Welcome to Litsy!

#HyggehourReadathon

My family spent time in nature today as well as going to the Wadsworth Atheneum to view (Un)Settled The Landscape in American Art. Superb! I just added the beach picture from last week‘s visit because that‘s my Zen.That‘s our “Robert Tree” & my garden-more Zen.Since my son was a bitty thing, we chanted “May I be safe…” when we said goodbye to each other & at bedtime.Off to read & sip ice water!

#CharacterCharm #scientist @Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

“DIANA BERESFORD-KROGER, a botanist, medical biochemist and self-defined "renegade scientist," brings together ethnobotany, horticulture, spirituality and alternative medicine to reveal a path toward better stewardship of the natural world.”

The author is many things: a medical biochemist, a botanist, & an author just to name a few. This book, part memoir & part call to action, was what I needed right now. Overcoming her lonely childhood, thankfully living in the summers with relatives who taught her the essential Celtic wisdom of nature and its gifts, to her eventually creating her own vision of Eden by collecting nearly extinct trees from all over the world, this woman is amazing.

Interesting article, and now I‘m off to find some of her work!

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/climate/celtic-wisdom-trees-climate.html

The memoir parts were fascinating and heartfelt, and the tree—ogham part was more like a meandering through a forest of interesting details—will want to go back to listen to that one, as my phone was having tech issues...
Loved listening to Diana!

I‘m no good at cropping but this. Book. Is. Beautiful!
So far it‘s got Brehon law, Anglo-Irish feuding, aristocratic child neglect, mental health discussion, and plant lore. And the author reading it is delightful.
SIGN. ME. UP! 😁🌿

#plantlore #brehonlaw #ancientireland

So now I want to go plant lots of trees, create a big beautiful garden, visit Ireland, go back to school and study the celts or study dendrology. I ❤️ this woman and her ❤️ of 🌲🌳

I loved this book so much!!! Part personal narrative, part love letter to nature, part call to action, this book is just plain lovely. The audio is read by the author and you can feel her love for her subject. If you're interested in plants and/or folklore and/or Celtic culture and/or protecting our planet and/or great storytelling, I can't recommend it enough!

Book 3 of 5 for #JumpStart2020. Almost there!

P.S. Plant a tree.

Diana Beresford-Kroeger was orphaned at a young age in Ireland, then taught Celtic wisdom by her maternal ancestors. She became a respected botanist & moved to Canada with her husband, where she encountered universities who wouldn‘t hire women—some of this memoir reminded me of Hope Jahren‘s Lab Girl. Undaunted, Diana has carried out her own research and is an expert on global forest ecology. An inspiring #audiobook narrated by the author.

In her memoir (tagged), Diana Beresford-Kroeger mentions the documentary Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees in which she explains the science of trees. I discovered it can be viewed online:
https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/call-of-the-forest-the-forgotten-wisdom-...
(internet photo of the author)

I want to remind you that the forest is far more than a source of timber. It is our collective medicine cabinet. It is our lungs. It is the regulatory system for our climate and our oceans. It is the mantle of our planet. It is the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren. It is our sacred home. It is our salvation.
(Author photo from internet)

...blackberry ... a plant that wears barbed wire stockings...