This is my herb garden as of this morning. All the herbs were planted from organic seed, with the exception of the giant sage which is a transplant two years ago from my former home in Bluemont, VA, and is at least 8 years old. I've planted cilantro, sage, basil, holy basil, echinacea, chamomile, oregano, thyme and chives, and have lemon balm and lavender growing in the front flower beds. I also planted some mint, which usually overgrows almost everything else, but I have yet to see it, so I reckon I'll have to re-seed.
I love herb gardens! I've planted one every year for the last 11 years. I use the herbs in medicinal teas, as a food flavoring, as a snack, and perhaps most importantly of all as a mood reliever. Each time I take The Girls (our dogs) outside, I walk over to the herbs, snap off a leaf and inhale deeply. The basil is blooming right now, and the little flower buds are intoxicating! One of these days I'd love to own a distiller and make my own essential oils, especially of the basil with its clove-like spiciness and gentle floral scent. I'm already making my own perfume, and adding my very own essential oils would truly be a dream come true.
But I mention the herb garden because last Thursday while Jeff and I were at yoga, I had another vision. We were in the yoga meditation phase, and our instructor was guiding us to relaxation of our bodies: "Feel your toes, flex each toe and feel the muscles against your bones. Feel your feet, and feel each muscle...." By the time she finished with the abdomen and moved to the chest and rib cage, I was suddenly transported into the body of a cow being slaughtered. Oh the anguish and pain and fear was unbearable! I started weeping silently, copious tears running down my face, and could not get that poor creature's suffering out of my mind. Meanwhile, Jeff was fidgeting next to me as the instructor kept intoning gently, "Relax. Relax." After the class was over, Jeff said he couldn't relax when all he could think about was doing hard core exercise with the sweat and pain like he used to do when he was a Navy Search and Rescue swimmer, and yoga just wasn't doin' it for him. HA! I do believe he's missing the whole point of gentle yoga. But then he noticed my tear-stained face, and I told him about my vision. I stated, "I will never, ever eat meat again." Although Jeff's a committed omnivore, I've been a primarily raw vegan for several years now, eating meat only occasionally - and all of our meat products are from The Organic Butcher in McLean, VA. (the Butcher's source of meats are from local organic, humane, self-sustaining farms such as Polyface Farm, which is featured predominately in the movie Food, Inc.). So no more meat for me, ever again. Jeff's on his own!
Thank you herb garden for providing a much needed lift to my days and for providing the much needed medicine and nutrients my body craves! Thank you veggie garden for the abundant lettuces and snap peas and green beans you've provided me this summer, with carrots still growing (although I DID munch on a baby carrot yesterday - thank you!). The simplest things in life can bring great joy in the midst of sorrow to remind me that life is sweet and precious, indeed.
