Peachy Clean

Just a quickie before I am off to New York for a work training weekend... I picked up some lovely peaches at the farmers market yesterday. Juicy, tart, definitely sweet, soft to the touch and excellent for those of you suffering from any conditions where you have a dry throat or cough, and it also just so happens that it is helpful in lowering blood pressure. A peach has a cool thermal nature in TCM and is said to build body fluids, so go get some while they're in season and build up those essential fluids to counteract all the sweating you're likely doing whilst steaming away in the sun this summer. Do any of you recall "James and the Giant Peach"? Here's a little excerpt...



Not far away, in the middle of the garden, he could see the giant peach towering over everything else. Surely it was even bigger tonight than ever before? And what a dazzling sight it was! The moonlight was shining and glinting on its great curving sides, turning them to crystal and silver. It looked like a tremendous silver ball lying there in the grass, silent, mysterious, and wonderful.

......Almost without knowing what he was doing, as though drawn by some powerful magnet, James Henry Trotter started walking towards the giant peach.......He put out a hand and touched it gently with the tip of one finger. It felt soft and warm and slightly furry, like the skin of a baby mouse.

......there was a hole in the side of the peach......The tunnel was damp and murky, and all around him was the curious bittersweet smell of fresh peach. The floor was soggy under his knees, the walls were wet and sticky, and the peach juice was dripping from the ceiling. James opened his mouth and caught some of it on his tongue. It tasted delicious.