Wild weekend full of postings! and the rest of the article

The other day I was feeling like our Yahoo! list was getting a little boring. It's been two years, and what was once a vital, dynamic group had gotten quiet and lack-luster. So, I wrote a note asking the listmates what they'd like to differently.

Wow! What a group! There has so much activity on there the last couple of days that it is overwhelming. On top of that, it seems to have energized me to hear from so many people.

The boxes of stuff left over from the Farm Show got moved around and some were even put away. I ran the vacuum, got out of the house, did laundry, and even put a little BB King on the cd player. That might not sound like much, but this virus had been sucking the life out of me. Two weeks now, and it is still clinging to me like a stench.

It was very gratifying to know that so many people were in about the same place I was. All we needed was a little poke to wake us up. I'm sure it will quiet down again somewhat until our gardens start doing what they do, but I'm relieved to know they still care.

And for the last two additions in the Winter Blues article from the January/February 2006 issue of The Essential Herbal:

g I have been quiet and learning a lot from everyone. What I do to beat the winter blahs otherwise known as Winter Blues - last year I enrolled in a "Life Writing" class which started the first week in January. I am still taking the class. It is for seniors and quite informal. Not tests, no studying, just writing and enjoying life. I won't be taking the spring and summer class 2006. We have a greenhouse business and we start growing in mid Feb. and along about Mid March, we are out there for several hours each and every day. I did take the class last spring quarter and it got a bit hectic in May.

What I did before this new adventure was to find something completely different from what I had been doing the other 3 seasons of the year. I have yet to try tatting. It has been on the list for more years than I care to remember. Many winters ago was my soap making project and it has stuck with me ever since. Make goat milk soap and the tallow which I render out from our freezer beef.

These things keep me from thinking that it is winter as I am too busy to think about it. That is until I have to go out and feed the goats and haul warm water to them. We still don't have electricity to their barn (we moved here in '01) so that has not been a priority. It gets me out there to check on them at least 3 times a day to make sure they have good water. It gives Duke (dog) time to get the "stink blown off" too as he goes out with me to check on the goats plus check the area for messages (just in case other dogs left any as they came wandering by).

I may have snow on my roof but I won't admit to being old. I try to learn something new all the time.

LaVerle - NE WA state

g I lived in England for 4 years and never had a problem with Seasonal Affective Disorder until the last year there. Once out of the area, it resolved. But come February in the Northeast, we all have cabin fever.

Lemon balm tea has a very uplifting quality to it. We mix it with chamomile in our Gentle Soother tea for an excellent blend for its relaxing, yet light anti-depressant qualities.

Sunny Days Room Spray is another product we make, but you can make your own with select essential oils. Choose EO's such as lemon, basil, grapefruit, etc. These have been shown to affect mood. Sit in front of a full spectrum light. Make sure the light hits your forehead, so the pineal gland is stimulated. You may have to remove the lampshade for this. There are lightbulbs available in most supermarkets that have full spectrum light in the $5-7 price range.

Move around! The rhythms of winter make us want to hibernate. However, it will help depression if you participate in some sort of movement - tai chi, yoga, or brisk walks in the winter sun.

St. John's wort tincture is a time-proven help for SAD. However, do not mix it with pharmaceutical anti-depressants unless under a qualified health care practitioner's guidance.

Meditate.

Try Albizzia tincture. More and more research is showing Albizzia to be "the happiness herb". Most herbs for depression bring someone to a flat affect. Albizzia actually helps promote lightheartedness and happiness.

Create with herbs. Winter is a wonderful time to test new herbal recipes, try a new herbal craft, or plan spring's herb garden!

Betty

www.bettypillsbury.com

and a bit more for winter misery

the rest of the list article from the Jan/Feb '06 issue of The Essential Herbal:

When I've had enough of New York snow and I'm craving green things, I like to plant a handful of wheatgrass seeds in a large flowerpot. As the grass grows at an amazing pace, I enjoy "mowing" this lawn with scissors. It feels like summertime in my window. And hey, the wheatgrass clippings are nutritious, too!
Geri www.ny-attitude.com

Keeping the winter blues away is not always an easy thing for me. My husband has always worked a night shift, and although I have a child at home, there is nothing like having another adult to talk to in the evenings. So, I try to make it a point to get together with a friend one evening, at least every other week, and I love to sit and chat and drink herbal tea. One of my favorite teas is Citrus Green Tea, which is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants.
1 cup green rooibus tea (no caffeine!)
1 T. each elderberries, rosehips, lemon, and orange peel
Mix together and store in a glass jar. Use 1 tea ball per cup of tea.
Pam www.healingherbals.net

I do a lot of crocheting in the winter. Last year I made 2 afghans. It's my slow time. I like to rethink my business, experiment with new ideas, and get ready for upcoming summer shows... and get those taxes done. Seems like I have very little time for the blues. I seem to be just as busy in the winter as in the summer. I need to find time to relax, rather than have too much time on my hands. The snow doesn't effect me like others. It is very beautiful. I just don't like the cold. We feed the birds in the winter, and I like watching them at the feeder. As for herbs, I cook with them, have a cup or 2 of herb tea in the evening and use them in my products.
Jennie www.jentosoaps.com

My winter blues solutions aren't even remotely original - I just hide under warm blankets, snuggle with my cats, watch movies, read books, and bake and cook and drink lots of warm drinks. And while I do like to make and use my own tea blends, I also like to purchase ones from the store too - they always tempt me! So here are a couple of my own hot drink inventions using store-bought teas:

Quickie Mulled Cider Tea
1 cup Apple Cider (this recipe is extra good with cranberry/apple cider or raspberry/apple cider)
1 bag Cardamom Cinnamon tea from Republic of Tea (or any good chai blend)
honey to taste
Microwave cider with teabag in it. Let steep for a few minutes, and add honey to taste. If you can find it, a cinnamon-flavored honey is divine in this!

Super Sleepy Tea
1 bag Tazo "Calm" tea (perfect for those of us who want to relax but don't like the taste of chamomile)
1/2 tsp. lemon balm hydrosol
honey to taste
Brew tea to your liking. Add 1/2 tsp. lemon balm hydrosol, and honey to taste. Very mellow and relaxing.
Maggie www.prairielandherbs.com

My winter blues chaser will be much different this year than in years past. During the past 5 years the greenhouses were always empty of plants until about Feb or March, so there wasn't much to be done. I would usually grow a few plants or start seeds under grow lights in January just to have something "green" to do. This year however, it is going to be much different. Both greenhouses are full of plants that will have to be nurtured and groomed all winter. Heaters and water pipes will have to be maintained along with seedlings and baby plants. Nothing like spending a cold January day in a warm and toasty greenhouse full of herbs and scented geraniums!
Michele www.possumcreekherb.com

There are a couple more I'll add tomorrow. We get such great ideas from the readers and writers of the magazine!

shaking the winter blues - naturally (excerpt from The Essential Herbal)

The Essential Herbal has a special feature each issue where we ask a question of our readers, and publish the response. In the Jan/Feb '06 issue of The Essential Herbal, we asked for "favorite ways to deal with the winter blues."
Seems like we could use a little of that right now, so here are some of the responses:

gI love to use Lemon Balm to shake the winter blahs. No matter how deep the snow, I can go out and dig down to the ground and there are always a few leaves still above the ground. Those leaves always reassure me that spring will come again and I pick them to wash my face with. It's always sure to shoo the blues - Susanna Reppert-Brill www.TheRosemaryHouse.com

gWhenever I am feeling the winter blues, I take advantage of the cold weather by relaxing in a hot, moisturizing bath. There is nothing more luxurious than a soothing soak. Here is a recipe for moisturizing bath melts that I love to use in the winter:
2 parts shea butter
1 part sweet almond oil
colorant (I like to use mica powder)
Essential oil or fragrance oil (about 2-3 drops of fragrance per oz. of butter/oil mix)
Melt the shea butter over low heat (a double boiler is great for this). Once melted, slowly add the sweet almond oil. Mix well.
Remove from heat and cool slightly. Not too much, it should still stay in liquid form.
Add a small amount of colorant and mix well. Add more color if desired. Add fragrance and mix well. Pour into molds. I like to use candy molds for this, but you can use ice cube trays.
Cool in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. At htis point they are ready to use. Just pop them out of the molds. Dissolve the melts in running water and enjoy!
Sam Corwin, www.saponisoaps.com

gThough I love Spring most of all, I don't really mind winter that much as I've always made sure to have a "peeping garden" underneath a window on the south side of our home. Days I cannot get out, I'm there with my nose stuck on the window pane, sipping herbal tea and peeping away to see what might be showing some signs of spring. Here in Roanoke, my little garden includes pansies, violas, violets, crocus, early daffodils, periwinkle, spirea, rosemary, boxwood, lavender, and lambs ear. There's an herb garden sign, a bird bath and some pretty rock, too. Now if the snow has covered my peeping garden, my "chase away the blues time" will be spent in my rocking chair with my herbal tea and rug hooking in my "studio" (that's fancy for my sewing/craft room. Even if the sun is not shining, the grow lights over the baker's rack holding my house plants almost make it seem sunny. Jean, Roanoke VA

gI can't think ov anything better than baking a fresh loaf of my Grandma's Cottage Cheese Dilly Bread to kick the winter blues (or any blues). It seems that food - especially bread - is so comforting. A pot of homemade soup with this bread is unbelievable! I just made it recently with some freshly dried dillseed from our garden.
Cottage Cheese Dilly Bread
2 cups cottage cheese - warmed
4 T sugar
2 T grated onion
2 T butter
2 tsp dillseed
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups (or more) flour (I use a blend of freshly ground whole wheat and organic white)
Mix yeast and warm water. Mix first 8 ingredients well with a mixer and add yeast mixture. Begin adding flour and knead. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and divide into pans. Don't overfill pans - this bread rises more while baking.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes - less for smaller pans.
Marsha Bauer www.LaurelCountryHerbs.com

and one last one for this installment....

gI keep away the winter blues by planning next year's garden and projects. Every year I try to do one new thing in the garden... add a fence, plant blueberries, add an herb bed, etc. All year long I go through my garden books and tear out the pictures I like, and tuck them away in a folder, waiting to be pulled out for planning during the cold winter months. This year I want to "scrapbook" next year's garden with pictures of outbuildings I want, yard art, and flowers/herbs to plant. I am going to have before and after pictures.
Karen Creel www.GardenChick.com

I'll post some more tomorrow.

Before the Freeze

These pictures were taken last Friday before winter arrived. It has since turned very cold - our "normal" weather is finally here. I've been reading about the mid-west and south-west with snow and ice, and a friend in Los Angeles wrote about the freezing temps and not having heat in her house! By that, I mean there is no system for heating her house to begin with, not that the power is out. Then there were the 118 mph winds across Europe... a very strange January indeed.
The buds in the picture are from an ornamental cherry tree. Tiny leaves are formed and WERE ready to unfurl. The freezing weather will tuck the tree back into hibernation, and it will re-bud in the spring. I took a walk around to see what else was going on. The rosemary was also getting ready to bloom, and I have no idea what will happen with that. There was lots of plantain and dandelion out there, and as you can see, the lawn has not turned brown yet. It is now covered with a very thin layer of snow.
Miss Molly turned 16 the other day. I can't believe it. I was secretly hoping that she wouldn't be itching to get her driver's license, but no... that is on her to-do list.
What a fast 16 years that was! She no longer thinks I know everything. In fact, I barely know anything! Thank goodness she's patient with me in my dodderage.
She's still a kid enough to be tickled with penguins on the cake, and she scooped up the candles as a keepsake. As a salute to her "herbal heritage" she requested pasta with pesto for her birthday dinner. I snuck some of the chickweed into the pesto because I just couldn't resist all of that lush growth outside. Lots of basil and garlic, with just a handful of chickweed. The adults were suspicious, but cousin Rob liked it. He even asked for instructions so he could make it himself.

Essential Herbs at our house

It came as no surprise to find myself coming down with a bug. I was run-down, had talked to thousands of people, and was sitting in a draft for a week.
The first thing was to start on echinacea and elderberry tinctures. After a couple of days the congestion moved into the chest, and it is now starting to clear.
In the meantime, Molly started out with a stomach bug. I dropped a slice of crystallized ginger into her cup of herbal tea to settle her tummy. As she felt better, she started to munch on some baby carrots, and they really helped. I have no idea why they work, and haven't read up on it. All I know is that when I am feeling indigestion or heartburn, 4 or 5 of those small carrots make a bigger difference than an antacid would. Could it be the saliva? Maybe it just gives the stomach something more interesting to do than annoy me. In any case, it works for us. She seemed a little sniffly yesterday, so now she's on the echinacea/elderberry. We might add a little nettle tincture.

We also stocked up on fruit and vegetable juices. We've been eating lots of good, fresh food and staying away from junk.

There are so many nasty bugs around right now - probably made worse by the lack of freezing weather. All we can do is wash our hands frequently, avoid crowds, eat well, rest well, and hope for the best. Keep the herbal preparations that you know and use on hand. Drink lots of liquids, and be vigilant. Stopping them before they get a good hold on you is the best defense.

the opposite of listless

At first I was going to write about this stupid bug that has me feeling listless. After breathing in who-knows-what for a whole week, I got pretty sick. Regular dosing of elderberry and echinacea seem to have knocked the bug out (well, almost - cough, cough), leaving me confused as to whether I'm sick or just still exhausted. I like to know what to blame things on.
Now Molly's home sick too.
But then I got to thinking about the word "listless". Of all the descriptions of what life is like right now, listless would not do. There are lists everywhere!

There is a list of people we need to follow up with from last week.
The list for the grocery store.
The list of orders that need to be packed for the post office.
The list of bills that have been patiently waiting their turn.
The list of small but important details that need to go into the magazine.
The list to prepare for Molly's 16th birthday on Friday(!!!).
The emails I haven't gotten around to answering from last week.
A dozen renewal postcards that didn't get out with the main batch...

Oh. See? It's a compulsion, but I am certainly not listless!

home again, home again, jiggity jog

The 91st PA Farm Show is finally history, and I am home, sweet home.

All business aside, I have never been so exhausted in my life. Between the poor air quality (we shared the air with 1000's of animals and humans), noise levels, open doors to the outside chill, and food, it was a tough week.

We met a lot of wonderful people, though. Our favorite new friend is Dennie Huber. He is a balloon artist, and he kept the under-18 crowd happy. He is also one of the nicest men in the world. Sitting from 9 until 6 each day, pumping out thousands of balloon creations, this guy never lost his cool. Even when a child lost his lunch on Dennie's shoes, he kept smiling and twisting, never missing a beat. He was inspirational.
There were all sorts of sights and sounds that I will never forget. One in particular was the groups of kids wearing hats that look like hotdogs. There were also animal masks, balloon hats, and - this one really cracked me up - people willingly wearing the hats they used to make us wear when we worked food service. The chickens and pigs were one hallway over, and in the morning those guys sure could make a racket!

There were lots of informational booths, and one that I found particularly interesting was the gourd booth. They gave us some packets of seeds, but we won't find out what they are until summer.
The kids came up and took care of the booth for us while we did our first soapmaking demonstration. They thought it was kind of fun. They were only there a little over an hour.

All in all, it was an experience to remember. We met people from all over the world, and discovered that the making of biodiesel fuel is the real reason lye has become more difficult to obtain for the home soaper. Making biodiesel is very similar to soapmaking, and the makers of lye most likely see the packaging of small amounts as a poor business decision. Not meth labs, not terrorists, but fuel.

And now, we return to our regularly scheduled life.

sleep deprived in Harrisburg

Heading into day 5 at the Farm Show, and I haven't been this sleep deprived since being a new mom almost 16 years ago. Of course, I was 16 years younger at the time...
We are having a pretty good time, taking pictures and writing down some of the funnier things people are saying to us.
The crowds are enormous, and last night I stepped outside for a moment for a breath of fresh air (I heard there was snow, and wanted to see!). The silence that fell when the door closed was just amazing. Being inside all the time, I wasn't aware of the din. There is a constant roar of human voices made up of thousands of people talking.
Sitting in our corner booth, we are seeing some funny stuff, and talking to some interesting people. I'll get back to you!

Moonrise, etc.

The location of this home affords me with some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets I've ever viewed. Right now, I'm watching the pinks and purples on the billowing clouds of sunrise out the window of the office. Last night as I got home from the studio where we are finishing preparations for the Farm Show
the moon was rising in front of the house, over the neighbor's. At the same time, the sun was setting to the back, and was at almost the exact same level in the sky. There isn't a day that passes without some vision outside to pause and watch. The other day it was a flock of bluebirds. I haven't seen the bluebirds for years. When Mom first moved into this house, they were always around, perching on the tips of the pine trees. She loved them. It seemed fortuitous to see them on New Year's Day, back on their posts.
Most of the last month or two has been spent getting stocked for the upcoming show. It feels like there has been nothing else - but of course that isn't true. In fact, today I am going to be working at Radiance while Sarah grabs a quick visit with her sister.
I sometimes talk about the people at "my" post office. This is a picture of Paul. He just found out that his new uniforms have arrived and that he will not have to wear ties anymore. The gang at this post office is hilarious. Entering the office, there is the outer room with the locked boxes. Behind the boxes I often hear laughter and singing from the workers. You open a second door to get to the windows to buy postage. They pop around the wall, always grinning, always willing to include the customer in whatever happiness is going on. Now working on the magazine fulltime, the postal workers are some of the people I see the most, and they are almost like co-workers in my mind. This guy here... well, he has the most infectious mix of professionalism, knowledge, and high spirits ever to grace a counter.
Well - time to start another day. Let's see what this one brings!

Gardening Resolutions

Instead of fretting about the 10 teens that will be ravaging the house tonight, I've decided to daydream about next year's garden.
There is a whole new 8 foot wide "row" between the back fence and the trees. We are thinking it would be a good place for some plants. The patch to the right of the yard will be a corn field, and to the left, other veggies, like beans, peas, tomatoes, maybe beets, and who knows what all?
Early in the spring, I'll go find some elderberry babies.
This year, I will NOT plant them in the path of the watering hose. They would make a nice little hedge against part of the split rail fence, and there need to be enough for the birds and the family.
I will finish putting in the other half of the row of lavender.
I will distill the roses when they are in bloom.
We will make rose hip jelly.
The bayberries need to find a good spot in the woods.
The marshmallow is too close to the door, and spreads out into the walkway.
The flower bed in the front of the house needs a lot of work. This year, I won't let it get away from me.
Okay. That's enough. Maybe it would be easier to think about dancing teens.

Let's See if This Works

It just dawned on me that the 8 days prior to the next deadline (Mar/Apr issue, deadline Jan 15), I will be almost completely incommunicado - working 12 hour days at a fair. That will leave very little time to respond to any email questions about the deadline and upcoming issue.
This should be interesting! I will send reminders out to everyone who would normally get one, but with the New Year holiday, they could fall amid piles of unread emails.
I'm kind of curious to see how it all pans out. I think it will be fine. We'll let you know :-).

Oh Tannenbaum!

Taking a break in the hustle and bustle of cooking and wrapping and last minute primping to write about our wonderful tree. This is a Concolor Fir. It has a fragrance that is a blend of balsam and citrus. Very fresh! The soft 1" needles are green on top and blue on the bottom. It is a gorgeous tree.

After the tree farm closed for the season, Molly and I went looking for a tree. They are all so pretty, so we decided to choose one that was all alone - meaning that it would have to be cut down anyway to make way for new planting or some other enterprise. We found this one. In the field, it appeared to be "typical" in height - around 7 feet.

HAH! Bob cut off about a foot from the bottom, and you can see that it is still scraping the ceiling. The angel is fastened onto the front of the top bough because she would have been mashed into the tree, otherwise. Now it didn't dawn on me until yesterday that the size of the tree makes a big difference in what is needed to decorate it. For the last 15-20 years, our trees have been smallish. 5' is plenty for me, but Molly wanted something bigger this year. We are only half done in this picture. Our smallish, handmade decorations are dwarfed by this tree! They disappear into the branches, and the tree - although heavily festooned - is in desperate need of some glitz. We went into the basement and found some of Mom's old decorations. She was the queen of gaudy when it came to the holidays. We added them this morning, and it helped.... some.

Tonight the table beside the tree will be covered with the buffet that we will share. I'm sneaking some chickweed pesto into the mix, but won't tell them until AFTER they eat it. I know they'll like it. We'll talk and laugh about things that are happening in our lives now, things that happened in the past, and at some point I'm sure we'll talk about how much we miss Mom. We always do. It seems, though, that the older we get, the more laughter there is. I'm thankful for that.

I'm an equal opportunity celebrater. It doesn't matter WHOSE holiday it is, I'm always game to celebrate. So on that note, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season, and a very happy and prosperous new year.

The Essential Herbal Jan/Feb preview

It's taken me longer than usual to get the preview up for this issue. All I can say about it is that I am stunned with the quality AND the quantity of material that came in for this issue. The Essential Herbal has happily embarked on our 6th year, and if this issue is any indication, hang on to your hats!!!
We really strive to stay within 32 pages. There are a lot of reasons, one of the more important being to stay under a certain weight for mailing. Another reason is profit - more pages = more printing = higher cost. But we squeezed and shifted, made the margins smaller, edited, and still we wound up with 40 pages. Sure, we could have saved it for the next issue or the one after that, but it's so GOOD! One of these days I will grow a business head.
Here's what's inside:

Table of Contents
Crossword Puzzle
Field Notes
A Dash of Warmth, by Gracia Schlabach
Fall Distilling, by Maggie Howe
Kids Korner, by Karen Hegre
Suburban Herbie, by Geri Burgert
Aphrodisiacs, Love Potions, Philters, and Charms, by Cheryl Nolan
Interview with Jeanne Rose, by Tina Sams
Vitis Vinifera, by Gail Faith Edwards
Down on the Farm, by Michele Brown
Help for Tonsillitis/Sore Throat, by Jeanne Rose
Sweets for the Sweet, by Tamara Hartley Hunt
It's the Holidays and I'm Finally Retired, So Why Am I So Darned SAD? by Karen Mallinger
Chinese Sesame Scallion Biscuits, by Sarah Liberta
Flu and Cold Season, by Ricci Ackerman
Mustard, by Mary Ellen Wilcox
List Article on Uses of Lemon Balm, Compilation
An Herbal Valentine's Day, by Betsy May
Chocolate, My Passion, by Maureen Rogers

We missed regular contributors Susan Evans and Susanna Reppert, but they'll be back for the next issue!

Settling in to the Holidays

Today was the final day of the shop, and the tree farm closed for the season too.
We did pretty well, considering that all we really do is take the stuff we are normally doing anyway, and putting it out for the folks shopping for trees to look at and pick up if they're interested. No advertising, no big deal, it's just for fun - so we were pretty pleased. The trees did very well this year too. People seemed to really want real trees.
We had a great time playing with the gourds (yes, I've mentioned that before), and there are a few birdhouses hanging on the tree. In the front is a hinged gourd "box" I did, with all the edges trimmed in leather. I'm glad it didn't sell since it is my favorite. The shelves are looking pretty sparse in this picture.
The weather was gorgeous all season long. There were only a couple of days that could even really be considered cold. Most days were just sweatshirt weather.
It was really perfect.

So the shop closed at dark, and then, since today was Maryanne's birthday and tomorrow is Mark's birthday, everyone came up to my place for some soup and cake. It was nice and comfortable. I'd had company for the weekend, so everything was low-key. Altogether a very pleasant ending for a very pleasant season.
Now we begin our holiday in earnest around here. Some shopping has been done in the odd moments we squirreled away here or there, but for the most part it is yet to be done. Molly wants to do some baking, and we need to get a tree (I know a place...). The magazines are all packed up to go to the shops and writers - bulk mail went out last week - but I think they'll wait until Tuesday because tomorrow is supposed to be a nightmare at the post office.
Yep - now the holiday begins!

A Glimpse of the Soap Stash

I've been whining for a couple of weeks about all the soap we've been making, so last night I snapped a couple shots of the stacks in the racks. We're just about ready to move on to bathing herbs and sniffing jars.
Today will be the busiest day of the year on the tree farm. The soap curing room makes the shop smell wonderful, and I have mixed feelings about that. It also makes people buy the soaps - and it keeps flying out the door while we keep trying to get the shelves full. I know... some big problem, eh?

These are just some of the soaps. Because of the layout of the shelving, it wasn't possible to get all of them. There are about 19 different varieties.
A couple of them are seasonal, so we aren't worrying too much about them right now.

Rage at the Machine - er...computer, I mean...

I'm not talking about that nasty breach of etiquette that came along with the advent of the Web. You know, where people just say whatever comes to mind, with no thought to the consequences of their words? As time and experience with the social nuances of virtual conversation have gone on, most people have learned to be civil. Thank goodness. That was an ugly little blip in time, wasn't it?
No... what I'm talking about is those times when the computer just doesn't do what you expect it to do.
Last night I spent 4 hours (and if you've read the last few entries, you know how precious those hours are) trying to get a program that I've been using for years to work. I found a level of frustration that was here-to-fore unknown. The worst part is that I know this is my own doing. I can follow directions to a T, but if they don't work, I'm doomed to try again and again, pulling out the meager tricks that reside up my short sleeves. It wouldn't be so bad, except it is the program that sorts addresses to get the magazines out. The magazines are here all ready to be sent out, but the mail program freezes the computer when I do anything more than gaze forlornly at the icon. Tech help will contact me soon, and I will have to sound like a blazing idiot to someone who speaks computerese. I speak thing-a-ma-bob.
At some point, this will be fixed. Within a matter of minutes (ok...this might take a little more time than usual because I'm highly peeved) blood pressure will drop back to normal levels, my computer will return to its typical "friendly" mode, and I will all but forget how much I'd like to take a sledge hammer to it. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Yes... all will be calm. The address labels will be printed and the magazines will be sacked and delivered to the post office, where my favorite postal workers (in Landisville, they are GREAT!) will crack me up with a joke. Soon the magazines will be arriving in shops, and into the hands of subscribers - who will LOVE this issue. Yes... yes... I can see it.
OOOMMMMmmmmmmmm..... OOOMMMmmmmm.....

Walking in the Fog

Most mornings of late look a lot like this - my back yard. It seems to have permeated my brain as well.
I've barely had a moment to sit down and write about all the stuff that's going on.
The first development was being invited to participate in the PA Farm Show. That might not ring a bell for many people outside of PA, but it is huge here. It involves 8 days, 12 hours each, and 400,000 attendees. Lancaster County Soapworks - my sister's company - is the official stand holder, but The Essential Herbal will be there under her wing. We will be doing two stage demos. This event takes place in the early part of January, beginning on the 6th. It is in Harrisburg. We will be in the Family Living section, which includes spinners, woodcarvers, weavers, chair caners... stuff like that. I'm certain that it will be great fun, and I'm equally certain that those long days will surely put the Crocs to the test.
Ok, no big deal. A few thousand bars of soap, several hundred sniffing jars, and some tub teas to get ready. There is some printing to be done. The magazine and books are always ready to go on the road. Ever since selling the shop, I've been so thrilled with how easy it is to set up these days. My stuff is a box or two. Maryanne's is maybe three. Sure beats the old days of riding home in a stuffed van with the leg of a stool bouncing off my head every so often...
But then, Frog Hollow Evergreens is seeing a record setting year! They have a "one price for any tree" deal, and folks really appreciate how reasonable it is. There aren't any hidden charges. Word has spread, and it is busy. Our little shop is seeing some of the best action we've gotten in years - including the renewal of a wholesale account that had gone missing. Even the hydrosols that were put up on a whim are selling! Maryanne is trying to squeeze in some custom requests for her torchwork. We are having some big FUN!!!
The magazine will be done at the printer's on Thursday. I'll get it into the mail (hopefully!) on Friday so that when Saturday rolls around I can be down at the shop.
Sooner or later, there will be some shopping to do and some decorations to toss out there. I'm hanging on with both hands and grinning from ear to ear.

Getting ready for .... EVERYTHING!

I've mentioned how crazy things are around our sleepy little hilltop. Last night, after a full day of mailing packages, working on the next issue, helping wrap soap, and oh yeah, running the still-off-school child around, I dragged the 6 foot ladder upstairs to work on the next cover. This will give you some idea of what we're going to be using.

We didn't want to re-run any content in the magazine, but needed to somehow acknowledge passing the 5 year mark. Standing on the ladder, leaning WAY out over the center to get the picture, I started giggling, thinking about how we do things around here. I thought about the now defunct TV show, Just Shoot Me, that was based on a big fashion magazine, and can't remember anyone ever crawling up a ladder in their dining room to snag a cover shot. Ugly Betty doesn't do anything like it either. Guess we're originals! This isn't the final, by the way. That one is still "in" the camera.

We're also working feverishly on getting ready for the PA Farm Show. Only a little over a month to go, and we'll have to fit it in with the shop at Frog Hollow Evergreens, getting the magazine into the mail, getting brochures and various stuff printed for the show, and, oh yeah.. the holidays.

I'll tell you more about the shop soon. There are decorated gourds everywhere!

And we're off!!!

Thanksgiving has passed, and the shop at Frog Hollow is open. We've been getting ready for the Farm Show in January, and putting the finishing touches on the Jan/Feb issue. This is such a busy time. Oh ... and the gourds - they keep calling. I expect to take some photos of the shop and farm today, but in the meantime, pretty cute foraging comic (Grimmy) yesterday, eh?

Ahhh... the gourds!

If you're a subscriber to The Essential Herbal, or have been following along in the blog, you already know that we had a bumper crop of gourds this year and we've been dying to play with them.
We finally got around to it this weekend. We pulled out all of our paints, stains, lacing, micas, and rub-on, and went to town. We found out that it is true what you read... they really DO tell you how to work with them. Each gourd brought out a different style, a different medium. We had a ball. And there are at least 100 more just waiting to be worked on. Some will become birdhouses, some rattles, and even the tops that we cut off are most likely going to be fashioned into windchimes. My brother-in-law grows bamboo, too, so that would go well with the gourd tops. I love the ba-lonk, ba-lonk of bamboo windchimes.

The first one on the top is hard to photograph as it is so subtle, but it is layer upon layer of leaves. It reminded us of how leaves look underwater in the autumn.

It was a nice respite from the incredible amount of soap we've been making lately. The shelves are starting to groan, and we've only begun. Most likely we'll be installing shelving in my basement - which will then be known as the soap studio "annex".