37 Comments

Oh my word! I'm so glad to encounter another Cadfael enthusiast! I watched all the TV series with Derek Jacobi as a teenager. As an herbalist, how can I not love peeking into his apothecary and seeing what potions, remedies and cures he pulls out of the bag each episode! Skullduggery, poisons, and medieval mysteries! What's not to love!

I once heard the actor give an interview about the difficulties of filming (the TV set was located in Hungary.) The action had to stop every half an hour to allow the Budapest Express to go by. They also had to cope with farmers on tractors in a neighbouring field and noise from the nearby motor racing at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

I LOVE your photos and writing! You've inspired me to look at posting a Cadfael related herbal story!

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Thanks so much, Sarah! So great to meet another Cadfael fan. I always forget that historical shows aren't generally filmed in some remote location with the quiet of a previous age. 😍

I'd love to read a Cadfael-inspired herbal post from you.

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It was fascinating to see your honey collection process! I can only imagine the hard work and dedication it takes. Wishing you all the best as “rookie head beekeeper” when your new hive arrives!

Loved the “restless hopefulness” of Brother Cadfael 😊 Years ago, I had this idea of a fictional character who was a medieval Benedictine monk warrior…then discovered there already was an iconic monk character out there! I. quickly dropped the idea…knowing full well that to research such a character properly, *and* make him different from Cadfael would have killed me!

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Omg, I love that you started inventing Cadfael from scratch!

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So weird, right? Also back in the day, I came up with this fictional Irish hero called Aidan, then found out a mega-bestselling author had just released a novel with an Irish hero called Aidan who looked just like him! Had to change his name, lol!

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Sometimes I think ideas are floating around out there, in duplicate, increasing the chance that someone will use them. But it also means that people who don't know each other will near-simultaneously publish the same great idea.

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I agree— It could be there’s really something to the “collective consciousness” philosophers talk about!

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I have seen purslane growing already!!!

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Whaaat?! so early!

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I missed something earlier. I’m curious as to why you boil the jars of honey? It’s impervious to mold, mildew, bacterial inoculation and pretty much anything and everything blows in the wind. Adding a bit of water, 4000 year old honey has been brought back with a touch of heat, because of course it crystallized.

I’m also open to the possibility that I’m completely on the wrong tangent. I certainly don’t know what I don’t know. 😉🙈

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I only boiled the jars themselves before pouring the honey into them. We keep our canning supplies on a basement shelf, so that de-grossifies them.

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My bad. My reading comprehension is sometimes nonexistent. Thank you for your clarification!!!

There’s a reason you ROCK! B

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No worries, friend! Feel free to challenge/ ask for clarification anytime.

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Exactly!!!!!!

Super tricky for an organic row crop situation. I’ve had 65° swells at 4 inches deep at least seven days so far. It’s pouring today. I’ll bet it’s down in the mid 50s.

Patience, Grasshoppa….

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Soils* 🙈

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We are HUGE Longest Johns fans here, and I'm a total murder mystery connoisseur, so I will be watching your recommendation soon.

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🙌

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Hi Erin. I think this is my first post that I get to read of yours. And that was a long one. I love all the little photos of you appreciating the little things around your place. You certainly are far behind us in spring I am in Southeast Missouri. But I’m glad to read your weather guy says we’re having, an early spring. Everything is a month ahead here according to my journal notes.

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Thanks, Cheryl! Sounds like early Spring in lots of the U.S.

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If we could’ve just got 20° night three weeks ago, we could’ve killed all of the Bradford pear and some of the honeysuckle. Goats, more goats!

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Erin, love the honeycomb photos! It gives us a chance to vicariously become beekeepers through you. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully as chief beekeeper for a spell, too. And it's always nice to see someone else appreciate henbit dead nettle. I mean, besides my chicks, who think it's perfect for them, because it is. I've added it to a chickweed pesto, to get the medicinal benefits that way.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lisa! Dead nettle is the first bloom of Spring in our yard, so it cheers me out of the winter doldrums.

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It's one of our firsts as well, along with cleavers, violets, and wild geranium.

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Sorrel and….. oh the succulent looking leave that is Pross great and I was in sidewalk cracks everywhere. I turned in my father I can’t remember any names. They’re a nice mix in a salad. We have four different dock types here. I can’t remember which one but one of them is delicious rolled around a dollop of Chef and Big. It might be Sourdock it might be yellow dock, it might be a reddock I don’t know I’m pretty sure it’s not burdock.

I should write my memoirs soon. I’ve already forgotten two of the seven volumes …..🙈

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Ha, ha! That’s a lot of docks. 😃

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💪🫶 nicely done🤣

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Erin, What a great post. I love the pictures of the honeycomb. Purple dead nettle is so beautiful but it smells like crap. At least I think so. I know It can be used similarly to plantain. Do you do you know of uses for purple dead nettle? Those are some great pictures from Japan. Thanks for sharing.

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Thanks, Britt! I dried it in the oven & thought it had a pleasant nutty smell. You're right, it can be used topically like plantain. I think we'll try it in tea for seasonal allergy relief.

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Being a short-lived annual, it can’t exactly have too much mojo. I’m sure its role in the ecosystem is early Springfield for herbivores. Before man put steel to the soil, it was not very common

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It's possibly our earliest Spring bloom for pollinators.

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If I can jump in here, Britt: I've added dead nettle to a spring "weed" pesto that contains chickweed as the main ingredient. You can throw some cleavers in there for the detox but not too many, as cleavers wanna cleave.

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You and the family are invited to our May Day festival. Details to follow!

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How lovely, thank you!

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I'll have to give that murder mystery series a try. I've never heard of it before, and it sounds delightful! And I'm jealous that spring has arrived for you already. I'm anxiously hoping that the last of the snow is done out here!

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There are 20 books in the series, which is great for always knowing what your next to-read is. They do go chronologically, over seasons and years, with historical events as a backdrop.

I hope you see Spring soon!

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Bees are magical little creatures!!!

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They really are!

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