Summer Solstice ~ This & That

Solstice Moon Illusion ~
June 16 , 2008: Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times.On Wednesday night, June 18th, step outside at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant form rising in the east. At first glance it looks like the full Moon. It has craters and seas and the face of a man, but this "moon" is strangely inflated. It's huge!

A shout out to one of our very own locals:
Dr. Mike Shapiro is a long time family friend, and someone that has helped me thru the years. A true healer in his own right, if you are in the area and need a chiropractor, he is the 'go to' guy.! To read more about Dr. Mike and what he does, please visit his website: Dr.MikeShapiro.com

On the Essential Herbal list that I am on, Sue over at Farm At Coventry, spoke about drying herbs .. with her permission here is the post where she describes the process:

It's almost too simple ...
- Harvest herbs right after dew dries on a sunny day
(with the knowledge that the next few days will be dry and sunny)
- Put small amounts of herbs in paper bags being careful not to load it up to full.
- They have to be able to breathe.
- Keep the doors and windows of the vehicle closed.
- You can either put the bag in the trunk or the back seat.
- Give the bag a shake a few times a day.
- By the third day they should be completely dry.

Note:
(I have dried lemon verbena completely in 6-8 hours in a hot car!)
Fleshier leaves will take longer.

We dry all of our calendula flowers, mints and oregano this way.
They dry very crisp and retain the color. Its amazing.

I will never hang bundles again in this humid old PA farmhouse! You'll? just need to bring them in, strip off the leaves and IMMEDIATELY store them in a dark place in an airtight container.

My best advice for this process is to harvest small amounts at a time.

One time I harvested all my oregano at once and decided to put down the back seat of my SUV , lay down a cloth tablecloth, then all the oregano and cover it all with paper bags. My car smelled like a pizzeria for a week until it was dry! and it took forever to get it stripped off and put away.

Remember:: Only pick what you can comfortably process.

Sue said credit for this information should be given to Jim Long at Long Creek Herbs .

Well, Summer is officially here.! Don't forget to stay hydrated, drink plenty of fluids, and protect your skin. And remember that little children and the elderly on really hot days need extra attention.!

Summer veggies, farmers markets, bounty from your garden, fresh cut flowers, the ocean and just relaxing .. the lazy days of summer are here. Be safe and enjoy,!

~ until next time, Rosanne
SunRoseAromatics.com

Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008

Donna Maria over at the Indie Beauty Network has been an advocate of small business, especially the cosmetic and beauty products industry.

Please visit the Indie Business Forums where Donna Maria talks about the draft of the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008 that was announced last month. This Act is something that will effect all of us in small business or cottage industry.

If you are a small business, please take a moment to read this, as it will effect us all.
~ til next time,
Rosanne

Ease into Summer ~

These yummy mushrooms grow on my brother's property upstate Kent, NY.
My brother calls this picture :: 'The three amigos' for obvious reasons.
(Yellow Morel - Morchella esculenta).
He made them for me .. just a little butter, salt & pepper .. mouth watering.!



The second picture is a favorite dish from our childhood .. that my Grandma would cook for us. We called it .. 'tomato's and eggs' though aka eggs in purgatory', this was a dish during the depression era. Saute some fresh garlic in olive oil, chop up the tomatoes, salt, pepper, fresh basil .. add the eggs , oh boy.!!

Those were bottled tomatoes and fresh herbs from the garden. Yum!

Navigating Food Labels::
Did you know the label "100 Percent Natural" has different meanings for chicken fingers, cookies and various other foods? Or that those "cage-free" chickens might not ever have seen the outdoors? Here's a guide to help sort out what's meaningful, what's dubious — and what's total fluff.

One of my dearest and oldest friend Kat just put up June 2008 'Rock Tarot' readings, a fun and insightful site I think you would enjoy. To visit her page click on: RockReadings.
(I read them all, and was so surprised to read Pisces.!! She made me smile.)

Ok, are we ready to 'ease' into Summer fun.! Well, with the price of gas, the cost of food and everything else happening in the world.. we should still find that quiet time to decompress and
enjoy the many blessing in our lives. For me, its enjoying my garden.

Remember .. to protect your skin, and stay hydrated.! And don't forget our furry friends, they need plenty of water as well.

Back in stock::

- Carrot Seed Hungary
- Clove Bud Madagascar
- Neroli Tunisia
- Violet Leaf Absolute France
- Yarrow Austria

The new and improved SunRose site is still working out some 'bugs' , so please, if you are experiencing any problems, please write me so that we can fit it right quick.!

I hope your garden is growing and thriving !
~ until next time, Rosanne

Website Upgrade

SunRose Aromatics is proud to announce that we have recently merged our wholesale and retail sites! This will allow us to serve you better by focusing our efforts on one site and allowing you to shop in one place.

Please let us know if there is anything that is not working or difficult for you to find.We hope this is an easy transition for our wholesale client base.

We appreciate your patience as we go thru this upgrade. The site will look the same with an upgrade to our shopping cart and other new features.

Thank you for your support.
~ til next time,Rosanne

My Spring Garden in the Bronx ~

How green the back garden is!


Japanese Lacy Leaf Maple

A stone composition by my brother


Garlic growing in the Bronx


to me a flower, to others a weed


Happy Azaela

Dwarf Lilac - so fragrant

Hope you enjoyed this stroll thru my Garden ..

Donna Maria over at the Indie Beauty Network recently interviewed me about SunRose and my new book Chakra Balancing / A Beginner's Guide. To read the interview please visit: Indie Business Blog: Are You Cheating Yourself and Your Customers?

I would like to mention that I have to give the credit of this book design and layout to Toni Esser. It was a joy working with her, and she made my first book effortless and fun.!

As I am self published, without her help, this would have been a very trying experience. Anyone in business that wants to do a project like this, writing a book which would accompany a product you are offering .. this is the 'go to' person.

You can contact Toni :
Toni Esser Design and typesetting
Email: toni@livingenergy.com.au

For the Cat lovers of the world, I want to share with you a wonderful woman and her site.
If you have a moment, please watch the video, it is a 'feel good' few moments. Please visit:
The Cat House on the Kings

Well, it was just a glorious day here in the Bronx, makes me want to 'play hooky' and just be out in Nature. With so many natural disasters happening around the globe, I am so blessed and grateful . Hope wherever you are on the planet, may it be a fragrant and wonderful Spring.!

~ until next time,
Rosanne