New Niche and Business Sustainability

Working through the vision.  Aromatic Traditions™  2015

After I read Paul Hawken's book The Ecology of Commerce back in the early 90's, I started to think about his term "restorative economy".  At the time I was applying some of his thoughts to my own businesses - a healing studio, a store which featured items made from recycled materials and my own body care business.

At the time I had a small farm and was very focused on creating the best soil so that I could take advantage of the short growing seasons in northern Pennsylvania.  I was also a massage therapist with a message.

Restoration.

Restoration of self , community and eventually planet.

As I see myself now going forward I am working more and more towards the goal of restoring myself, then community, then planet.  How? Slowing down and taking an assessment of my energy drains in my personal life.  I've decided that I can no longer foster relationships that are not reciprocal.  I had to take a close look at lip service versus acts of friendship and kindness.

For my community, I keep my company production "close to the bone" as I like to say.  I know where my raw materials come from by working with companies (some of whom I have had a relationship with for over 15 years) who are committed to transparency and ethical sourcing.

Waste and packaging is another consideration.  I was thrilled to be one of the first employees working for a co-op who took the sustainability model seriously -  from raw materials in the door to waste out the door and nothing, yes NOTHING went into a landfill.  Now, there is a role model.  I recycle and take good care when sourcing my packaging materials.  I re-use, recycle and refill.

This is just the beginning as we all need to know  how to trim off the fat in our production and use.

How "big" do I want to get?  I recently read an interview with another maker which echoed a friend of mine's business policy. Both expressed the idea of keeping it small and manageable.  This way they as artists can keep their hands in the creative mix and not lose integrity of what they are making to mass production.

And for that matter - mass consumption.  Another issue of our society.  We don't need all this stuff.

Over the next few months I am excited to explore some other small, niche manufacturers to see how they are using efficiency models and how I might want to set up my business statement to reflect sustainability.

As always, I am open to your comments.

Blessings.

Knowing.

I just had a conversation with my son.  We were talking about being what he calls "an oracle".  I'm thinking he is referring to the movie The Matrix.  You know the scene.  When the Grandmother pulls a tray of fresh-made cookies out of the oven and lets you know that what she is about to say...

"will really bake your noodle".

Sometimes the world delivers that kind of information...big enough that you can only swallow it a bite at a time.

My son and I went on to talk about where "knowing" resides.  I spoke about seeing with your heart.  And that most of the time what we are "seeing" comes from our minds.

He said that his knowing is a gut feeling.

Good one.

With all that is going on in our world.  I am happy to know that my son can trust and act on his gut sensation.

My son and I had this conversation because as he says - this is the fourth thing you knew about and it happened.

It takes a lot of responsibility to know.  To trust our knowing and act on our knowing.

Not everyone wants that level of responsibility.

We are all at different stages of exploring what that looks like.

You can call it listening to God.

Trusting your gut.

Following your intuition.

Hearing Spirit whisper.

It is all the same to me.

It is much easier to be pragmatic and logical - to discard the magic. To Google a "fact" and hand over our process to an authority, to assumptions and surface information.

A good question to ask - "what do I know now that I am not allowing in?".

As each of us navigate this time of violence and uncertainty, I feel that our "knowing" will guide us now more than ever.

Our "noodles are baked", our minds are likely incapable of processing what is going on in our world.  

It is time to trust our hearts and act on what our hearts are telling us.

The Tests are Back and I Feel Great

I've been waiting for a month for lab results.  Just the wait was stressful and the diagnosis - adrenal fatigue.

Nothing new.

I've gone up and down following treatment plans for several years now.  (I'll be blogging periodically about my new protocol because this time I'm excited and it feels right.)

What I am really curious about is what was I living on if (clinically) there was nothing in the tank?

I've seen this over and over with oncology massage clients.  Some people enjoy an amazing quality of life when the test results don't look so great.

I've seen it in my only family with my father.

What are we living on if our tank is empty?

Spirit.

Chi.

Will-power.

Denial.

All possible answers or a combination of a few.

I've had friends with adrenal fatigue who have moved out of the United States and taken up living in a country with a slower pace and a back to the farm lifestyle.

Can't do that here.  I'm a mother, a business owner, a wife with a bi-coastal marriage.  What I can do is celebrate a new regime of honoring what is already in place and begin to take baby steps back to health.

In the meantime...I am going to give thanks for whatever is keeping my tank full.

Thank you Spirit.

The Chicken is in the Oven and Everything is Alright

Comfort food, rituals and making it all cozy.

Tonight I came home with a farm fresh chicken.  I grew up with access to farm-raised meat, milk and eggs so I look for the same locally.  My cousins had a farm and the chicken coop was my favorite place to play. (I bet a few of you can say the same)

For me the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven gives me comfort, warmth and a sense of home.  I know it does for my family.  I come from a long line of chicken-raising, chicken-cooking women.  I clearly remember my Great Grandmother preparing chicken and waffles.

My mother always roasted a perfect bird.  I found a recipe that I truly love by Ina Garten.  Here it is if you want to cook a chicken that will woo your loved ones...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/engagement-roast-chicken-recipe.html

Yep,  I remember telling my boys that they were having engagement chicken when they were young.  I kind of believe that they will compare all roast chicken against this recipe.

But...

this isn't the whole story.

I want to talk about what it takes to make a home.  

To step up to the plate, to go the extra step and put your day aside and make the home warm and cozy for your family.  I believe that there are many people out there that do this for their family.  I don't care if you only have a bowl of rice or a can of beans (believe me, I've been there).  There are just people who know how to make it special.

I love the old trick I heard from a wisened girlfriend.  She told me "I always slice up some onions and put them in a pan when I hear my family come in the driveway".

I don't know what it is about making a house a home.  Must be in our DNA to have something roasting by the fire.  We get a sense of security and that everything is alright.

Tonight I am doing it more for myself.  I miss my family.  I miss my Mom and her home cooking
AND I want to be a good Mom to my kids.  I want to give them sensual memories of home.  Something that they can tap in to when the going gets tough.

Maybe something that they can pass on.

We all need a touchstone.

Blessings

Crafting Fire Cider with My Friends

It's a tradition for me to make Fire Cider with friends.  It is a great way to share recipes, stories and the best part - laughter.

Have you tried it?  I love to have some around to add to soups, stews and salad dressings.  It adds zip and is a powerful decongestant.  There are a lot of great benefits.  It depends on what you put in it.  It is particularly beneficial to have on hand during cold and flu season.

So let's get this party started...

Get your favorite people together and start prepping.

Fire Cider Ingredients:

-fresh grated organic ginger root

-fresh grated organic horseradish root

-fresh grated turmeric root

-chopped onion

-organic garlic, peeled and crushed

-organic jalapeno peppers sliced lengthwise (any kind of hot chili pepper will work)

-zest and juice of an organic lemon

-sprigs of fresh organic rosemary

-organic apple cider vinegar

Find a container that you want to use to pour or store.  Make sure it is clean.  Once you have all of your vegetables prepped start adding them to your jar.  I like to loosely fill a quart size mason jar.  Once you've selected the ingredients that you like fill the jar with organic apple cider vinegar.

If using a mason jar with a metal lid, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the lid and jar.

Screw lid on tightly and shake.

Store in a cool, dark place for 30 days.

Strain using cheesecloth and squeeze the pulp to get the goodness out of the roots and enjoy.

Some people like to add a little bit of honey (get the good kind) and enjoy it as a tonic.

Fire Cider fixin's.

Best of all...have some good laughs while you're making your tonic.

Laughter is the BEST medicine.