West Sound Home and Garden Magazine

I wish to extend my Heartfelt Thanks to West Sound Home and Garden Magazine for the Wonderful article in the Summer 2008 Issue. Thank you to Rodika Tollefson for your superb writing. Thank you Jane Ramirez for the beautiful photographs. Last but not Least a special Thanks to Peg Tillery for her part in my becoming a Master Gardner and for introducing me to Rodika. None of this would have been possible without her.

My Mother, Grandmothers and Aunts taught me how to garden cook and create gifts and medicine from the things we grew. Mealtime was a family event. Celebrations and holidays were central to our family. As a young child, I was always experimenting making things out of flowers and loved to eat the edible flowers. I had my own garden plot and raised flowers, corn, squash and beans. The most treasured memories are times spent in the garden growing our food and in the kitchen helping to prepare meals where those yummy smells rose in the steam from bubbling pots on the stove. The aroma of fresh baked breads and pies could be smelled down the block and there was always a house full of kids wanting a tasty snack After moving away from home, I continued to garden, cook preserve food, putting to use all the knowledge shared with me. I educated myself reading and studying books and getting out in the wild every chance I had to lean to know the plants. I gathered wild prickly pears in Tuna Canyon near Malibu making jelly. I worked on a fishing boat, raised a garden and grew everything I ate. I canned, dried and froze the bounty of my garden. Between the garden and the fish, I only had to buy paper products and specialty items at the grocery store. Leaving city life behind, I moved into the mountains in Oregon. Living in a remote area in the National Forest, I raised chickens goats and grew much of our food, made yogurt, cheese, soaps and breads. During this time, my training in herbal medicine began with Elders who became my mentors. They passed onto me ancient knowledge and practical experience of healing, gathering and making medicines and food. They taught me about sacred relationship with the plants. When you live with and have an interactive relationship with plants, they will teach you how to heal yourself and others. Working with plants is a way to restore our connection to life and to awaken to the beauty that is within us and all of humanity. Through our own healing we help to heal our Mother Earth and create a world of beauty, peace and harmony. I began to experiment in cooking with flowers and herbs, as well a creating herbal remedies for healing illness and creating herbal products. This passion that continues to this day. I attended college at Southern Oregon University where I majored in art and psychology. I worked at a home for sexually abused and drug affected children. My focus was art therapy and I worked with at risk children combining art cooking and gardening as a way to heal from the deep wounds of abuse. My Husband and I raised five daughters and grew much of our food made, made our medicines, lotions, oils, jams, jellies and homemade gifts. Growing and gathering most of my own flowers, vegetables and herbs is a very satisfying experience. I have been teaching Herbal Medicine, Cooking and Arts and Craft classes for over 30 years I have also worked in the food industry as a professional cook and caterer. Working in the flower industry beginning at age 14 and training as a floral designer led to developing a wedding/catering /gift business, Natural Inspirations was born out of culmination of all my experiences. I had my own herb farm, herb school and treated clients. I also worked on an Organic Farm. My duties there included working in the green houses, planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, harvesting crops, flowers and making flower bouquets which were sold at the farmers markets. I worked at the Farmers Market selling produce and flowers. We recently sold our small herb farm and moved to Indianola Washington. This website was created to share my passion with you. I hope you will come to enjoy the delights of cooking with flowers and herbs as well a relearning the ancient knowledge of caring for your health and that of your family. This is dedicated to my Mother, Grandmother, Aunties, Teachers and all my Ancestors who came before me and kept these ways alive so we could live a better life.