Whiteley Creek Homestead

I have two jars of raw honey and two handmade cozies to insulate empty almond butter jars. I just need tea. Medicinal tea… made from plants gathered from the wild and homegrown gardens.

On the first day of May, my loose leaf tea will begin its journey from Seattle to my doorstep in central Minnesota. Three different hand-blended organic and ethically wild-harvested teas from Bird's Eye Tea. An example of one tea blend that Sarah, the business's owner, creates is a spring detox mixture of reishi mushroom, dandelion root, burdock root, calendula flowers, nettle, cinnamon, and astragalus. A newsletter included with the tea provides information about each plant's beneficial properties. The healing tea will be delivered monthly. Enough for a cup a day. Until I say, "I have no time to sip." No. I shall not let that happen. For, then, I will become the boy in Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. Boy had no time to sit. Until one day he grew old.

And after a long time
the boy came back again.
"I am sorry, Boy,"
said the tree," but I have nothing
left to give you –
My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak
for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone,"
said the tree. " You
cannot swing on them – "
"I am too old to swing
on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone, " said the tree.
"You cannot climb – "
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
"I wish that I could give you something….
but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry…."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy.
"just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening
herself up as much as she could,
"well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.