One morning coming back from the mini-market, I found a lonely little cactus pad on the side of the road. So I picked it up and, once home, stuck it in a pot. A few years later, the cactus gifted me with this lovely flower, the first cactus flower I’ve ever had.
To regenerate that which has been abandoned and left to perish, often all it takes is to be noticed and given a home.
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A melancholic moment came to me as I watched the waves move towards the shore, change their minds, and leave.
Maybe I should do the same.
Volver the Cat Sleeping on the Balcony
La Sussurrata, Paros
This is one of our beautiful bougainvilleas. Sometimes the wind blows the fallen petals into the house making it look like the set for a Bollywood wedding. So we are always sweeping them up. Recently I learned that tea could be made from these petals. In Mexico, Té de Bugambilia is widely used for coughs. But apparently these petals offer other health benefits such as relieving a fever, clearing the respiratory system, detoxing the body, easing joint pain, and reducing the stomach’s acidity.
On internet, some articles suggest using dried flowers to make the tea whereas others suggest using flowers freshly cut. But the process is basically the same. First the flowers should be washed then placed in boiling water until the water turns the color of the flower. Let it seep for awhile then filter the flowers out. Serve hot. Honey and cinnamon can be used to improve the taste. Obviously, just one cup of tea will not work miracles so the tea should be sipped at various times during the day until the unwanted symptoms disappear.
So many different kinds of flowers can be used to make teas. Some examples: lavender, hibiscus, rose, calendula, chamomille, jasmine, and mint flowers. Different flowers provide different benefits.
I wonder what a tea made from various kinds of flowers would taste like.
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The Narrative Within 