Last week, I had the privilege of meeting the Queen of wild foods and my mentor, Linda Runyon. It was the first time I’ve met her in person, though I have read all of Linda’s books, listened to her radio programs time and again and have communicated via countless emails with her. Her leadership and encouragement in my ‘wild’ adventures has had a significant impact on me.
Anticipating a sunny Spring day I packed a wild picnic. And since it rained…we ate inside.
Linda no longer melts icicles for laundry water, mud does not cover her exposed skin to protect from the black flies and she does not forage for breakfast, lunch and dinner… all of which she did for decades. Rather, she lives in a lovely retirement center in South Jersey. Wild reflections are evident in every corner of her room, plants (rather weeds and moss) grow on her window ledge, wild plants and seeds line the shelves in her cooking corner and scrapbooks of wild memories are stacked about.
Linda’s Wild Plant Walk, Crafts, Linda & Holly
Treasuring past memories yet embracing each leg of her journey Linda lives a rich life. Her 15th book on foraging for edible plants came off the press last Fall and her current book projects look fabulous. Doodles are on scraps of paper capturing some new idea or other. Passionately wanting to help people to prepare for any eventuality, Linda makes it easy for those of us following in her wake. Her books were born from necessity to survive off the grid and thrive off the land.
P. S. More about Linda and her remarkable life can be found at this link. https://wildblessings.com/2011/09/03/wild-woman-linda-runyon-eats-the-trees/
What a wonderful story Holly and a great way to celebrate our “elders”!!! Keep doing what you do to share your gifts with others.
Holly,
You are well on your way to being the same kind of mentor & inspiration.
Thank you so much!
Thanks Kim for your kind words.
I so enjoyed reading about your time with Linda – What a Big Blessing that God gave you.
Inspired writing and reading
I think about Linda so often. Been rereading her books and always learning something new. I keep wishing she were still here to give me feedback on all my wild musings.
holly its nice to to know i can talk freely to you here, this is an awesome story, thank you for sharing lindas story, thank God you see the bigger picture and are helping people the wise way! your awesome! i REALLY enjoy your site and all the knowledge you share with our creators gifts, keep doing what your doing, its much needed.
Thanks Jodi! Linda is the real deal. I just try to follow in her worn path. So blessed to have her in my life!
Holly, you have a great site going here. This story of Linda, your wise owl, is just wonderful.
It is the middle of winter up here right now – so I was doing a little research on what I could forage from the white woods and fields, when I stumbled upon your site. I love foraging more and more each day, let alone each year. Eating wild food is like drinking fresh glacier water, or taking a deep breath of air on a mountain top – its one of the best feelings in life. Keep up the great website, and continue to spread this love for mother earth.
Blessings to you Holly.
Rand Heaslip
Gatineau Quebec Canada
Rand,
You sound like a kindred spirit! I went “shopping” in God’s grocery store on Monday, January 21, for wild food to prepare fresh for a display table I was to man the next day at a health fair, Never disappointed…a basket full of vibrant Chickweed and wild onions for a yummy hummus! thankful!
Blessings to you too!
Holly