Ireland!

stories, poetry & an elderberry syrup recipe

In one month from today, I’ll be in Ireland.

It’s been 16 years since I last was there, when I studied abroad in Derry, Northern Ireland.  Back then I was spending a semester focused on Peace & Conflict Studies, which I wove together with my English & Environmental Studies degree.  

Now, I’m returning on a story retreat with

Gareth Higgins - The Porch

, and special guests

Kaitlin Curtice

and Micky ScottBey Jones.  

The theme: Listening at the Edges, Healing for our Broken World

The retreat is “an eight day immersion in stories of landscape, culture, music, activism, and community.”  (I think there’s a couple of spots left, if you’re interested in joining!  Learn more here).

To help pay for the trip, I’m opening a pop-up poetry shop on my website!

It will be open for two weeks, beginning Saturday, September 21.  

Here’s a peak at what you’ll find:

The poems in this chapbook are seeds and stories of land, food, and body. 

Previously only available for sale in person, I’m excited to bring these to my website on the Autumnal Equinox weekend, and I hope you’ll love them, too.  

I’ll send you an email on Saturday when the shop opens! {UPDATE: The Poetry Pop-up Shop is open now!}

Until then, here’s a poem for your heart and a recipe for your body (because it’s cold season, and we could all use some elderberry support!)

excerpt from Lineage of Heartbeats

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Elderberry syrup is anti-inflammatory and anti-viral, and reduces the severity and duration of cold & flu symptoms; drink it when you’re healthy, and it will help keep colds & flu at bay.

Ingredients

• 3 C water

• 1 C elderberries (fresh or frozen)

• ¾ C honey, or to taste

• ¼ C apple cider vinegar, or to taste

• 1-2 TBS ginger, chopped or put through garlic press (optional)

Equipment

• large stainless steel saucepan

• medium stainless steel pot

• fine-mesh sieve

• glass quart-jar with lid

• Combine water, elderberries, and ginger in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn down to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Take off heat, and crush the berries with the back of a spoon, or a wooden pounder.  

Place the sieve over the pot and ladle the liquid and berries into sieve, pressing the berries with the back of a spoon to squeeze out any retained juice.  Compost elder seeds and ginger mash.

While still warm, add the honey to the pot and stir to combine, then mix in the cider vinegar. Taste the syrup and add more honey or cider vinegar to your liking.

Pour syrup into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator, where it will keep up to three months.

For cold prevention, take 2 or 3 times a day with meals.  If you’re in the midst of a cold, take 1 teaspoon every 1 ½ – 2 hours.

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