Ways to Share the Joy

I have some of H. Jackson Brown Jr.'s books including "Life's Little Instruction Book" and "The Little Book of Christmas Joys". I found an old article from Family Circle magazine that listed "25 ways to share the joy" written by this author. Here are a few of them...
*Mend a broken relationship with a friend or relative during the holidays
*Take a family photo in the same spot each year. You'll have a wonderful record of the
growth of your family.
*Tell your children about Christmas when you were their age.
* Tip someone that doesn't expect it.
* On a clear night, find the bright North Star and recall the story of the Three Wise Men.
* Open Christmas cards as a family each night at the dinner table. Read the messages aloud.
* Write letters to several people who have had a positive influence on you. Thank them for
this gift.
* Don't try to do everything yourself. Remember even Santa has helpers!
* Remember that the greatest holiday gift is a home filled with the people you love.

Gathered From The Garden would like to be one of your helpers. Check out our website for great Christmas gift ideas: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Crazy Sexy Cancer
Maybe some of you saw this gal on Ophrah. If not, it is an inspiration! Kris is a 31 year old actress and photographer who was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2003. She has documented her journey from the start turning it into a life quest to find a cure as well as finding herself. It's so worth checking out--so take a few minutes of your time now during this holiday season to see what it means to live a life with courage, strength and awareness. Go to crazysexycancer.com

Once you are there, click on the link on the bottom that says 'the film'.
Another good website to check out: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Lessons From the Farm
Growing up the oldest of 10 children on a farm in central MN was a lot of work but at times a lot of fun too. I learned many lessons that I still heed today.
You're never too old to change gears. I saw my mother get a job outside of our home and my dad leave a tough factory job for a job outdoors on a farm. They both took a chance at change and were successful. The time to make change in your life wasn't 10 years ago or 10 years from now. It's right now. Do what feels like you need to do! ( I am working on an aromatherapy degree.)
Friendships, like good rich soil need tending. Don't lose touch with those people that ground you, give you strength and will be with you through the storms in life.
Find something to nurture and get your hands dirty. Too many of us are caught up in the world of technology which usually keeps us indoors. Take a moment to enjoy the world around you. Plant something, tend it and watch it grow!
Hard work never killed anybody or so my older relatives used to say. Thinking back to working on the farm I learned how to share burdens, use humor to brighten the load and to appreciate a job well done. I learned many skills that helped me to become very self-sufficient.
My parents taught us to persevere and to take pride in what we accomplished. Out of the 10 children in my family, two are doctors, one is a cpa and owns his own business, two others farm together in a huge operation, three are teachers, one runs the marketing dept. of a pharmaceutical co. and one is a finance wizard. Hard work helped all of us get to where we are today. We are very proud of it too!
We are working hard at Gathered From The Garden to help make your Christmas shopping a little easier. Check out our website(gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com) for some wonderful products to give to the people on your list. Send us an email to subscribe to our online newsletter: gatheredfromthegarden@gmail.com

Holiday Stress and Your Immune System
The Holiday Season is here along with stress, lots of sugar, and running around shopping. Here are a few ideas to help combat Holiday Stress:

First reduce the amount of sugar you eat during the holidays. It lowers the immune system (1Tb. lowers your immune system for 4 hours).
Second, don't over eat. Socialize while eating so you can digest food slowly instead of over-eating.
Third, Vitamins and Herbs can help. Vitamins such as B-Complex helps reduce stress and increase energy.
Fourth, visit our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com and let us help make your shopping stress-free!!

A Great Idea!

When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this message on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get!

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

Presidential Election


Are you tired of presidential debate coverage? The mud slinging is already getting old. I am left wondering if anyone has a real stand on anything. Wouldn't plain ol' honesty be refreshing?

I found this survey on the Minnesota Public Radio website. (minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/select_a_candidate) You answer about a dozen questions and at the end of the survey, they show you the candidate that best matches your views on the issues. It is a pretty good tool because it is simple and to the point.

On a lighter note, the only mud that Gathered From the Garden will sling is our fabulous Dead Sea Mud Mask. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Change Is Good

One of my favorite authors and artists is a woman named Susan Kennedy also known as "Sark". I first saw a poster she had done a few years ago. It had fun and simple ideas to follow and her artwork was cool. Since then, I've gone to her website (planetsark.com) and read some of her books.
I also get her newsletters. The last one was all about change. Change is around us but we don't often think about it. We may change our hairstyle or clothes. Every fall a new tv show line-up appears so we may change the programs we watch. In MN we are aware of change because of our seasons. Most changes around us are pretty subtle.
Sark says that we are basically changing all the time. We just forget to become aware of it and we don't often let others know about changes. She poses the question, "Tell me how you've changed recently?"
I started to think about all of the ways I have changed lately. I have been working on getting certified as an aromatherapist. I've started to rethink how I treat my health. I've lost some weight. My sleep patterns have changed. This exercise took me awhile to do since I was trying to think of significant changes. (unlike my haircolor has changed, etc.)
Sark says we should let others know about our changes. I think to help celebrate them. Not all of my friends/family know about me becoming an aromatherapist. But I should be letting them know that. I've been studying hard and I'll be proud when I finish my coursework. The weight change--well that is something we like others to notice but usually we don't bring up ourselves. I have several family members in the medical field who could probably discuss my sleep patterns with me.
I am going to be interested in finding out how the people important to me have changed. With the holidays coming up--that should be a good time to catch up--especially with family members. I'll have to fill them in on my changes too.
So after reading all of this, here's the question...Tell me how you've changed recently?
A change we made at Gathered From The Garden is to offer our weekly newsletter to all who are interested not just customers. If you are interested in getting our newsletter full of beauty tips, info on products and sales and health topics, email us at gatheredgarden@charter.net

Awesome Women

There is a magazine published in our city called Among Women(amongwomenmag.com). Every year they pick 9 women to honor in their magazine--one for each issue. My sister, Mary was chosen to be among these "awesome women". She is an incredible mother, doctor, sister, mentor, wife, musician...and the list goes on and on. I can't think of anyone more deserving.
This past weekend we had a "Women's Expo" in town. At the Expo the "Awesome Women" were invited to come and speak and tell their story. Mary spoke about the women in her life and how they influenced her. She said her life was not extraordinary but that she had been blessed to have extraordinary people in her life.
Another of the "Awesome Women" had us in stitches. However, it was her opening statement that made an impact with me. She started out by saying "I like myself. I really like myself!" She was happy with who she was and proud of it! Boy do I want to be like that when I grow up!! Can you imagine being totally satisfied with your life and who you've become? I think I'm on that path but I don't know that I am totally there yet. Oh well, they say half the fun is in the journey!
Kay also talked about having endurance. Life is going to hand you lots of lemons and it's up to you to make lemonade. Another one of her sayings was. "It's no simple thing to believe..." Believe in yourself, take risks, live life to the fullest!
Another "Awesome Woman" spoke about "the people God entrusts to us". I hadn't thought about that before. Later, I was standing next to my sister-in-law Julie who is such a good person. And I thought, God has entrusted her to me--what a blessing! So many of the people we encounter God has entrusted to us. Do we recognize that as a gift? I'm seeing some of those people in a different light.
Gathered From The Garden would like to think that all of our customers are "Awesome Women" in their own way. Visit our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com to see some great products to pamper the awesome woman in you!

Be a "Green" Goddess

I'm a little late on the Blog Action Day on environmental issues. But I figure, better late than never!!
If we all make one small change it would have a tremendous impact on our planet! Here are some ideas for you. Take one and make a difference!!
Turn off your lights.
Spend more time outdoors. It will remind you of what's at stake.
Pass on the paper towels at home--use cloth instead. Think of the trees you're saving.
Find new uses for old things.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Even my second graders get this.
Use cloth bags instead of paper to carry your groceries. My local store just started offering some pretty cool ones.
Unplug charging devices when you're not using them.
Start gardening. (I love it!) You'll raise nutritional food and cut down on petroleum-based
fertilizers and cross-country distribution use of fuel.
Walk instead of drive whenever you can. Also car-pool I do!
Clean your fridge coils for better productivity. (I'm going to do that as soon as I am done here.)
Wash clothes in cold water.
Buy things that will last.
BYOB of water.

Get the picture? I could list so many more but I think I've given you enough to get started. If you're interested in more, the May 2007 issue of Body & Soul has lots more. bodyandsoulmag.com Also check out idealbites.com. They have daily tips on living green!
At Gathered From The Garden we try to reduce, reuse and recycle every day. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Life Celebrations

We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday yesterday with an open house party. Her children came together and threw her a wonderful bash. Each used their talents to add to the festivities. One did the floral arrangements and decorations, one put together a video tribute, one wrote of his mother's influence on his life, several took on the task of planning the menu and preparing food, others offered advice and helped with pulling it all together.
It was interesting in the video to see all the events she had celebrated. Weddings, births, anniversaries were all documented in pictures. Even more interesting was seeing the celebration of small events in her life. My mother-in-law is an awesome quilter. There were pictures of her, her quilts and the many people she has gifted with her work. There were pictures of everyday things like a table full of cookies freshly baked, jars of pickles canned. flowers in her yard and loaves of bread baked. I think she is an excellent example of someone "Being their own Goddess!" Her life work has given her much joy!
On another note, we have another reason to celebrate. Our son, Jon, is home safe from Iraq. He is spending some time with us getting some much deserved R & R. He is catching up on family news, enjoying the colors of Fall and filling us in on life over there. All of our prayers were answered. (We still pray for the safe return of the soldiers remaining there.)
Here at Gathered FromThe Garden we are busy enjoying this Fall season and looking ahead to the Holiday season. Check out our website at : gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com. To sign up for our weekly newsletter of beauty and health tips and promotions email us at gatheredgarden@charter.net

What's Really in Our Food?

I have been reading about what is used to make our foods "red". Did you know it could be bugs?
Yikes!! It seems to me that we each deserve to know about the contents of our foods. It came as a little shock to see cochineal as a colorant in the ingredients listing of several foods.

Should this bother me? Cochineal is a natural colorant made from bugs that live on cactus. The most prized of the bugs are the pregnant females, because their bodies hold the most dye. It does makes a lovely dye, and I know of those who are using it that way. Up until the late 1800's it was about the only means of getting a true red. On the other hand, MANY people don't know what the word means.

It turns out that this colorant is also known as carmine and carminic acid. These terms show up on many food products, and even the term "natural colorings" can mean cochineal. Fruit juices, yogurts, popsicles, sauces, sodas, and candies such as Good 'n Plenty! all contain this coloring. I have checked the particular yogurt I eat and thank goodness none of those terms was listed in the ingredients!!
I'm not a huge fan of bugs(especially with our MN mosquitoes), although I do love butterflies, dragonflies and beneficial insects. However, I really don't want them in my food. I think the food companies should be honest and tell us what is REALLY in our food. Don't you?
Here at Gathered From the Garden we only use bugs as stamps/decorations on our bags!
Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters

I don't watch much tv but I do watch these two shows on Sunday nights. Desperate Housewives is just a bunch of fluff but sometimes I just need to veg and watch that. Brothers and Sisters has a little more substance to it I think.
I can relate to Sally Field's character worrying about her son in Iraq. My son Jon just got back from an eight-month stint there. He is a civilian working as an analyst for the marines. He was stationed at Camp Fallujah. Even though he was much safer than most soldiers there, no one is safe in Iraq. I thank the Lord for his safe return and pray for a speedy end to this war.
Do you watch either of these two shows? Which is your favorite? Send us your vote and why you chose that show. Don't watch either one? Which others are your favorites?
Gathered From The Garden has some excellent products that would turn any Desperate Housewife into a Desperately Pampered Housewife! Our Goat Milk Lotion is our best seller. Check out our products at gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Stress Management Story

Here is an interesting story author unknown...

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.

"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"

Life IS short so let Gathered From The Garden LLC help you manage your stress. We've got some wonderful Bath Teas to help soak away your cares. Check out our website at:
gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

What Beautiful Eyes You Have...

Have you ever been told how nice you looked, how well you did a task or had someone give you a compliment and you brushed it off? I know I have. I've brushed it off with a glib comment or made some excuse. It seems hard to acknowledge that they might be right.
Why is that? Shouldn't we be proud of what we do or how we look? I think we need to learn how to accept compliments graciously and to believe them! I try to be sincere when I compliment someone and hope they can tell. We can learn a lesson from little children. When I compliment my little granddaughter she will sometimes say, "I know that grandma." She not only accepts my compliment but she truly believes it herself!
I am going to try to be more gracious when someone gives me a compliment. I'm not going to try to belittle it by downplaying it. If someone is kind enough to let me know than I can be kind enough to accept it. When was the last time you really accepted a compliment?
A compliment Gathered From The Garden got recently was from a customer in Colorado. She says "I tried your Lemon Scrub last Sunday and loved it ! I like it better than other scrubs because of the consistency. The butter-like texture within the sugar makes it easier to put on and keep on while you are putting it on your feet and hands..." Well, thank you. We believe our Lemon Squeeze Sugar Scrub is pretty darn good too! Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com for more great products.

What's Your Biggest Challenge?
I get a few online newsletters or ezines that I like to read. In one of the lastest newsletters the author discussed her answer to the question "What's your biggest challenge?" She said she didn't have any challenges, which makes her sound kind of loopy. She went on to explain that she has life experiences like the rest of us but chooses not to see them as traumatic or challenging. In each of these events she chooses to think about how it impacted her positively. She doesn't use labels like drastic, traumatic, devastating, etc. If you think you're going to have a terrible day, your day will probably be just that.
I do that with my students. Every morning we have a morning meeting where we greet each other and do an activity to build community. One of the activities we do is to take turns telling the group "today is a good day because...."It gets the kids thinking that their day is going to be a good one. It starts our day off on a positive note. It makes me think about why my day is going to be good too.
I also expect something good to happen every day. At the end of the day when I reflect, I am often surprised by how many good things happened to me. Sometimes they are pretty amazing. Other times it forces me to think about the small things in my day and to see them in a different light. I can honestly say that everyday has something good happening for me.-
Some of the really good things in my day are my contacts with customers. Here at Gathered From The Garden we have some of the greatest folks buying our products. Check out our website and join our fine group of customers!! gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

I was reading in Better Homes and Garden magazine about a woman who counted up all the days she celebrates in a year and came up with 65! So I thought I would count up all the days that I (we) celebrate. I came up with about 23. I'm thinking she must be celebrating a whole lot of smaller things.
What's wrong with that? We should be celebrating more often I think. I should be celebrating the first day of summer, the first day that I see a tulip or daffodil in the spring, the date of my first date with Jerry (I do remember it!) and other dates that aren't on a calendar but do deserve to be recognized. I'll add to that list the day my son comes home from Iraq!!!
In our busy schedules we don't often make time to focus on the really important things in our lives. So here's a challenge for you. Make time for everyday special days. Even the most laid-back occasions can bring family and friends closer together. What surprising occasions do you celebrate?
Here at Gathered From The Garden we celebrate every time the UPS person delivers goodies for us to use in our products! We hope you celebrate every time you get to use one of our wonderful products. Check us out at: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

A Blessing for Your Work

Today was my first day back to school for workshop. As much as I enjoyed the summer there is something about starting a fresh school year. I know there will be lots of ups and downs and times when I will be wishing again for summer! I found this Celtic Blessing for Work and I plan to keep it where I can see it everyday.

Celtic Work Blessing

May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work that you do
with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beautyof your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those who work with you
and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in bland absences.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you.

I hope you remember to play as hard as you work!! At Gathered From The Garden our work seems a whole lot like play because we enjoy it so much. Take a look at our website to see the products we are having fun with: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Patience

I get a daily inspirational thought from a website I frequent. The last one I got was on patience. I know, I know patience is a virtue but boy it sure is hard sometimes to be patient. I am learning to have more patience as I age. My grandchildren are helping with this. It's hard not to be patient when you are dealing with such precious little ones! I'm learning not to rush things and to just really enjoy my time with them.
I need to work on being more patient in waiting for answers to some of my prayers. God doesn't always work according to my timeline. I am trying to find time to listen and not always be the one doing all the talking/asking.
I thought I would share the inspirational thought about patience with you...

Patience is a virtue and a power too. Patience tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that we get over there one step at a time. Patience teaches us not to rush. Knowing that there is a reason and a season for everything it enables us to smile at the challenges, realizing that there is an answer to every problem. And, even though we cannot see it, yet there is awareness that within every crisis lies an opportunity. (author unknown)

Hopefully this will inspire you to try some patience with the people and situations in your life.
Our son has finally gotten word of when he may leave Iraq. We are hoping for the end of Sept. or early Oct. My patience will be tried as I wait for him to come home. (an answer to prayers--hurray!)

We here at Gathered From The Garden use patience as we try our best to bring you some great products. Try our soothing Bath Teas when your patience is tried and you need to relax. Lavender or Rose scented. Check out our website for more details. www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Give A Little Every Single Day

What's the best way to stay healthy? Regular exercise, a low-fat diet, stress management...these are all good but the act of giving can actually add years to our life. Studies have shown that volunteering even beat out exercise when it came to adding longevity!
It all starts with the small acts of giving and making generosity part of your day. It could be leaving a big tip, listening to a friend or letting someone in line ahead of you. The key I think is to see yourself not in need of things from others but to see yourself as the giver of those things. What would you like more of in your life? Friends? Write or call a friend with whom you've lost touch.
We often give to those closest to us and that's a great place to start. But I think we need to look beyond and widen our scope--to send a message that we know there are others in the world in need. One organization that I try to help is the Fistula Foundation--they are helping women in Africa. I feel a need to help other women because I can. (www.fistulafoundation.org)
Look at the daily encounters you have as opportunities for generosity. Try making an effort to give kindness and attention to all the people you interact with. It's going to change your mood and the way people respond to you. An act of kindness is like a pebble thrown in a lake. The ripples continue outward and reach so many others.
In the current issue of Body and Soul Magazine (bodyand soulmag.com)
you will find "50 Ways to Give Right Now". This list includes things like "hold the door, give a compliment, tell a joke, pick up trash, surprise someone,teach your children about giving" just to name a few. The list includes some pretty simple ideas that could really impact someone you meet.
Gathered From The Garden has some great products that you could give to someone to make their day. Something as simple as our $2.00 lipbalm! Check out our website for more fun ideas! www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

"55" The Speed Limit or Your Age?

My husband turned 55 this past spring. It seemed to be just another number until he started to notice some Senior Citizen discounts applied to him! There seemed to be some perks for growing older and that made him smile. While I am younger than he is, I will be reaching that milestone age soon.
Along with noticing the discounts, I've begun noticing articles written on how to stay healthy as you age. The most recent one I read was about strengthening your bones and joints. Regular exercise pays big dividends for bone health. It can be going to the gym or using workout tapes at home or just getting in a daily walk. Non weight-bearing exercise is good for those with osteoarthritis. (swimming, water aerobics)
Vitamin D is important for preventing osteoporosis as it helps our bodies absorb calcium. We can use 15 minutes of being in direct sunlight a day. (More than that--use sunscreen!) Vitamin D supplements can also be used--check with your doctor first.
Watch what you eat. In addition to providing good fats that can reduce joint inflammation, nuts contain bone-protecting minerals. By substituting nuts for other less nutritious snacks you may maximize the benefits to bones and joints. Walnuts are a good choice because they contain Omega-3's. New research shows that drinking tart cherry juice helps aching pains postexercise. Research has shown that the juice reduces muscle soreness and pain.
Gathered From The Garden has a wonderful "Sore Muscle Relief Lotion." It is very soothing on sore or tight muscles. Check out our website for more info: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com
I know I am really showing my age when I blog about getting older. :)