We harvested some mullein from the obliging forest today. It is a tall green plant with fuzzy leaves and yellow flowers.It can be used to ease dry coughs, loosen mucus, soothe sore throats, and calm airway inflammation. When we first moved to Flagstaff, my kids developed a cough (probably from an allergy to the wood smoke) that literally lasted for months. I made a tea using mullein and honey and it was the only thing we found that consistently soothed the cough and ultimately helped eradicate it.

In addition to growing as much of our own food as we are able, I'm determined to learn more about the native plants in our area which have been harvested for centuries with many differing benefits. We recently found a stash of wild raspberries which I intend to pick this week, and we're making a fermented soda from pine needles. We also harvested a bunch of wild rose hips which are tedious to process because you have to de-seed each one individually. Rose hips help ease joint pain from arthritis, improve skin health and hydration, support immune function, and may promote heart health and blood sugar control.

Wandering in the forests does so much for my soul, reminding me to look up and SEE, giving me perspective when my world gets small. It gives me time to think, pray, absorb. Sometimes things I find in the forest try to kill me, but mostly they don't. :-) And I know there is so much more to be discovered and understood. There is much responsibility I must have as the recipient of so much goodness.