and let it sit for several hours getting really potent and cooling down. See, I use pretty much all simple, natural ingredients for my skin and body care, and shampoo was the last area I needed an overhaul. I have been reading about tea rinses and thought it sounded nice. Supposedly the tea is around the same pH your hair wants to be. I picked chamomile because I already had some, and because it adds golden highlights to blonde hair. You can use many different teas though. We shall see how the experiment goes...I mean, I don't think the tea will clean it really, so I might have to find something else for that. I will say that I am ALWAYS red and splotchy when I get out of the shower and today I didn't have even the slightest hint of red irritated skin. Hmmm....coincidence? I think not. I bet I was getting all kinds of irritating ingredients on my skin from my conventional shampoo and conditioner. 

The Wednesday night Farmers Market here in Oz has been awesome this year, with more vendors and food to choose from. Last night was the Patriotic Pet Parade. Super cute. Dogs of all shapes and sizes decked out in their red, white, and blues. 

We have been buying delicious blueberries and tomatoes and yesterday we also got peaches and some wheatgrass. Isn't the bounty of summer divine? 

I planted the passion flower last night. Two tiny plants on either side of the light post. I'm guessing they will climb the pole and look awesome! *fingers crossed*

The birds are acting like weirdos today. I'm pretty sure it is all the young people running around popping off fireworks. They are pretty freaked out and I don't blame them. Penny doesn't like them either. Hopefully the worst of it will be over for them this weekend. 

Finally, I would like to mention that Stephen Gaskin, founder of The Farm and author of one of my most beloved books, This Season's People, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79. His writing, along with books written by his wife, Ina May Gaskin, were so very eye opening to me in my early twenties. I have always been fascinated by the counter culture and the characters of those days. If you have an opportunity to add This Season's People to your library, you really should. Stephen was one of the great free thinkers of our time and he will truly be missed. <3

Stephen and Ina May Gaskin

~ Love & Light ~