White Coconut Haul, Ataúlfo mangoes, and Readying Plants for Summer

Yesssss – found some white coconuts at a local Asian grocer this weekend!

The dentist is no fun, but my checkup Friday showed no new cavities, so I’m pleased. But even better than that, after the dentist, I headed over to my favorite local Asian food grocer and found white coconuts! They also had potato and pea samosas, fresh and hot, so I had a delicious vegan meal there too. 

Picked up some rice paper wrappers (spring rolls for lunch today), tea masala, and sandalwood. It was pouring rain, so I went home, burned sandalwood and prayed the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, and chilled with the pupperinos.

It looks like we may have lost one of our young Thai Black Stem banana trees. All its leaves turned brown and wilted. I have no idea why it would do this, but I’m not going to compost it. Banana trees can appear completely dead, then come back under the right conditions. I’m gambling that when it goes outside in the sun and fresh air, it will reboot. We grew this beauty from imported seed, and it took all winter, so I’m not giving up that fast.

I’ve started giving higher doses of nitrogen to all the indoor plants that will soon go outdoors. It’s best to green them up now so that when they get that first taste of the outdoor sun, they’ll manufacture chlorophyll like beasts. I’m counting the days.

It’s getting close to my moontime, and I’m craving sweets. This morning’s breakfast was a mono meal of three Ataúlfo mangoes, followed by a blueberry/banana/spirulina smoothie. There are three more mangoes for lunch. I’ve been craving fresh fruit in a big way lately. This body always knows when the seasons are changing. I’m craving cooked foods less and less, and looking more for crunchy veggies, sweet mangoes, starchy bananas, and chewy coconut. I’d love a big bowl of berries, but good-quality, organic berries are hard to come by.

Over the weekend, I again watched one of my favorite documentaries, Juliette of the Herbs. It’s about the life and work of herbalist and veterinarian Juliette de Bairacli Levy. Levy was a trailblazer for all who studied herbalism and the natural, chemical-free care of animals.

She was born to a wealthy family in Britain, but chose simple, nomadic living among the gypsies of the Mediterranean. The information she gathered is in use today. Her holistic approach to animal (and child) care set the standard for many veterinarians and physicians today. She was an amazing woman who lived a full and meaningful life. Occasionally, I want to see this film again. Levy was an awesome woman and inspiration for all of us.

Live in peace.