Things I Love: Oh, those summer nights…

The #larder has things in it! Not yet as much as I’d like, but we’ll get there! #jellies, #jams, #homemade vinegars, and onions curing. #pixiespocket #homegrown #pantry #cheapwine

A post shared by Amber Shehan (@amberpixiespocket) on Aug 12, 2017 at 1:15pm PDT

Oh, August…sweet, sultry month of my birth!

I am given gifts every day. I’ve found depth in the gaze of a curious preying mantis as it hunted the sunchokes. Yellowed leaves have begun their spiral tumble to become next year’s fertile earth. Spiders spangle my crabapple tree in dewy webs every morning. I am not sure how they fare, but I, for one, am certainly ensnared. Seeds rattle in pods, seeds glimmer on the breeze, seeds snuggle into earth for winter rest.

I’m feeling snuggly, too. Since deleting my personal Facebook account, I am blissfully unaware of all of the local events that I could attend (but never do). I’m still active on the Pixie’s Pocket account, and on Twitter and Instagram, so come by and say “Howdy” sometime!

My days have been spent working. When not at the day job, I’ve been making wines, bottling brews, chopping veggies, making broth, and now I’m about to work hard on getting the chicken coop ready. A few friends have some excess laying hens and are letting me borrow their pressure washer to get this nasty coop clean.

Here’s a view from last December. This project has not progressed since then…and now the run is full of poke and weeds, to boot!

I’m off to borrow a pressure washer to take down the coop for once and for all…wish me luck!

Things I Love:

• The Irish Store is having a huge clearance sale through August 31 (my birthday!) – there’s cardigans, wine glasses, and an adorable baby in a cable-knit jumper…although I don’t think it’s the baby that’s for sale. Probably.
• Speaking of my birthday, here’s my wishlist – full of books and brewing supplies. Imagine that!

The Herbal Academy is offering 15% off all of their courses and course packages from August 16th through September 14th, 2017. If you’ve been waiting on the fence, this might be an ideal opportunity to jump in and save a bit of money!

A few years ago, I took the Introductory Herbal course as a refresher on some of the basics that my hodge-podge, many-teachered, self-guided herbal path had missed. Since then, their good courses have gotten even better, with a specific courses for every kind of herbalist.

To get an idea of the material you can expect from their courses, join them for their “Back-to-School Herbal Journey Challenge.” This free mini-lesson will be distributed through their newsletter, corresponding with the 15% off sale. Learn more directly from The Herbal Academy!