another day in Lancaster County PA

Somedays, I can forget how lucky I am to live here. Somedays, things might conspire to keep me in the house all day without even walking down to the mailbox. Then there are the days that are really no different that any other - they are just full of beauty and peace.
The other day I rode along on a "sales blitz", passing out literature to tourist shops in the area. We went to Gap, Intercourse, Strasburg, and Bird-in-Hand. Previously we'd been to Lititz and New Holland. There are a few other little villages that we need to stop in, but we've been fairly thorough about it.
Monday was an interesting day weather-wise. In the morning the snow was nearly white-out in its severity, but didn't stick around. It stayed very cold and the wind was wicked. We parked the car in the towns and walked a bit, choosing stores
that had the right tone. Some of the things that I didn't take pictures of were: recess at the Amish school, long colorful lines of laundry stretching from the second floor of the house out to a tall pole, meadows full of the gorgeous workhorses wearing their thick winter coats, the buggy parked at the convenience store, the tidy farms with the extensions built on to the houses to welcome additional generations.
There were so many things I saw, and they can either be noticed and noted or just become part of the unseen scenery that passes by.
So... we have the old mill, in great condition. The willow trees that are budded out in gold was striking. The horse hitched to the buggy, waiting
patiently to be driven home after the shopping trip.
This is what it's like to live around here. There was also the stop into a convenience store for a drink. In the corner were four men sitting at a chrome table, smoking like chimneys. The women working there flirted and joked around with them. The feel of the store was like stepping back about 30+ years.
It was an interesting day.

Snowdrops

What is it about snowdrops? They peek out from the ground at a time when our spirit is so in need of that bit of magic. Is it any wonder that when doing an image search for the flower, I was happily surprised to find many images of snowdrop fairies? I also found that in older versions, Snow White (of the 7 dwarf fame) is known as Snow Drop.
Snow drops are made into many different kinds of jewelry. They are embroidered, quilted, and etchings. This tiny twinkler is obviously a delight for many of us, and bring out our creative sides.
They are out early here because of the very mild winter. Last year, I recall specifically that they weren't out until mid-March. They usually show up along with the crocus, but they are breaking out alone this year.

Last week I turned a corner and was greeted by a yard covered with them. Reaching my sister's house, we lifted some leaves and found that they had poked up through the ground there, too.
Tomorrow we are expecting some snow flurries, but spring is almost here....

The Essential Herbal March/April 2006

The Mar/Apr '06 issue of The Essential Herbal is in the mail and should start reaching subscribers in another week or so. It is so full of spring, and the dreams and hopefulness of the awakening earth that it was a BIG letdown for me when the temperatures took a nosedive this week. However, I did see my first snowdrop in bloom the other day!

So...we have so much good stuff in this issue. To begin with, there is the obligatory crossword puzzle :-). On the back cover, Barbara Poole writes about poke salad, and the lessons her grandmother taught her.

Geri Burgert agreed to become our "Suburban Herbie", and I'm very excited about that. Geri has such a refreshing take on plants, nature, and the world in general.

Susanna Reppert Brill's column - "Never Enough Thyme" talks about the dandelion and gives several tempting options for serving them. Then, regular writer Susan Evans really surprised me with an article on sea vegetables. It was a surprise because I'd been thinking of that very subject for a few days. Mary Ellen Wilcox sent us something on the bitter herbs of Passover, and also an article on Ginger - The Oldest Spice. We got some lovely recipes using Lemon Herbs from Barbara Steele, and some ideas for starting a garden journal from Karen Creel. After a brief discussion of Albizzia on the yahoo list, Maureen Rogers sent us a profile of "The Happiness Herb". Maryanne Schwartz wrote about Spring Cleaning, but without all the chemicals we're used to using. Karen Hegre sent an awesome dip.

Oh! But that's not all! Barbara Will sent information on the *real* patron saint of gardening. There is information on Soap Felting from Tracy Westbury, and a marketing minute from Rachel Johnston. The Yahoo list came up with a fabulous article on the uses of edible flowers, and Dr. Tamara Hartley-Hunt compiled a wonderful listing describing the flavors and colors of many, many flowers. Cindy Jones gives us information on why we need to have our products tested before selling them, and Betty Pillsbury writes of the wisdon of growing sage in the garden.

We also had lots of new (and also our regular) advertisers. This issue will be gracing the shelves of several new shops, along with the books and kits. It's been an interesting year so far!

Snow! Finally!

Over the weekend, the North East was covered with a thick blanket of snow. Storms that bring a foot or more of snow are never "convenient", but this one was as unobtrusive as possible. The timing was perfect for me, because the newest issue of The Essential Herbal needed to be prepared for mailing, so being trapped in the house was exactly what I needed.
It could have been so much worse. Arriving late Saturday and falling into Sunday, there was ample time to clear the roads and vehicles before Monday morning. The magazines were at the post office by noon on Monday! Additionally, the warm ground made removal much easier - although it was the perfectly packable type snow, so it was hard to resist making a fort while shoveling out the car.
As the first storm of the season finally approached, I made sure there was lots of fresh fruit and salad fixin's - along with the mandatory cocoa that Molly has associated with snow since she was old enough to drink it. I also pondered the low grade excitement I felt. Why, I wondered, did it feel so exciting? I work from home, so it wasn't the excitement of staying home from work. I gave up sledding a good decade or so ago, so that wasn't it... and my baby plants are probably going to suffer, so that certainly isn't it. My sweetie is cloistered away working for the next month or so, so it wasn't even the thought of time alone with him.
So I came up with a theory (as I often do, based solely on the wanderings of my mind on that particular day) that storms force us to admit that we are powerless for a little while. Having grown up and lived here most of my life, winters are supposed to include several short periods of time where nature imposes her will, and we submit.
For instance, there was one full week a few years back where nobody went anywhere. That week, I built my website. Couldn't do anything else, so.... Sometimes storms mean reading a book that's been waiting too long, watching sappy movies, or doing something Norman Rockwell with the kid. The storms force us to focus on home or allow us to take on a task we are normally too busy to do.
Either way, it is a part of the rhythm of the year for me. It was exhausting to enjoy the eternally spring-like weather that went on and on this winter! Somewhere in my gut, there was something wrong, and I think I know what it was. Apparently, I've become accustomed to getting these windows of time each winter, where nature lets me off the hook, lets me bail on the whole responsibility thing, allows me to just give up the race for a day or two.
Now I've been refreshed. All is right with the natural world again. It was a beautiful snow!

Sleeping again

This may sound like bragging, but I've always been one to fall asleep before my head hit the pillow. A dear friend of mine is not so lucky, so back in August when I was visiting The Rosemary House I looked for some sort of tincture. Susanna Reppert recommended their "Rosemary's Relaxing Tea". The ingredients are pretty incredible - valerian, passion flower, scullcap, and lady slipper root, to begin with.
The next day, I took the entire ounce of dry herbal tea blend, dumped it into an 8 oz. mayo jar and covered it with vodka. It sat for months, because my friend isn't as comfy with herbs as I am.
So, as life often does, it changed. Working from home means a much (!!!) more flexible schedule. Nights were getting later, and so were mornings. Suddenly, I found myself staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.
I'm embarrassed to admit that it never really dawned on me how miserable it is to go without sleep...and really, I only got a small taste of it. That was enough!
That tincture worked like a dream. After taking it for 3 days, everything is back on track. Whew! Other than the vodka, it was just a few dollars for over 4 ounces.
At the same time, I had quit smoking and am determined to at least maintain my weight. There were other changes I made that contributed to the tincture working so well.

They were:
I set the alarm for 7 a.m. and forced myself to get up and get to work.
Working out 1/2 hour each day really helps.
No more staying awake until there is nothing else on tv. 11:30 it's time for bed.
No night-time food.

February Frolic -BAH Groundhogs!!!

Yesterday we had a good soaking rain in the early morning hours, but by the time the hard copy printer's sample of the next issue was shooting out of the computer, it was just perfect for a walk in the woods. In spite of all the groundhog prognostications, it was still spring here. I would like to mention that all the groundhog boys in this state gave us the thumbs down, however "Patty" - the sole girl, whose location eluded me said that spring is here. Anyhow, I had my boots on, and took along "Rudy the wonder dog" who tried to keep me on the trail - silly dog. The creek was running pretty fast. I stood on the mushy bank and watched the water rush over the fallen logs and rocks in the streambed. There are lots of baby plants poking up. The garlic mustard doesn't seem to have been phased by the cold weather to date. The moss on the bank was sending out tiny "feelers" - maybe it's in bloom? All along the way, that crazy dog was snuffling under the leaves, rushing ahead on the path, and then coming back at full steam to skid to a stop in front of me. He is great company on a woods walk. Much better than the goats we had in VA, who would go along but eat anything one stooped to observe. Much, much better. We also found a little gnome's home. Well, at least the entrance. There is a shelf mushroom over the porch. The mossy sides of the house, and the porch itself are almost hidden by oak leaves and debris from autumn, but it was as clear as a bell to me. Sorry for the run-on paragraph. For some reason, I am unable to get this program to work properly today. Some people might just wait and come back another time when it worked properly, but...Nooooooooo.

JINX! This ought to bring the winter :-)

Earlier this year, after we got a few inches of snow in ... was it November? ... I picked up a new snow shovel. My old one was heavy, rusty metal, and I actually ditched it last spring.
Today I took this shot of the still brand new shovel next to a beat up pot of hyacinth bulbs that were left out from last spring. They have no idea that it is January - even though they are completely without shelter.
I've considered taking this picture for a few days, knowing that the it would be the one thing that would shift the weather patterns back to the way they should be (I'm not really that delusional, it just seems that way). I'm thinking how nice it would be to put away a brand new shovel in the spring without worrying about scraping off any muck or salt.
Judging from the way things have been going, it won't be very long before we'll have lots of herbs popping their heads up, and lots of herbal news to speak of.

For those of you who have never been in Hershey, PA I thought you might like to see what the streetlights look like. Some are like this, some are plain brown, and some are silver with no "ribbon". I've loved them since I was a kid - even though I really prefer Wilbur chocolate from Lititz (they supply Godiva!).
We drove through Hershey on our way to do some shopping for Molly's birthday, and I snapped this shot.

Only a few more days until the deadline for the March/April issue of The Essential Herbal. We've gotten some really unusual articles already and the Yahoo list put together a great feature on edible flowers.
I absolutely love the week before the deadline, watching the items stream in, considering how it will all fit together, and wondering how the potpourri that is the magazine will shake out again.

The Endoscope and the humor in life.

Well I had to have an endoscopic (upper gi) procedure done this yesterday. It really doesn't bother me, because the meds they use to knock you out are so gentle. My first experience as a child involved ether - which smells (and tastes - yuck, yuck, yuck) exactly like those Easter egg dyes that come in the little glass bottles. Later I went through some sodium pentathol, and the following 2 decades of various anesthesia.
Anyhow...
So there I am, on the gurney, IV in, Oxygen in, clamps and wire harnesses on, propped into the perfect position with the one nurse poised to insert the mouthpiece, and the anesthesiologist poised to stick the sleepy juice into the iv .... when the fire alarm goes off.
Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh.
Now, I don't know what sort of face I made, but the doctor found the situation practically hysterical. He could not stop laughing.
I said... ya know, I'd like to wait a few minutes to be sure this is a false alarm.
He said, ah don't worry about it.
I said, but....but.... and with that they strapped the mouthpiece on and knocked me out.
Afterwards, he was still laughing, and said he would have thrown a water blanket over me had there been a real fire. Oh yeah, I'm still laughing about that one.
Seriously though, life IS funny.
There is never a bad moment that isn't sweetened with the absurd, the bizarre, or the silly.
When my mom died last year, we had a gathering at her house. I'm certain that some of her friends went away scratching their heads because we (her children) were fairly cheerful, partly because we had each other. She taught us to see the humor amidst the horror, and I hope they knew her well enough to see that in us. And her death was such a freak accident - combined with the fact that her only brother had died the day before her accident.... what do you DO with something like that?
In one of Stephen King's books (Rose Madder?) the bad guy eventually goes really over the edge, and at some point uses a sock puppet to inform the victim that they are in trouble. The sock puppet says, "OH OH". My sister and I laughed over that one for a long time, till our sides hurt. Now when something goes horribly wrong, one of us will hold up our hand as if it were a sock puppet, and make it say "OH OH".
I'm not going to list bad things that happen. Here's hoping that you are one of the people who can find the humor in everyday. I'm so grateful that I am.

Mid winter blues

Did you know that Candlemas is also Groundhog Day? This is coming up on Feb 2, btw ( Easy for me to remember my brother in law's birthday, because it is Groundhog Day Eve). The ancient Celts celebrated February 2nd as the mid point of winter. It was considered a good omen for farmers if the sky was clouded over.
"If Candlemas Day be stormy and black, it carries the winter away on its back".
So.....
It can't just be me. In fact I know that it isn't just me, because I'm on lots of lists on the internet - including the Essential Herbal Yahoo list - and they are all very quiet right now. Nobody feels much like chatting.
I needed some pretty, bright flowers. How bout you?
So what is it that's going on out there? I have some suspicions that have to do with politics, but won't bother writing them here.
Another thing is that the weather has been so mild and nice that it almost makes me feel guilty to want to hibernate. And I DO want to hibernate. I've stuck to all of my resolutions so far, and expect to stay with it. No cigarettes whatsoever, and the patches fell by the wayside a week ago. Also eating in a new, more healthful way and drinking lots of water. Yep, I'm being very good. But it gets tiresome, you know? I'm just happy to not gain weight while quitting, but adding the morning work-outs is really helping too.
But where is the energy? Does this happen every year? Do we always hibernate so clearly? I can't remember. Certainly I've never seen the internet so quiet for such a long time. Here's hoping that we all wake up soon... or get some regular winter weather so that it "feels" normal.

In the meantime, how bout some COCOA? From the Jan/Feb '03 Essential Herbal

Whip up some great simple mIn ixes for when the kids come in from sledding or when the hearth is crackling.

Basic recipe:
1/4 c. powdered non-dairy creamer
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. instant coffee
2 T. powdered baking cocoa

Place in blender, and blend fully. Store mix in a well sealed container.
1 1/2 T. mix per 8 oz. cup of boiling water.

Add ins: A drop or two orange essential oil
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
a drop or two peppermint essential oil and a candy cane.
of course whipped cream and/or marshmallows.

Postal Service

This has been an uncomfortable shift in rates for the USPS. Personally, I think that what we get in exchange for the money is well worth the money.
This last change, however, was poorly executed.
On the 9th I had some packages to mail, and thought I'd also pick up some stamps for postcards and some 3 oz. stamps for subscriptions that come in between bulk mailings.
I drove right past the main office in Lancaster, since cars were lined up clear onto the roadway in front of the long driveway leading to the facility.
I drove out to Landisville, where we have the mailing permit for The Essential Herbal. The people who work in this office are wonderful. They always send me on my way with a smile on my face. Some visits involve conversation, singing, and once there was even a rendition of a peanut vendor at a baseball stadium - but I digress. The point here is that these people treat their customers like friends, calling many of us by name.
As I approached the front door I noticed a hand-written sign to let people know that 1 and 2 cent stamps had sold out. There was a second sign on the inner door. There was a long line. Since I had to park in the back of the building and walk around (as opposed to being able to park right outside at the curb) that there would be a line - but a line in this office never bothers me.
As I stood in line waiting, I heard people taking their frustrations out on the clerks. They kept their cool and remained friendly, but I felt so bad for them. At that time I assumed that they had under-ordered the stamps. There were no postcard stamps available yet, nor were there any stamps for the 3 oz. pieces. They apologized profusely and asked me to please return in a few days for them.
I returned several days later to ask again. The clerk told me that postcard stamps wouldn't be available until March, and she didn't know when they'd have the 3 oz. stamps. She sold me the old stamps plus some 2 cent stamps. While this seems like a little thing, I mail a lot of postcards, and it takes twice as long to stamp them... it is an inconvenience - but at least I don't need to lick them anymore. And it wasn't that the Landisville office had under ordered - there just wasn't anything for them to order!
This isn't huge for me. It won't ruin my life or cause me any major problem. I do use the postal service a lot, visiting several times a week - but I'll live. My problem is more with the idea that a company this huge has no problem inconveniencing so many, nor with putting their employees out there to take so much flak. How many other companies could do something so badly and continue in business?

Turning 50

Here at The Essential Herbal, I've been pondering this entry for a few days, having turned 50 in the beginning of the week. I've been waiting for the walls to cave in... waiting to feel whatever it is that I've watched some of my friends struggle with at this juncture. So far, so good. Being almost the baby of the family, it was easy to sit and listen to the obligatory jokes about aging from my siblings - after all, they're older than me.
More than that though, were the resolutions I made for the new year. Last spring brought some rough moments. Foolishly, I started smoking again, and decided to end that on the first of January. At the same time, weight gain was absolutely out of the question (I'm NOT going to buy larger clothing, no how, no way), so I decided to instead try to drop some poundage. They say it is almost impossible, but something clicked for me, and I want to be healthier. Again, so far, so good.
A friend had given me a book over the holidays that has really helped put my head in the right place. It is Younger by the Day, by Victoria Moran. There are short essays for each day of the year. Each one is a thought, action, or lesson on being healthier - inside or out. At first, I thought it would be about make-up, or chin exercises, or how to dress to cover up, and only started reading out of idle curiousity. Instead, it is really about how to value each day, savor each experience, and look at life as the gift it truly is. It may be just where my head is right now, but something about this book struck a chord, and it is making the whole process of eating healthy/quitting smoking seem like a natural progression, like a treat rather than deprivation.
A couple other things that seem to be helping are natural remedies. I got a kombucha mushroom from a friend, and have been drinking the tea. We always "blamed" kombucha tea for making us open our full-time shop because it seems to fortify the backbone and support the gumption function.
I also got some Albizzia Tincture from The Green Spiral. This herb is nicknamed the "happiness herb". I wanted to try it out to see if it was worth recommending, and it seems to be a nice addition to my overall plan. Albizzia will be covered in the upcoming issue with an excerpt from the Herbalpedia - which is also available in the book section of The Essential Herbal.
I'm walking more, drinking oceans of water, and Molly and I work out together at the gym.
It has been almost 2 weeks. I haven't smoked, and I've lost a few pounds (compared to the 5 or 6 I have gained in the first couple of weeks when quitting before). So as I begin this year at the age of 50, it looks like I just might wind up getting younger by the day.
Just thought I'd let you know that it looks to me that these two changes really might be possible to do together. Its early, I know.... but so far, so good.

Finally the Sun comes out!

It seems that it has been weeks and weeks since the sun has been able to overpower the clouds and shine down on this part of the country. It has peaked out from time to time, but as soon as I get on a jacket and open the door, it is once again cloudy.... and on occasion spritzing or sending flurries.
So today, I couldn't resist - even though I wasn't dressed warmly enough. I was happy to find the chickweed (above) peeping out from under a log, along with some garlic mustard. The overall color scheme is shades of brown, but that can make it easier to see interesting things that might go unnoticed if there were blooms and vivid foliage. Looking down at the creek, the two logs were moss covered and looked pretty in contrast to the sparkling water rushing underneath.











The cabin built over the creek is the same cabin pictured on the current cover, but without snow. My nephew - with lots of help from his Dad! - built this as a fort in his younger days and spent a lot of time reading or snoozing over the sound of the rushing water of the creek beneath him. My daughter enjoyed some days playing there also.



















At some point I looked up the hill and saw this dying tree. The bark was coming off in large sheets, and the white interior wood of the tree was a stark contrast to the bark that was still hugging the tree.














Back at the creek, this creature seems to be trying to keep his feet dry above the rushing creek. I think it looks like a camel, but again, wouldn't have necessarily noticed it if there was lots of growth. It looks like there is a moss collar and leash about the neck, and at the tail there is a young fern growing.












Finally, there were these leather-like mushrooms that initially looked like fallen leaves. They were glossy in the sunlight.






It was so good to be outside and get the chance to look around. There will be lots of cold, snowy days ahead. It has been mild and wet here so far - so much so that it almost seems like spring already. But I know it isn't. I know we haven't even started winter yet here. Just for today it was fun to pretend.

Early Valentine Crafts to start

Love Potions, Charms, and Such….by Tina Sams
From the Jan/Feb '04 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine
Back in the days when I co-owned an herb shop at a renaissance faire, a great many of our sales would be used as components of amulets, talismans, potions, charms and spells. More often than not they were used to draw love to the one purchasing the herbs. The only other purpose that even came close was the drawing of money or success.
As little children we learn to pull the petals from daisies to learn if “he loves me, he loves me not”. Twisting an apple stem while reciting the alphabet tells the first letter of the future spouse’s name. On and on – so many ways to learn of that one true love. And lets not forget that this is a leap year. According to tradition, women proposing to their chosen mates are not considered to be unduly forward during this window of time. In Scotland, tradition held that a red flannel petticoat was to be worn visibly beneath the dress during the proposal, lest the intended felt inclined to reject the proposal….without the petticoat, that was permissible.
As Valentine’s Day draws near many will be wishing to learn of their lover, draw someone back to them, or feel more secure in the relationship they already have. In a sense, all potions, charms, and spells are a means of visualization, helping a person to focus on that which they truly desire. Personally, I find that the best way to find true love is to give up completely, decide it would be a pain in the…uh…neck, and avoid it at all costs. It will then always sneak up and take me by surprise.
Talismans are often made to bring love. An easy way to remember the talisman/amulet quandary is that talisman starts with a “t” as does talisman. Amulet starts with an “a”, as does away, thus amulets keep things away. A very simple love amulet is made by stringing rosehips into a necklace and wearing it about the neck. A more precise talisman might go something like this: start with a square of cloth, red for love. After considering what characteristics would be desired, find herbs (and other objects) that will represent and correspond to those traits. Someone down to earth? Add a pinch of patchouli. Spicy lover? Cayenne pepper. You get the idea. Traditionally, it would seem that rose petals are an absolute must-have.
Now lets make a few romantic items to add to the mood once you’ve found that special someone. These can also be made ahead in anticipation, and if all else fails, there are always those danged bridal showers.

Nectar of Venus Cordial
This beverage needs to be made up early in January for use mid- February, but it will be worthwhile. The flowers give it a beautiful deep pink color, and can be served with ginger ale and lime slices.
The following ingredients should be placed in a ½ gallon jar with a tight fitting lid that allows for shaking. Be sure to label and date the jar. Put out of sunlight while it sits for 1-6 weeks. Shake occasionally. All herbs and flowers are dry.
1 fifth of good quality vodka ½ c red rose petals
½ c hibiscus flowers ½ c rose hips
½ c spearmint ¼ c granulated orange peel
¼ c cinnamon bark chips

After sitting this mixture is ready to decant. Strain through fine cheesecloth or muslin into a pitcher large enough to also hold the additional 5 cups of Grand Marnier and simple syrup (below).

1 c Grand Marnier
4 c simple syrup made from 2 c water, 2 c sugar.
1 T either rose water or orange blossom water.

Add these ingredients to the vodka mixture and blend well. Allow this to rest for a couple of weeks so that the flavors can become well acquainted. Pour into beautiful bottles, cork, label, and enjoy.

Aphrodite’s Bathing Herbs
Bathing herbs can be used in several ways. Unfortunately, allowing them free rein in the tub is not one of those ways – word to the wise. The easiest, most effective way is to use a large pitcher filled with very hot water and put about ½ c of the blend into a square of cloth, tied loosely. Allow the “tub tea” 5-10 minutes to steep (longer if desired), and then pour into the bath as it is drawn. Some people tie a muslin bag filled with herbs to the faucet to catch the water as it comes out. Others still just throw the bag right into the tub. All of these methods are fine.

Blend together the following:

1 c oatmeal 1 c sea salt 1 c powdered dry milk
1 c dried rose petals 1 c dried lavender 1 c dried patchouli
1 c irish moss

Add to this mixture 20 drops each of lavender essential oil, patchouli essential oil, rose fragrance oil, and musk fragrance oil. Mix very well.

Use approximately ½ cup per bath. This recipe makes quite a large batch, and can easily be halved. It’s such a nice blend that you will want to make up the whole thing.

Satyr’s Massage Oil
Very few things are as romantic as taking time out to give your lover a nice relaxing massage. Not all of us are trained in the art of massage, but in this instance it truly is the thought that counts. A back rub that is delivered with love and care very rarely goes wrong. A fragrant oil makes it all the more pleasant, but remember to keep the fragrance light. Too much can be overpowering if you are covering large areas, and if using essential oils (of course!) it can get to be too much. 10 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil is about the proper strength.

2 ounces Sweet Almond Oil (almost any vegetable oil will do, but the almond is special to the goddess of love).

10 drops jasmine oil
5 drops patchouli oil
3 drops cardamom oil
2 drops petitgrain oil

Blend ingredients and allow to rest for a few days so that the scents mingle. Put into a bottle that is pretty – but usable. A top that allows only a few drops to come out at a time is very helpful. Remember to always pour the oil into your hand to warm it, rather than dropping it right onto the skin you are about to massage.

Candles scented with the essential oils of rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, cardamom, oakmoss, patchouli, and/or sandalwood would be lovely to burn during this evening you have spent time thinking about. The same fragrances in the form of incense can also be used. A nice light dinner and CD of Native American flute music completes the mood.

The Newest Issue is "in the mail"

The Essential Herbal Jan/Feb issue is in the mail. It will be a little while before it starts arriving at the homes of subscribers, but it will be worth the wait. This issue has more than a little of everything!

To begin with, Maureen Rogers sent an article on scented geraniums (2006 herb of the year) that leaves barely a stone unturned. Cultivation, uses, and recipes for both culinary and body care using this plant and the oil.
Bryna Tracy wrote a tutorial on Oven Hot Process Soap using milk. This is a process I've never done, but will probably be trying soon.
We did an interview with Rachel Johnston of Scent by Spirit, who has just expanded her business to the point of needing a warehouse.
Karen Mallinger lets us in on the life of an herbal columnist. She's got a real knack for seeing humor in the absurd :-).
Michele Brown is also expanding into wholesale this year, and talks about that in her column. Susanna Reppert Brill explains tea in hers.
Susan Evans gives some great advice for staying healthy this winter, and then we do a quick take on five herbs to help in another article.
Sarah Liberta tempts us once again with Sweet Potato Spice Cake. Oh my!
Oh but that isn't all! Mary Ellen Wilcox and Sam Corwin sent instructions for Valentine's Day crafting, Tina Sams put together articles on Soups and Stepping Stones, and the Yahoo list gave many suggestions on keeping the winter blues at bay.
Jerry Striker sent his favorite Elderberry Pie recipe, and Sheri Weix sent Mulled Maple Cider. Patty Sigman sent several of her favorite recipes.
We also did something new this issue - a readers' showcase. Lots of wonderful products were reviewed along with some great books.
So begins the 5th year. Each issue is filled with the offerings of many herb folk, and each issue is better than the last. Bravo to all of our contributors!

Brown With Envy

From the very first issue of The Essential Herbal (Jan/Feb '02), an article by Beth Bender Walters:

BROWN WITH ENVY

I shall confess from the beginning that I am obsessed with my garden. Smitten, enraptured, possessed. To dig, sweat, weed, compost, plant and replant appear to be my calling in life.
Those living within spying distance of my puttering are perpetually perplexed by my activities. To rescue those pungent pine needles, after my neighbor stuffs them into black plastic trash bags, quickens my pulse. I positively run down the street with my trusty wheelbarrow, ready to make a clean sweep of suburbia. I gleefully collect all of those grass trimmings which were bound for the dump.
In time, all of these fine ingredients I have accumulated shall be converted into the oh-so-precious and coveted black dirt. Pay dirt. Most people do not expend so much energy on the subject of dirt, unless it is in their house and it requires sweeping, mopping, or dusting. I, on the other hand, am enamored with terra firma. Not the indoor variety; house dirt is best ignored until a rainy day.
The good stuff is all out there in the garden somewhere...or rather, in somebody else's garden. I once read an article which boasted the title "Perfect Soil in 3 Easy Steps". "312 Backbreaking Steps" would be more accurate. The author claimed the ability to "plunge my arm into my borders up to my elbow in sweet, dark humus". Not to be outdone, I zipped outside to my cosseted, pampered soil and inserted my little finger clear up to the second joint. I suspect that the owners of these glossy picture perfect gardens are not gardeners at all, just sick individuals that enjoy making the rest of us howl in defeat and despair.
Even with my neighborhood foragings, the plot of land where I do my picking and scratching is composed primarily of clay, rock and thistle, where Canada Thistle grows in abundance and has a tap root that could encircle Cleveland within one growing season. This is my "lot (or plot) in life."
I covet other people's fertile soil in the same way that others drool over sports cars. My sister in law can produce the most delicate spires of lupines (that I attribute to her dark, fertile soil), whereas in my garden they languish, wither and perish. I am convinced that there is a secret recipe for her crumbly soil. Perhaps there is a secret recipe, handed down through generations, safeguarded like Grandma's pie crust recipe. As much as I beg, plead and threaten, she still refuses to admit that there is a formula that she follows. Ha! I've seen her shed where she keeps bags of peat moss, lime and dried manure. I know that her magical blend is floating somewhere in her head.
Its only a matter of time before I either pry the recipe from her or stumble upon it myself. In the meantime, I'll still gather my neighbor's clippings, I'll continue to pick the endless supply of shale out of my garden, and I'll continue to dream of the next season. After all, I am a gardener.

Rudolph the wonder Dog

Rudolph the wonder dog belongs to my brother in law, Bob. He's the family pet, but there can be no doubt that his heart belongs to Bob.
To understand the story of Rudy, you have to know the story of Jellybean.
Many years ago Jellybean joined the family. He was smart, brave, and a bit of a rogue. The family has a Christmas tree farm, and as soon as he was old enough it became Jellybean's job to greet each family as they arrived to choose their tree. Everyone knew him, and children adored him, looking for him and asking for him if he didn't appear.
After 12 seasons of hard work, Jellybean found his favorite spot on Christmas morning, lay down, and let out his last breath.
He had been Bob's boy too.
Eventually, the family found Rudy. This puppy had some big shoes to fill. At first it didn't look like he would be up to the challenge. He follows Bob everywhere, but while Jellybean was more serious, this little guy is very silly.
Little did we realize that Rudy was carving his own niche. He's an original, not following in footsteps, but creating his very own place. Rudy also greets the families as they arrive, and he might even help them pick the tree - but he is Bob's assistant. Rudy is a talker, and a dancer. He is aware of each and every movement in that house.
Last night as we gathered at my sister's preparing to celebrate at our brother's home, Rudy went and settled among the gifts under their tree. He knows what a gift he is.
I had to laugh when Bob started rubbing his hands together and looked at my sister with excitement asking, "can we let him open one of his presents early?'
Is there anything like a boy and his dog?

Shop the local stores!

I always try to do as much shopping in privately owned shops as possible. As as previous shop keep myself, its important to me (and should be important to everyone) that the shops that work hard to have unusual, unique, and special items stick around for us to enjoy. A while back, I wrote about 10,000 Villages and today I stopped in to visit The Dusty Rose, a purveyor of "Fine Gifts, Antiques & Such". The Dusty Rose is a great find, nestled in next to the grocery shop near my house, and just a few doors down from my favorite Chinese restaurant.
In the window are giant hand-blown orbs of glass which are just the tantalizing beginning. Owners Jerry and Barb Striker search far and wide for delightful home accents, jewelry, tabletop items, candles, fountains... all sorts of cool stuff. Today I found 2 gifts for my daughter. It's perfectly safe to mention them here, because she finds me far too boring to ever peruse this blog. Sigh.... Anyway, they sell a line of fairy jewelry, and I got her a tiny fairy wand necklace for Christmas, and another - a tiny frog with a crown - for her upcoming birthday. They are really sweet, she'll love them. The Dusty Rose can be reached either by email - dusty.rose3@verizon.net , or at 717-581-1775.
I should mention here that Jerry is a long-time friend. He's the slave-driver I worked for who forced me to learn how to use the computer. His sense of humor can be found throughout the shop in some of the more unusual items. A couple years ago I found an egg separator for a friend that had Jerry written all over it. It was a ceramic piece, resembling a human head. You poured the egg into the top of the head, and the white of the egg came out the nose, while the perfect yolk remained inside.
Barb worked at the same place, and we've been friends a long time too. Her eye for display and taste are evident in every detail. The customer service is incredible.
Yep, I love the small shops.
Jerry supplied a recipe for Elderberry Pie that will be in the upcoming Jan/Feb issue of The Essential Herbal, that he brought back from his aunt's recipe collection in Ohio.
Even though the holiday season is drawing to a close, be sure to stop in and support local business whenever the opportunity arises. The big boxes may seem convenient now, but when they become the only choice, life will sure be boring.

pink tree... pity me.

A couple of years ago we found this tree, and thought it was just crazy enough to be cool. Molly kept it in her room, holding beads, hats, and neckwear. Its small, maybe 4" tall, so it was just in the corner minding it's own business. We didn't use it for it's intended purpose, going for more traditional greenery. Maybe it is just me, but when making a purchase such as this, it doesn't immediately occur to one that typical ornamentation is not really sufficient. We decided that this was the year to give it a shot. I think it still needs work, maybe a match and some starter fluid.
This angle isn't the best either... not that there really IS a good angle, mind you. I bought lights today, passing over the tiny pink bulbs that would have worked better (in retrospect), and choosing instead a set of 7 round bulbs in different shades of purple, pink, green, and yellow. They aren't turned on right now. Its not good. There are large paper flowers, a few flamingos, lots and lots of lunaria in the branches, and a ton of icicles.
This seemed like a good year to bring this tree out. It hasn't been a traditional year. It's been a strange, crazy year and we weren't willing to invest a lot of $$$ in making this tree (and therefore this year) look any better than it really is. All I can say is we were willing to try it once, and this will be enough. More than enough, but still...
Now that the decor is pretty much finished, its time to turn attention to other last minute bits and pieces. Time to settle in and spend some time doing some more tradional things like (ugh) baking cookies, wrapping gifts, stuffing stockings, and visiting with relatives and friends.
I know one thing for sure, this baby is coming down on New Year's Day.

El Rodeo with Steph and Valerie

Every now and then I get together with some buds from my old work-place (now known as "the printer"). A fairly new restaurant opened up in the area with authentic Mexican food and terrific prices, so that works for us.
Here are Steph and Val in a jovial pre-holiday mood.... which isn't always easy after a long day of work. Its fun to get together over a basket of chips and talk about what's going on in our lives. Steph shares many of the same interests that I have, and Valerie has daughters around the same age as mine, so we never run out of stuff to talk about. Steph even tried the fudge recipe that was recently posted, and brought some along for us to try. Yummmm. It was good.
One of the things I love about this restaurant is the decor. Bright and cheerful!
How could you not have fun at a table like this? All carved and painted with a thick glass top. I secretly covet this table for my own dining room. Now the booths, on the other hand, are the same tables, except they are higher - so they come up almost to my chin. That's not so much fun. We finally caught on and asked for a table instead. They have a Mariachi band every so often, but I haven't been there on the right night for that yet.
So on other fronts, there is one more weekend at the Frog Hollow shop, and then we'll decide how to proceed. The magazine is my priority, glass torchwork is Maryanne's, and then there are all the things that fall in between that we do together. I'm so excited to see how the next year unfolds.

More Natural Ornaments

From The Essential Herbal

WAX POMANDERS
1 ounce beeswax
1/2 cup applesauce
1-1/4 cup assorted powdered spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, etc.)
1 T orris root
Melt beeswax slowly with the applesauce. Stir in the spices and orris root. After the mixture has cooled slightly, pour onto a protected surface. Roll dough into balls. Roll the balls firmly in lavender buds, rose petals, or citrus peel granules. Allow to dry 3 or 4 days.

MINI GARLAND ORNAMENTS
Gather bay leaves (lots), dried apple and orange slices, large dried rosehips, and cinnamon sticks. Soak the rosehips and cinnamon in warm water for a few minutes to make them soft enough to pierce with a large needle.Thread large needle with dental floss or quilting twine. Begin with a rosehip, then a cinnamon stick, then an apple slice. Add enough bay leaves (through the center) to fill about 1", then an orange slice, then another inch of bay leaves. Apple slice, cinnamon stick, rosehip. Leave enough twine at either end to tie off, and enough on one of the ends to form a loop for hanging.p.s. You can string these in any order you'd like - this is just an example.

GOLDEN LEAVES
Although I titled this leaves, it works well with many, many of the things found outside - although it may be just a little late if you're under snow right now. I look for nice thick oak leaves, and other sturdy, well shaped leaves, pinecones, milkweed pods, clumps of acorns (the acorn needs to be glued into the cap, because it shrinks as it dries and falls out) and larch branches are great if you can find them. Also the Crepe Myrtle seed pod sprays are gorgeous.Spray or hand paint them in shimmery metallic colors and attach twine, ribbon or wire to hang.

Hoar Frost for the holidays

Today was a gorgeous day - in a sort of otherworldly, foggy dreamy kind of way. I drove up the back roads to the shop, trying to avoid icy patches while still watching the scenery. It was so unusual!
We'd had several inches of snow last week but then the weather warmed up a little bit. Overnight, there was a heavy fog that then froze with just a light coating on everything it touched. I think that is termed a "hoar frost".
I passed horses grazing in the mist, a weeping willow completely covered by this crystalline magic, and weeds that seemed to be blooming with ice flowers.


Once I arrived at the tree farm, I headed straight up the hill with the camera to catch the frozen fireworks and the frosted "flowers.
It was simply gorgeous, and here are some wintry photos I wanted to share with you.
The shop we cobbled together has been a lot of fun, and provided us with a real reason to do a lot of things (whipped shea butter, emulsified sugar scrubs, soap stones, etc) we've been wanting to do. Only one more week. Maryanne got a lot of good feedback on her glasswork, and enough sales to have her fired up.
I teased the Yahoo group mercilessly about the next issue - which just went to press. Once I have the completed cover and can scan one in, I'll put it up and tease you too :-).... well, I can say that this is the best issue ever.
Somehow we managed to get everything taken care of for the holidays here. The shop(s), the next issue, and even almost all of the shopping and shipping done. Heck! There may even be time to send a few cards out this year. We'll have to see about that one, though.
One last thing - fudge!
This was (I believe) a Rachel Ray recipe, posted by Monica on The Dish. It is simple, and takes about 3 minutes. You need:
4 T. butter
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg (12 oz.) semi-sweet morsels
1 cup (or more) pecans - optional
Melt butter slowly. Add chocolate to melted butter. When the chocolate is just melted, stir in the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk. I then add about enough pecans to make it more like fudge coated pecans.... yum! Mini-marshmallows, peanut butter, walnuts, coconut.... whatever you like can go in. Chill until firm, cut and serve.

Simply Natural Ornaments

We're pretty busy putting the finishing touches on the next issue, so I thought I'd post something from The Essential Herbal holiday issue the first year - 2002. We did an article listing ways to make things to decorate the tree.

There are so many beautiful ways to decorate the Yule tree without spending too much money. It does require a bit of forethought, but the results are well worth it. Here are some ideas.....
* The flowers that were pressed during the summer make lovely decorations if you have access to a laminator. Clear contact paper works too, but will not be as defined. Lunaria makes a great background. Add some deep blue larkspur, maybe some monarda, some arborvitae or boxwood leaves. Cut close to the flowers to avoid big empty areas. Punch a hole and add a ribbon.
* When peeling and eating citrus fruit, keep the peel as intact as possible. Use cookie cutters or scissors to cut out stars, hearts, or whatever shape you like. Cut a hole for hanging before drying. To dry flat, put a weight on top for a few days... although they will still curl a bit.
* Miniature (4") garlands are fun and fragrant. Soak 2' cinnamon sticks in warm watter to soften them. Combine with bay leaves, and string. Rosehips are a nice touch too.
* As a change from the traditional cranberry and popcorn garland, try a spice garland for incredible scent. Gather juniper berries, allspice, rosehips, 1" cinnamon pieces, cardamom pods in green and white, tonka beans or vanilla beans, star anise and hawthorne berries. Put all the hard dried spices in a large bowl of warm water. In a few minutes they will be soft enough for a needle to pierce. String with abandon. If these are stored properly to avoid tangles, they will last for years.
* Make tiny tussie mussies with dried flowers. Put lace around the outside, and glue small spring clothes pins to hang them from.
* Cut small dried goards to make a cup. Fill with moss, and then glue dried flowers to make a miniature floral arrangement. Drill holes in the sides to tie a ribbon handle - like a bucket.
* Use clear balls that can be opened to make tiny terrariums, using moss and wee woodland plants. If you look under the leaves, its easy to find pretty little plants to use. Mist lightly, seal, and hang.
* For a bit of sparkle, spray gold or silver paint onto pinecones and seedpods. Spray glitter works well too.
* Spice Clay Mix available at www.siblinggroup.com can be mixed with applesauce, rolled out like cookie dough, and cut with cookie cutters to make scented ornaments.

Today in the waiting room

I took my older brother in to the hospital for day surgery. The waiting room is huge, and it is the same room I spent 3 days in last March while my mother died. I wasn't looking forward to sitting there today. As I registered at the desk and got my beeper, I heard beautiful singing - quiet and many, many voices. Off to the side (well actually one whole side) of the room were between 30 and 40 Amish people. I have no idea who they were there for, or what had happened (although there was a nasty accident last night where a buggy was hit by a truck), but they were there to support someone. They sat in a huge circle holding hands, singing. Since the Amish here speak the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, the words of the songs weren't important as much as the sound...at least to me.I sat near enough to not be distracted by all the other small groups of people sitting and talking, but far enough not to intrude. Eventually a man stood at the head of the circle and started to pray in English. He prayed for all the people in the hospital, for all the family members, and for everyone touched by hardship or tragedy. No fire and brimstone, just a request for a blessing and peace...After that, they continued singing while taking turns going to see the person they were there to care for. It was very moving to see so many people caring so deeply and gathering in that place to do what they could. It completely changed the way I felt in that room. It was really beautiful.

Frankincense and Myrrh

In my imagination, things were going to slow down once the shop finally got finished and open. Yes, I can hear you chuckling, and as the wholesale orders rolled in on Monday and yesterday, I realized the folly of my plan. The days are getting away from me, and now I'm thinking, "as soon as the next issue goes out....". That probably won't happen either, but I like to pretend. In the meantime, I'll post this snippet on these familiar yet exotic resins.

Frankincense and Myrrh

The two fragrant resins are often referred to, but rarely do we see them in use. Many people have never seen them or smelled their exotic perfume. Others who attend churches rich in ritual are much more accustomed to censors pouring forth the smoke of frankincense.

During the holidays, these are two of the famed gifts of the Magi from the Bible, given along with gold to the baby Jesus, and are found sometimes in small quantities packaged for gift giving.

They are both resins, or saps from plants. Frankincense comes from the plant Boswellia carteri, and is grown mainly in Ethiopia. The scent is sunny and piney. It comes in different sizes, tear, pearl, and powder and is a warm variety of yellows. It is also available in essential oil, a form that is easiest to use in winter. In aromatherapy, frankincense is used to calm and release tension. It is also said to assist in meditation. When blending fragrances, frankincense oil is very valuable, because it quickly grounds blends that are too heady or lightens blends that are too base.

Myrrh is from a plant native to northern Africa. It is Commiphora myrrha. It comes in shades of red, amber, and brown and can be found in chunks, granules, or powder. The fragrance of myrrh is dark and mysterious. It is perfectly balanced by the brighter frankincense. Myrrh is rarely used in aromatherapy blends, but is found in mouthwashes and toothpastes (often along with goldenseal) to heal gums and keep them healthy. It does NOT taste good. It was also used in mummification.

In the summer with windows open, these may be smoldered on charcoal blocks to release their fragrant full bodied scents. In the winter, that isn’t possible. Instead, try adding some to a simmering pot. It takes a little while, but the hot water releases the scent. They can go into the fireplace in small quantities, or set in a dish on a heat source. They will however ruin the dish, so keep that in mind. The small pea-sized pieces may also be strung using a heated needle and worn about the neck. Body heat will slowly release the fragrance and surround you with mystery.

opening weekend

We opened our little shop doors on Friday. It was a fun weekend, even if I'd forgotten what hard work retail can be. The weather turned cold last week, so it was perfect to get folks into a holiday mood. Bob spent his days going up and down the hill with the frogmobile and wagon, hauling down trees. Although I'd like to whine about being on my feet and any other little things that were uncomfortable - at least I was warm inside the shop!
Yesterday I finally wised up and took along some things so I could work on a couple articles for the next issue. The deadline is only 2 days away and the schedule is very tight this year.
At some point this week we need to make some more product for the shelves. The whipped shea butter, the salt soap bars, and the soap stones were bigger hits than we'd anticipated.

The shop and stuff

Well first, I thought I'd share an image of Thanksgiving
at my sister's house yesterday. Her dining room and kitchen are open and there is a spread of appetizers behind the siblings and kids. Maryanne is in the background working on the gravy. This year my brothers, sister and I stepped into the role of oldsters, as we are in the position of being without any older relatives. It seems lucky to me that there just aren't enough kids to really gang up on us and tell us that we aren't making sense, or all the things kids do to make you feel out of touch. I figure we can go on thinking that we're "with it" forever if we can just keep the kids quiet.
So today (as I mentioned earlier) was the first official day of business for the shop at the tree farm. Here is a picture of the front of the shop where Maryanne generally does all of her torch work and soaping. At those times, it is her studio but for the next month it is known as the shop. To the right there is a large bay where her husband Bob makes pine roping and wreaths while the customers are up on the hill searching for the perfect tree. When Rob is home from college, he helps his dad. The studio is warm and cozy, and the bay where Bob works has a woodstove that takes some of the chill off. The family sheltie "Rudy" also helps out by making sure the kids all get a chance to pet him. He's a herding dog, so none of the kids get too far away from their parents, and he really gets tuckered out by the end of the day.
One of the things we've been working hard on for the last few days is gift baskets. We learned at our old herb shop that they make great gifts, and we really enjoy putting them together. Lavender and Wise Woman blend were always the most popular, so they were first. But first that required making up lotions, milk baths, and whipped shea butter, oh, and a really great sugar scrub that isn't greasy - it's creamy! All the new products require labels and tags.
Then there is a fragrance called Ginger Essence that we both fell in love with. The spritz is delicious, and we made a pile of different items in that scent for baskets. We also made some gorgeous soaps using a red mica... oh they are so nice!
We used a coffee scent for another group of baskets - something more unisex. That one includes a coffee flavored lip balm in addition to the other body care products.
Lastly is a small basket called "Scents of Christmas" with a balsam sachet, some frankincense and myrrh,and a great forest scented candle - all tied up with a spice clay ornament.
When Maryanne isn't making soap or fixing an incredible spread for the holidays, she's working on her torchwork beads and vessels. Lately she's been making some pendants that are fairies, mermaids, goddesses, and angels. It's pretty amazing stuff. I'm hoping at some point to get a few lessons in, although I can't imagine ever having the patience to get the kind of detail she gets in her pieces. I'm thinking my work would be more "organic". And just in case all the soaps, toiletries, books, jewelry, don't hit the spot, we put together a few holiday treats. Whew! We're finally ready.

Black Friday.... and they're off!!!

We've spent the last couple of months whipping up all sorts of goodies to put in the shop along with our books, jewelry, and soaps. Today is the official start of business at Frog Hollow Christmas Tree farm, and aside from a little bit of labeling and pricing, we are all set to go. The best part of this is that we've had recipes for spa-type items that we've been dying to try and this gave us the incentive to put them together. No matter how the shop goes, we've had a blast using exotic ingredients, making obscenely extravagant packaging (considering that we're cigar band packaging gals), and just playing to our heart's content.
I'll be back later on with pictures.

Design your own postage!

Ok, this is totally off topic, but I saw the coolest thing ever today! At photostamp.com you can make real postage stamps with the photo of your choice. It is quite a bit more expensive than regular postage - I think $17 for 20 37-cent stamps... but for a special gift, or some very special mailing, it just seems like such a great idea. It was on the Today show this morning, and I just had to check it out. They were suggesting them for holiday gifts for the person who has everything. Personally, I think I'll wait until the postage goes up next year.

product review heaven

There are a lot of pros and cons to editing a magazine. One of the cons is trying to be fair. Here at The Essential Herbal, there are times when we receive books and/or products for review, and that's fun - but it makes me worry that our regular advertisers or readers don't get the same break. So after much thought, we've come up with a "reader's showcase".

The plan is to to do this twice a year - January and May. Anything that is sent between those issues will be saved for a large article to be put together. The January article was posted to the Yahoo list, and the May article will be noted in the magazine for readers who may not be on-line - or any subscriber who missed this opportunity. We'll check out all the products and write about them. There are several books, and all the products above - plus 3 or 4 that are on the way. This will be a lot of fun for me, and there won't be any of that nagging feeling of concern that anyone was left out.

It's hard to make out the products on the picture here... we'll do better for the article. I'm enjoying some lipbalm from The Green Spiral as I write, and baked up a Bread and Spread from Herbs by Sarah the other night. Many other companies sent products, including Laurel Country Herbs, Planet Earth Remedies, Herbal Momma, Herbs from the Labyrinth, and Prairieland Herbs. There were even some items just perfect for Molly to try out, and she really enjoys doing product reviews, and its handy to have her point of view.

We only have another week or so to get the magazine pulled together for the printer, so we'd better get busy slathering. Perfect timing, too, as the weather has turned chilly and dry.

On a personal note, I read Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins this week. The book is largely set in New Orleans and discusses the blending of perfume (and the afterlife, immortality, love, morality, good vs. evil...). The narration about life in New Orleans made me even sadder to think that may never be seen again. The storyline was rich and full, and much more thought provoking than I'd expected. Some passages made me stop reading for a while, just to think. I loved the book.

Why Blog? ... and some shop shots

The other day I was talking to a friend who started a blog, but can't get into it. The conversation made me think about how much fun this is - and why!
The area I live in is so beautiful that it has long been a tourist destination. The farms, the rolling hills, the countryside, and the different people make it very interesting. The diversity of the plant life is staggering. Add to that some of the fun projects that come my way and my natural propensity for chatter, and we're in business.
But there's so much more. This was started in the early spring, and since that time I've realized how much more I "see" because of this exercise in writing and reporting those visual delights around me. The most mundane of daily images become much more, because I am looking at them differently. Thinking about the things that might be interesting to someone else makes me aware of those little details in everyday life that are miraculous - but taken for granted.
I worried as the leaves started to fall that it would be hard to find interesting subjects. There are always good articles from magazines, great recipes and crafts... so that was in the back of my mind. After the talk with my friend, and the ensuing thought, it became clear that there will always be wonderful little tidbits. They happen to all of us everyday, and I feel extremely fortunate to have found this - another way to go hunting in the wilderness - to show me the little jewels that are everyday moments.
The shop is coming along nicely. We've been having fun with packaging and display. It's been a while, and it seems to be taking us forever to get it all pulled together.
As we tend to do, we took on a bunch of projects all at one time. My sister and I each have our own businesses and families, so those are our first priorities, and the shop and the new products to fill it fell between the cracks for a while. The tree farm is now getting busier every day, and this past weekend saw many families out choosing trees, so the deadline is gonging loudly.
We only have a few more products on our official list of things to do, and then we'll just continue until it is the end of the season. There are several shops that carry product locally, so nothing we do will go to waste.

In case you're wondering, yes there is already a list of things that will begin after the holidays. It must be a sickness...

Meeting Mary Ellen and the Juniper story

The other day we headed up to The Rosemary House again, this time because one of our regular writers, Mary Ellen Wilcox (left) of SouthRidge Treasures was going to be visiting and it was a good place to meet - familiar to us both. We even got a little visit in with Susanna, who needed to scoot to get her daughter off to a riding lesson.
It was great to finally meet. We've corresponded for years, and Mary Ellen has contributed very generously to The Essential Herbal magazine with wonderful recipes and crafts. She is quite a talented woman who knows her herbs. Her husband Skip and cousin Karen were along as well. We all managed to get a little shopping in to, and I continued working on the list of holiday stuff (which I cannot, unfortunately, disclose). It's one of my favorite things to be able to shop at small, independently owned businesses at this time of year. I was also very happy to receive one of Mary Ellen's cookbooks!
On the way there we noticed the sun shining on juniper boughs laden with brilliant blue berries. This year they are just loaded! My great-aunt Mary always chose cedar or junipers for the tree she brought in for Christmas. They have a very Victorian look, and every time I see them I think of her house. They are rarely used for that purpose anymore. Wonder why....
Anyhow, we decided that we'd stop for a picture on the way home. Check this out!
It got us to giggling about one of our earlier adventures. Now this is naughty, you aren't supposed to do this...
We were gearing up for one of our shops, either at the tree farm or The Herb Basket - we're not quite sure. We were out along the highway for some reason, and we spotted these trees growing everywhere along the road. That year they were covered with the blue berries too.
If you've been paying attention, you'll know that I hardly leave the house without my clippers. That day was no exception. The vehicle at the time was a van with a side door. So we sidled up to one of these beauties, opened the side door, and I just started cutting away at some of the berried boughs, chucking them over my shoulder while Maryanne laughed uncontrollably, making up headlines that might appear in the paper the next day (she does that A LOT). Not wanting to harm any single plant, we edged the car up a bit to the next tree, and continued until we had enough for a few wreaths.
Now that isn't really the funny part to us. What really gets us is the way we took off like bank robbers, got off at the next exit, and doubled back to escape surveillance.
These days I go "hunting" with my camera, and wildcraft on property of friends or family with permission - 99% of the time :-).

Leaves and 10,000 Villages

This morning I noticed that the leaves lying on the ground are spectacular this year. Some of them seem to have borders around them of differing shades, and leaves from the same tree have varying intensities and colors. I think that the long summer drought, followed by a good amount of rain just prior to the end of the growing season may have contributed to this. In any case the last two weeks or so have been very colorful.
Its made me think while I drive lately.
So often I've credited my grandfather with my love for nature. Yesterday I was thinking about how my grandmother would exclaim every season, "This is my favorite time of year!", and would then go on to talk about whatever made her feel that way at that particular moment. She would point things out from the car, and then say, "don't you look Fred! You're driving". We kids would sit in the back and laugh, enjoying the view, and the predictable banter. Another thing that Mimi (my grandmother) would often exclaim was, "I just love life." This would come at unexpected moments, and in her 80's and 90's she rarely complained, instead telling us that old age certainly "beat the alternative". Mimi was a difficult, high-strung woman. She was born too soon to fully appreciate her independent nature. Although she's been dead for several years, this is the first time I've understood how much she contributed to my nature.
Today there was no school. Instead of continuing to get the shop ready for the upcoming season, we had a girl's day out. My daughter, sister and I went to a shop in the next town over called 10,000 Villages. The shop itself is run by the Mennonite Central Committee. They travel the world and purchase crafts from tiny villages, paying a fair amount and providing those things to us here. They've been doing this for at least 30 years, and the things in that shop are just fabulous. There is a huge room full of beautiful rugs that kept my sister occupied for quite a while. There are carved wood room dividers and furniture... all sorts of textiles and clothing, accessories, soapstone dinnerware and sculpture, pottery, jewelry, home decor, hand made musical instuments, and the most wonderful tree ornaments imaginable.
Additionally, they have a tea room where they serve authentic foods from a different country or region each week. We don't go often enough, but just love being able to step into another culture for a little while from time to time. The country chosen is represented with special beverages, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. It's really wonderful, and a great way to spend an afternoon when there is no school.

salt soap recipe

The following article appeared in the July ’05 issue of The Essential Herbal Magazine, written by Maryanne Schwartz. The original idea was posted by Iben on The Soap Dish Forum.
Some people use different oils with good results, but we love the coconut because of the added sudsing action. Although one would expect so much coconut to be somewhat drying, we haven’t found that to be the case (perhaps because of the water softening properties of the soap), and in fact many of our “test subjects” prefer the spa bars to the regular soap. I’ve been reading that others are finding it helpful for eczema, but that is anecdotal information.

SALT SOAP – SPA BARS
Well, as usual, one of us saw a recipe for something different. This time it was Tina. She started talking about this salt soap and even emailed the information to me. It sounded so strange that I was sure, even after seeing the info that it was a melt and pour soap with salt added and we'd tried that before. When she finally got through to me that it was really something different, we just had to try it.

Here's what we did: We call these "Canyon Soaps". The red of the clay and the rough texture that the salt gives the soap made us think of canyon walls.

Mix lye:
4.5 oz. lye
5.5 oz. Distilled Water (Don't even think of discounting, this one goes so fast!)

Melt Oil:
25 oz. Coconut oil

By the time the oil is melted, the lye was cool enough to use and we mixed it, I'm not sure if it was even tracing, just well mixed and we added:

1 oz. Moroccan Red Clay
0.1 oz. ground Irish Moss

Then, we started adding Salt which we stirred in relatively slowly:
9 oz. coarse (pretzel) salt
6 oz. table salt

This traces FAST (you'll see!) and you basically glop it into the mold as soon as you can. It heats up and goes to gel almost at once. We went for a walk in the woods and it was pretty much ready to unmold when we got back... maybe an hour! It was still warm (even somewhat hot) when we sliced it up. It is a bit crumbly around the edges, but hardens up and the soap itself is heavy. If you plan to bevel the edges at all, do it now.We tried it out almost immediately! It has gotten much milder since then (really needed to rest for a while to continue the cure), but the bubbles are almost like lotion, rather than big and fluffy.

After the success of the first soap, we tried a second. We made it almost the same, but added Bentonite clay instead of the red clay and a little Hydrated Chromium Oxide for the green color. This one came out a seafoam green and we decided it would be called “Mermaid's Treasure”.

This is really a different kind of soap. Heavy, textured and the speed that it sets up is just fun and amazing. After doing soap in a production mode for so long, it's just such fun to try something with a new twist.

To see more variations, check out The Sibling Group!

working on the Frog Hollow shop

Today was supposed to be a day filled with lots and lots of productivity. We've gotten thrown off by several things, and finally got the website that my sister and I are doing together live. It's called The Sibling Group, which was what we called the Publishing Co. under which our book about our shop was published. Then there was a furious week of getting packaging and samples in the mail for some new products... and then last week we lost in the hospital.

So anyhow, yes... we're pretty far behind schedule. Our list includes making about 15 or 20 products that have been swimming around in our collective brain and making the labels and packaging that go with them, filling and packing orders for our respective businesses, and setting up the shop at Frog Hollow Tree Farm for the holidays. But you know, today was so gorgeous, and nasty weather was headed our way.....

Into the woods we went to visit our favorite haunts from spring. Above is the stream we walked down in April to find the tiny jewelweed sprouts, and all the spring blooms. As you can see, it's getting ready for the winter. I wish I could have captured the sounds of the leaves falling, the walnuts clunking, and the wind whistling.... and even the sounds of hunters in the far distance. The dog ran along with us sniffing at every turn in the path.

I don't forage for mushrooms, but do enjoy finding them. They can be so lovely when they pop out of unexpected places like the one above.

So after our walk, we did get a few things done. A few dozen soap stones, a display, an order got packed, and some special order soaps were started. Tomorrow's another day, and I'm betting it will be a lot more productive!

Still Life... sorta :-)

Today we took our brother home.  He's so much better than he was 2 days ago.  Here he's attempting to look crazed.  That's a hobby of his.  I doubt if I have any photos of him looking like a typical human.  Not his style.  By the time we'd left, his nurse burst into tears over the miracle of his recovery, and he'd made most of the people who'd cared for him in the most difficult hours laugh out loud.  We're so glad to have our brilliant, gifted, talented, funny brother back.

His home is a cabin in the woods, with the second story built out over a lake.  It is the most gorgeous setting imaginable.  Today was another one of those perfect Autumn days - high 60's, blue sky, and the trees are finally showing some color.  The side yard opens onto a meadow where there were several horses.  As I stood at the fence to take a picture, they all looked up and started to amble towards me.  Not having any carrots or apples, I took the picture and ske-daddled.

We sat on the dock for a little while looking over the lake and taking in the changing leaves.  We picked up some sycamore seed pods and watched while John's cat Lily made sure that he knew that she wasn't happy that he'd been away.

One of the trees has leaned across the lake reflecting perfectly onto the water.  The weather has gotten cool enough that the frogs and fish are not near the surface, but the tree is probably a terrific harbor for them in warmer weather.

I promise to get back to the uses of herbs.  This week and the events it held for us is wrapping up.  Sitting outside and watching the world go by was the perfect end.  Tomorrow is a new beginning.  Look how beautiful it is!

Balsam Fir Sachets and Spice Clay Ornaments

We got a breather today from the trips to watch over our brother, and actually got to play in the studio for a little while. While I jumped on the pumice soapstones (they're still in the molds), Maryanne set to work making up sachets from the incredibly fragrant balsam fir needles we found. I just love the scent of balsam. There's something about it that is so familiar, even though it isn't one of the conifers that are common to this area. Both of these projects have been sitting and waiting for the last week, and we were so eager to get to play with them. The giant pine cone in the background is a yellow pine cone - about 12" long... and we have a project in mind for some of them, too :-).

We'd also made up some of the spice clay ornaments from the mix that is on The Essential Herbal website. We used very small cutters and got a TON of the ornaments - somewhere around 100. With a typical sized cutter, the yield is more like 25.

With Halloween over, the shop at Frog Hollow Evergreens will be opening. Folks will be wandering over the hills looking for the perfect tree, and we'll be setting out our creations for their perusal. Maybe we'll see some of you there!