I left them in for around six days—I lost count after checking at three and concluding it hadn’t been long enough. Then I strained the gin into a pint jar—filled it perfectly—and since I didn’t want to waste the saturated fruit I whipped that in the food processor with some sugar and stuck it in the freezer to see what happened.

Cousin Mel has informed me that we need to eat twenty different fruits and vegetables each week for optimum health. So I’m starting a daily log of what I eat, first to get a baseline, and then to hold myself to this standard.

Last night, I got in six for dinner alone: mushrooms, scallions, garlic and red orach, which I sautéed and then threw in an egg. I garnished with pesto which added arugula and pecans to the tally. It was delicious. And so simple!

Wednesday night I baked a lemon pound cake to serve the next morning when Honeybadger came for coffee in the garden. I was grateful to have a whole cake to share and sent her home with a big chunk; then gave another chunk away the next day, leaving altogether a reasonable amount for just me for a few more days.

I enjoyed a piece of the cake for dessert last night, along with a slushy made from the beautiful frozen fruit purée and infused gin. I was thrilled to realize I’d just added another four fruits to my count that day: lemon, strawberry, rhubarb, and juniper berry. I think that must have also counted as one ferment for the day!

Though I was sluggish this morning, I did get Wren out of the yard for the Breakfast Loop, and loved seeing blooming Erigeron along the trail home.

Back in through the lion gate, I was grateful to see irises blooming in the yarden.

I’m grateful for friends and cousins who recommend positive influences, such as infused gin and twenty fruits and vegetables in a week. And I’m grateful for my increasing capacity to feel that gratitude as it arises and moves through my body.