A perfumed world

Last spring, Jason & I were delighted to watch our yard come to life for the first time; we bought the place in midsummer the year before and had never experienced Spring here.  And what a lovely Spring it was--a carpet of violets in the back yard, unknown daffodils, tulips, and a gorgeous bleeding heart plant popping up in the perennial beds along our driveway, and...lilacs.  Four venerable old lilac bushes that are now more like trees and line the northern edge of our property, in need of some serious pruning and better access to sunlight, but flourishing nonetheless.

We lived a perfumed and violet-colored life for several weeks last spring, and I secretly wondered if we would ever witness quite such a show again--perhaps the temperatures and rainfall of 2010 were a happy accident of lilac-perfection?  Perhaps the violets just had a really great year last year?  Maybe this was a welcome-to-your-new-home celebration from our plant neighbors that would never come again...?

I needn't have worried:

Jason & I spent a blissful hour last night on our front stoop, listening to the misty rain fall and breathing in the wonderfully perfumed breezes that passed through the branches of a nearby lilac on their way to us, the sweet puffs of air like tiny gifts to us from the place we call home. 

The thought occurred to me that this was a family tradition in the making:  we will do this every spring; we will notice the first time that the whole world seems sweetly scented and winter finally vanquished.  we are wealthy in the things that matter most--each other, time to be still together and soak up the beauty around us, lives that give us enough space and peace and health to notice the change of seasons and the evolving tapestry of our land.

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In celebration of Spring, here is the facial moisturizer that I've been making and using lately--it is a wonderfully light, appealing gel that absorbs quickly and seems entirely suitable for oily and dry skin alike. 

It is also incredibly simple:  combine one part vegetable glycerin with four parts aloe vera gel. 

Make sure to get pure aloe, not something in the sunscreen aisle at Target with lots of chemicals and gimmicks added!  My local health food store has plenty of the pure stuff and a range of sizes and costs.  You can add a few drops of a favorite essential oil, if you'd like, and you can make as much or as little of this moisturizer as you deem necessary.  It needs no refrigeration and has remained fresh and viable for several months now in my bathroom cupboard.  While I would never name names, there is another person in this household that is also a fan of this moisturizer--when I was gone for school recently, I was told that I should leave a little at home the next time I go away!