inspiration, move me brightly

my absolute favorite part of blogging again is all of the inspiration i've been connecting with.  this spring has been the jackpot of inspiration for me.

i've always had an interest in the therapeutic use of herbs and plants.... but somehow i only really got involved with essential oils.  then my world was opened up this spring as so many of the wonderful writers i follow chatted away about their wildcrafted adventures, foraging for edibles and medicinals right in their own backyards. 

my first "ah ha!" moment was inspired by the loveliest of gals, amber of rowan and oak.  amber has inspired me in so many ways already in the past few months.  she always has great informative posts on herbs (she is an herbalist), takes beautiful pictures, shares inspiring garden posts.... she had me there.  then she drops the sewing posts- this mama is a stitcher too, and oh the beautiful little things she has stitched up for those equally beautiful babes of hers.  the pictures of her littlest all done up in mama-made woolens- oh i'm such a sucker for those woolens :)  it is because of amber that my usual 15 minute drive to work through a mostly wooded and wild area now takes a few minutes longer as i slow down to scan the roadside for potentially interesting plants.   i now spend my slow hikes with my boys searching out any interesting looking plants to research when i get home (this week i brought home mullein leaves to make an infused oil with).  thank you awesome mama!

and these web of  inspiration and connections just keep going from there.  on my drive into work and around town i kept noticing this one plant in particular.  i just had a feeling it may be one of those interesting ones.  one night i finally remembered to try to search the web to identify this plant.  but before starting my search i checked out some recent commenters on my own blog.  and without having to even search for this plant, it landed right into my inbox with a comment for priscilla of naturally mom.  there she tells about her latest wild eats... one being the wild garlic mustard- that plant that i have been noticing everywhere.  thank you priscilla for unknowingly answering my curiosity! 

today at the park i gathered a bag of mustard garlic with plans of making a cheesy stuffed bread with it (like is commonly done with spinach and broccoli.... hmmm maybe i'll even add in some of those too!).

and while at the park i could not pass up all of those gorgeously sunny dandelions after seeing this picture by rebekah of mustardseed freeschoolers (she's another one with those adorable mama-made woolens!).  oh my gorgeousness!  this picture of hers honestly made me view the appearance of dandelions in a new way.  i've always known dandelions were a great wild edible but never thought much more about them.  they didn't bother me at all, but they didn't strike my fancy at the same time. 

the best part of the dandelion harvesting was how much my little helper enjoyed it.  noah jumped right in with enthusiasm, helping pluck the flower heads and put them into the bag :)

there have been so many others that have inspired me this spring with their foraging wild medicinal and edible plants, and for that i thank everyone who have been sharing their adventures for me to stumble upon :)