Yesterday I received a treasure from a very good friend.  It was a picture of all the letters I had written and this person had kept every one of them.  My response was that I had kept all the letters I had received as well and the truth is I keep all letters.  The reason?  Because handwritten letters are a piece of the soul and they should never be discarded.  
​
One of the lost arts of this age is letter writing.  The ability to tell a story, to describe events so that the reader is pulled into the story is the beauty of a letter.  My grandmother and I used to write letters to each other and I looked forward to receiving them.  She was a wonderful storyteller both in writing and in conversation but in her generation that was an important and well developed skill.  They didn't always have telephones and family may be spread over a few states.  They wrote letters full of the stories of the day and the events that impacted their lives.  I have spent many hours going through old letters and finding bits of history, events and a story of life.

Today we have tweets, texts and emoticons.  None of these things convey a story or tell of history, they only give a "sound bite" of the current moment.  

There is something very inspiring about picking up a pen and paper and writing.  It causes the creative side of the brain to activate and color and imagination to thrive.  Sadly it is a lost art which is going the way of cursive writing.  I wonder if this is not the reason we are so depressed, lonely and lost.  We have lost the art of communication, of connecting and of creating a timeless legacy for others to read.

If we are to continue to partner with the universe in creating, in beauty, in communication and in human connection perhaps we should return to pen and paper and share a piece of ourselves with someone else.

Thank You, Chilli,  for treasuring my soul.

One of the things that I take pride in is making sure that my family and my home are well cared for.  Now that doesn't mean spending lots of money or having all the trinkets and gadgets, it means making sure they are healthy and well able to function in this world.  Our mission statement states that we use natural, organic recycled and repurposed products to create things for you, our client.  In fact we use them in our home too.  If you walk into our home you will find all kinds of creative things that have been repurposed into functional art.  In our cabinets you will find natural, organic products and lots of healthy food.

There are many things that I think this industrial and technology age has taken from us.  The ability and even the knowledge about growing healthy food and herbs.  The ability to cook, from scratch, good healthy meals.  The ability to keep your house clean, your kids clean and everything healthy without a cabinet full of chemicals.  A simple, healthy life.  

You may think that you just don't have time for all that.  It is a matter of knowledge and priority.  My morning coffee time is spent wandering through the sunroom caring for my herbs, seedlings and orchids.  My monthly shopping day is also the day I prepare the washing powder, dish soap, dishwasher soap and household cleaning mixtures.  It fills the house with the scent of peppermint, lemon oil and lavender.  I buy my supplies for soap making once a quarter and make soaps for 2 or three days so that I always have a supply on hand for sale and for use.  I make extracts when I harvest herbs and I dry the rest for cooking.  I putter all the time (as my husband puts it) with my hands in oils and smells and earth.  I never need therapy and my time out for myself is out in nature.  

All of these things give me the energy to work and work hard.  My time in the workshop is focused and productive and I bring the creativity of nature with me into my work.  Start small, one step at a time.  Get a few patio plants that yield vegetables. Start eliminating chemicals from your house and your diet.  Start spending more time outside or reading or dreaming.  Your body and your family will thank you.  And by the way?  So will the earth.
You can find out how simple home cleaning products are by following this link.  
​DIY Naturally is a great resource.  

We have finally finished a new batch of Organic Culinary Grade Lavender and we have enough lavender in stock to keep it coming.  lavender has become a new favorite addition to sauces, ice cream, dressings and beverages.  My sisters favorite is lavender lemonade made with fresh squeezed lemons in pure water with natural sugar and a splash of lavender.