Winter Beauty

Like needles of lace
a cone of snowflakes
gathers,light as air.
A breath of wind, and the flakes
scatter 
into nowhere.

On top of a green needle
a tiny snowflake falls.
It clings tightly
to it's resinous hull.

More flakes gather
tatting like lace,
upon the pine trees
a fascicle resting place.

A gigantic white oak 
my favourite tree,
can hold more life
than either you or me.

Looming high in the sky,
it's limbs, grey and old,
carry a strength 
for the world to behold.

Somewhere, under the snow
a tiny cedar bench
continues to glow.

Footsteps of Blue

Footsteps of blue,
means the ice is cold.

Stopping outside, 
is being bold.

The pot near the rainbow,
is full of gold.

The world is changing, 
so I'm told.

It's going so fast,
it's got me feeling old.

Only when I need to, 
Age, it's making me Bold!

Cedar Tea, for the Boost of Vitamin C

Cedar tea is packed with vitamin C. Perfect for cold and flu season; but like most good foods, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Recommendation is no more than 3 cups per week. So I will be sharing this batch.

The Bible describes the cedar tree as strong and durable; Isaiah 9:10 ‘we will replace them with cedar.’

Graceful and beautiful; Psalm 80:10 ‘the mighty cedar with it’s branches.’

High and tall; Ezekiel 17:22 ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from it’s topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain….. 17:23 it will bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.’

Indigenous tradition holds the cedar as a sacred tree, used to purify homes, sweat-lodge ceremonies, and for medicinal purposes.

This tea is simple to make, and quite delicious. I brought four cups of water to a boil, then added two cups of fresh cedar. I allowed this to boil for about ten minutes and then added some dried elderberries, just for fun. A golden cup of deliciousness!

Today, when I pruned back some of it’s branches, I thanked the cedar tree for it’s bounty.