Hi kids! It’s been a long time since I posted. I have many good reasons, which I am about to explain.

First and foremost, we have new products! Gorgeous ethically wild-harvested Red Clover buds, and Yarrow tops. We also found some great Golden Copal, Frankincense Tears, Black Copal and Dragon’s Blood. All of the aforementioned items are sold in 2 oz. packages or bulk per 1/4 lb.

We also have Organic Lavender from Lone Pine, CA! Wow, do we have it! We can now offer it bulk per 1/4 lb., and we have lovely dried Organic Lavender Bouquets in small, medium, and large. We will soon have Organic Lavender Hydrosol (and perhaps Rose) as well, from a secret source that Carlos found while on the road harvesting!

I’m updating The Herb Gatherer website this weekend. So if you’d like to see all the new products, come and check it out!

The Herb Gatherer has also partnered with a few companies in the last month. We are proud to offer two lines of Organic bath and body items, from Desert Blends of Taos, NM and Kettle Care of Whitefish, MT.

“Desert Blends of Taos is committed to quality and excellence. We provide innovative formulas and products that are unique to the land of enchantment, using indigenous and organic ingredients.

We practice mindful awareness of our environment and hold a reverence for traditional ways and practices of the native people, Mother Earth and her healing plants.

We buy Organic from small farms and wildcraft (harvest) out in nature. Green lush Sage from arroyos in Taos; Watercress from clean fresh mountain water acequias; Chapparal wildcrafted in the southern region of New Mexico; Blue Corn from Velarde farms, lavender flower from Chimayo, red clay from the mesa in southern Colorado, sea salt and volcanic ash from the salt beds of Utah and continually researching and blending!

We believe in sustainable business practice by buying local, recycling and supporting our greater community. What is good for us is good for the whole.”

In an ongoing partnership with the community, Desert Blends has pledged a portion of it’s proceeds to Terra Nova Children’s Foundation. www.terranovataos.com

Kettle Care has been in business since 1983. “We have been growing Organic Herbs in cold, difficult climates to assure that the highest quality extracts are used in our therapeutic body care. Our hardy selection of herbs produce a burst of essential oils and plant proteins as they begin to bloom, similar to hardy alpine wildflowers. This unpredictable Montana mountain climate reduces our growing and bloom time to three to six months. The plants respond by boldly pushing forth leaves and flowers at an accelerated pace in order to attract pollinating insects and produce seeds. Our -25 F winters destroy insect populations which provides Kettle Care with herbs that have not been ravaged by harmful insects and are free of disease, insecticides and pesticide damage.

For millions of years plants have been adapting to their surroundings. They contain their own sunscreens to protect them, colors to attract or disguise them; and can withstand wind, heat, freezing climates, droughts and floods. Until one hundred years ago, plants provided us with food, shelter, medicine, clothing, body care, transportation, and through them, even meat and hides. They are one of our biggest allies here on earth, and as they have grown and adapted to their surroundings, they have helped us do the same.

We hand-pick our herbs from our Certified Organic Garden, located in a small valley surrounded by the sheltering Whitefish Mountain Range. This same mountain range bears pure, life-giving water from the Stillwater River drainage. After their start in our greenhouse, our herbs are transplanted in soil, nurtured with organic fertilizer produced on our farm, then placed under row covers to prevent insect infestations. After cleaning and hand harvesting, we dry the flowers, leaves and roots on screens in our dark, but airy barn. We weigh our harvest for Organic Certification and store it in glass or metal containers in a dark, cool room dedicated to Organic Ingredients. As we use them, we hand strip the herbs of their stems to expose the vibrant flowers, fuzzy leaves and nutrition packed roots used in our colorful potpourri, bath herbs, and body care products.

In our 24 years of formulation experience, we have developed products that stay emulsified and preserved with remarkable therapeutic properties. We know that your body is your friend. It tells you when it is in need and is very appreciative of our carefully prepared nourishment!”

Another new partnership is in the works. I had the opportunity to speak at length with Dr. David Yoo of Shinnong Clinic in Palmdale, CA. Dr. Yoo is a doctor of Asian medicine and a licensed acupuncturist here in the state of California. He is a graduate of Samra University of Oriental Medicine where he received his Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. from Yuin University School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine in California. He first learned about Asian medicine during his childhood through his father who was a reputable Asian medicine practitioner, educator, and disciplinarian. As a result, he has committed himself to the lifelong practice of acupuncture and Asian medicine and is dedicated to improving his patients’ health and quality of life.

Dr. Yoo has practiced Asian medicine and acupuncture for over 40 years and his clinical experience in successfully treating medical conditions has made him an expert in this field. He is skilled in both traditional acupuncture and Asian herbal medicine. Before he came to the States, Dr. Yoo was affiliated with the Kyung Hee University of Oriental Medicine Hospital in Seoul, Korea for several years. His long years of clinical experience at the reputable university hospital contributed largely to his decision to come to the States to achieve his goal of becoming an Asian medical doctor. He has helped thousands of patients throughout South Korea and the U.S.

To my surprise and delight, Dr. Yoo is fascinated with the Native and Mesoamerican herbs, history and usage. And of course I am fascinated with Asian herbs. (There are so many!) So we are going to run with this mutual interest, and offer each other’s herbs. By early 2008, The Herb Gatherer will also offer Shinnong Won herbs. We will keep you posted!

If that isn’t enough, Laura is now offering wholesale only Crystals and Stones through Tobias & Alysha here in the burbs of Los Angeles. With 50 years of collective experience with crystals and gems, partners Michael and Steven have mounted an extensive collection. Through a series of synchronicities, I have the privilege of representing this gorgeous line of physically beautiful, energetically divine stones! Tobias & Alysha carries everything from polished stone hearts, crystal clusters and massage wands to amethyst geodes, giant orbs and museum quality pieces. If you would like a showing of these crystals, please contact me. I would be thrilled to do so!

Thanks for reading,

Laura

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Now playing: DJ Maggie - Start From Scratch
via FoxyTunes

Of all the herbs that The Herb Gatherer produces, I am absolutely in love with Artemisia, and all its sub-species glory.

So what are some common names for all of this Artemisia? The two best known are Absinthe (Artemisia Absinthium), and Tarragon (Artemisia Dracunculus). But there are between 200-400 species of Artemisia, belonging to the daisy family.

Absinthe has gotten a bad reputation, and unnecessarily so. Absinthe originated in Switzerland as an elixir/tincture and used in a similar capacity as patent medicines would be used later in the United States. However, it is better known for its popularity in late 19th and early 20th century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers whose romantic associations with the drink still linger in popular culture. In its heyday, the most popular brand of absinthe worldwide was Pernod Fils. At the height of this popularity, absinthe was portrayed as a dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug; the chemical thujone was blamed for most of its deleterious effects. By 1915, it was banned in a number of European countries and the US. Even though it was vilified, no evidence shows it to be any more dangerous or psychoactive than ordinary alcohol. A modern absinthe revival began in the 1990s, as countries in the European Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale. The Herb Gatherer does not sell wild-crafted Artemisia Absinthium, although we do see it everywhere while out harvesting. Although still banned here in the US, I am curious to know what Absinthe tastes like!

Everyone knows what Tarragon is, (at least I hope so!). A fragrant herb known throughout the world, it is best known as one of the four fine herbes of French cooking, and particularly suitable for chicken, fish and egg dishes. Tarragon is one of the main components of Bearnaise sauce. Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink named Tarkhun, in the countries of Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

Native American groups used a Tarragon root tea for colds, dysentery, diarrhea, headaches, difficult childbirth, urinary disorders, and infant colic. It was also taken to promote appetite. Externally, it was used as a wash for arthritis, swellings, bruises, rheumatism, and for itching from chicken pox. Fresh leaves were mashed, moistened, and applied to forehead for headaches; placed in steam baths for rheumatic or arthritic pain, and also used in diapers to alleviate diaper rash or raw skin.

But did you also know that Tarragon, (Artemisia Dracunculus) is also a fantastic insect repellent? You can burn it as a smudge stick, put loose tarragon on your logs while burning a fire, or infuse into a lotion, oil or shampoo to avoid mosquitoes and other insects you may not wish to get close to.

I have used it with great success on my dog for flea control during the summer. In all honesty, I just took some regular old shampoo, threw some tarragon leaves in there, infused for about a week, and started using it on my dog, Petey. That was in June. I wash him about once a week, and I have not seen a single flea, tick or even a house fly on him all summer!

Then there is Desert Sage, (Artemisia Tridentata). Historically, sagebrush was commonly used by many native people worldwide. The wood was burned for fuel or used in construction of dwellings. The leaves and the seeds were eaten. The leaves, which contain camphor, were also used medicinally for coughs, colds, headaches, stomach aches, fevers and to relieve pain during child birthing. Poultices of wet leaves were applied to bruises to reduce swelling. It too has a lovely smell and is used ceremonially by many cultures.

Mugwort, (Artemisia Vulgaris, Artemisia Ludoviciana) also known as Black Sage, is used for healing, divination and to stimulate dreams and visions. It can be burned during rituals or before sleeping. Historically, mugwort gathered on Midsummer Eve and placed in a grain bin was thought to keep mice away from the grain, while wreaths of mugwort defended against thunder and thieves. Simply placing a sprig of it in one’s pouch was supposed to prevent tiring. If made into a girdle, mugwort was thought to protect one from witches, ghosts, and general misfortune. It certainly does help with insomnia!

My absolute favorite of the Artemisias is what The Herb Gatherer sells as common Wormwood (Artemisia Filifolia or Artemisia Frigida). Artemisia is known as the female sage. In Europe the herb has been used in association with superstition and witchcraft and was seen as a protective charm against evil and danger. It has been used for painful or delayed menstruation and as a treatment for hysteria and epilepsy. It is also used to control fever and as a digestive remedy. Wormwood is extremely popular as a fragrance component in soaps, colognes and perfumes. I just love the smell, and burn it everyday as a smudge, often mixing it with copal and/or sweetgrass. I love the aromas that waft through the house, and I find it very calming and restorative after a hard day of work.

Thank you Earth, for giving us such wonderful plants for us to enjoy and use. We are truly grateful!

Now playing: Kaya Project - elixir (featuring omar farouk
via FoxyTunes

What golden nuggets I found while cleaning up my computer today! Although I don’t know whom to give credit, the following quotes are attributed to Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman in The World amongst about 20 other books.

I find them great inspiration for life, business, and personal relationships, and of course I just had to share!

Act now, for now is all you have.
Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success.
Action will destroy your procrastination.
All men must stumble often to reach the truth.
All nature is a circle of moods and you are a part of nature and so, like the tides, your moods will rise; your moods will fall.
All your problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise.
Always let your reach exceed your grasp.
Always raise your goals as soon as they are attained.
Always strive to make the next hour better than this one.
Always take another step. If that is to no avail take another, and yet another. One step at a time is not too difficult.
Any act with practice becomes easy.
Apply all of your efforts to become the highest mountain of all and strain your potential until it cries for mercy.
Avoid with fury the killers of time.
Bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed.
Bathe me in good habits that the bad ones may drown.
Be happy.
Be hungry for success.
Be prepared to control whatever personality awakes in you each day.
Become master of yourself.
Begin now to accent your differences.
Beginning today, you can increase your accomplishments of yesterday by a hundredfold.
Bury doubt under faith.
Cherish each hour of this day for it can never return.
Chuckle and your burdens will be lightened.
Concentrate your energy on the challenge of the moment.
Confidence will take away your fear.
Consider each obstacle as a mere detour to your goal and a challenge to your profession.
Consider each obstacle as a mere detour to your goal.
Count your blessings today.
Cultivate the habit of laughter.
Destroy procrastination with action.
Dismember fear with confidence.
Do not allow yesterday’s success to lull you into today’s complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure.
Do not be satisfied with yesterday’s accomplishments or indulge in self-praise for deeds which are too small to even acknowledge.
Do not commit the terrible crime of aiming too low.
Do not dwell on the past.
Do not judge a man on one meeting.
Do not listen to those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious.
Do not make vain attempts to imitate others.
Do not permit the petty happenings of today to disturb you.
Do not think of yesterday or tomorrow.
Do not waste a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, yesterday’s defeats, or yesterday’s aches of the heart.
Drink every minute to its fill; savor its taste and give thanks.
Drive a bad habit from your life and replace it with one which will bring you closer to success.
Each day will be triumphant only when your smiles bring forth smiles from others.
Each failure to sell will increase your chances for success at your next attempt.
Each frown you meet only prepares you for the smile to come.
Each minute of today will be more fruitful than the hours of yesterday.
Your last must be your best.
Each misfortune you encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck.
Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea.
Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them and you throw away your future.
Each struggle, each defeat sharpens your skills and strengthens your courage and your endurance.
Enjoy today’s happiness today.
Failure does not course through your veins as you were not delivered into this world in defeat.
Failure no longer will be my payment for struggle.
Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough.
For now you know one of the greatest principles of success; if you persist long enough you will win.
Forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of
your life.
Fulfill today’s duties today.
Good habits are the key to all success.
Grant me compassion for weaknesses in others.
Grasp each minute of this day with both hands and fondle it with love for its value is beyond price.
Green grass grows where dry desert ends.
Greet the sunrise with cries of joy.
Happiness is the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal.
Have confidence that this will be the best day of your life.
I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for why would the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can I not extend that miracle to my deeds of today?
I consider poverty to be the mark of a lack of ability or a lack of ambition.
I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure and despair to be broken open and devoured by the will of others.
I have not time to hate, only time to love.
I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.
I shall live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.
I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
I will be successful.
I will command, and I will obey mine own command.
I will do the work that a failure will not do.
I will encourage my friends and they will become brothers.
I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.
I will form good habits and become their slave.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
I will greet this day with love, and I will succeed.
I will laud mine enemies and they will become friends.
I will laugh at evil and it will die untasted.
I will look on all things with love, and I will be born again.
I will love all mankind.
I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they may be hidden.
I will love myself.
I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me!
I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.
I will love the failures for they can teach me.
I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine.
I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many.
I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the wisdom they share.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will persist and I will win.
I will say it is done before the failure says it is too late.
I will talk when the failure remains silent.
I will think naught of my profession when I am in my home for this will dampen my love.
I will toil and I will endure.
I will walk where the failure fears to walk.
I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart.
I will work when the failure seeks rest.
If all things shall pass, why should I be of concern for today ?
If I delay, success will become betrothed to another and lost to me forever.
If I have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone.
If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
If I stumble I will rise, and my falls will not concern me.
If you bring joy, enthusiasm, brightness, and laughter to your customers, they will react with joy, enthusiasm, brightness, and laughter and your weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for you.
If you feel depressed - sing!
If you feel fear, plunge ahead.
If you feel incompetent, remember past successes.
If you feel insignificant, remember your goals.
If you feel poverty, think of wealth to come.
If you feel sad - laugh.
If you must be a slave to habit, then be a slave to good habits.
If you persist long enough, you will win.
If you waste today, you destroy the last page of your life.
Ignore the obstacles at your feet and keep your eyes on the goals above your head.
In setting my goals, I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold.
Increase your knowledge of mankind.
It pays to be persistent.
Just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger.
Just as nature made no provision for your body to tolerate pain neither has it made any provision for your life to suffer failure.
Keep work and family separate.
Laugh and your life will be lengthened for this is the great secret of long life.
Laugh at goodness and it will thrive and abound.
Laugh at the world.
Laugh at your failures and they will vanish in clouds of new dreams.
Laugh at your successes and they will shrink to their true value.
Laugh at yourself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.
Leave your problems at home.
Lift up a friend in need.
Lift your arms with thanks for this priceless gift of a new day.
Live this day as if it is your last. Seal up the container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand.
Live this day as if it is your last.
Live today as if it is your last chance to prove your love and your greatness.
Look upon each obstacle as a lesson to be learned.
Look upon misfortune as opportunity in disguise.
Love the darkness because it shows you the stars.
Love will melt all hearts like the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.
Love yourself!
Make every hour count and trade each minute only for something of value.
Make love your greatest weapon.
Make the hours ahead priceless!
Make this day the best day of your life.
Many face each obstacle in their path with fear and doubt and consider them as enemies, when in truth, these obstructions are friends and helpers.
Many succumb to despair and fail without realizing that they already possess all the tools needed to acquire great wealth.
Master your emotions so that each day will be productive.
Master your moods through positive action and when you master your moods you will control your destiny.
Meditation and prayer feeds the soul.
My desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew, and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and sorrow.
Nature knows not defeat.
Never allow yourself to become so important, so wise, so dignified, so powerful, that you forget how to laugh at yourself.
Never be satisfied with yesterday’s accomplishments.
Never feel shame for trying and failing for he who has never failed is he who has never tried.
Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.
Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages.
Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer.
Never will I labor to be happy; rather will I remain too busy to be sad.
Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation.
Never will I scratch for excuses to gossip.
No longer shall my vocabulary include such words as cannot, unable, impossible, and quit.
No longer will I fail to call again tomorrow on he who meets me with hate today.
Obstacles are necessary for success.
Only a habit can subdue another habit.
Only action determines my value in the market place.
Only with laughter and happiness can I enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Only with laughter and happiness can you truly become a success.
People will always respond positively to joy and enthusiasm.
Persist and develop your skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
Persist with the knowledge that each failure to sell will increase your chance for success at the next attempt.
Practice the art of patience for nature never acts in haste.
Put your uniqueness on display in the market place.
Rain cleanses the spirit.
Remember that as today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s bloom so does today’s sadness carry the seed of tomorrow’s joy.
Remove from your vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools.
Rewards are great if one succeeds but the rewards are great only because so few succeed.
Seek constantly to improve your manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.
Set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and your life.
Should you concern yourself over events which you may never witness? Should you torment yourself with problems that may never come to pass? No!
Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, think of it no more.
Sleep in peace for you have not failed.
Small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.
Smile and your digestion will improve.
So long as I can laugh, never will I be poor.
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist.
Strive for happiness and peace of mind.
Strive for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important, to acquire peace of mind and serenity.
Strive to become better than you are.
Strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
Success comes to those willing to work a little bit harder than the rest.
Success will not wait.
Suffer me to know that all things shall pass.
The height of my goals will not hold me in awe though I may stumble often before they are reached.
The only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in their habits.
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal.
The problems of the market place will be left in the market place.
The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
There are good qualities in everyone.
There are lessons to be learned from failures.
There is no room in the market place for your family, nor is there room in your home for the market.
There is not time to hate, only time to love.
This day is all you have and these hours are now your eternity. Greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death.
This is the place.
This is the time.
This too shall pass.
Time teaches all things to him who lives forever, but I have not the luxury of eternity.
To conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish.
To enjoy success I must have happiness, and laughter will be the maiden who serves me.
To multiply your value you must multiply your actions.
To surpass the deeds of others is unimportant; to surpass your own deeds is all.
Today I begin a new life.
Today I shed my old skin which hath too long suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
Today I will surpass every action which I performed yesterday.
Today you will be master of your emotions.
Today, I will act.
Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy.
Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday.
True wealth is of the heart, not of the purse.
Try again, make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails, make another.
Try, and try, and try again.
Understand and recognize the moods of others. Make allowances for their anger and irritation for they know not the secret of controlling their minds.
Unless you act you will perish in a life of failure, misery, and sleepless nights.
Unless you put your skills, mind, heart, and body to good use, you will stagnate, rot, and die.
Victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats.
We must have the night to appreciate the day.
Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
Welcome happiness for it enlarges your heart; endure sadness for it opens your soul.
What can take place before this sun sets which will not seem insignificant in the river of centuries?
What is success other than a state of mind?
When an act becomes easy through constant repetition, it becomes a pleasure to perform, and if it is a pleasure to perform, it is man’s nature to perform it often.
When I am burdened with wealth I shall tell myself that this too shall pass.
When I am moved to praise, I will shout from the roofs.
When I am puffed with success I shall warn myself that this too shall pass.
When I am strangled in poverty I shall tell myself that this too shall pass.
When I am tempted to criticize, I will bite on my tongue.
When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
When you are heavy with heartache console yourself that this too shall pass.
Where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
Where there are idle mouths I will listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where there are idle bodies I will visit not.
Will my concern for this day not seem foolish ten years hence?
With each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult.
With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built round their hearts, and in its place, I will build bridges so that my love may enter their souls.
Within you burns a flame which has been passed from generations uncounted, and its heat is a constant irritation to your spirit to become better than you are, and you will.
Yesterday’s joy will become today’s sadness; yet today’s sadness will grow into tomorrow’s joy.
Yesterday’s success will not lull me into today’s complacency.
Yesterday is buried forever, think of it no more.
You are a unique creature.
You are here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.
You are nature’s greatest miracle.
You are rare, and there is value in all rarity; therefore, you are valuable.
You can accomplish far more than you have, and you will.
You can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles with ambition.
You have been given eyes to see and a mind to think.
You have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time.
You have unlimited potential.
You may encounter failure at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. You will never know how close success lies unless you turn the corner.
You must fail often to succeed only once.
You must have objectives before your life will crystallize.
You must nurture your body and mind in order to fulfill your dreams.
You only have time to love.
You were conceived in love and brought forth with a purpose.
You will become great.
You won’t know how close success is unless you turn the corner.

Og Mandino’s site

- somebody is very proud of you.
- somebody is thinking of you.
- somebody is caring about you.
- somebody misses you.
- somebody wants to talk to you.
- somebody wants to be with you.
- somebody hopes you aren’t in trouble.
- somebody is thankful for the support you have provided.
- somebody wants to hold your hand.
- somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
- somebody wants you to be happy.
- somebody wants you to find him/her.
- somebody is celebrating your successes.
- somebody wants to give you a gift.
- somebody thinks that you ARE a gift.
- somebody hopes you’re not too cold, or too hot
- somebody wants to hug you.
- somebody loves you.
- somebody wishes you would lavish them with small things.
- somebody admires your strength.
- somebody is thinking of you and smiling.
- somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on.
- somebody wants to go out with you and have a lot of fun.
- somebody thinks the world of you.
- somebody wants to protect you.
- somebody would do anything for you.
- somebody wants to be forgiven.
- somebody is grateful for your forgiveness.
- somebody wants to laugh with you all night long about old times.
- somebody remembers you fondly and wishes that you were there.
- somebody is praising God for you.
- somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional.
- somebody values your advice.
- somebody wants to tell you how much they care.
- somebody wants to stay up all night watching old movies with you.
- somebody wants to share their dreams with you.
- somebody wants to hold you in their arms.
- somebody wants YOU to hold them in your arms.
- somebody treasures your spirit.
- somebody wishes they could suspend time because of you.
- somebody praises God for your friendship and love.
- somebody can’t wait to see you.
- somebody wishes that things didn’t have to change.
- somebody loves you for who you are.
- somebody loves the way you make them feel.
- somebody wants to be with you.
- somebody is hoping they can grow old with you.
- somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
- somebody’s glad that you’re his/her friend.
- somebody wants to be your friend.
- somebody stayed up all night thinking about you.
- somebody is alive because of you.
- somebody is very remorseful after losing your friendship.
- somebody is wishing that you noticed him/her.
- somebody wants to get to know you better.
- somebody believes that you are his/her soul mate.
- somebody wants to be near you.
- somebody misses your advice/guidance.
- somebody has faith in you.
- somebody trusts you.
- somebody is sorry that they haven’t called
- somebody is changed because of you
- somebody wants to be like you
- somebody needs you to send them this letter
- somebody needs your support.
- somebody needs you to have faith in them.
- somebody will cry when they read this.
- somebody needs you to let them be your friend.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
- Mother Teresa

While googling The Herb Gatherer today, I happened upon this lovely poem by Glenn Ward Dresbach from his Collected Poems, 1914-1948. Project Gutenberg is such a great thing!

The Herb Gatherer
When fragrant fires of autumn smolder
By upland pastures for wind to blow
And grain shocks stand, row after row,
He throws a sack across his shoulder
And trudges away in the mellow glow
To gather herbs – though he is older
Than most of the old men I know.

He squints in the sun, and always follows
The spring brook where the calamus hides
And he nibbles it, and away he strides
For thyme and tansy in sunny hollows,
Then on to burdock. His faith abides
in it for bitters, in careful swallows,
When winter had chilled his old insides.

Sage and boneset – his eyes keep sighting
Out of profusion the things he would find.
Pennyroyal, horse mint – these he will bind
In neat little bundles, always righting
Some slight disorder . . . at least in his mind.
He will hang them on rafters, ready for fighting
The ills of age . . . with the years so kind!

His old cheeks flush with the autumn weather.
His old eyes shine when the quail wings sound.
A sack that smells of the air and the ground
With tang and mellowness there together
Over his shoulder! And all around
The breath of autumn! . . . I wonder whether
Gathering helps more than the herbs he found.

Photo nipped from another story titled Hans, The Herb Gatherer in the book Round About Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fancy, by Frank Richard Stockton, published in 1910. I learned quite a few things in this online book. Like why elephants should really be called the king of the jungle, how Pompeii was built, and about giant puff balls, amongst others. Take a look at this fine old book, Round About Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fancy

Find some more great stories from Gutenberg here.

We have been very busy here getting The Herb Gatherer website up and running. We are in the tweaking process, and are still uploading products, but for the most part, we are doing it!

The Herb Gatherer Wholesale module is also now operating at 100%.  Thank you retailers for your patience while we built the site!  We are shipping within 24 hours and have all items in stock!

Carlos, the famed herb gatherer, is out and about finding us Red Clover, Yarrow, Saw Palmetto and Raspberry bramble. We expect to be offering these products by early September 2007. Of course I will blog about it!

I would to like to give thanks to a few people along the way here. First and foremost is Carlos Agurto, THE herb gatherer. Without him, his herbal wisdom, his values and philosophy, The Herb Gatherer wouldn’t even exist! I am truly grateful to know him and be his friend!

Second, I would like to thank Maria Reyes-McDavis, the founder of http://thepeasandcarrots company.com She has been so helpful while setting up The Herb Gatherer site. I am truly impressed with her professionalism and guidance while on this website journey!

Of course there are many others to thank for various reasons. Here in no particular order are:

Rachez, http://chezdecorgifts.com

Marion & Robin, http://luckyness.com

Diane, http://soulcentered.net

and many others who have helped with marketing strategies, packaging ideas, etc. Thank you all!