Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day.  A day to remember those lost.  I lost a friend this last year, who suffered side effects to Agent Orange, from the Vietnam War.  His loss, all loss of life, is sad, there is someone on any side who is grieving.

When I think of loss of life - the many animals that perish on this planet, for our tables, for our floors, for our pleasure.  Just going along living life - and WHAM.  Death, grief, saddness to some being.

When I spend time in my garden, I am reminded that there is a circle to life.  With one loss, comes new life.  Plants remind me of that.  They remind me to be mindful when I prune, plant, or pick.
I talk to my plants - they talk to me.  It is a relationship that goes round and round.  And they sure are beautiful.

                                              

I  hope you have had a lovely long weekend if you are so graced to have one.  I long for the days when on a "holiday" like this - everything, even gas stations, are closed.  

Through the rest of the month, I am including a sample size SignatureScent Soap or BathBliss Bath Salts with every order.  Put "soap" or "salt" in the COMMENT box @ checkout.

My podcast, Women of a Certain Age and......is broadcast monthly on the first Monday of each month.  On June 2 @ 7PM ET, I am doing a show with my two dear friends Vesna Plakanis of A Walk in the Woods and Elaine Miller a long time supporter of the Smoky Mountain National Park. on Women, MotherNature and Camping ( in style!!!).  Vesna is a hiker, backbacker and wild food enthusiast and Elaine is the "glamping queen" and will be the chef extraordinaire for MoonMaid's Botanical Sanctuary Gals Glampout, coming up in the spectacular Fall season at the Sanctuary.  Details here.  

I am also the herbalist for Vesna's Women In Wilderness Weekend Retreat on September 12th thru the 14th.  Details here.

Have you signed up for our newsletter?  Every month we have a giveaway of a one of our products.  You never know what it will be.  We won't bombard you with email.   I write a bit about an herb, what's new @ MoonMaid and always include a few pictures of the garden. I send it out 2 times monthly.  Stay informed.  Sign up here.

Until next week - may you be blessed with good health, good work and a good life.  

Cynthia @ MoonMaid Botanicals

MoonMaid's Botanical Blog

I spent last week in Florida.  I am amazed at the difference in Spring in different locations around our country.  In Florida, you have a bit of everything from no winter at all (i.e. Miami) to a pretty good winter (i.e. Tallahassee), but still no snow.  A cold winter really, seems to "do" something for many plants.  I have seen extremely large trillium, masses of violets, mountain laurel covered in blooms and plantain the size of hostas!!  So many  "extreme" displays of growth and flowers that I attribute to the very cold spells we had!!  I have not seen blooms like this in a very long time.    I went out in the yard and "picked a pot of tea."  Delightful after spending 12 (yikes) hours in the car.

I have enjoyed walking round the place and noting all of the kinds of plants popping up.

Around the garden.

My podcast, "Women of a Certain Age and.....," is scheduled monthly.  Next show is June 2, 7PM ET.  I will be joined by some outdoor enthusiasts like myself.  Vesna Plakanis of A Walk In The Woods, Elaine Miller, who has a long history with the National Park Service in The Smoky Mountains, and I will talk about how wonderful it is to take a hike or go camping.  It does not have to be "rustic!" You can treat yourself and still enjoy the benefits of a tent and sleeping!!  In October @ MoonMaid's Botanical Sanctuary we are sponsoring an event we are calling Gals Glamp-Out to benefit our land trust fund.  Details here!!!  We will be announcing more about the land trust soon.  

Every month we do a product giveaway!!  Something we are working on, a plant special, our newest products - you just never know.  This month we are giving away trial sizes of our Signature Soap.  It is available in a 3 and 6 pack.  We love it and think you will too!!  To find out what our offering is for June - sign up here.

If you have not been to the website lately - check it out.  We have a new look @ moonmaidbotanicals.com

Until next week - Cynthia @ MoonMaid Botanicals

May @ MoonMaid's Botanical Sanctuary

MoonMaid's gardens are incredible!!  Lot's of color, but this week it was really the white flowers that stood out.  I missed a few here like foam flower but you get the idea.  I love this time of year as the grass goes wild and the plants seem to shout yippee!!!  

The White Album

Wild Yam, which is a main herb in our menopause and andropause related products - is just popping out in the garden.  I love the brilliant green color.

 Check out the look of our new website!!!  It is new!!!  It was a lot of work and I like it!!!  I hope you do too.

Sign up for MoonMaid Mail and be informed about our monthly specials - usually a free product with your order!!!

The special for May is a grabbag.  We will send you one of our new products like our Signature Soap, our BathBliss Soaking Salts or maybe a face serum I am working on.  You just never know.

MoonMaid's BlogTalk Radio Show airs the first Monday of every month.  Tomorrow Cynthia will be joined by Donna Marie Coles Johnson of the Indie Business Network.  We will be discussing how women are reinventing themselves as they transition into a new phase of life.  Menopause stirs up those raw emotions to "try something new" and we will cover how that is empowering and transforming lives both older and young!!!

I hope you have enjoyed your weekend and have a fabulous week ahead. 

Cynthia @ MoonMaid Botanicals

It's Earth Day!!

Today is EarthDay - the 40th anniversary.  I remember vividly the first one.  I was 18, it was a full day of peace love and hippies.  Colorful people and flowers everywhere.  No kidding!!!  We picked up trash!!  It felt great and community building.  I did the same thing today.  40 years later and it still felt good, it felt great in fact, to be participating in my community!!!  Way to go Gatlinburg, and to all the cities across this country that sponsor litter pick-ups.  It is a particular pet peeve of mine.  It is an incredible problem here in East Tennessee, just about the worst I have ever seen, and in such a beautiful area.

And it is beautiful!!!  MoonMaid's Botanical Sanctuary is bustin' at the seams with flowers and herbs popping up everywhere.  I hope you enjoy this sampling as I enjoy taking the pictures and looking back at my past posts, noticing the changes, the sameness, and all the wonder of living on this little gem nestled in the Smoky Mountains.

I want to remind you that we publish a newsletter monthly with our "special of the month."  It is a product giveaway, or free shipping or samples of new things we are working on.  You never know what we will dream up.  Sign up here 

Check out MoonMaid Botanicals on Pinterest, on Facebook or on our website.  In the very near future we will be announcing some exciting news about MoonMaid's Botanical Sanctuary.  Stay tuned for that.

For now - that's the news from MoonMaid Botanicals and   Cynthia.

April and Spring are in Full Swing

                                                         It certainly looks like Spring!!!

Around the Garden

Dandelions are everywhere.  We are picking in earnest @ MoonMaid as we prepare to make tinctures, glycerites, oil and some wine.  I may even give jelly a try!!  I love the beautiful yellow color of dandelions.  I am amazed at the nourishing tonic the leaves and roots make when you create an infusion with them, right from the yard or garden.  They are a prefect Spring cleanser. Here is a link that shows how to make an infusion

When you hear this fellow call, you can be sure Spring has arrived.  I think this is the earliest date he has arrived since I have lived here.  His song is a welcome sound!!!

     

         Whipporwill

This month's free gift with your order of $20 - BathBliss Soaking Salts!!!  We think they are essential for your bathing pleasure, we think you will too!!  Sign up here.  Put "salts" in the Promo Box @ checkout.

Women of a Certain Age and......podcasts resume on Monday April 14 @ 7PM EDT.  My April show features Stephanie Houston, EFT Practitioner.  EFT is also known as "Tapping" or Emotional Freedom Technique.  Join us as we do an on air session.  

MoonMaid's Blog

It has been beautiful here @ the Plant Sanctuary.  This month, we will be featured in United Plant Savers magazine and are looking forward to that!!  It is an honor to be part of this fantastic network of people working to preserve native endangered plant species.

Out in the Garden

Coming up on April 14th  @ 7PM ET I will be resuming my podcasts Women of A Certain Age and....
My topic for this show will be Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as EFT.  Expert Stephanie Houston and I will do an actual session on air.  You can join the show by calling 646.200.0217.  The show we did last year is the most listened to podcast I have ever done.  Join us online here.

I recently heard news on NPR about a cholera epidemic in Haiti which saddened me.  It seems like that little country has gone through so much.  I have a particular interest as my niece will be visiting soon do to a home building project.  I don't want her to be exposed to such things, of course.  I know they will be well taken care of......but still, an Auntie worries.  And, it brought me to my own little story about "toilets."  I live in a home with no flushing toilet.  I have lived this way for 10 years. No I don't have an outhouse, I have a simple bucket system, within my home.    From my buckets, my kitchen and garden scraps, as well as lawn clippings and grass and a square of hay bales - I not only keep the water around here free of human waste and other toxins, I make soil for my garden.  It ages for a year or more.  It is not gross, it does not smell and it's got me thinking - Buckets and Bales - a Cholera Free Haiti Project.  More on that as things develop.  Next week I will show pic's of the soil I have made and I guarantee, you won't believe it - black gold is what it is.   Follow MoonMaid Botanicals on Facebook and Twitter and signup for our monthly newsletter where we announce our monthly give-a-way.   Enjoy your week!!!  Cynthia @ MoonMaid Botanicals 

Home toilet and hanging buckets

Bales where I "dump"

Spring has arrived here @ the Woodland Plant Sanctuary

It feels good to say that.  Woodland Plant Sanctuary.  I am really excited about being part of United Plant Savers plant sanctuary network.  It is a dynamic group of folks.  It has inspired me to "grow" this land into a "woodland plant classroom."  Ideas are brewing for a Cottage for class attendees, taking care of a long list of "spring cleaning and tidying" projects, and trail clearing.  It is exciting....and a little scary at the same time.  How will I do it?  What to do first? I take a walk in the woods and am reminded that everything happens in it's own time as long as we keep the ship going in the right direction.  Meanwhile, Spring hearkens.

This week MoonMaid will be on the local news.   I was so honored to attract the interest on Emily Stroud, of WBIR - Channel 10 in Knoxville. The show airs Wednesday, March 12 @ 4PM EDT .  Watch here.

Each month we have a product give-a-way.  This month it is a grab bag!!  We will surprise you with something in your order.  Put "grab" in the "promo" box at checkout.   Sign up for future newsletter's here.