Strawberries

Strawberries.
Strawberries fresh, strawberries plain
Strawberries with milk, strawberries with cream
Strawberries in pudding and strawberries in pie
Strawberries in bread, oh my!
Take some and freeze ‘em
Take some more and can ‘em
Make them into jam
Even have some with ham!

It’s strawberry season again. For the next month I’ll eat myself just about sick on them. Then I’ll go on to blackberries, then raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apples, and so on through the year until next May rolls around. I don’t have a favorite fruit, but if I did, strawberries would be at or near the top of the list.

I had my first real strawberry in a year yesterday. Not that I haven’t had a couple over the winter, mind you. At parties and such I tried a strawberry or two. But those were lifeless, almost tasteless strawberries. Real strawberries aren’t the size of your palm and aren’t bred for shipping. They are bred for taste and come from down the road or your own back yard. Real strawberries come in all shapes and sizes and taste like, well, strawberries. The taste of each varies too, depending on the size and the plant, the soil and water, and a hundred other variables. Here’s a secret about strawberries: the sweetest ones are often the smallest. The best ones are often no bigger than the top of my little finger. And the bigger ones are usually the tart ones. Here’s another secret: both are required for good jam. I’ll be making my yearly jam in a few days.

I’m off to pick strawberries!

This Beltane

Yesterday was Beltane, and also May Day. This is an old Celtic holiday dedicated to spring, to rebirth, to life. I myself am pagan, and Beltane is one of my favorite holidays. This is a day devoted to celebrating the flowering of all life. It is a sacred holiday to me, and one that holds a special place in my heart.

It is also an old day of honoring the earth, one that has been celebrated since well before Earth Day. And in that tradition, I offer something I first found in my calender and also online. Anyone else also want this job?

http://people.tribe.net/aprilflowers/blog/0146f9eb-0d1e-4597-b186-4c5f2e9e9c08

WANTED: Earth Healers

TO START: Immediately.
JOB DESCRIPTION: Care for the Earth.
Anyone need some work, or a life purpose? If so, look no further than your own backyard. There are billions of openings for hardworking folks in the field of permaculture, with demand for people to grow their own food, produce renewable energy, build sustainable communities and heal damaged ecosystems! Thanks to corporate plunder, our once abundant natural resources are in rapid decline. As fossil fuels diminish and global oil prices rise, much of the job market will become unstable. What's the unemployed truck driver, factory worker, industrial farmer, Enron executive and the rest of us to do?

Work for the Earth! This big blue ball we have been living on needs every hand She can get. There are permaculture jobs to suit everyone. You can design food systems, heal the soil, purify water, provide habitat for wildlife and produce tons of organic food on as little as a quarter of an acre. Jobs building energy-saving homes (with local materials like recycled lumber, cob and straw bale) are in high demand. These homes use passive solar energy, living roofs, grey water recycling and composting toilets. The ancient jobs of sustainable woodcutting, fishing, wild crafting, weaving, baking and natural healing are returning with vigor! Educators, bicycle mechanics, bio-fuel brewers, recyclers, community mediators, craftspeople, artists, herbalists, midwives, and creative people everywhere are needed now!

TO APPLY: Please look over your current lifestyle and answer the following questions. Where does your food come from? How are your energy needs met? Where does your water come from, and where does it go after it leaves your home? Does your lifestyle/job enhance air, water and soil quality? In an emergency situation, how would you meet your basic needs for transportation and resources? Share your answers about this new career path with your sister and brother Earth Healers!

SALARY: The Earth is willing to pay top wages for integrating with and enhancing Her life systems. Organic food, abundant energy, clean water, shelter, community based childcare, education and comprehensive natural healthcare are available to all successful applicants. The benefits increase the longer you work and will be passed on to future generations. So start NOW and build a better future for yourself and the Planet! Learn Permaculture today!

many thanks to Ginny Salkowski :)