Getting ready for travel next week....

Getting into the Holiday Spirit by spending time with good friends sharing good food and lot's of laughter.  This will continue into this upcoming weekend.  This is also my week to shop for the few gifts that I am purchasing.  I always adopt a needy family so I'll get that under the tree.  Writing a few cards to folks I don't talk to often or see often.  It feels like a good time to send a note of thoughts and good wishes.  My family has decided not to exchange gifts among us adults.....but we are buying for our grandkids, neices and nephews.  This is fun as well.  It took away so much of the "I should" pressure and left space for spoiling the kids who really appreciate it!!!! 

Because I am so busy I am not doing a BlogShow this week.  I think I'll put it off until after the holidays.  First show will be January 10th, Tuesday at 2PM ET.  I'm planning a great line-up for 2012 including: How to Blend the Perfect Cup of Tea, Insights into Menopause from health expert Sherri Goddard, Herbs for Menopause, The 10 Herbs everyone should have at home, and much much more!!!  If you can't listen for the actual broadcast, you can always find a link at my website or click   http://bit.ly/Il6dN   to see what might be of interest.

Product specials:  For phone orders placed between now and the end of the year, no shipping and 20% off any bundle.  Call 877.253.7853 to place your order today.

Plant of the week:  Comfrey.  It is one of my ESSENTIAL plants and I use it often!!!

Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) has many folk names that tell the tale of this plant: knitbone is the most common.  There is a "legend" that this plant which can have leaves that are the size of your forearm, was wrapped on the broken bones of soilders during the Civil War to heal the break.  It can be abundant in the woods so was likely readily available.  It is a demulcent (soothing) as well as an expectorant (expels mucous) plant, both leaf and root.  It can be used to sooth an irritated intestine or colon, as well as irritated tummy.  When lungs are full of mucous and tired from the act of coughing, there is no superior remedy then a mix of comfrey leaf and root.  I use this plant for burns, irritations and bug bites.  You find it in many of my products; like VitalVulva Wild Yam Salve, Ouch Ointment and CalendulaBlossom Cream.  Click http://bit.ly/arEbAS to see more about these products.

My own personal experience with comfrey is on a very profound burn I experienced some years ago.  Hot boiling oil complete with beeswax exploded onto my arm.  I had my comfrey plant nearby and immediately crushed leaves and began to apply to this burn.  Over time, the only sign of this burn is the lack of pigment on my arm.  Otherwise, the skin looks just like the rest of my arm....which is not common for bad burns.  Usually the skin appears crinkled.  Amazing what the plant kingdom can do for us, for less cost and less trauma to our bodies!!!

I hope you have a wonderful week.  I look forward to checking in with you next Monday.

Cynthia Johnston

MoonMaid Botanicals

877.253.7853

Getting on a schedule....

I am currently working in a coaching program about Branded Content and developing a strategy to create success with this marketing technique, and tool I suppose.  My Monday Blog will focus on what is up at MoonMaid this week;  our specials, the subject of my weekly BlogTalk Radio show and my Herb of the Week.

Specials...........20% off all "bundles" and free shipping on those orders.  Place these orders by phone @ 877.253.7853

Weekly Blog Show:  Cynthia will discuss MoonMaid Botanical products that may be effective for "women of a certain age" that are experiencing hormone issues:  Listen here:
http://bit.ly/tkPVVR

Herb of the Week:  Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)    This amazing plant with it's ribbed heart shaped leaves grows abundantly at ShadyAcres Plant Sanctuary, MoonMaid Botanicals' forest garden.  I often find it whorled around a rather elusive forest plant Ginseng.  Though the above ground leaves of Wild Yam are abundant, the plant has very small finger sized roots.  It is easy to see how this plant has become dangerously overharvested as it is the main plant source of diosgenin which is  a potent saponin taken from this root and converted into Progesterone for natural products or into "Progestins" for pharmaceutical products.   Synthetic progestins that are in prescriptions like PremPro, are often called "progesterone" by physicians but Beware!!!!  There is a huge difference in these prescription drugs and natural bio-identical products with true progesterone.  Additionally we have truely "herbal" products like the ones described below.

MoonMaid's core products; ProMeno Wild Yam Cream, ProAndro Men's Wild Yam Cream and VitalVulva Wild Yam salve are a slightly different products then those mentioned above in that we do an "herbal infusion" process of the plant into organic olive oil.   Akin to making a cup of tea with a herb and water,  jar of herb and oil is warmed at a low temperature the theory being that the properties of the herb are taken into the oil.  Our products are applied topically and geared to help women and men who are experiencing hormones swings due to menopause, andropause, PMS, and a variety of other symptoms that seem somehow directly related to the toxic estrogens in our environment.    Though these products do not contain any actual hormones they seem to help the body address hormone balance in a natural way.  Hormone free products are increasingly being sought out by women and men who have any sort of cancer issues. 

We definitely think hormone and adrenal balance are critical to a healthy life.........and we Believe that herbs can be a big help.  Hear more about this subject on my blog talk show on Tuesday @ 2 where I will discuss the effective way to use MoonMaid products for hormone issues........and why it is so predominant in society today.  Listen here: 
http://bit.ly/tkPVVR
Until next week.......may you delight in all of the weeds that grow around you!!!
Cynthia @ MoonMaid Botanicals
www.moonmaidbotanicals.com
moonmaidbotanicals@yahoo.com
877.253.7853

May since I have written.  Did make it home at last from Virginia.  Have done another road trip since then out West to NewMexico to the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference.  The best I have ever attended.  Wonderful group of brilliant and eclectic folks!!!!  Took my Toyota Truck on that trip and discovered I am no longer a "truck gal" which I was forever.  I guess from my truck, I graduated to a wagon that I also loved, then to my fabulous van.......I do tend to get attached to my vehicles.  I have now moved on to a Subaru Outback Wagon.  Really great!!!!  Now....trying to decide to keep the truck or let it go.  Do I really need two cars?  I live in the country....trucks are handy, alas, it does not happen to be a 4WD.  Time will tell.
Now off to tidying up this blog!!!  I am planning to begin a Herb of the Week.  That should keep me busy for a long long while......so many wonderful plants!!!
Until next time.....

Road trip.....and Beyond....

This started out as a wonderful road trip to see Megan, my previous assistant and dear friend.........it has gone very crazy .......I've posted a bit about the craziness but here is a more detailed story.

My engine blew up in Lexington, VA, after I had just left Megan Jones where we had a most outstanding visit. Such a shock as I keep my car in excellent running shape and had it "gone over" before I set out on this road trip. My boyfriend Ronnie was on his way to get me on his one day off, I turned him back, as Barrett was also on his way to Tennessee and would pick me up.....several hours later.....Barrett broke down....too late for Ronnie to set out now. No rental cars in the area that will let you go one way. Have to get to Roanoke airport.There is no such thing as a taxi here, as in YellowCab or something like that. The "cab," an old Ford LeSabre, arrived Sunday morning, and as I mentioned before, sounded like the bearing or something was going out in the front passenger end.....return to hotel.....waiting to hear from Barrett...as he has to get back to Tennessee in the next couple of days......hopefully with me and my darlin' Delilah. Geeeezzzzzz................

Spring has sprung

A grape hyacinth

Gorgeous mullein....

yellow violet....

Lunaria or Money Plant getting ready for a full moon this Sunday....

A lovely Dogwood blossom layin' on a bed of chickweed...

Crocus' that came on early....

A beautiful and graceful dogwood......

Here we have some Columbine...

Ranting.....

To all of my new age friends running around in fear of "the apocalypse" created by our government, or Mother Earth or aliens coming down from above....GET OVER IT!!!! Are we not the group that constantly says, and continues to say......"what you think about you beget," "what you focus on you become" "thoughts are things" etc etc etc Either we BELIEVE we create our own reality, or we're talking a lot of BS. Yes there is a lot crap happening......I am aware and I continue to visualize peace and abundance....for Japan, for Libya, for Iraq, for Afghanistan, for Haiti, for the homeless of the USA, for the starving of the world, and yes....even for me!!! And that's my story.......

I HEAR the fear.....

I HEAR my friends and family, the radio, the television, overheard conversations, classes on doom....I hear it. Ahhh....I can understand the concern and shake my own head. What is happening? What can be done? How can we deal with it? What will I do?? Toxins, radiation, earthquakes, food costs, fuel costs.....my God!!!
I SEE the Japanese people torn and picking themselves as they pick through the ruble of their lives. The workers who continue to enter the nuclear plants, to assist because they are old......or certainly dedicated. The Libyan rebels........pushing ahead despite all odds, the Egyptian citizens who havn't given up, people taking action all over the world.....doing something, anything.
I BELIEVE that "what I focus on I draw into my life."
I CHOOSE to believe that each day I will deal with life's challenges in the most honorable, compassionate, and thoughtful way possible. I will be grateful that I have this day, one more day. And when I blunder
I HOPE that I will pick myself up and go forward......in gratitude, compassion and grace, for one more day, one more chance to do something, one more chance to make a difference for myself, my community and for my sacred and beautiful MotherEarth.

And now for Spring........

which is Rain rain and more rain. And my garden is loving it. Daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, comfrey and dandelions are all beginning to show their beauty. Lots of colors and I love that!!! My garden has become a metaphor for life for me. It is bountiful, then grounded and stationary for a bit, then ready to give of it's harvest, then a dying back. All of these cycles require a bit of care, or everything goes to waste.....and the abundant beauty is lost..or is it. If let to go to mayhem.........it will eventually die back, freeze to the ground and lay in a pile and begin the cycle again. I find, however, with just a bit of attention, tending to my garden makes it ever more splendid, ever more bountiful, ever more lovely and abundant.

Having gone through a very extreme, for me, bronchial illness recently.......it has reminded me that I am like my garden. And though I can go on and on without care or consideration for myself........just a tiny bit of attention makes me stronger, healthier and ever more lovely and prosperous!!!

Something I shall not soon forget..........

Snow...

Snow snow and more snow. The oldtimers are saying this is like the winters of old. Definitely makes one want to snuggle by a fire with a cup of tea and a good book or movie or friend. Currently my partner and I are separated by this beautiful white stuff.....he is snowed in at the cabin, I'm snowed out at the Singlewide. One of us has got to get a four wheel drive ASAP. And learn not to drive down roads that have not been plowed, and to stay away from the edge (ditch). I've been stuck twice and spun out on ice and just basically scared the beejeesus out of myself. I'm from Southern California.......I never touched snow until I was 17. I would see it in the mountains of the BigBear and San Bernadino mountains....when the smog parted....but it was a distant "thing" that I never dealt with. When I went skiing with my boyfriend who loved snow....I hurt my ankle on the bunny slope and that was it for me. I guess I don't really like being on skinny things going fast downhill. I love to water ski.....the landing is so much softer, mostly. And, I've gotten in to a bit of sledding which is fun and the "stopping" is so much easier then on skis, for me. I am learning to go with the flow....but do hope I get to go home tomorrow.

Saturday and Sunday....I will be at the Knoxville EarthFare's talking about women's health and herbal products. Turkey Creek on Saturday and Bearden on Sunday. Should ole man winter allow it......

2011 Paying it Forward

Today I was introduced to or rather reminded about a concept of Paying It Forward. Five is one of my favorite numbers so I was excited to hear of this exercise..... I promise to give away 5 things made by me to 5 people who promise to do the same. As you can imagine....the immense potential of this is incredible. So......email me your address.....the first 5 of you I hear from will receive a gift from me...that I have created myself.

moonmaidbotanicals@yahoo.com

I posted this earlier today on Facebook....and have had five respondents. And I have responded one of them so have 5 more to gift. And now, I will have 5 more and potentially more. As you can see.....I am exremely excited about the concept of giving in this way. Isn't it wonderful to spread our wonderful selves out into the world......with only the expectation that our gift will create 5 times 5 times 5 and on and on and on. Perhaps this will go viral......and won't that be delightful!!!