Moti and I decided to try a new vegetable share this summer, and we came home from our first visit with a bundle of chamomile, among other things.  I had no idea what to do with it.

I have lived in New York City for a while now, and have been pounding the pavement for years to make a career for myself in the theater.   I think I can speak for most of the performing artists in the city when I say that we are satisfied with very little: enough money to eat and pay rent, a full calendar of projects (ideally one right after the other), and perhaps a relationship or five to keep us fueled in our limited in-between time.  Looking back over the past three weeks on my calendar, I notice that my dreams are realized, that I am, or should be, truly satisfied (for now, of course!).  I am a part of a community of artists that constantly challenge me; I am making plays with backbone and purpose; I am auditioning for this and that, here and there, and that gives me hope. My eyes are on the mountain.  I have a companion-husband… an artist himself… and we have made a sweet home where we can lay our heads.  (I just vacuumed.)

It is good to write it out, I think.  What I want and what I have.  To realize that I am here and well on my way to something, and that perhaps that something has already arrived.  There are so many other things associated with being an artist: dissatisfaction, fear, budget, feelings of inadequacy… did I mention fear? How is my ego today?  Huge?  Tiny? Am I aware of myself?

I am beginning to understand that simple pleasures and kindnesses are the key, at least for me, to a peaceful life.  A cup of tea.  A thank you note from a friend.  A tickle fight with my husband.  Learning what to do with chamomile.  A church visit.  A little energy spent on helping someone else.

It turns out that chamomile means “Earth Apple” in Latin.  It also has an endless list of uses; It mildly helps with menstruation, calms anxiety and eases stress, helps with digestion, improves the skin and lightens hair, reduces swelling and eases pain. And here I thought it was simply good for tea with honey and milk!

It took me quite some time to snip off the flowers at the top, and to lay them out on a trey.  I am going to wait for 7-10 days and let them dry, then keep them in a mason jar.  Apparently it will keep for up to a year!  I bet a cup of this tea with help me when I am feeling anxious or overtired, or simply when I need to step back and understand how good I have it.

I cut off the little buds from the chamomile. I am going to dry them out for about a week. The internet says I can dry the stems, too, for a milder tea!

Tech for my theater companies latest piece: “That Poor Dream;” a loose adaptation of Great Expectations. It explores income inequality in America and the cast’s own troubled relationship with class.

A particularly lovely moment for me this past week. People watching in midtown in between rehearsals.