Hello to all my fellow bloggers out there! I’m sure everyone has now heard of the gigantic storm that has ravaged the south, over 150 tornado reports are spread across 5 states over the last 24 hours. Everyone is O.k here in our neck of the woods, although we had a good scare last night with at least 5 tornadoes in our vicinity. Last night found Bear and I out in the midst of the rain, wind and lightning trying to strap down the solar panels that had been conveniently forgotten until then! I must say that was not the best experience of my life, I kept telling Bear that if a Tornado was to come thru, a few straps on a board would probably only serve as more shrapnel, but he was quite insistent that we risk our lives at 12:00 at night amongst the strobe light like display occurring all around us…what fun. Later that night, after various phone calls with minute by minute updates on the various tornado’s paths, we rushed to a neighbor’s house to borrow their basement after hearing that one of them was about ten minuets away. That had to be the most amusing tornado warning I’ve ever been through, what with being huddled next to a bow flex with three kids, two dogs and our aunt, uncle and cousin who didn’t get to the shelter until about five minutes After the warning was over! Jokes were flying, dogs were cuddled up against the children and the five year old boy seemed to want to lasso the tornado and ride it to school the next day!(he even had a rope!) When we finally figured out the danger was over (it took a while because we didn’t see the radio sitting in the middle of the floor until we were about to leave), we made our way out to the car in the yet again pouring rain, only to find it locked! After about a minute and a half of trying to unlock the car, we finally made it home soaking wet and exhausted! What a night!
Now, on a more somber note, I must stop here to mention with great respect a local hero whom I still don’t know the name of. Last night around 11:00 pm a 21 year old girl stopped by the home of an elderly gentleman who had been incapacitated with a stroke. Because of the coming storms, she chose to sit with him throughout the night in his single wide trailer. Their bodies were found earlier this morning in the tiny bathroom that was all that was left of the structure. Our hearts go out to the family of this brave young woman, who comforted her friend until the end. If I ever find out the name of this generous girl I’ll be sure to post it here so that her story will not be forgotten.
Alright, onto the surprise! Though this was definitely not the way I pictured this reveal, I can’t hold it off any longer, that just wouldn’t be fair! So, without further adieu, I present to you RavenOak Medicinals, an Etsy shop dedicated to the health and wellbeing of both people and the planet! The farm is finally coming together, and with it comes a bounty of both wild and cultivated herbs just asking to be made up into teas, tinctures, vinegars and brews! I’m proud to share with you the first small line of health giving products becoming available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/RavenOakMedicinals .
Hops and Chamomile in my Sweet Dreams Tea
Garlic Vinegar is macerating now and will soon become availible for purchase for those of you who dont wish to try the recipe at home. A Blend of Yellow Dock and Dandelion in Apple Cidar Vinegar. Cleansing and Nourishing to the body!
All of my packaging is made from either recycleable, reusable or Completely Compostable materials , why not extend the No Trash Zone to hoseholds everywhere!
My Spring Tonic Tea is delicious chilled and served with a sprig of fresh mint! Cleansing and Tonifying to the body!
YaY! Now I can check one more item off of my New Year’s Resolutions list! And, since I’m so excited about this, anyone who leaves a comment on this post and shoots me an e-mail with your address within the next two or three days will receive a Free Sample of my Spring Tonic Tea! Consider it a thank you for putting up with my erratic posting and crazy procrastination!
Winding Road Farm... 