Mj Pettengill

Staghorn Sumac is an ancient medicinal plant with antioxidant properties and significant levels of Vitamin C.

Given the opportunity, they imply balance in a world that has lost its equilibrium.


"As I Began to Love Myself" —Poem by Kim and Alison McMillen
 (Falsely attributed to Charlie Chaplin)

We need not vanish in pale shadows, alienated from our essence. To be silenced, overlooked, or crushed leads to an uncertain death.

I have stood beneath the raging skies—a thousand storms threatening life as we once knew it.

Within moments of hiking on the path, my son found a perfect walking stick for me. I will admit, I felt like a wizardess.

I will make my way home, leaving behind footsteps for future generations while adding another rich layer of memory on this much-loved land.

One of the most dangerous things that we can do is forget to sing and dance.

A few weeks ago, what was weedy and brown is now waving layers of green, flowerets of yellow, and reaching for the perfect blue sky.

Here and now, we witness the great unknown, blazing new trails, and discovering that we are not lost, but the world itself is adrift.

I am a historical whistleblower. It's what I do...

I played as a daughter—your daughter. This was no ordinary gig.

A slight breeze rolled down the slope of the hill, revealing that it was a violet blossom hidden beneath the shadow of its leaf.

Surrounded by various water sources, it is an 'all-you-can-eat buffet' for insectivores.

If your insight, instincts, and intuition are intact, then you may be in the midst of cracking open. If you dare trust yourself, this is...

WHITE PINE HAS RECENTLY EXPLODED ON THE SCENE IN THE HERBAL COMMUNITY...read on.

From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!" Julia Ward Howe, 1870

Time works differently when waiting for the unknown.

Together, we navigated the enduring darkness born from life—a tree no longer bleeding at the roots.

I stand at the edge of the woods, observing the contrast between the remnants of winter—death—and signs of new life. Brown and green,...