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!