The Friday Five

My Friday Roundup of Things That Made Me Smile

1. Wild Woodland Violets

That I’ve been showering over everything from omelets to salads to chocolate cake. They offer a pretty purple pop of color, along with a gentle boost to the lymphatics, anti-inflammatory benefits, soluble fiber (improves your gut health) and a nice source of vitamins A and C. They also have a secret. Underground they’re producing a second set of flowers called cleistogamous: tiny, closed, self-pollinating blooms that ensure the plant’s survival even if the flowers above ground fail to pollinate. A “Plan B” if you will. Isn’t that incredible? I’ve been wondering what if we all have cleistogamous within us too? What a magical thought.

2. I’m Happy. No, I’m Sad. No, Really - I’m Happy.

Do you ever feel an unexplained longing for something before it’s gone? Well, it’s called anticipatory nostalgia, a term coined by psychologist K.I. Batcho that describes the feeling of missing something you still have. It's this awareness of the potential for loss that has you feeling melancholy while you lap your gelato next to a fountain in Rome and it’s definitely what I’ve been feeling this week as Spring is fully sprung and yet, I’m already missing the warming and lymphatic-boosting goodness of our Spring Renewal Body Elixir. I just bottled and restocked our final batch of the year in the web shop and can’t wait to welcome her back next Spring.