( 973 ) 827 ~ 3369
Welcome to the Dégagé Gardens webpage.
Thanks for your interest: hope you enjoy your visit!
To navigate the page ~ please click on the bolded topics at the top of the page, which will bring you to your point of interest within the page!
All links within the page, will open in a new separate page, leaving this one open to return to.
This first section contains plenty of environemntal info, videos & links, for which I am passionate. I have been intending to separate this into individual topic pages for years, and somehow, always find something better to do! If you're looking for something in particular, please click following
to email me, & I'll send you link to exact location!
Thank you to all for your continuing support ~ financially & spiritually. May we all fill the remainder of this year with thankfulness !
Latest update: Tuesday, May 21st 2013.
RIGHT NOW!
*******Sussex County has many wonderful qualities, my internet connection not being one of them! Waited sort of patiently to get online, for 8 hours that day, to say that I wouldn't be able to make the following event! My apologies to anyone I may have inconvienced! Best, Anne*******
Sunday, May 19th!
This would have been the 3rd time I’d be joining in this wonderful event, in its 3rd location! This year it's being held on the Green in Morristown! This great park is located in the heart of Morristown. Hoping it was an awesome event for ALL!
Click HERE to check out the Sustainable Morristown website & for more info on event. Click on the below little poster to view larger image.
Thank you Dr. Paul Marston, director of
for bringing in some of my Body Wraps & Eye Pillows for your patients! You have a wonderful facility, which truly emanates wellness through the countless options you & your tremendous staff give your clients to help regain & maintains their health!
is located at
300 Kakeout Road in Kinnelon, NJ
(973) 838 ~ 6252
Please click on their above logo for more info, helpful health articles, and informative blog!
Thanks to all who joined in Saturday, May 11th
for the 6th Annual Glen Ridge Eco~Fair
To view larger version, click on above image.
There was a plentitude of really kind people. Thanks to all who stopped & talked, supported & signed the label GMO's petitions. Thanks to Kai for bringing me a chai from the chai guy = )
When I was able to stray from my table in the train station, I loved everything I saw! Am confident that next year I'll be personally joined by someone, so that I can get out & see more of the amazing folks who will be there again!
To learn more about the event,
please click on the below image.
Below is a 2 minute video from
This is an amazing organization that is devoted to our planet. “Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law organization dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.”
When you are finished viewing,
please click the below underlined, to find ways which you can Take Action
Thanks to all who came Sunday, May 5th,
to the Clinton Community Center for the
Click above to view larger image!
It was an indoor & outdoor event, which included speakers, holistic practitioners & holistic vendors, handmade crafts & chair massages! Thank you Christina for the invitation! To read more about the event & to participate in their Fall event, click on the below image!
*****My apologies ~ I will not be able to make the following event due to health. I hope the event provides many with lots of pertinent environmental information, which will help our planet!*****
Please join me this Saturday, April 27th
from 11 am ~ 4 pm
This 6th Annual Maplewood Green Day Fair
will be held at
Maplewood Memorial Park
Maplewood, NJ 07040
You can use the Municipal building address (574 Valley St Maplewood, NJ 07040) for a map location also. This building is located directly across one of the streets from the venue!
This event is accessible by train & bus ~ with stops just a block from event!
There will be eco~entertainment, local food & farmers, demos, ½ price, kid planet~friendly fun, gardening attractions, & 80 green vendors, environmental organizations, and health and fitness representatives!
*****My apologies ~ I will not be able to make this event due to health. I hope the event provides many with lots of pertinent environmental information, which will help our planet!*****
Click below for event schedule,
how to get there, & more details!
Thank you all who joined in
last Saturday, April 20th for the 7th Annual Earth Day Fair held at the Pearl R Miller School.
There was such a wonderful variety of earth friendly ideas; eye opening displays & presentations on our human effects on our planet; & plenty of opportunities to get involved in some of the solutions currently offered, including actions like signing petitions to ban fracking & GMO's! Bravo to a well rounded event, & for offering snacks which included organic veggies, popcorn, cookies & brownies!
For more info on the organization which hosted this event, please, click on their below logo!
At the above event, I met one of the founders of a wonderful local charity, which hosts bike rides for hunger! Proceeds go toward helping the hungry of New Jersey (food banks) and building clean water sources globally. Please join them for northern New Jersey’s largest charity bike event on Saturday, May 5th in Kinnelon! For more details about this event, future rides, or about this organization, please click on their logo below:
N E W !
15 Washington Street ... Morristown
(973) 267 ~ 0079
Thank you Nicole, for bringing in my NEW Dream Body Wraps & Lavender ones, too! Thanks also for sharing these wraps over the years with your clients, to warm & relax them while they ready for their massages! The energy in your space is so very calming & healing.
Please visit Nicole for “Swedish, Deep Tissue, Integrated Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Sports Massage, Manual Lymph Drainage and Raindrop Technique. Achieve relaxation, pain relief and athletic performance.”
For more information, including explanations of different massages, benefits of them, & current special, please click on picture below to be redirected to her website:
N E W !
Morristown, NJ
(973) 267 ~ 4816
Thank you, Dian for bringing in some Aromatherapy Eye Pillows for your clients!
Dian offers a series of classes, including a 6 month nutritional certification course, biannually.
Dian promotes “self-sufficiency through education”.
Dian & two other staff nutritionists, “offer private nutritional consultations leading to personalized diet & supplement protocols.”
“… we hope to empower others, through education, to make better decisions about maintaining their own health and well being.”
For additional info, please click on image below:
It was so wonderful to be in the former Health Shoppe in Morristown on Monday, April 8th, for the pre-opening party for the New
The energy of the attendees, which this event brought together, was incredibly warm & vibrant!
This party included tasty treats, samples from local gluten free food providers, demos from local alternative health practitioners, an informative display from Grow It Green Morristown, and lots of wonderful laughter!
A recurring thread throughout the evening: anticipation for their Monday, April 15th opening!
Conscious Fork
20 McEwen St … Warwick NY
(845) 988 – KALE (5253)
Thank you Kim for bringing in a selection of sachets & refills into your delicious space! The soup & hommus I had while I was there, was superb!
Please visit their FB page, by clicking below logo!
35,000 caring people from 30-plus states & Canada, braved the cold & stood up for our planet last Sunday, February 17th, 2013.
I’ve been listening to the DC Rally in the background while working today. You can click on the above photo to view/listen. A bit choppy in places. Wish there was a way to send people just bits & pieces.... hey, perhaps there is & I'm just not tech savvy enough ... yet ; )
Most of the speeches which took place on a stage near the Washington Monument, are made within the 1st half hour & the last 17 minutes. They include one of the main organizers, Bill McKibben of 350.org, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, environmental advocate ~ civil rights activist and attorney Van Jones, Sierra Club’s Michael Brune, & Chief Jacqueline Thomas. I share my highlights below, for those who are limited on time.
I was completely impressed by tribes from Northern Alberta Canada coming all the way down to share their experiences & lend their support.
Starting a little before the 20 minute mark, one of their tribal leaders, Chief Jacqueline Thomas, is so poignant, & points out that spills are not just present in Canada. She shares those which we have not able to clean up here in US ~ after 2 years! Two other representatives speak volumes, in just a short time, at about the 31 minute mark. Their personal experiences are invaluable.
Here's to more people gaining understanding & more compassion for the earth = )
The only member of congress to speak was Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. He can be heard at 24 minute mark.
At 2:50 ~ the march returns to the mall & the stage, & there’s an energetic performance by Eve backed by DJ Dallas Green, which looks to warm the crowd, which is enduring single digit temps with the wind chill!
At 2:58 ~ Bill McKibben from 350.org & Michael Brune from the Sierra Club speak some closing words.
At 3:01 ~ there is a Round Dance by Native North Americans, who are joined off stage by participants holding hands = ) At 3:06 ~ Two minute segment including some wonderful closing words, thank you’s, & a moment of silence, "for those who have gone before us, and those unborns who are on their way".
And the last few minutes have no sound, but it’s wonderful to watch how much energy these folks have, after being outdoors for hours in such cold weather. Bravo to all who went! Thank you for representing me & our earth!
The day after President Obama delivered his fourth State of the Union address, Actress Daryl Hannah, CREDO President and CEO Michael Kieschnick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., & his son Conor were arrested again yesterday in front of the White House protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline. After 120 years, the Sierra Club suspended its longtime avoidance of civil disobedience, and its executive director, Michael Brune also joined 44 other activitsts in plastic handcuffs.
Daryl Hannah said that they were taking the president’s words to action “it’s incumbent upon the citizens of the United Sates to push him” “on the global climate crisis”.
Eloquent as ever Kennedy stated, that the pipeline “is a project that will enrich a few billionaires, by impoverishing the rest of humanity”.
Perhaps you cannot get down to DC this Sunday. Instead, we can use our hands to pick up the phone & make a quick call to the While House!
Call President Obama
202-456-1111
Reject Keystone XL!
This link will redirect you to a page where you can record what happened when you called. While composing this, another 107 people have reported their calls! Let’s keep that number rolling!
Morgan Freeman. Edward Norton. Bonnie Raitt. Alec Baldwin. Yoko Ono. "24 celebrities joined with the Sierra Club, the NAACP, and other major progressive organizations today (Feb 7 2013) for a full-page newspaper ad in D.C. They called on President Obama to take immediate climate action and declared their support for everyone attending Sunday's Forward On Climate Rally."
On Sunday, February 17th, 35,000 took part in one of the largest climate rally in history!
More than 50,000 activists. 168 partner organizations. 150 buses. One cause.
They all gathered at The National mall in DC to demand that President Obama live up to his promise to address climate change.
Thank you 350.org for taping over 3 of the 4 hours of marching & speakers, including moving & wise words from a Canadian Indian Tribal Leader. Click on below Logo to view:
This 2 minute video speaks volumes:
To register for the event, or to learn more about why OCA will be there promoting climate change through their : Boycott Factory Farmed Food! Campaign, click on underlined. There is also an option at the bottom of this linked page to register through Facebook.
And, for a little deserved comedy amidst all of this ~ here's a dark comedic video titled "We Love Oil". Great for teaching kids how valuable the relief of sarcasm can be! Happy St. Valentine's Day!
So. Yesterday, another stumbling block, which felt more like a WALL yesterday, falls in my way. So today, I turn on the radio to distract me from the overwhelming effects, which this stumbling block is having on me. And, once again, I’m reminded how small the possible end of my 13 year old business is, compared to the constant continuation of the loss of the health of our planet, due our daily blind use of detrimental chemicals in food & products purchased.
A segment of The Leonard Lopate Show today, January 30, 2013, was titled "How Safe Are Our Oceans?". “Fabien Cousteau, a filmmaker, oceanographic explorer and grandson of Jacques Cousteau, and marine toxicologist Susan Shaw talk about the health of the oceans and conservation.”
This segment mentioned that The Safe Chemicals Act was introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg in 2011. If you are unfamiliar with this Act & are looking for a way in which you can contribute, please watch this short 3 minute video on youtube.
And being who I am ~ I need to find an immediate way which I can be a part of this voice.
I found the following information on a website called www.SafeChemicals.org
“Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families represents over 450 organizations and millions of Americans who are concerned about toxic chemicals.
We are nurses, moms, learning disability advocates, small business owners, reproductive health advocates, cancer survivors and people with varied interests all coming together to protect families from toxic chemicals.
Our coalition is working to repair our broken system and pass the Safe Chemicals Act.
Senator Frank Lautenberg, along with 29 co-sponsors, has introduced the Safe Chemicals Act, a bill that would put common sense limits on toxic chemicals. Partnership, hard work, and commitment to protecting the health of American families can drive this bill forward.
This spring we expect to see a vote on the bill in the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee and hope to see it move to the Senate floor.”
Please, make one minute right now & join this nationwide effort to protect American families from toxic chemicals. Click: Tell your Senators you support the Safe Chemicals Act and ask them to step up and become co-sponsors today! & fill in your zip code. It will auto-populate with your local Senators. Fill in your 1st & last name & email address & click send! Please make one minute right now to let our government know that you care about the health of our children, our selves, our water, air & environment.
Once you send your message, there’s an opportunity to share on Facebook & Twitter also = ) And, please, feel free to share this text, or any part of it, via email, Facebook, Twitter etc..
There are also phone numbers given, if you wish to engage your local Senators in this discussion by phone.
Thank you all who came out for the
5th Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, & Family
on Sunday, January 27, 2013
at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown
The event was sponsored by
& brought "together local farmers, food artisans, and like-minded organizations for an afternoon of sustainably, locally produced foods to stock up on for the winter."
The $3 donation taken at the door supports Slow Food Northern NJ School Vegetable Garden Programs
For more information and list of participating farms, foods artisans, & friends, click here: www.slowfoodnnj.org!
2012 was a wonderful year for me, because I
found out about an amazing organization that is devoted to our planet. “Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law organization dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.”
Click the underlined, to find ways which you can Take Action ~ like : “ Watch this video, share it with your friends, and tell your senators to vote against any attempts to delay or prevent federal regulation of coal ash!”
Check the events calendar for upcoming events that are open to the public.
Subscribe to Earthjustice emails to receive evites to invitation-only events.
I believe that every moment we spend exhibiting a care for the earth, is a moment of blessed bliss!
Thanks to all who joined us at the
yesterday Saturday, December 15th
Please click on the image above to learn more about the Holiday Bazaar which was hosted by the local zoo, at the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland, NJ. "A portion of the proceeds will benefit wildlife."
Thanks to all who visited
last Saturday, December 8th for their
10th Annual Open House
For more information about future events & current specials, click underlined above.
The owner, Dawn, is now stocking many of my products at her wonderful place!
“Feel the difference massage and yoga make. Garden of Life Therapeutic Massage & Yoga Center has been voted Sussex County’s Best Massage. The center is made up of caring, professional massage therapists and yoga teachers committed to providing our clients and students with the best treatments to help attain and maintain harmony and balance in body and mind. We offer a full range of massage therapy, yoga, and skin services for all ages and stages of life.”
Thank you Dawn for bringing my products into your wonderfully relaxing Massage & Yoga Center! Your staff is terrific!
Wantage Plaza
205 Route 23 North
Wantage, NJ 07461
(973) 875 ~ 5433
Thank you Lory for bringing my products into your relaxing healing center!
This day is all about making the care of one's self the very first thought on our list of "Things to Do"!
For, once we do this, we are able to help others more often & more deeply.
Whatever our life experience for this moment will only be changed by you! Each moment is an experience and each experience is a lesson. I find it so beneficial to be grateful for all times, because they are learning points in our lives. Even the hardest of times can bring forth new found Blessings and Rainbows. With each lesson will come healing and wisdom. Please come to my healing center, and take part in your own healing. My center has many healing opportunities, including Reiki & Maluhia Healing, hypnosis, and Hawaiian Mana Card Readings. One can also become certified in Reiki, so they too can assist others in their healing.
Please stop by this unique healing center soon!
To learn more about all that Lory offers, please click on the picture below.
23 Diamond Spring Rd.
Suite 5
Denville, NJ 07834
(973) 224 ~ 6773
Thank you to all who came to the
21st Annual Gingerbread Wonderland
and Holiday Craft Show
on Saturday & Sunday
December 1st & 2nd
It was so lovely seeing so many familiar faces, meeting new people, learning new things, and being a part of such a wonderful event!
If anyone wants additonal info on anything about which we talked, please send me an email or call, and I'll be happy to help!
All of your support is so greatly appreciated!
Please note that the Gingerbread Wonderland will be open through Sunday December 9th from 10 am - 5 pm (8 pm on Friday!).
Also, there will be a host of vendors there again from 10 a.m. ~ 5 p.m.
Saturday, December 8th
&
Sunday, December 9th
The Arboretum is located at
353 East Hanover Ave.
Morristown, NJ 07962
The event is being held in the Haggerty Education Center, located at the top of the hill on the left. There is ample free parking. Hopefully, the weather will be mild, and folks will be able to walk around this wonderful Morris County park, which I have enjoyed watching evolve over the 25 years, which I've been frequenting it!
There is a suggested donation of $2 per person, and $1 per person for seniors and students, which is collected at the door. Donations benefit Horticultural Education Programs.
"This December marks the 21st Anniversary of Gingerbread Wonderland. Guests young and old marvel at the creativity, skills and sense of optimism that characterizes this charming and ecumenical exhibit of over 200 edible structures. Past year's "gingerbreads" have included models of Notre Dame cathedral, Hanukah menorahs, Japanese temples, Chinese pagodas, European castles and neighborhood sweet shops.
Groups of 10 or more must make a reservation by calling at 973-326-7601.
Please note that the Gingerbread Wonderland will be open from Friday November 30th, 2012 through Sunday December 9th from 10 am - 5 pm (8 pm on Fridays).
The Gingerbread contest is so very creative, and choosing a favorite, on which to cast your vote is so very challenging!
To view larger picture of above flyer, click on it.
For more info about future events at the arboretum, please visit their website by clicking on their below logo.
Or, visit their facebook page by clicking picture below:
Annual Holiday Boutique
Thanks for supporting our local crafts people the last couple of weekends. Hostess, Maria Glaser-Roeser, owner of Stonehill Pottery in Newfoundland, offered her own incredible pottery, & brought in other local artists gifts, some of which she will be keeping on hand until the week before Christmas. Please visit
which is located at
145 Union Valley Road
Newfoundland, NJ
Note: Google Maps shows location 7/10ths of a mile off of Route 23 north in West Milford
Phone : (973) 697 ~ 4114
For more detailed info, please refer to the below article, posted in November 15th’s
Holiday Boutique at Stonehill Pottery Offers Unique Gifts
Please visit her store soon & support a local artist!
Visit her on line by clicking her store name in lavender below:
Stonehill Pottery Shoppe
145 Union Valley Road
Newfoundland, NJ
(just 1/2 mile off Rt. 23 ~ part of West Milford)
973 - 697 - 4114
My prayers and positive thoughts are ever present while so many are picking up the pieces after the storm.
With limited gas, to get me to my mothers and back, I've been given the opportunity to watch a free documentary, which was sent to me.
It is a documentary of a Canadian farmer who fought Monsanto & won! This is the LINK to the 5 minute trailer, which also contains recent study info on the ill effects of GMO's.
The offer to watch for free has expired.
This is the LINK to the films creator, where you can buy the DVD, and it also has an opportunity for one to make a donation = )
If you are short on cash, you can "rent" it on amazon for $2.99 for the week: David vs Monsanto
Please also make ONE minute to sign ~~~
Join 1.2 million Americans, and sign the petition to say that you want the US to become the 51st nation to require GM labeling!
To find out why 95% of consumers believe GE foods should be labeled & why 92% of Americans want the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods, please watch a 3 minute video, created by "Just Label It.org".
Where are the other 91% of Americans who are saying they want labeling ?
Please click below now, if you have not already signed.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke
Irish political philosopher 1700's
Monsanto told us DDT was safe.
Monsanto told us PCBs were safe.
Monsanto told us Agent Orange was safe.
DDT, PCB’s & Agent Orange are all carcinogens, and are unsafe, and should not be consumed.
August 2012, the US began a massive cleanup of Agent Orange in Vietnam, 50 years after its use as a defoliant. It is responsible for nearly a half million deaths, and another half million children being born with birth defects. There is a higher incidence of birth defects (some families have 6 of 6 kids with birth defects, and on-going medical needs in those children who have survived) in areas where this chemical warfare was used.
In January 2012, West Virginians near a Monsanto chemical plant filed a class action lawsuit against Monsanto. This plant has produced 2,4,5-T (a chemical which comprises about half of Agent Orange) for decades, and continues to pollute their town. They suffer from the effects of exposure, and have a much higher incidence of cancer.
At the very same time, the Dow Chemical Company is seeking government deregulation of a new genetically-modified (GM) variety of corn resistant to 2,4-D, the other half of Agent Orange.
This means, of course, that the company will need to spray 2,4-D on the crops in order for them to grow, which would require the EPA to lift its ban on the chemical.
So, 50 years after we sprayed Agent Orange, it still lingers, and enters the food supply (thru fish and animals).
Why in the world would we want to start spraying it again ?
Monsanto told us GMO’s are safe.
They have been creating hazardous GMO foods since 1996.
Entire countries have banned GMO’s.
49 nations require labeling of the foods, which contain GMO’s.
In 2013, India will become the 50th country to require labeling.
Have you signed the petition in the United States to finally label our food?
Did you know that over 30,000 products in our super markets contain GMO’s ?
Did you know that Aspartame is a carcinogenic GMO which is in 6,000 products in the US?
A conservative estimate concludes that 75+ % of American foods and body products contain genetically modified organisms.
Did you know that 96% Soy, 86% of Corn, 75 % of Canola, and 76% of Cotton/Cottonseed grown in the US are GMO?
Since the introduction of GMO crops in 1996, one farmer every 30 seconds has committed suicide. One in five choose to drink the very chemicals, which they were forced to buy, and which bankrupted their families.
Did you know?:
· “The world’s first lifetime feeding study discovered that rats fed a diet containing 11 percent GE corn developed massive breast tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious health problems in the 13th month of life.
· To put this into human perspective, if the average lifespan of a person is 80 years, these health problems would start rearing their ugly head somewhere during the 43rd year of life, provided your diet contained just over 10 percent GE foods and you began eating them in early childhood
· According to a report released by the Environmental Working Group, Americans are eating their weight and more in genetically engineered food every year—an average of 193 pounds of GE foods annually
David vs Monsanto
The above link also contains a one hour movie, which is available to watch for free until November 11th, 2012. It is a documentary of a Canadian farmer who fought Monsanto & won!
Please, remember to click below & sign this petition NOW!
Let’s help America become the 51st nation to require labeling!
Thanks to all at
who came to their Fall Green Market!
It is always so nice to spend the day at your location, and get to talk to so many who care so much!
Thanks to all who came out to the Ringwood Farm Market on Saturday, October 27th.
What a pleasant surprise to not only see the sun peak thru, but also the eagles who blessed & impressed us with their flying, and the pileated woodpecker which graced us while packing up!
Thank you to all who joined me
Saturday, October, 13th
for a day of bounty!
Lots of local fresh & prepared fall food selections & locally handcrafted items were available & lots of tasty honey!
For more info, please click on the image below:
Please watch this 18 second video:
Thanks to all who joined the Global Frackdown on Saturday,
September 22, 2012!
Events to educate & demonstrate were scheduled all over the world. There are 2 events scheduled in Poland & Austria for later in October. You can post your event too! Please click on the below image to find out about an event in your area (by zip code), help spread the word, and to sign a petition to help ban fracking!
Thanks to those who came out to St. Cat's in Ringwood last weekend & supported us!
I have been enjoying reading several articles & watching several videos online about this weeks Global Occupy Monsanto events. And, thank God for the young in our world, for coming out & speaking out!
Scroll down to read more about this global event, and how you can participate!
Stay-cation Invitation!
If you are like myself, you were blessed with being able to take another stay-cation this year (this is lucky year # 7, 2012)! I know my gardens look better for it ; ) Every couple few weeks this summer 2012, I took an afternoon & took advantage of some of the nearby scenic wonders in Jersey, & am so fortunate to have finally had an opportunity to see Duke Gardens down in Hillsborough, which is now open to the public for free! We stopped at the now closed Health Shoppe in Morristown while their deli was still open, & brought a picnic lunch with us!
My Stay-cation 2012 was the start of a more active on-line advocacy for many issues which pull at my heart strings, and which all have one thing in common: Honouring our Earth! Last September, there was a March on Monsanto ~ which is being reprised in 2013!
Well, we all have a wonderful upcoming opportunity on May 25th,2013 at 2 pm WORLDWIDE to participate in a really great stay-cation! A worldwide “Occupy Monsanto” week of action is being organized now!
To find out where you can be involved, or where you can start the involvement, click on the above Occupy Monsanto medical bracelet = )
“This is a Call to Action for a Non-Hierarchical Occupation of Monsanto Everywhere
Whether you like it or not, chances are Monsanto contaminated the food you ate today with chemicals and unlabeled GMOs. Monsanto controls much of the world's food supply at the expense of food democracy worldwide. This site is dedicated to empowering citizens of the world to take action against Monsanto & it's enablers like the FDA, USDA, EPA, GMA, BIO, and the processed food companies that use Monsanto's products.”
Monsanto has hundreds of facilities for our protest convenience in the US, as well as over 300 more in other countries!
As of May 14th 2013, the following have confirmed locations in the following states in the US & countries. Please consult their above link to website, to find the exact locations in each state or country: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tenneesee, Tennessee/Virginia, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, & the District of Columbia/Washington, DC. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Channel Islands, Chile, Columbia, Croatia, Denmark, Ecaudor, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatamala, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovokia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, & Switzerland! Note: many places have multiple locations!
South Dakota has a Monsanto facility, which needs us to organize an occupation!
If your state does not have a facility, and you are not near a state which has one, they are suggesting our state capitals as another option for an occupy site! There are other non-Monsanto venues listed on the site, and some additional dates where things are happening.
The following countries also have Monsanto facilities, which need people to organize an occupation: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brussels, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, & Zimbabwe.
I am completely thrilled that since September 2012, when I posted the last March on Monsanto participants, 30 more countries have joined the march, as well as 21 US states! Bravo to all who have grown this movement!!
Clicking on either the above or the below Occupy Monsanto bracelet image, will bring you to a site which has tools for everyone & anyone to use to schedule & organize. Please note, that folks can just wear their street clothes. Being present is what really matters, bio-hazard gear or not.
If you're unsure why people are doing this, please click on the following image
& you'll be brought to the same image in my Links section in the right hand column of this page. There you can view some information & videos which will give you some ideas of the lengths that Monsanto has gone to, to make money while indiscriminately polluting & destroying our planet, farmers, and worldwide health. Let's share this with more people, so that less people have to unknowingly suffer at their hands. Did you know that there are currently now 30,000 products, which contain GMOs on our grocery store shelves ? "A conservative estimate concludes that 75+ % of American foods and body products contain genetically modified organisms. Regardless of dozens of scientific warnings, the FDA has approved widespread use of GMO ingredients in America’s foods and body products." Did you know that 93% of soy & 86% of corn grown in the US is Genetically Modified? 36 countries have restricted or banned the sale, distribution, import, use, and commercial planting or field trials of GMO’s. In January 2013, India became the 50th nation to require labeling of GM products.
The US is not one of the 36 countries to restrict/ban use/sale/import/planting of GMO's. The US is not one of the 49 countries to require labeling of GMO's. Together, we will push to become both!
What else can we do?
Join 1.2 million Americans, and sign the petition to say that you want the US to become the 51st nation to require GM labeling!
To find out why 95% of consumers believe GE foods should be labeled & why 93% of Americans want the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods, please watch a 3 minute video, created by "Just Label It.org".
What else can we do?
We can avoid buying GM (soy, corn, cottonseed oil, canola, Hawaiian Papayas, sugar beets, zucchini, alfalfa, aspartame, & Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) ~~ rice in 2013) by watching our product labels, or purchase their organic versions, so that we know we are not buying GM food! Please note that soy, corn, & canola are quite prevalent in those ingredients lists! Keep in mind that high-fructose corn syrup is on more and more labels. It is also listed as HFCS. Avoid aspartame by not purchasing products which labels do not contain the words: Nutrasweet, Equal, or aspartame. It’s found in most diet sodas & in over 6,000 products now! Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is a GM synthetic hormone which is injected into approximately 20% of the dairy cows in the US to boost the production of milk, which contain Insulin Growth Factor-1, which is associated with increasing the risk for certain cancers. Look for milk products, ice cream, cheeses etc, which contain a label stating that they do not contain rBGH, and organic products, which are not permitted to contain GM. When one does buy beef, they can now purchase it from farmers (it’s now available locally, everywhere in our garden state, NJ) who are raising their cattle on grass. This way, one can also avoid ingesting GM soy, corn, & rBGH, while also foregoing the antibiotics, which are so prevalent now in feed animals in the US & GB.
What else can we do?
When we buy seed to plant in our own pots, planters, and gardens, we will buy from a company which does not buy ANY GM seed ~ like Fedco Seeds:
I have been a fan & supporter of Fedco for many years. Their seed has always been very reliable, and I've always gotten more seed for less money from them. This may be due to the fact that they still offer generic 1 color seed packages, and still buy their seeds from alot of the smaller farmers. They are "your source for cold-hardy selections especially adapted to our demanding Northeast climate. Each year we observe hundreds of varieties, selecting only the best for inclusion in our catalogs. Through our product lines and cultural hints, we encourage sustainable growing methods. We offer a large selection of certified organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties. We buy products from all over the world."
What else can we do?
We can buy our plants from folks who are using non-GM seed!
There was a new local (Hardwick, NJ) place which was utilizing seeds from Fedco!
In May 2012, I met a young farmer, Erin who, with a friend, Lisa, were renting land & growing Herb, Flower, & Veggie seedlings ~ including some great greens ~ & they were
Grown Locally with
Sustainable, Organic Practices
HEIRLOOM
ORGANIC
OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS
NO GMO SEED
NO PESTICIDES
NO SYNTHETIC
or
PETROLEUM-BASED FERTILIZERS
"Harmony Starts sells seedlings grown from certified organic, heirloom and/or open-pollinated seeds. We use carefully mixed potting soil made with organic compost and organic coconut coir with the addition of slow-release nutrients for an abundant crop."
** May 21, 2013 ~ just spoke with Erin & she was not able to locate a space to grow her organic seedlings this year. She is currently working with the non~profit, Genesis Farm in Blairstown ~ which has a lovely CSG (Community Supported Garden = an opportunity to dig in the dirt & participate in growing your food!)
Erin is offering Heirloom tomato seedlings only this year, at this venue. She is hoping to return to growing her organic seedlings in 2014. So, if you're looking for Heirloom tomato seedlings, or if know of a space which she can utilize ~ please contact her thru her website, by clicking on her Harmony Starts logo above!
What else can we do?
We can also boycott those seed companies, which buy from the GM giant Monsanto & subsidiaries (a partial list is below).
Once companies see that healthy food & a safe environment are important, they will stop buying from Monsanto, and other GM creators & suppliers. Several countries have changed their policies, by listening to their citizens choices at the checkout!
The change starts here & now. With you. With me. With our neighbors. With our friends. With our relatives. With our co-workers. With our team mates. With our classmates. With our fellow planet sharers!
A partial list of seed companies to which, I have been told, Seminis (Owned by GM giant Monsanto) supplies seed & which we can all boycott: * Audubon Workshop * Breck’s Bulbs * Burpee * Cook’s Garden * Earl May Seed * E & R Seed Co. * Flower of the Month Club * Gardens Alive * Garden Trends * Germania Seed Co. * Gurneys * Henry Fields * HPS * Jungs * Lindenberg Seeds * McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers * Mountain Valley Seed * Nichol’s * Osborne * Otis S.Twilley Seed Co * Park Bulbs * Park Seed * Park’s Countryside Garden * R.H. Shumway * Rocky Mountain Seed Co. * Roots and Rhizomes * Rupp * Seeds for the World * Seymour’s Selected Seeds * Snow * Spring Hill Nurseries * Stokes * T&T Seeds * Territorial Seeds ***** NOTE: Tom Johns, the owner of Territorial, is committed to seed diversity and non-GMO products, and has been finding replacements for the few seed strains that were from Seminis. * Tomato Growers Supply * Totally Tomato * The Vermont Bean Seed Company * Wayside Gardens * Willhite Seed Co.
Please notify me with documentation, if I have been misinformed about a particular company on this list, and I will remove them promptly.
What else can we do?
Please copy & paste this information into an email ~ Facebook it ~ Tweet the web address to Just Label It: http://justlabelit.org/ ~ Pin it ~ SHARE IT ~ with our friends, our neighbors, our relatives, our co-workers, our team mates, our classmates, and with our fellow planet sharers!
Now the question is:
What WILL we do ?!
Or rather,
What ARE we doing ?!
And tomorrow, we must ask the same question again:
What ARE we doing ?!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead
"The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm,
but because of those who look at it without doing anything."
~ Albert Einstein
Thanks to all who participated in the National Rally
"Stop the Frack Attack" which was organized & held on Saturday, July 28th in Washington, D.C..
Thanks to all who participated in the Lobby Day on Thursday, July 26th ~ for those who were unable to make the rally, and who aided in the swell of lobbyists in DC that day!
On July 28th, Pete Seeger, Holly Near, Ed Asner, Margot Kidder, Mark Ruffalo, Ed Begley Jr., Josh Fox, Lois Gibbs, Bill McKibben, Gus Speth, Cornel West, Vandana Shiva, James Hansen, Dar Williams, Michael Kieschnick, Joe Uehlein, and over 100 organizations and community groups were at the rally which demanded Congress stop fracking! “The event will have three demands for Congress: stop dangerous hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking; close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy.” For more info on this event, please click on their logo:
If you haven't called yet, to tell your members of Congress how you feel, you can still do so!
It’s easy.
Just call the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121
and ask to speak to your member of Congress.
OR call them directly ~ click on/use the site below & look to the left of map a little down. You can select your personal location, by entering you state & zip code, & it will show you your Congressmen (Senators & Representatives) which represent where you live = )
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Once you are connected,
you can tell whoever answers this:
'I am calling to ask for your support for the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, also known as the FRAC Act. The House bill is H.R. 1084, sponsored by Representatives DeGette, Hinchey and Polis. The Senate bill is S. 587, sponsored by Senator Casey. Passing this law would repeal the oil and gas industry’s exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act. This would allow the EPA to regulate fracking’s impacts on our drinking water supply and force the oil and gas industry to publicly disclose the types, amounts, and combinations of chemicals they use in fracking. Will you cosponsor the FRAC Act and support national drinking water protections?'
Of course, you can use your own words too = )
Please call your member of Congress TODAY!
Thank you to all who joined us Saturday, July 14th at the
which was themed “Local Life and Learning”
at Rock Spring Park in Long Valley, NJ
This green themed free festival hosted over 30 environmental exhibits, kids’ educational programs, live music, food from local farms, and documentary films which were shown throughout the day. Music ranged from classic rock to environmentally conscious. Attendees brought blanket & picnics, & relaxed for a day of fun in the partial sun = )
Click HERE for details about the day!
It’s that time of year when a lot of gardeners are asking themselves why they planted so many cucumber or squash plants. With in the next few weeks, you’ll be scrambling to find homes for your excess tomatoes. Neighbors will kindly accept your offerings. But, what if you were to donate it to you local food pantry? I recently became aware of this great site:
When I put in my zip code, I was so surprised to find that there are 5 food pantries within 10 miles of my home. There are an additional 15 pantries in the next 10 miles from me! There are 35 food pantries listed within 25 miles of my home! So, no matter which way I’m driving that day, I’m sure to pass one along the way! If you know of a local food pantry by you that is not listed, please assist in getting the word out to them, and help get them listed, so their clients will be able to share in all of our ample harvests! Thanks!
Want to find out how you & your household matches up against your average American … or German .. Swede .. Mexican.. Kenyan? Click here to calculate:
Was so happy to find out that I’m producing only 32% of what the average American produces, & am looking forward to finding new ways to lower that number even more = )
Did you know that 10 of the hottest years on record, globally, have all been in the last 15 years! I’m sweating as I type this on the 16th hot day in July 2012! Yes, it’s the 16th of July!
According to one of US governments websites, www.ncdc.noaa.gov : “These are the warmest 12-month periods on record for the contiguous United States. During the June 2011-June 2012 period, each of the 13 months ranked among the warmest third of their historical distribution for the first time in the 1895-present record. The odds of this occurring randomly are 1 in 1,594,323. The July 2011-June 2012 12-month period surpassed the June 2011-May 2012 period as the warmest consecutive 12-months that the contiguous U.S. has experienced.”
Here’s a resource, which is helping empower all people to be a part of the solution! I just joined & became the 1,433,592nd supporter of the Stop Global Warming Virtual March! You too can become part of the movement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions & demand that our leaders freeze it now. And, they gently remind us that
“We are all contributors to global warming”.
To join, click image below!
You don't have to join to uitilize this site which is chock full of ideas to bring to schools and classrooms & your next game night;
videos & articles to educate & motivate;
news articles which are continually being added; petitions to sign....
While we’re all anticipating the release of Gasland 2, Josh Fox has given us another gem to share.
The following link will bring you to an article in Rolling Stone which features this 18 minute video: THE SKY IS PINK
This link The Sky is Pink will lead you to just the video on vimeo.
After watching this video & sharing with others, please take a few minutes to
call the Governors and President Obama TODAY and tell them Don’t Drill the Delaware, and Don’t approve ANY regulations to permit fracking!
Governor Christie’s office - 609-292-6000
Governor Cuomo’s office - 518-474-8390
Gov Corbett’s office – 717-787-2500
Gov Markell’s Wilmington Office - 302-577-3210
And the white house comment line is 202-456-1111
Here is a brief synopsis of the video, if you are still on dial up & unable to view the movie.
In 2009, the American Natural Gas Association (ANGA) hired Hill & Knowlton, the same PR firm used by tobacco industry in 1950’s to dispel the notion that cigarette smoking can cause lung cancer. Bogus science was created by the firm & used in advertising to deceive millions of Americans into thinking that smoking cigarettes was not only safe, but doctor recommended & healthful. Decades later, while tobacco execs lied, memos surfaced proving they KNEW from the get-go, that nicotine's addictive & tobacco causes cancer.
Josh does a great job at clearing the air of ‘questionable’ items in his 1st film: Gasland. Actual documents from inside the gas industry & from the State of Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s 2010 Groundwater Report, are shown, stating that the concrete barriers on gas wells do NOT keep all gas inside & some of the gas is able to leak out & migrate into aquifers (= our drinking water). This migrating gas is mixed with the fracking solution which is comprised of over 596 chemicals, almost all of which have never been tested for their effects on human health. The most prevalent ingredient is benzene ~ a known carcinogen, which is toxic even at low levels of concentration. 6% of well casings have already failed immediately upon drilling, & over a 30 year period, 50% have failed! Remember, it was cement casing failure that caused the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill which took months to contain!
Shocking statistics include: 45% = 6,650 wells in Gulf of Mexico & 34% 1,600 wells in North Sea, UK have integrity issues, with 40% having “high rates of discharge”. Recent Pennsylvania DEP statistic : of the 1,454 wells drilled, 90 of them had failures. That’s 6.2% failure. In 2011, 1,937 wells drilled, 121 failures = 6.2% In just Jan/Feb 2012 alone, 262 wells were drilled, of which 19 were failures = 7.2% Scarily, these statistics are consistent with previous industry data, and not improving.
America already has 200,000 wells drilled: over 16.7% of them leaking!
That’s 33,400 wells leaking across America!
Compare that to Australia who only has 46 wells, of which 44% are leaking.
Remember Weston Wilson ~ EPA environmental engineer statements in Gasland ?
"Once they're introduced, they're going to stay in the groundwater system, and these lighter components can be on top of the groundwater system, if they're moving into a domestic aquifer. So, unlike the same chemicals at the surface, where they'll either volatize or eventually dilute, they'll persist in the groundwater."
Remember Josh Fox’s question "For how long?"
Final reminder ~ Weston Wilson’s answer:
"Forever."
The Sky is Pink hits home with facts like: The industry has known for years that it’s not safe, and they haven’t been able to find a solution. Sounds like the tobacco industry all over again. “Just as there’s no safe cigarette, there’s no safe drilling.”
Garfield County in Colorado did the 1st major health study of the effects of gas drilling, and concluded that the health risks were moderate to high, and found potential acute health problems in the water & the air.
FACT: Breast cancer rates in US fell except for in one place in Texas, the Barnett Shale. In the 5 counties, which are atop this huge drilling area, the rate rose 23% between just 2007 and 2008!
Why are we still drilling at least one gas well every day in the US when it is NOT safe?! Oh, right, right! The gas industry gives millions of dollars in campaign contributions! Tom Corbett, Gov. of PA got 1.6 million! And, they’ve got A LOT of gas wells in PA ! The spent 3 million dollars already lobbying Albany & ¾ of a billion lobbying Washington!
Please keep these 2 amazing quotes in mind when you’re viewing, sharing, & disseminating this info:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead
"The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm, but because of those who look at it without doing anything."
~ Albert Einstein
I for one no longer wish to be one of the people who overlooks the science just so I can continue life as usual.
Thanks to all who joined us Sat. June 16th at the
for one of three special Artisans’ Market which they are offering this year!
For more info, please click on their above logo.
Please note:
"Beginning June 9th, EBT card holders can go to the Market Manager tent and use their cards registered under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to purchase "Green Market Bucks." The "Green Market Bucks" can then be used to purchase eligible food and beverages at the market."
Click on the below article title to read more!
Ringwood Farmers' Market now accepts food stamps
Wonderful music, & kind folks made the day the a joy!
While in town, I stopped at a local health food store, about which I’d been hearing wonderful things & which I had to see for myself. I am so glad I stoppped. The owner, Dona Garofono & her staff welcomed me with open arms, and graciously took a basket of some of my aromatherapy products to offer their clients. Dona is also a Naturopathic Doctor and Master Herbalist who is a trememdous local resource, providing many services to her community, including nutritional counseling! Please stop in & check out all which they have to offer soon. Food For Thought is located at 123 Skyline Drive, Ringwood, NJ 07456. Phone: 973-962-6355
For more info, please click on their above image. Thanks!
Thanks to all who joined us at the
last Saturday, June 9th.
This market will be featuring additional artisans like myself on the 2nd Saturday of each month, through October, while coordinating it with a theme ~ which was strawberries this time. To learn more about this market click on their above logo! So many familiar faces & new faces, all as happy as I was to see the fresh bounty from the local farms!
I was so very fortunate to be placed next to a local woman, who was so delightful! Her exuberance & joie de vie are infectious, her organic perfumes ~ devine! To learn more about her & all that she creates, please click on her logo below.
If you are looking for a Farm Market, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), farm, co-op, restaurant which is local to you in USA, please use this great resource:
Daily, I receive a video from my doctor. About twice a week, I get online to check & respond to emails & enjoy listening to these videos while emailing. I gain knowledge from every video to which I listen. I also think of at least one person with whom to share. And, I transcribe the best tidbit, paste the link & send to someone who is challenged by this or that particular health topic being discussed in that daily video. At the end of each video, Dr. Ali provides details on how anyone can obtain more of his free knowledge & requests that the viewer share this good health information with everyone. So, after emailing my personal friend some useful info, I'm also taking another step today by posting this entry, along with adding Dr. Ali's site to my Links section! Dr. Ali was personally instrumental in assisting me in regaining my health about 5 years ago, and I highly recommend him & his staff to everyone who is in need of a great doctor who will assist you in your journey back to health! I'll end here, by quoting his customary farewell which he uses at the end of each of his radio broadcasts, and his on-line videos:
"Until we meet again, may you be gracious, grateful, & generous in your spirit."
Majid Ali's Aging Healthfully Virtual Library
Thanks to all who joined us
Sunday, May 20th for the
4th Annual Medicine Wheel
Community Garden Weekend at
Lusscroft Farm in Wantage, NJ
"This family friendly event celebrated people and nature together, with live entertainment, a plant sale, chain saw art, local farmers and crafters with their products, guest speakers, educational workshops, good food, wagon rides and activities for children.
Workshop topics were Woodlot and Forest Management, Growing Mushrooms, Honeybees, Garlic, and Gardening & Composting. Guest speakers included Eric Olsen from the Nature Conservancy, Eric Derby from Transition Newton, Dr. William Thomas from the N.J. School of Conservation, and Heritage & Agriculture’s Brian Hennessey. Chain saw artists Brett McLain and Sean Egan
Presented by the Medicine Wheel Council/Heritage & Agriculture Association in cooperation with the NJ DEP/Division of Parks & Forestry."
Thanks to all who came Saturday, May 19th to the
Halsted Middle School Auditorium in Newton
for a free screening of
which was followed by a panel of young farmers.
A farmers market was also on-site following the film ~ which featured 2 of the farmers with their plants, and fresh picked goodies, and another local farmer with meat products & eggs. Bought some great crisp spicy French Breakfast radishes ~ picture long pinkish red with white tips! Yum!
The event was presented by Newton High School Coordinated School Health Program.
"Monoculture, monopoly, cheap food and poor diets-- these are the consequences of an agricultural system gone awry, driven by policy and corporate control. Here we are, unhealthy.
Re-orienting our foodsystem is a project worth tackling, and the one chosen by our film's subjects. We are young farmers who have chosen to become a part of the solution, addressing the crisis we see by learning the skills needed, and starting the kinds of businesses that, one by one, can replace complicated, entrenched systems.
Today's young farmers are dynamic entrepreneurs, stewards of place. They are involved in local politics, partnering with others, inventing new social institutions such as CROP MOB, working with mentors, starting their careers as apprentices, borrowing money from the bank, putting in long ours, taking risks, innovating, experimenting. Farming with horses, with hacked tractors, with forgotten urban lots and Appalachian coal country. These young farmers have vision: a prosperous, satisfying, sustainable food system. It is ambitious, it will take work , but it won't be boring."
NOTE: excerpted from: www.collectiveeye.org/catalog/greenhorns.html
Click below to watch trailer, learn more about, or request a screening:
Thanks to all who joined us Thursday, May 17th at
the Unitarian Fellowship in Newton, NJ
for the free screening & discussion of
"I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.” However, in I AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world."
In his quest to find out was is wrong with our world, and how we can go about fixing it, he also finds & illustrates much of what is wonderful in our world, and innately right in people = )
To read more about the movie, see all the awards its won, watch the trailer, or schedule your own screening, please visit their website by clicking on image below:
To visit the site of the people who hosted this viewing & discussion, & who host an eco related movie the 3rd Thursday of every month (except in July & August) at 7 pm, please click on their below logo:
I listened to a very informative discussion that aired May 9th on the Brian Lehrer show, with Robert Kennedy, Jr ☼ You & your family are in my prayers & peaceful thoughts at this difficult time ☼
& Alec Baldwin
about the environmental, health, and infrastructure costs of fracking which have not been fully researched & taken into consideration. They also disarmed the only reason that I can understand about this toxic industry: jobs. Most jobs are not created on site, but engineers are brought in from out of state & send their money home to their families located in other states. Once the wells are established, these pre-existing employees move on to the next site. Not many jobs are actually being created.
Environmental impact studies have not taken into consideration road costs, and other community services costs, or the health & safety costs. We now know the cost of this excess truck traffic will cost local municipalities $375 million per year! “Each one of these wells is going to take about 4,200 truck trips to bring clean water in to the well, and to bring contaminated water out of the well. Each one of those truck trips has the capacity to crush local roads, and pulverize local roads, and plus, stir up dust, run over dogs, run over kids who are on their way to school, and all of these other impacts of these (over) 4,000 truck trips PER WELL. So, who pays when the road gets destroyed? You know, there may be one neighbor who’s making money, but all the other neighbors are paying for that road re-construction.” Robert Kennedy, Jr
Most towns do not have a town engineer to count those trucks & charge the gas company “x “amount per truck to rebuild their roads.
The health impact of fracking is now known. Texas & Oklahoma have had time to study the health impacts of fracking, and have found that it is associated with various cancers, asthma, severe respiratory conditions & other illnesses. Did you know that the gas industry does not have to disclose any of the over 495 chemicals which are injected into the ground (contaminating countless wells, and underground water supplies/aquifers/drinking water!) until 30 days after they have irreversibly polluted our waterways.
To listen to the entire 27 minute discussion click on logo below
"New Jersey's public lands are meant for public benefit, not natural gas industry profits."
Land purchased through our New Jersey "Green Acres" program is meant to be set aside for recreation and conservation."
It has already polluted one lake near Waywayanda State Park, and, it is proposed to go thru lands which were designated preserved. These areas include Ramapo State Forest, High Point State Park, & Wanaque reservoir ~ which supplies over 2 million New Jerseyans with drinking water!
At Lake Lookover, they blasted under the lake, polluting the water & killing all the fish. No one could swim in the lake last summer. Can you imagine trying to drink water from the Wanaque reservoir if they do the same thing there? Please know: the terms for destruction were to be a maximum of 100 feet wide, & in some areas, they've destroyed paths up to 200 feet wide!
So many families over the years have deeded land, with the stipulation that it not be disturbed. Our tax dollars are a part of keeping these lands pristine.
New Jersey already has the most superfund sites (read: toxically polluted areas) in the nation.
Let's not add to them!
Click below logo to sign the petition to keep NJ water clean, stop a giveaway of our public lands, and stop the Tennessee Gas pipeline expansion:
Thanks to all who came Saturday, April 28th to
for a special crafting event they offered:
Create A Fragrant Herbal Sachet
Note: Actually 2 sachets were created = )
The Lavender, Red Rose, & Bergamot flowers
which were leftover, may still on hand for anyone wishing to created their own sachets!
Please visit this great Home & Garden Center
for a great selection of
locally & sustainably handcrafted items;
a wonderful selection of organic edible plants,
seeds & soils; helpful Plant Healthcare;
demos, talks, tours; landscape design
~ as well as planting & delivery services;
and a wonderful display of all else growing = )
"At Back to Nature Home & Garden we carefully select products favoring American made, artisanal craftsmanship and quality design."
I am grateful for an opportunity to be a part of this inspiring sustainable hub in Somerset County!
Please visit them:
3055 Valley Road
Basking Ridge, NJ
908 . 350 . 7506
Click below to be taken to their website: www.BackToNature.net
Thank you to all of the folks who supported the Green Fair at
on Wednesday, April 25th! It was so lovely to visit with you all again, & be a part of your special day. What a truly warm, welcoming & spirted place you have = ) I was so impressed by your display table, explaining the many ways in which you have become more green since the last time I was there in October! May other companies follow your lead!
Thanks to all who joined us Sunday, April 22nd
and brought warmth to the day at the
at the DeHart Street Parking Garage
14 Maple Ave. Morristown, NJ 07960
Photo credit: A.F. Menezes
The Earth Day Experience occupied multiple floors of the open-air garage site & offered a wide variety of events for all!
Click on either of the images below to read all about this fabulous free event complete with car show, music & tours!
To visit their website, please click on their below logo! Thanks for reading.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
My apologies for not being able to attend
"Earth Day 2012"
on Saturday, April 21st
at the
located at 621-B Eagle Rock Ave. in Roseland, NJ
"Earth Day 2012 is for all ages. The public is invited to the Environmental Center's annual outdoor Earth Day festival. Play in nature with crafts, games, recreation opportunities, demonstrations, local green vendor products and services, and information on all partner groups at the Center. The event is sponsored by Public Service Electric and Gas, Covanta Energy-Essex, and Whole Foods of West Orange."
I am confident that the event was enjoyed by many = )
Please, click below to enlarge
I just took a minute out of my day for something I find extremely important.
"Lorco Petroleum, based in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has accepted at least two shipments of fracking waste. There is likely more fracking waste on the way to this facility or other facilities across the state unless our legislators act now. Take action to keep more fracking waste from coming to Jersey.
Fracking waste has been shown to contain radioactive elements and known carcinogens, which could be discharged into NJ drinking water supplies even if we never frack a single well in the state. Federal exemptions from hazardous waste standards make fracking waste even more dangerous because facilities that accept the waste may not take necessary steps to treat this waste, leading to harmful impacts on NJ waterways and drinking water sources."
*** update: 5/4/12 I just learned that even more fracking waste is coming to Kearny and Carteret !
I also heard on NPR today that in 2010, 6.8 million gallons of gas-drilling wastewater were spread on roads in NY for deicing or dust control! What ? Here's an excerpt: "The report notes that industry reporting forms obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request were vague about where wastewater went, with 16 drillers saying only that it was 'hauled away'. In four cases, drillers said fluids may have been sent to a landfill but gave no details. Twenty-seven drillers said they would dispose of drilling fluids by hauling them to an approved facility and/or by road spreading for deicing or dust control." To read entire AP article, please click on article title below:
Report NY Regulations for Drilling Waste Too Lax
Please take this minute of your day ~ for you, your family, our water, and the environment.
Together we will make a difference = )
To sign a petition to
Help Stop Fracking Waste from Poisoning NJ's Waterways!
please, click image below:
Last year, I found a local Organic Fabric Designer right here in NJ !!
Thanks to my many holiday customers,
I am able to bring in 7 new fabulous fabrics from these local ladies at
which I picked up on March 1st!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics! Most are from their Miscellany collection
Flora Endless Knot
Solid Sky Petal Pusher Solid Shell
Variegated Butterflies Stacked
Thanks to all who joined us on Saturday, Feb. 25th for clinical herbal practitioner & educator, Donna Reynolds amazing workshop
Herbs 101:
Using Your Spice Rack as a Medicine Cabinet
at
in Brookside, NJ.The class was a wonderful introduction to the medicinal properties of culinary herbs & spices which we commonly use in food preparation! The tasty tea & many delicious tasty foods which were sampled all contained the herbs & spices being discussed. I believe we all walked away with a greater understanding of how we can help ourselves & others safely gain relief from many of life's curveballs!
This class is one of a series which Donna is offering at this particular location. To find out about her future classes please click on her below logo!
www.WillowMoonHerbals
Thank you to Gina & Maureen for helping us a feel so comfortable in your warm & wonderful place! I look forward to seeing you both soon! Thank you for bringing some of my products into your therapy rooms ~ I hope your clients enjoy their relaxation! My Lavender Body Wraps, Refillable Eye Pillows (Lavender style & also the Sinus one which contains Eucalyptus, Clove & Cinnamon), and Refillable Lavender Sachets are now being offered for sale!
Thanks also for your kind exposure on Facebook.
By clicking on their below logo, you can find out about this unique place & all of their special events!
Last night I went to a screening of a very moving movie, The Last Mountain at a Transition Newton meeting at the Unitarian Fellowship in Newton, NJ. If you click on the coloured movie title above, it will bring to the movie's website.
Many alarming facts are given throughout a poignantly well filmed documentary on a valley of people who have lived for generations next to the last Appalachian mountain, Coal River. All around it stand these barren moonscaped mountains, which have been blown up for coal. If you put in zip code 25204 in google maps & turn on the satelite feature & zoom around ~ you can see the path of destruction left behind. The environmental & human impact is huge, and somehow this immensity is matched by the spirit of the people who stay & fight to preserve this last mountain. I was taken by the passion, patience & grace of Bobby Kennedy, Jr.. I was filled with empathy for the surviving citizens, and the losses of family members they endured. I was moved by a miner's conviction for getting his granddaughter a safe school. I was touched by the people who came from all over the country to lend their time, resources, and bodies to this cause. I was stirred by a woman whose entire family works for the coal industry, yet she set out to find a way to preserve this last mountain with wind power turbines! The statistic which impressed me the most, was how many jobs the county would gain if they persued this clean energy option. Also, 10 years from now, their coffers would have reaped 14.8 million dollars. Their current plan of action would give them only 310,000 dollars in taxes; would leave them with no mountain or jobs; and would add to the million gallons of toxic sludge, air & water pollution which already plagues them. The wind solution would continue to offer jobs, and would add 1.48 million dollars to their county tax intake, each & every year! So, apparently the biggest reason for continuing the archaic blasting (comparable to a Hiroshima size bomb blast each week), the money, is no longer an issue!
Once one learns how inter~connected we all are ~ by water & air ~ one feels compelled to do something. As one of the local citizens & avid advocate stated in the film, "We're all connected to coal." And later in the film, as images of electrical items like traffic signals & lights in stores flashed across the screen, I realized that even if I'm now paying to support wind & solar power in my home & business, I'm still buying products from businesses, and at businesses which do not support clean energy!
It is no wonder that this film was the Official Selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival!
I hope each person reading this gets to see this movie with someone, and you both tell another of it. If you'd like to find a local screening, or to host your own movie night ~ click here!
If you'd like to "Take Action" by helping spread the word; supporting the cause; lobbying for change; reducing your energy use; or simply getting more informed, click here!
As Margaret Mead once said:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
To learn more about mountain top removal mining click on the picture below of Kayford "ridge", which I 'borrowed' from a local West Virginia non-profit website ~ thank you. This site is a great resource for information, & ways one can take action.
Clicking on the below photo, will bring you to 1 minute video, posted on youtube on July 12, 2012 which says A LOT, & gives us another opportunity to be of assistance by weighing in on House Bill HR5959 The ACHE Act!
If you'd like to read a paragraph about my switch to wind power, please click on wind image below. Thank you = )
Thanks to all who joined us for the
The 4rth Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
on Saturday, February 11, 2012
at the Morristown High School in Morristown
The event was sponsored by the
& brought together many local farmers & food artisans for an afternoon of sampling and purchasing. The new venue was more spacious than in years past, creating a more flowing & casual event this year = ) Following is a link to an article published today, Feb. 13th on the event, by Cathy Veit of the Morristown Green!
Who says you can’t farm in winter? Morristown welcomes Slow Food–and sows seeds for permanent garden
Click below for press release, which was released prior to the event.
The 4rth Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
It's time again ~ to make time to have an effect on our futures!
Click highlighted below to watch the
Frack Off Cartoon on youtube, which concisely shares some of many peoples concerns.
To visit the site which created this cartoon, please click below = )
FrackOffNow.com
There are still free public screenings of
at vazrious locations. I believe viewing this movie, prior to the release of the upcoming release by Josh Fox, will be beneficial!
For a partial list of places which will be showing the movie, please click below:
Gasland
Some public libraries now have copies to lend also.
Another website which has a searchable map of places showing the movie, and also lists public meetings, forums, board meetings, candle light vigils, discussions, Rallies, Film Screenings & Other Events, click below:
Campaign to Ban Fracking
“DRILLING DOWN Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers
By IAN URBINA
Published: February 26, 2011
“While the existence of the toxic wastes has been reported, thousands of internal documents obtained by The New York Times from the Environmental Protection Agency, state regulators and drillers show that the dangers to the environment and health are greater than previously understood.”
“The Times also found never-reported studies by the E.P.A. and a confidential study by the drilling industry that all concluded that radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.”
“The rigs announce their presence with the occasional boom and quiver of underground explosions. Smelling like raw sewage mixed with gasoline, drilling-waste pits, some as large as a football field, sit close to homes. Anywhere from 10 percent to 40 percent of the water sent down the well during hydrofracking returns to the surface, carrying drilling chemicals, very high levels of salts and, at times, naturally occurring radioactive material.”
“Among The Times’s findings:
More than 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater was produced by Pennsylvania wells over the past three years, far more than has been previously disclosed. Most of this water — enough to cover Manhattan in three inches — was sent to treatment plants not equipped to remove many of the toxic materials in drilling waste.
At least 12 sewage treatment plants in three states accepted gas industry wastewater and discharged waste that was only partly treated into rivers, lakes and streams.
Of more than 179 wells producing wastewater with high levels of radiation, at least 116 reported levels of radium or other radioactive materials 100 times as high as the levels set by federal drinking-water standards. At least 15 wells produced wastewater carrying more than 1,000 times the amount of radioactive elements considered acceptable.”
“Once radium enters a person’s body, by eating, drinking or breathing, it can cause cancer and other health problems, many federal studies show.”
“Like most of the sewage treatment plant operators interviewed, Mr. McCurdy said his plant was not equipped to remove radioactive material and was not required to test for it.
Documents filed by drillers with the state, though, show that in 2009 his facility was sent water from wells whose wastewater was laced with radium at 275 times the drinking-water standard and with other types of radiation at more than 780 times the standard.”
Click here to read entire NY Times article.
Thanks to all who joined us Thursday, December 15th for Ladies' Night at the
20 Schooley’s Mountain Road .. Long Valley, NJ
Thanks Kate for inviting me to such a wonderful venue with so many incredible artists, & patrons!
Please visit the market website ~ click image below:
Thanks Judy for the invite to
the special HOLIDAY MARKET on
Thursday, December 8th
in the Princeton Public Library's Community room
55 Witherspoon Street .. Princeton, NJ 08542
It was wonderful seeing everyone again & meeting more local artisans & town folk!
I thank you all for your support.
The Winter Farm Market continues through April on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
“It will include farmers with produce, fruits, cheese, honey, cheesecakes, mushrooms, breads, eggs, chickens, pastries, gift baskets, pickles, jams, & teas---and fine crafters and artists with their creations.”
For more info, please visit the markets website by clicking their below logo:
Or, visit them on facebook by clicking on image of Lemon Bergamot below:
Pat from the Jefferson Township Museum is now carrying some of my products in the Museum store!
This is so exciting to me, as my mother used to work in this same place, when it was the Violet Riker Library! What a beautiful renovation the Jefferson Township Historical Society has accomplished.
The museum will be closed for renovations & maintenance until Sunday, March 4rth 2012.
Location:
315 Dover-Milton Rd. ~ Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
Phone: (973) 697 . 0258
To read an article about the Holiday event, please click on link below:
Museum Christmas Weekend
For more info, please visit:
www.jt historical society.org
by clicking on the above link.
My gratitude to all who hosted, volunteered, created gingerbread displays, and visited the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township for the 20th Annual Gingerbread Wonderland and Holiday Craft Show
"This December marks the 20th Anniversary of Gingerbread Wonderland. Guests young and old marvel at the creativity, skills and sense of optimism that characterizes this charming and ecumenical exhibit of over 200 edible structures. Past year's "gingerbreads" have included models of Notre Dame cathedral, Hanukah menorahs, Japanese temples, Chinese pagodas, European castles and neighborhood sweet shops.
Groups of 8 or more must make a reservation by calling at 973-326-7601.
The Gingerbread contest was so very creative & so very difficult to choose a favorite!
To view larger picture of above flyer, click on it.
For more info about future events at the arboretum, please visit their website by clicking on their below logo.
Or, visit their facebook page by clicking picture below:
Thank you Deb & Chuck for bringing in an overstuffed basket of Lavender sachets & a nice assortment of body wraps & eye pillows!
“ASANA HOUSE is a juice bar yoga lounge offering a space for your practice in addition to a place where you can kick back, hook up to the internet and enjoy fresh juice combinantions, smoothies, organic coffee, tea and homemade chai. Let your natural beauty radiate through you. We all know the saying, 'you are what you eat'. We are also what we think, what we say and what we do. Our physical exercise is essential to our mental and emotional bodies. 'Body, spirit and mind.' Yoga is one of the oldest forms of physical purification, its effectiveness has been proven over centuries, and juicing is one of the best ways to enhance the benefits of this experience.”
127 Valley Road .. Montclair , NJ
(973) 744 ~ 1500
For more info, please visit their actual store & studio / juice bar .. or their website & virtual store ~ by clicking on their below logo!
Above painting by Louis LarsonCourtesy of Fred Space & The H&AA, Inc
Thanks to all who joined us for the
Lusscroft Annual Winter/Holiday Event
in the Manor House up in Wantage, NJ
Saturday & Sunday Dec 3rd & 4rth
Lusscroft Farm is a part of High Point State Park & is Sussex County's best kept secret, neatly tucked away in the hills northern New Jersey!
“Reminisce in the past as we illustrate holidays of yore. Tour through four buildings ~ the Turner Mansion, the Garage, the Manager’s Dwelling & the upstairs of the Main Barn.
The event featured:
Area Farmers with Their Products for Sale
Local Vendors ☼ Local Crafters ☼ Music
Sweet Shop ☼ Candy Store ☼ Gift Shop
Bake Sale ☼ Hot Food ☼ Live Animals
Autographed Book From Local Authors including
Country Lanes~Portrait of a Century Past
Featuring: Complete Works of Louis Larsen by William R. Turan
Presented by:
Heritage & Agriculture Assoc.
in cooperation with the
NJ DEP/Div. Of Parks & Forestry
Lusscroft Farm is on both sides of Neilson Rd.
For more info, please visit www.LusscroftFarm.com
By clicking on link to their website above.
Thank you all who joined us in officially kicking off our nations'
Small Business / Local Saturday tradition on the Saturday after Thanksgiving!
The VENDOR DAYS FUNDRAISER
FOR MORRIS COUNTY BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER!
event ran both Saturday & Sunday, and was well attended. We all eagerly await the results of the silent auction. The event was hosted by & held at:
THE ART OF THE HEART
15 Perry Street
Chester, NJ 07930
(908) 879 ~ 3937
The following was their press release:
"We will be hosting vendors days on Thanksgiving weekend as a fundraiser! In addition to store items & gift certificates for sale, we will have between 12 & 14 vendors available with both hand-crafted & other items for sale. There will also be a couple other service type vendors available for gift certificate purchase & information on their services. In addition, we will have a silent auction with 100% of proceeds going to the battered women's shelter."
For more info, please visit their website:
www.TheArtOfTheHeart-Chester.com
Thank you Maria at Stonehill Pottery Shoppe for calling again this year & including me in your
Annual Holiday Boutique!
This event is always held the Friday, Saturday & Sunday prior to & following Thanksgiving.
She will be keeping my products on hand for anyone who will be stopping in her shoppe. Her regular hours are: Wednesday ~ Friday from 10 ~ 6 & some Saturdays. They suggest calling ahead to confirm they’re open.
Stonehill Pottery Shoppe
is located at
145 Union Valley Road
Newfoundland, NJ
Note: Google Maps shows location 7/10ths of a mile off of Route 23 north in West Milford
Phone : (973) 697 ~ 4114
For more detailed info, please refer to the below article, posted in November 10th’s
Unique gifts at Stonehill Pottery Shoppe's Holiday Boutique
Or, visit her website by clicking link below:
mysite.verizon.net/stonehillpottery
Give Green Gifts & Gingerbread Contest
Click above to see larger version.
Saturday, December 3rd
11 am ~ 4 pm
Essex County Environmental Center
621-B Eagle Rock Ave.
Roseland, NJ 07068
(973) 228 ~ 8776
Thanks to all who joined us today & “participated in the Essex County Environmental Center’s Annual
Give Green Holiday Gift Fair and Sustainable Homes and Habitats Gingerbread Contest
These free to the public holiday inspired programs provide an excellent opportunity for families to learn about and purchase eco-friendly gifts, as well as, alternative gift-giving options; and offer up some fun and education by discovering environmentally sustainable home design and lifestyle options.”
As usual, the friendly staff, volunteers, fellow vendors & patrons all made for a lovely day!
For more info about this event & the Essex County Environmental Center, please click on the link below.
Essex County Environmental Center
Thank you for joining us at the
located in Morristown
on Monday, November 21st
& in Chester today for the
Local Holiday Gift Fair!
Several local artisans were there, offering their unique gifts directly to the public! Thank to all who helped us kick off our nations' Local Saturday tradition early this year! And thank you Brant, Leslie, Robin & Marlin for hosting these lovely local events!
Thank you to all of the folks who supported the Green Fair at
on October 27th! It was so lovely to visit & be a part of your special day. What a truly warm, welcoming & spirted place you have = )Thanks to all who attended the
2nd Annual Sussex County Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 15, 2011
at the Sussex County Fairgrounds
It was a gorgeous fall day which was a wondrous backdrop for this celebration of agritourism, ecotourism, and arts and heritage tourism. The County of Sussex joined with the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show to highlight New Jersey’s great northwest. There was a Jersey Fresh farmers market; displays and information from environmental and agricultural organizations highlighting our public open spaces; intro to Birding walks, photography displays as well as games & activities for children.
For more info visit the Sussex County website:
2nd Annual Sussex County Harvest Festival
Also on Saturday ~ at 2:30 pm
In the Newton townsquare
Spring St. & Route 206
people gathered in wall street 99% style, to listen to 4 speakers &....
"On October 15th, local members of the American Dream Movement, in partnership with the Northwest NJ Progressive Alliance, Northwest NJ MoveOn Council, New Jersey Peace Action, and NJ State Industrial Union Council will rally on Newton Green to demand a meaningful shift in our nation’s priorities. In solidarity with actions taking place around the country, including Occupy Wall Street in NYC and Freedom Plaza in Washington DC, as well as peaceful demonstrations blossoming around the world, we’ll call on our leaders to end the wars and invest at home." "Most importantly, we’ll come together to show our community that we are strong in our diversity and united in our struggle for economic, social, and environmental justice."
Click below for more details.
99%
Thanks to all who joined us Spa Day at the Whole Foods in Madison on Sunday, Oct 9th & supported a local & holistic event = )
You Don’t Have to Stand Alone Against Genetically Engineered Food (GMOs)!
Together Let’s Demand GMO Labeling Now!
Join the GMO Right2Know March
October 1st ~ 16th 2011
Right2Know March
Thanks to all who joined me & over 40 other local farmers, artists and crafters for the
1st Annual Sparta Harvest Festival
on Saturday, October 1st 2011
It was a busy day ~ filled with music, dancing, cooking demos & fun for the entire family!
The market continues until the end of October
with their core farmers in attendance.
For more info, please click on their logo below = )
Please remember to reach out to your local politicians, our state DEP & Green Acres program about the gas pipeline which is already being installed.
Do it right now = )
It has already polluted one lake near Waywayanda State Park, and, it is proposed to go thru lands which were designated preserved. These areas include Ramapo State Forest, High Point State Park, & Wanaque reservoir ~ which supplies over 2 million New Jerseyans with drinking water!
At Lake Lookover, they blasted under the lake, polluting the water & killing all the fish. Can you imagine trying to drink water from the Wanaque reservoir if they do the same thing there? Please know: the terms for destruction were to be a maximum of 100 feet wide, & in some areas, they've destroyed paths up to 200 feet wide!
So many families over the years have deeded land, with the stipulation that it not be disturbed.
Our tax dollars are a part of keeping these lands pristine.
New Jersey already has the most superfund sites (read: toxically polluted areas) in the nation.
Let's not add to them!
Oh, and also, this pipeline which is being installed by the Tennessee Gas Co., is not even for use in NJ ~ they're just passing thru!!
Contact the office of the governor of NJ:
609-292-6000
Click on below link to find out who your current members of congress are. Just enter your physical location into the box to the left of the map, to find out who they are & what their phone & fax #'s are, and to send an email through their forms!
For more info, please click on the link below:
SaveNJStateParks.org
Click below to view flyer & when done,
please arrow back to continue reading:
Save Parks Flyer
Thanks Mike for wonderful flyer, pictures, updates, & all efforts on this!!
NJ is fortunate to have you!
Below are also several articles which are related:
Mud in Pristine Lake ~ a Harbinger
Voice Your Opposition
ALERT - Fracked Gas Pipeline proposed in our backyard: Ramapo Reservation and Ringwood State Park
Skylands CLEAN on Facebook
N.J. appeals court upholds validity of Highlands Regional Master Plan
Please view the movie Gasland, to get informed about what is headed to our tri state (NJ/PA/NY) area. Thank you Josh Fox for placing the value of our land, water & health over your bank account, & for making such an extraordinarily moving movie!
We really need to implement legislature NOW to protect our lives, our families, & our health. Let's not allow this happen in our own backyards.
Tell your representatives & senators TODAY to support the FRAC Act!!
Take Action
Clicking on the above link will bring you to different ways in which you can voice your opinion/s.
EPA report from 2004 states that upwards of 70% of fracking solution stays in the ground. No research has been done to find out how far it migrates underground. Estimates of at least one mile may be conservative. Only 50% of the ingredients of fracking solution have been forthcoming. Of that 50%, there are 596 chemicals ~ almost all of which have never been tested for their effects on human health. The most prevalent ingredient is benzene ~ a known carcinogen, which is toxic even at low levels of concentration!
When I returned this movie to my local library, I suggested that they might add it to their horror selections display on the counter, for Halloween.
Here is just one small taste, which is taken from the bonus footage of the film.
"Once they're introduced, they're going to stay in the groundwater system, and these lighter components can be on top of the groundwater system, if they're moving into a domestic aquifer. So, unlike the same chemicals at the surface, where they'll either volatize or eventually dilute, they'll persist in the groundwater."
Weston Wilson ~ EPA environmental engineer.
Film~maker Josh Fox asks,
"For how long?"
Weston Wilson: "Forever".
Learn more about this movie, click pic below
Tell your representatives & senators TODAY to support the FRAC Act!!
"The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (H.R. 1084), (S. 587)—was introduced to both houses of the United States Congress on June 9, 2009, and aims to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water Act. It would require the energy industry to disclose the chemicals it mixes with the water and sand it pumps underground in the hydraulic fracturing process (also known as fracking), information that has largely been protected as trade secrets. Controversy surrounds the practice of hydraulic fracturing as a threat to drinking water supplies.
The gas industry opposes the legislation.
The House bill was introduced by representatives Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Maurice Hinchey D-N.Y., and Jared Polis, D-Colo. The Senate version was introduced by senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y."
Take Action
Clicking on the above link will bring you to different ways in which you can voice your opinion/s.
Note: 1 ~ 7 million gallons of water are required each time they frack an existing well, which can be fracked up to 18 times! Since this procedure began 20 years ago, 40 trillion gallons of water, all infused with at least 596 chemicals have been forced underground. The waste products are left to air in pits which are not covered ~ next to schools, homes, hospitals, day care centers, & places of business. Fort Worth was over 1000 of these toxic wells within its' city limits! They are proposing 50 thousand gas wells along a 75 mile stretch of the Delaware River & 100's of 1,000's more across NY, PA, OH, & WV! The Bureau of Land Management ~ with was formed to sustain health & productivity of public lands for the use & enjoyment of present & future generations has leased millions of these acres in the Wyoming area out for gas exploration. The footage of this area is devastating. The "land farms" which are created to deal with the toxic waste from this exploration will likely never grow anything! The smell is horrific! They also burn off any of the gas which is too wet & will cost too much to refine. I'll end here ~ so you can become better acquainted with this topic.
A food for thought for this week: According to the Sierra Club, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic water bottles, the majority of which then end up in landfills! And, that's just in the good old US of A !
Please remember to
Rethink ~ Refuse ~ Reduce
Reuse ~ Repair ~ Repurpose ~ Recycle
Thank You!
Thank you to all who joined me at
The Red Mill Museum
for their
Go Green Fair
on Saturday September 17, 2011
The Red Mill's 2nd Annual Green Fair featured ways to reduce your carbon footprint. The grounds showcased green vendors with information and products relating to green building design, green energy, recycling, preservation, organic farming and holistic living. There was also a schedule of programs ~ with living greener demonstrations, children's activities, and live music. Visitors had an opportunity to learn how to weave; how to tie a fishing fly; how to lower their energy bills; do's and don'ts of solar energy, & to visit with Humdinger alpacas. Throughout the day there was live music by the Swamp Grass Jug Band, who used recycled objects for instruments!
Also featured was an environmental scientist Joey Bee, from Joey Bee's Outdoor Adventures, who talked about ways in which we can protect & preserve our natural habitats.
For more info on The Red Mill Museum,
please click on the lovely picture below:
The event encouraged me to look into some ways in which I could make my home more energy efficient, and I came across this great article online which features 5 hot water heater tips! The 3rd one I was already doing, but, not properly!
"Your water heater probably came from the factory with its temperature set high. For every 10 degrees you turn it down, you’ll save 3% to 5% on your bill. A setting at 120 to 140 degrees is hot enough. Just don’t go below 120 degrees, which could lead to bacteria growth inside the tank.
If the thermostat on your water heater doesn’t have a numbered gauge, put it midway between the “low” and “medium” marks. Wait a day, and then measure the tap temperature with a cooking thermometer. Keep adjusting until you hit your target temperature."
To read the full article please click on link below:
5 Hot Water Heater Tips for Energy Saving
I give thanks of appreciation and gratitude to Irene for the stronger people & structures which are being created. May we all continue to make an extra effort to be more gentle on our mother earth ~ and perhaps in turn ~ mother nature may be more gentle.
A couple of days before Irene arrived, lightening struck right outside my window. With amazement, I saw & felt the explosion! The only thing affected was my computers' motherboard & power supply. And, yes, it was plugged into a surge protector. So, that's why I'm sharing this ~~~ is to advise folks ~ that if you know there's going to be a storm, unplug your computer & disconnect your internet connection (as lightening may come thru telephone line) & save yourself some downtime, time, & money = )
Thanks to all who joined me & my artist friend, Teresa on Saturday, August 13th
at the Ringwood Farmers' Market
for their special Artisans’ Market !
Teresa's crocheted blankets, hats, & presence added much beauty to market!
There will be future Artisans' Market at the Ringwood Farmers Market next season ~ to which I'm looking forward!
*******Due to expected snow, the market ended early last Saturday (Oct 29th) with the snow & wind. Until next season ~ happy holidays to all!
The Ringwood Farmers' Market is located
at the Ringwood Park & Ride
(Cannici Drive off of Skyline Drive)
For more info ~ including directions,
Please click on their icon below = )
Each week I try to do at least one thing which will have a positive effect on our fair planet. Some weeks it's simply trying to share some information I feel may inspire another to make a change ~ which I found handwritten on a piece of a cardboard box in The Health Shoppe in Chester, NJ & which was very easy to find on the web: "At least 400,000 trees would be saved if EVERY home in the U.S. replaced just ONE roll of toilet paper made from virgin pulp with ONE roll of toilet paper made from recycled paper". Just one time ! What if we all returned to cloth napkins in our homes ? I always carry around a spoon & fork wrapped in a cloth napkin in the outer pocket of my purse ~ in case I need to stop to re-fuel, if I've been away from home longer than I expected. I could go on ... but here's the something new I did on June 1st, 2011: I switched my electric to be sourced from "100% wind power" (50% of which comes from a wind farm down in Atlantic City, 49% is sourced from wind farms in PA, and 1% is from NJ SOLAR!).
It costs me approximately 1% more to support cleaner technology, & took about only 2 minutes to reduce my carbon footprint! Will you make those 2 minutes right now ~ for our environment, our air, our water? Each time I turn on an appliance, I know I’m still making a difference for everyone’s future, by promoting local energy independence, & advancing our economy by supporting local green jobs! My utility company is the same I’ve had for years, for billing, delivery & service, but my supplier is now 100% green! No cost to switch, no contract.
When you call Community Energy 1.877.321.0465, please mention Dégagé Gardens, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee! You can receive the same rebate on line. Please remember to choose Dégagé Gardens in the How Did You Hear About Us? box in the last line of form, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee!
www.CommunityEnergyInc.com
Win ~ Win - Win!
The first win is for the environment! All you need is your current bill in hand.
To learn more about the wind & solar energy from the company I'm utilizing, click on the below picture to bring you to their website.
I have recently added this symbol to my tags:
New spring patterns are being sewn ~ including 7 new incredible organic fabrics from a local NJ designer!
I picked them up yesterday (March 1st, 2012), & will be cutting & sewing this weekend!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
Please call to get yours & to pre-order for the new spring & summer patterns!
I will continue to bring in new patterns of organic fabric as they are designed & become available = )
New venues have been added! Please click Where Available to see the entire list of places where my eco~handcrafted organic aromatherapy products are located!
Since April 2009, I had been looking for a new home & place to work. The wondrous place I had been for the last 10 years was no longer feasible for its owner. It was an incredible challenge to find a place which is large enough to live & work in; environmentally safe (indoors & out ~ due to my MCS = Multiple Chemical Sensitivity ~ any new paint & flooring .. carpeting .. appliances ... any items which can outgas; closeness to highways or businesses which use chemicals
The place which I have found is approximately half of the size of where I was ~ I am coming to the end of the seemingly endless process of purging many wonderful items which I no longer need for the defunct parts of my business, & which I can no longer own due to reduced space. I think I now covet the covered wagons long held title for "longest move in American history"..... Thank you all for your continuing support. I am blessed, and thankful to you all.
My attitude of gratitude expands each day!!
What a difference 5 years make!
Summer '07, I found myself getting lost on familiar roads.
September '07, I stopped driving, and found myself lost in my own home.
It is an extraordinary journey which I have taken, and continue to take. May I never take anything for granted in my future! And may everyone know that even if you can't see a disability, it is still real! I want to take this time to say THANK YOU to all of my customers ~ the stores who continue to stock my products & support me; those who have reached out, offered, & given assistance; & those 'faceless' customers whom I never meet, but who keep returning to these stores to support our wondrous planet, and a local organic grower.
Your generousity is so very appreciated!
I am still struggling with my multiple chemical sensitivity and PTSD, which limit my ablility to be out in public and my exposure to toxins. I am thankful for all those who are supporting my ability to support myself!!
Year after year, I have taken delight in sharing
with others. This has overflowed into my business,
and each year, between 5 & 10% of my profits
go to different causes.
A few of my favorites are:
Changing the World.... One Woman at a Time
Helping Women Survivors of War
Rebuild Their Lives
Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies.
For only $30 a month, a dollar a day, you can help a woman survivor of war rebuild her life. Since 1993 over 70,000 sponsors from 70 countries have supported more than 300,000 women in conflict and post-conflict countries. You will also provide your "sister" with critical emotional support that comes from knowing someone cares about them.
2012 was a wonderful year for me, because I found out about an amazing organization that is devoted to our planet. “Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law organization dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.”
Click the underlined, to find ways which you can Take Action ~ like : “ Watch this video, share it with your friends, and tell your senators to vote against any attempts to delay or prevent federal regulation of coal ash!”
Check the events calendar for upcoming events that are open to the public.
Subscribe to Earthjustice emailsto receive evites to invitation-only events.
I believe that every moment we spend exhibiting a care for the earth, is a moment of blessed bliss!
&
Click above logos for more info about either = )
"Habitat’s ReStore resale outlets sell reusable and surplus building materials to the public. While every ReStore outlet is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. ReStore resale outlets accept donated goods which are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities."
"Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing ministry. Habitat welcomes all people—regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or any other difference—to build and repair simple, decent, affordable houses with those who lack adequate shelter."
Former President Jimmy Carter & 2 of my neighbors from Rockaway are just a few of their many inspirational volunteers! With projects in every state ~ it's now easier than ever to join in the joy of building for & with another in need.
&
Salesian Missions
"The Salesian Missions ...comprised of Priests, Brothers and Sisters, care for disadvantaged youth in developing countries. We do this through education, job training and constructive recreational activities. We help youngsters achieve intellectual, emotional and spiritual maturity, thus becoming self-sufficient contributing members of society, with Christian values and good social skills."
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
Mahatma Ghandi
For me Earth Day is Everyday!!
Let's all try a little harder this year to do more, please:
Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose & Recycle!
Take the Refuse Pledge:
Say NO to disposable plastics!
by clicking on below link!
PlasticPollutionCoalition.org
And below is a link to the same site,
with suggestions about getting started!
GetStarted!
According to the Sierra Club, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic water bottles, the majority of which then end up in landfills! And, that's just in the good old US of A !
“Tell me and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I may not remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
~ Native American or Chinese Proverb
NEW!!
In honor of Earth Day (read, "EVERY day"), I picked up 7 new incredible organic fabrics from a local NJ designer yesterday (March 1st, 2012)! I will be cutting & sewing this weekend!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
Please call to get yours & to pre-order for the new spring & summer patterns! I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
I will continue to carry the six low impact dyed solid fabric choices & the undyed organic sateen, which are pictured below, until they run out:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured right, is now available! These fabrics are also now available in a 100% Organic Lavender Sachet ~ fashioned after the 100% Organic Dream Sachet. Both utilize 100% Organic fabrics, ingredients, hemp or low impact dyed cotton yarn tie and batting (to hold in ingredients in the event that it becomes untied). And, yes, because they're tied shut, they are refillable!!
I am continuing to use the eco~friendly Inego fiberfill to hold in the lavender & dream mix in my sachets. This alternative to the conventional polyester fiberfill is soft & resillient! This hypoallergenic material is called Pla-fiber, & is made with a 100% annually renewable resource: corn!
I am currently wholesaling my organic potpourri, sachets, eye pillows, body wraps, and skin relief through various retailers - click to bring you to Where Available below!
If you are a local store & would like to carry my products, please contact me!
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
2013 CATALOG
I can also email the new catalog to anyone who wishes ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
I created a new page a few years back ~ linked to this one on which I give some details as to what is going on behind the scenes here, & also lists some items for sale. I will be posting my business moving sale soon ~ with many many deals !! Thank you all who have supported me through this difficult time in my life.
Come By & Buy
I still receive calls asking about my Organic potted herbs, flowers & veggies. I just (May 2012) met a young farmer, Erin who, with a friend, Lisa,
is now filling this niche with their Organic, Heirloom and Open-Pollinated plants!
"Harmony Starts sells seedlings grown from certified organic, heirloom and/or open-pollinated seeds. We use carefully mixed potting soil made with organic compost and organic coconut coir with the addition of slow-release nutrients for an abundant crop."
To find out where to purchase them, what's currently available, and what's growing, please visit their website by clicking on their below logo:
I am also still get calls asking what organic produce is available ~~ and, since I am no longer growing veggies, I always tell folks about the the Health Shopppe in Morristown which offers a completely organic produce section, AND a juice bar, AND a salad bar. The owners work with many local farmers to bring you the freshest and most local produce, meat, eggs, milk, honey .... Their hot & cold cases also utilize many organic items, while offering many vegan and gluten free options! The Health Shoppe in Chester also has a completely organic produce section!
*****************Please note: the Health Shoppes in Morristown & Chester will be closing June 30th after 40 years of business. If anyone is interested in buying either, or both, of these stores to continue to provide our communities with healthful local sources of food & knowledgeable staff ~ please contact them at (973) 538-9131. Thank you!***************
I also tell folks about closest Farmers Market to me, including the one in Sparta! It typically opens in June, runs into October. For more detailed info about this farmers market visit: LocalHarvest.org
This website also helps anyone in the US find local growers, u-pick farms, Christmas tree farms, CSA's etc., as well as their local Farmers Markets : )
Spring Potted Plants ~ Due to the loss of a greenhouse, a malfunction in the cooling system of the other greenhouse, & a general malfunction in me! ~ there were sadly no greenhouse seedlings started this year. There are perennials & annuals which can lifted from the gardens upon request. Update August '10: The last greenhouses was removed, & the largest was purchased & reconstructed at a friends' home.
There are many medicinal herbs which are still available.
For a full list of plants which can be dug & shared, please click following: Potted Plants
About Dégagé Gardens:
Dégagé**Gardens is a small organic market farm located in bucolic Rockaway, NJ in historic Morris County, which has served the local area with its' herbs, flowers, and vegetables - available potted (in the Spring), fresh (during the Late Spring, Summer & early Fall) & dried (in the Fall) for 10 years. Only my handcrafted products are now available & they are available all year ~ well, with the exception of a couple of them ~ which, when supplies run out ~ that's it 'til next season! My wholesale customers are primarily health food stores, spas & garden centers within a 25 mile radius of the farm. Call me to place an order (for delivery or pick-up), ask a question, make a suggestion, give feedback ... I'll return your call typically within 24 hours! Contact by e-mail .... I typically answer emails within 48 hours. So, if you're in a hurry, please call.
Please note:
My new phone number is:
(973) 827 - 3369
My customers appreciated my motto: "The day it's picked is the day it's delivered". My customers' feedback is still extremely important to me even if it no longer has to do with heirloom varieties = )
(What's an heirloom?: It's any variety which has been passed down over the years for its' beneficial characteristics: flavor, texture, storage life, and/or resistance to insects, drought, and extreme weather. They are the survivors that we seek out & keep around! They are open pollinated - which means that you can save the seed!). My everchanging landscape continuously welcomes new varieties. In 2006 I was proud to offer 142 varieties (60 herbs, 37 flowers & 35 veggies) with 23 of these being Heirloom varieties (9 herbs, 4 flowers & 10 veggies) ~ Due to illness, no veggies were available in 2007 or 2008, and will no longer be available in the future ~ unless something changes = ) I still do grow & offer over 27 varieties of herbs which possess medicinal qualities. These are always available as they are constants, prolific, and generally maintain themselves!
The majority of my seeds and rootstock have come from certified organic farms in Maine, where biodiversity and biodynamics run rampant and gardening reigns supreme. I use only certified organic seeds, soil, fertilizers, and amendments, and control "pests" with handpicking, predatory insects, & companion planting. I am a self-certified grower who'll never use any GMO products, pesticides or herbicides. My environmentally friendly approach is apparent throughout my production: from recycled/recyclable pots; deliveries made in tubs; identification tags, signs, and photo cards made from recycled paper; to biodegradable cellulose bags for packaging of my body wraps, & sachets. Below are many of the ways in which I see myself as Keeping It Green!
As the wise Chief Seattle said back in 1854:
"Take only memories leave only footprints".
Many efforts to be gentle to our environment are made,
from preparation to presentation.
Rethink ~ Refuse ~ Reduce
Reuse ~ Repair ~ Repurpose ~ Recycle
Please!
Take the Refuse Pledge:
Say NO to disposable plastics!
by clicking on below link!
PlasticPollutionCoalition.org
And below is a link to the same site,
with suggestions about getting started!
GetStarted!
According to the Sierra Club, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic water bottles, the majority of which then end up in landfills! And, that's just in the good old US of A !
In Office and Studio:
~Solar calculator is used to total receipts.
~Purchase supplies as local as possible, and made in USA.
~Purchased herbs & spices (i.e. cinnamon, clove, & eucalyptus) come from reputable wholesalers who sample, screen & analyze each lot to assure they are free of irradiation, ozone, sulfur, gas & chemical treatment.
~Solar scale is used to weigh ingredients.
~Converted lighting to low watt compact fluorescent bulbs.
~All but one of my handcrafted products are refillable.
~Most brochures are paperless: emailed.
~Sustainable paper is used for signs & photo cards.
For more info visit: www.paperbecause.com or click here:
~Strips of paper, and cut outs (in shape of circle & quote bubble/apostrophe) are used by local school arts and reading programs.
~I switched my electric to be sourced from 100% wind power. Well, they actually recently notified me that 1% is now being supplied by solar! It costs me approximately 1% more to support cleaner technology, & took about only 2 minutes to reduce my carbon footprint! Will you make those 2 minutes right now ~ for our environment, our air, our water? Each time I turn on an appliance, I know I’m still making a difference for everyone’s future, by promoting local energy independence, & advancing our economy by supporting local green jobs! My utility company is the same I’ve had for years, for billing, delivery & service, but my supplier is now 100% green! No cost to switch, no contract.
When you call Community Energy 1.877.321.0465, please mention Dégagé Gardens, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee! You can receive the same rebate on line. Please remember to choose Dégagé Gardens in the How Did You Hear About Us? box in the last line of form, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee!
www.CommunityEnergyInc.com
Win ~ Win - Win!
The first win is for the environment! All you need is your current bill in hand.
To learn more about the wind & solar energy from the company I'm utilizing, click on the below picture to bring you to their website.
I have recently added this symbol to my tags:
Thanks for caring & making all of the extra efforts you make!
I have recently added this symbol to my tags:
~Most shipments are made re-using boxes & packing from incoming deliveries.
~Use Pla-fiber (made with a 100% annually renewable resource, corn) for keeping in organic ingredients in conventional fabric sachets, in case they become untied.
~Organic flax is used for my eye pillows and body wraps ~ which is more economical if heated ~ because it gives a prolonged moist heat, due to its' 30~40% oil content.
~Organic fabrics:
Since Monsanto entered India with its GM cotton, over 150,000 farmers have committed suicide since 1993. (note: any organic crop cannot contain GMO's)
" Each year, around 2,500,000 tons = 5 billion pounds of pesticide are dumped on the planet's crops.
· Five of the top nine pesticides used in conventional cotton production in the US are known cancer-causing chemicals.
· (These are cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite and trifluralin.)
· To make just ONE T-shirt takes about a third of a pound of toxic chemicals
· In some recent tests, 90% of water and fish samples from streams in the USA had pesticides. About 50% of all sampled wells contained one or more pesticides.
· DDT and chlordane pesticides have been found in vegetables grown in contaminated soil 38 years after being banned.
· In 2002, an estimated 69,000 children were poisoned by pesticides in the US
· The World Health Organization reports 220,000 people die every year worldwide because of pesticide poisoning.
· Cotton can have much stronger chemicals used on it than food crops."
Please visit
for more info!“When we show our respect for other living things,
they respond with respect for us.”
Arapaho Proverb
· "An estimated one to five million cases of pesticide poisoning occur every year, resulting in several thousand fatalities among agricultural workers. Most of these poisonings occur in the developing world where safe health standards can be inadequate or non-existent. Although these countries use only 25% of global pesticide production, they account for a staggering 99% of the related deaths."
The above quote is taken from a non-profit organization
based in Rome, Italy:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Click the below icon for full article = )
~Converting to organic fabrics as they become available to me.
~Organic yarn.
~Organic batting.
~Cellulose biodegradable bags are used to package handcrafted products.
~Receipts are pre-printed with soy ink.
~Almost all office & studio furniture ~ gifted or purchased at thrift stores, garage sales, and
~I've also untilized
to find new homes for items I no longer need, as my business & life have changed over the years.~Eco flooring in Studio & storage areas, which can be composted if ever not needed/wanted by the next owner. To learn more about the brand that I chose click on image.
In Greenhouse:
~Non~chlorine bleach & biodegradable dish liquid is used to wash tubs & shelves...
~Purchased pots are made from recycled materials & are recyclable.
~Plug trays are sturdy & reused each season.
~A potting bench, and a small starter greenhouse bought at garage sale.
~Outdoors:
~All plant displays / racks had been salvaged from roadsides & the woods ~ including tables and benches & have found new homes.
~Greensand is added to raised beds to minimize watering.
~Utilize rain barrels for watering.
~I eat all organic foods & compost all vegetative matter from my kitchen & gardens, which helps build soil.
~When I leave for a delivery, I typically utilize the trip to accomplish other tasks (i.e. banking).
~Deliveries are made in washable tubs.
~Sales receipt is totaled with a solar calculator.
~Solar lights.
~I have had lovely neighbors who called before going to a store which carries my products, and have made deliveries for me.
Tasks done by hand without use of electricity, in available daylight:
Indoors:
~Mixing soil
~Sowing seeds
~Transplanting
~Watering
~Stripping dried botanicals & hanging to dry
~Cutting fabric
~Cutting, scoring, perforating & punching tags
~Stapling on tags to cellulose bags
~Filling, tagging, & tying sachets
~Applying snaps to eye pillows
~Packaging
Outdoors:
~Sowing seeds
~Pulling weeds
~Tilling
~Hoeing
~Watering (from rain barrels
~Harvesting
~Mending fences
~Building trellises & raised beds
I encourage all to investigate how you, too, can:
Rethink ~ Refuse ~ Reduce
Reuse ~ Repair ~ Repurpose ~ Recycle
which can ease our impact
on our environment, landfills, and futures.
Take the Refuse Pledge:
Say NO to disposable plastics!
by clicking on below link!
PlasticPollutionCoalition.org
And below is a link to same site,
with suggestions about getting started!
GetStarted!
"Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it"
Edward W. Bok
To visit the Organic Consumers Association,
click their symbol below:
To visit my listing on their site ~ click below:
To visit the Green Business Association ~ click symbol:
Return to the top of Page
Press
You can click on any of the articles or events flyers listed below, if the title is underlined, & you will be brought to the article or flyer. To return to my page click on your Back key / Left Arrow on your tool bar! Thanks!
Earth Day Experience in Morristown fetes sustainability
6:58 AM, Apr. 20, 2012
"A Hybrid-Electric Car Show at Earth Day Experience in the DeHart Street parking garage features fuel-efficient vehicles, including Gearhart Chevrolet’s 2012 Volt.
A spring farmers market features: Griggstown Quail Farm, Valley Shepherd Creamery, Joy B’s Farm, Mini Mac farm, Glenmalure Farm. The Health Shoppe, Peony’s Envy, Saltopia, Made with Love Organics and Dégagé Gardens will also host tables at the Healthy Food Festival. Earth Day Experience is rain or shine. Also appearing at Earth Day Experience: Grow It Green Morristown, Church of the Redeemer, Marty’s Reliable Cycle and the Tower Garden.
The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation will be giving tours of 14 Maple. Ave from 1 to 3 p.m. on the half hour. Pre-registration is required; sign up at the Sustainable Morristown table."
An article in the Grassroots Section of the Daily Record, released on April 19th, 2012, which refeatures the picture taken for the below Nov. 25th article:
Titled Vegan, gluten-free are Health Shoppe's specialty
The 4rth Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at the Morristown High School in Morristown
Sponsored by the
Following is a link to an article published February 13th, 2012 about the event, by Cathy Veit of the Morristown Green!
Who says you can’t farm in winter? Morristown welcomes Slow Food–and sows seeds for permanent garden
Click below for press release, which was released prior to the event.
The 4rth Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
Following is a link to an article written on November 25th, 2011 by Cara Townsend ~ NJ Press Media ~ for the GrassRoots section of the Daily Record. It is the online version which has been edited:
Made local, bought local: Area retailers show what it means to 'shop small'
Thank you to all who joined me at
The Red Mill Museum
for their
Go Green Fair
on Saturday September 17, 2011
The Red Mill's 2nd Annual Green Fair featured ways to reduce your carbon footprint. The grounds showcased green vendors with information and products relating to green building design, green energy, recycling, preservation, organic farming and holistic living. There was also be a schedule of programs ~ with living greener demonstrations, children's activities, and live music. Visitors had an opportunity to learn how to weave & tie a fishing fly; find out how to lower their energy bills; learn the do's and don'ts of solar energy, & to visit with Humdinger alpacas. Throughout the day there was live music by the Swamp Grass Jug Band, which used recycled objects for instruments! Also featured was an environmental scientist Joey Bee, from Joey Bee's Outdoor Adventures, who talked about all the ways we can protect & preserve our natural habitats.
For more info on The Red Mill Museum,
please click on the lovely picture below:
Thanks also to those who have come by the Princeton Farm Market in the Princeton Public Library! I look forward to re~joining the market when it moves back indoors in the fall! There is a special market scheduled for Thursday, December 8th. Click on logo below to bring you to the markets website. Thanks Jean~Claude & Judith for including me = )
Thank you to all who came out for
Festival Earth
on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
at the new
located at 55 Bank St.
Click below to view a flyer with more details about that days events.
A Celebration of Sustainable Morristown
NOTE:
The event was a 2 day event ~
preceeded by a Green Building Expo which was held the previous 2 days!
Please visit their website for future sustainable events ~ click below or go to:
www.MorristownEcoCenter.com
Thank you to all who braved the inclement weather & came to the Essex County Environmental Center in Roseland on Saturday, April 16th 2011 for their 6th Annual Earth Day Celebration = )
Sharing a table with the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Essex County, I learned much!
Click below to view press release from the Essex County Parks Commission:
Earth Day 2011
Click on their logo above for more info about the center & their upcoming events!
Thank you to all who attended the
The 3rd Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
which was held on Saturday, February 12, 2011
at the:
Cultural Center
in Morristown
Sponsored by the
in partnership with the
Morris County Park Commission
the event brought together many local farmers and food artisans. Please note, that due to an overwhelming response to this years event, they are looking for a larger venue for next year = )
Follow~up: They did find larger venue & held 2012 event at local H.S.!
Click below to view press release from Slow Food = )
The 3rd Annual Local Harvest:
Farms, Food, and Family
Thank you Jen Chaky, owner of
for home . for life . for planet
located at 4 So. Fullerton Ave. in Montclair, NJ
(973) 744 - 7889
Thanks Jen for writing such a lovely article in
HERBAL REMEDIES
Just in time for the holidays ~ published on December 23rd, 2010 !
Ever eco & ever supportive ~
So very glad to know you = )
A fair at the Essex County Environmental Center,
in which I participated. Click below to view the Center's flyer:
4rth ANNUAL
GIVE GREEN
HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR 2010!
You can also click on their logo above for more info about the center & their upcoming events!
An article, dated January 28th, 2010
from a local blog:
Herbal Goodness
by Abby Ray
Thank you so much, Abby!
The following is a Daily Record article
by Jennifer L. Nelson from January 13th, 2010.
2nd Annual
Slower is better: Jan. 16 event celebrates locally produced winter bounty
Click below for press releases for the
2nd Annual
Slow Food Event:
Local Harvest: Farms, Food, & Family
Slow Food Northern NJ Invites Garden State Residents To Eat Local Year Round
Thanks to all those who who tuned in
on Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 2009
to the Green Divas Radio Internet Show.
A big thanks also to Jen & Meg for inviting me on as a guest to their show!
Meg has going solo on another radio station ~ and as soon as she gets me the copy ~ I will post it here for her.
I am leaving the place from which that '09 interview was broadcast ~ because I like listening to them ~ and hopefully the below link to them will bring them some exposure.
Go to ~ click on:
& then, click on the
symbol at the top right hand corner of the screen to tune in! : )
Here's an article which was published in
on Nov 25th, 2009:
Essex County Environmental Center's Green Gift Fair offered lots of very green tips
By: SEAN CARLSON, Contributing Writer.
Thanks for the mention : )
Jane, the owner of
in Boonton asked me to write an article on Aromatherapy which she used in one of her newsletters. To view this article, please click on the following: Aromatherapy Article.
On August 20th, 2008 Lisa at the
wrote the following article:
Local Gardens & Grocers are Going Green.
Photos of some of my products were included in a wonderful review of The Outside In in Piermont on
Thank you Mary Shustack for including me in your photos = )
A Hidden Gem
ran another article titled
"Organic Farmer Turns Love of Nature into Good Business" on Sunday, August 19th,'07 on the front page of their "Morris People" section. It's one of their "Human Interests” stories which "appears every Sunday and other days of the week from time to time. In each column Lorraine Ash explores interesting angles on local life that may otherwise escape attention. Reader mail is welcome at lvash@gannett.com." Thanks Lorraine for the wonderful pieces you've written! I could not find it online ~ so link I wanted to put is not here ; )
On July 31st, '07, my skin relief products were featured in an article titled
"Heads up on sun damage screening" by Lorraine Ash
in the Daily Record: under paragraph heading:
Aftersun creams
** Note: Only print copy had photos of farm & skin products.
For more info about my skin relief products, click this link & it will bring you down this page to: Skin Relief
Please click below to view an article which I wrote about Lavender: Lavender Everlasting
for, & which was published in,
Degage Gardens Succeeding at Growing the Small Farm
By Tamara Scully (AFP Correspondent)
was published on 3.01.2007 in
Tammy is available for hire! Her freelance writing specializes "in agriculture and local food system articles, my work includes farming history, heritage and rural life." Please click here: Tamara's Writing Services for more information. Or, "Do you need a press release for your business, organization or special event? Would you like to enhance your web site content?"
"Trade and consumer magazines, newspapers, newsletters, websites and non-profit organizations can all benefit from feature articles" Click on the pink link to bring you to her Hire page : )
Tammy also wrote
Local Products and Handcrafted Goods
which appeared in New Jersey's
Thank you Tammy for your awesome support & as always, great writing!
December '06, Lorraine Ash wrote a nice holiday article featuring local stores for the
titled:
Have yourself a natural Christmas.
Click above title to view!
A less recent article is still floating around the net in different versions ~ as it was published in both the local
& 
and then picked up by local communities after that:
"Matchmaking site levels dating field for single farmers" by Laura Bruno
(Morris County, N.J.) Daily Record Jan. 19, 2006
Thanks to all who have responded to this article ~~ the most recent almost 5 years later!
reviews written by customers!Following is from an email dated December 3, 2010
"Hi Anne,
So happy to see your name pop up in the email. I wanted to write you yesterday to say how great it was to see you again and to thank you.
I had hoped to save the body wrap for Christmas but I couldn't wait to put it around my neck once i got home. The weight of the wrap puts just the right amount of pressure where I need it most and the lavender fragrance is so soothing that I think I am breathing better (not hyperventilating when stressed.) I am finding the older I get - the more I have to make time to relax. This is not an easy thing for me. Perhaps most people are this way.
It is very thoughtful of you to send this information on sleep. You are a good listener. This is a very rare quality these days.
I feel very fortunate you were at Wholefoods Market in Ridgewood the other day. Funny how sometimes good things can happen when you really need them to!
Sincerely, Lisa
The following are
reviews which can be found on line at :
"Products are always fresh, Anna' s always knowledgable and SO Eco-friendly! Products last and last, probably since they come right from her! I've had the same sachet on my dash for years, and when I hit that defrost button, the aroma still fills the car! Her skin care products are great, too!"
Lori of Lake Hopatcong, NJ on October 01, 2007
"I have purchased Degage Gardens Organic Herbal Eye Pillows and Body Wraps, as well as Lip Balm and other products to sell in my office to my Massage clients. They sell well, with clients making repeated purchases. I love the quality of the products and having had the opportunity to visit the gardens in Rockaway on a trip to New Jersey, I saw the care and attention that is given to the whole creation process of the variety of products made by Degage Gardens."
A Balanced Feeling Massage of Phoenix, AZ on September 30, 2007
"Anne Giller is an interesting, amazing woman. Single-handedly, she runs an organic garden, and hand-crafts items from the botanicals she grows. I have bought pretty much everything she has made - from the fantastically aromatic sachets to those thingies that you light and they smoke up and clear the air. During the summer, I buy all my greens and herbs from her. You can't get any fresher than going into the garden with her and picking the plants on the spot. We always have interesting conversations when we do that - being with her is always an education in plant life. To my mind, this woman - and what she has accomplished on her little farm - is a modern day miracle - and just knowing her has improved my life."
Jane Goldberg of Bloomingdale, NJ
on September 26, 2007
"Terrific, fresh herbs and gift items! All sold by a funny, intelligent, terrific woman. You have to check this place out!!!"
Holly of Bloomfield, NJ on September 26, 2007
"Degage gardens has the best fresh salad pickens, potted plants and hand made hand creams. The sachets are delightfully fragrant. I wouldn't buy them anywhere else."
Patricia Fernot of Newfoundland, NJ
on July 25, 2007
"A couple of years ago, my husband and I lived in New Jersey and came across Degage Gardens on a drive. We stopped and bought some fresh produce and were amazed at how long it remained fresh after we brough it home. The owner actually walked around the garden with us and handpicked everything right then and there. Needless to say, we became regular customers and since we've moved to Michigan, we haven't been able to find anything that comes close to Degage Gardens. I highly recommend the produce, the seedlings and the home products (sachets, lotions, etc.)."
Christine of Utica, MI on July 25, 2007
HOW TO EAT SMARTER
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
This free workshop was held at Rockaway Township Library, and featured food sampling and tips on how to eat healthier from NJ Local Harvest farms and organizations:
Smadar English from the community supported gardens (CSG) at Genesis Farms, Anne ~ Degage Gardens and Margaret Noon from SlowFood ~ NJ.
Thank you Barb for putting together a great program, and for use of below photo from that evening! Barb brings so many amazing programs to our local library every month!
Pictured Left to Right: Myself, Smadar w/ my flowers, & Margaret.
Thanks to all who attended the Slow Food North Jersey
Local Harvest: Farms, Food and Family
event at Frelinghuysen Arboretum on Saturday, January 17th, 2009. It was an amazing experience ~ so very well attended: a true indication that local is thriving!
To learn more about this organization & their future events, click on:
Return to the top of Page
Where Available:
How do you get my organic eco~handcrafted aromatherapy products, like my sachets, potpourris, skincreams, eye pillows, & body wraps? I offer my goods wholesale. Please see my selection below. The following retail establishments carry various products throughout the year. Most establishments have websites of their own, to which you can nagivate by clicking on their underlined name or their logo!
If you are a retailer & wish to carry my products, please contact me! Thank You in advance!
Many people have purchased my eco handmade products for fund raisers, unique gifts or as party favors for many occasions including: housewarming, baby showers, wedding showers, 50th birthday party favors, & going abroad presents!
If you typically purchase my products at local stores, but need a "bulk" order for a special occassion, or a fund raiser please email or call me! Thanks!
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
I can also email the new catalog to anyone who wishes ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
N E W !
15 Washington Street ... Morristown
(973) 267 ~ 0079
Thank you Nicole, for bringing in my NEW Dream Body Wraps & Lavender ones, too! Thanks also for sharing these wraps over the years with your clients, to warm & relax them while they ready for their massages! The energy in your space is so very calming & healing.
Please visit Nicole for “Swedish, Deep Tissue, Integrated Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Sports Massage, Manual Lymph Drainage and Raindrop Technique. Achieve relaxation, pain relief and athletic performance.”
For more information, including explanations of different massages, benefits of them, & current special, please click on picture below to be redirected to her website:
THE ART OF THE HEART
15 Perry Street ... Chester
(908) 879 ~ 3937
Thank you Sue for bringing in more of my products this week (8/8/2012). I’m sure your customers will love your selection of Body Wraps, Eye Pillows, Lavender Sachets, Laundry Sachets & Lavender Refills! Am so happy that folks who were used to acquiring their goodies at the recently closed local Health Shoppe, will have a new place to investigate.
This is a wonderfully vital hub for holistic practitioners, and their clients!
For more information on all the classes, Open Houses, training, certification, and therapies which are offered, as well as info on the monthly meetings of the networking group, Holistic Consciousness of One, please visit her website:
www.TheArtOfTheHeart-Chester.com
Thank you Deb & Chuck for bringing in an overstuffed basket of Lavender sachets & a nice assortment of body wraps & eye pillows! I look forward to bringing you in fresh new patterns & products soon!
“ASANA HOUSE is a juice bar yoga lounge offering a space for your practice in addition to a place where you can kick back, hook up to the internet and enjoy fresh juice combinantions, smoothies, organic coffee, tea and homemade chai. Let your natural beauty radiate through you. We all know the saying, 'you are what you eat'. We are also what we think, what we say and what we do. Our physical exercise is essential to our mental and emotional bodies. 'Body, spirit and mind.' Yoga is one of the oldest forms of physical purification, its effectiveness has been proven over centuries, and juicing is one of the best ways to enhance the benefits of this experience.”
127 Valley Road .. Montclair
(973) 744 ~ 1500
For more info, please visit their actual store & studio / juice bar .. or their website & virtual store ~ by clicking on their below logo!
Amy & Kate are now carrying my products, as well as some dried bergamot flowers, roses & lavender to make your sachets! Please visit this great Home & Garden Center for a great selection of
locally & sustainably handcrafted items;
a wonderful selection of organic edible plants,
seeds & soils; helpful Plant Healthcare;
demos, talks, tours; landscape design
~ as well as planting & delivery services;
and a wonderful display of all else growing = )
"At Back to Nature Home & Garden we carefully select products favoring American made, artisanal craftsmanship and quality design."
I am grateful for an opportunity to be a part of this inspiring sustainable hub in Somerset County!
Please visit them:
3055 Valley Road
Basking Ridge, NJ
908 . 350 . 7506
Click below to be taken to their website: www.BackToNature.net
Basil Bandwagon Natural Market
276 Rt. 202-31 .... Store #1 ... Flemington
(908) 788 - 5737
Please help support your local health food stores. The owner, Ralph is an herbalist, & he & his staff are very knowledgable & friendly! The store has its own brand of herbs & offers a juice bar, deli, organic produce & bulk food section & much more!
Click here to visit them on line at www.BasilBandwagon.com
NOW OPEN!!
Basil Bandwagon Natural Market
"Second Store is now OPEN!!
Basil Bandwagon has come to Clinton. We took over the Sunflower Seed at 38 Old Rt 22.
(908) 735-3822
Make sure to stop by and check it out!"
N E W !
Conscious Fork
20 McEwen St … Warwick NY
(845) 988 – KALE (5253)
Thank you Kim for bringing in a selection of sachets & refills into your delicious space! The soup & hommus I had while I was there, was superb!
Please visit their FB page, by clicking below logo!
Dean's Natural Food Market
490B Broad St ... Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
732 - 842 - 8686
My products are currently sold out at a wonderful health food store ~ complete with awesome organic juice bar & organic produce section! This is one of my very favorite spots to stop when I'm in the shore region. Always a tasty treat that you don't find elsewhere! Please visit Mary Jane & the rest of the terrific staff soon!
NEW!
Natural Food Market
is NOW OPEN in Basking Ridge, NJ
Dégagé Gardens
My new phone number is:
(973) 827 - 3369
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
I can also email the new catalog to anyone who wishes ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
DigIN on the Farm Online Farmers’ Market
The Online Farmers' Market is now open every Monday & closes at 4 pm on Wednesdays.
Thank you Tammy for holding my hand thru the process of listing my products in your online famers market ~ for pickup at 3 locations in Northern Jersey: Triple Creek Nursery in Blairstown; Gristmill Cafe parking area, Andover Boro; and a NEW LOCATION: Best’s Fruit Farm, Route 46 west, Hackettstown. Tammy has brought together an eclectic farm feast for you. Her motto:
"Local food is for everyone."
Following is a link to her on-line market ~ which is constantly changing & offering farm fresh goodness
from soap to nuts : )
and meats, cheese, alpaca fibers, honey, pet edibles, and gift certificates!!
Please note, this market may be discontinued due to lack of participation!
DigIN on the Farm Online Farmers’ Market
N E W!
123 Skyline Drive, Ringwood, NJ 07456
973-962-6355
After the Ringwood Farmers Market, I stopped at the local health food store, about which I’d been hearing wonderful things, & which I had to see for myself. I am so glad I stoppped. The owner, Dona Garofono & her staff welcomed me with open arms, and graciously took a display of some of my aromatherapy products to offer their clients. Dona is also a Naturopathic Doctor and Master Herbalist who is a trememdous local resource, providing many services to her community, including nutritional counseling! Please stop in & check out all which they have to offer soon. For more info, please click on their above image. Thanks!
N E W !
Wantage Plaza ... 205 Route 23 North ... Wantage
(973) 875 ~ 5433
“Feel the difference massage and yoga make. Garden of Life Therapeutic Massage & Yoga Center has been voted Sussex County’s Best Massage. The center is made up of caring, professional massage therapists and yoga teachers committed to providing our clients and students with the best treatments to help attain and maintain harmony and balance in body and mind. We offer a full range of massage therapy, yoga, and skin services for all ages and stages of life.”
Thank you Dawn, for bringing my products into your wonderfully relaxing Massage & Yoga Center!
Your staff is terrific!
Click on their below logo, for more info!
104 Glenwild Avenue ..... Bloomingdale
(973) 838 - 0174
They are presently carrying some of my handcrafted products ~ sachets (Lavender & Herbal Moth), Eye Pillows, & Bags of Lavender!
www.GlenwildGardens.com
The family also offers many gardening classes throughout the year ~ click on link below to view their upcoming events!
www.GlenwildGardens.com/classes
N E W !
66 Morris St … Morristown
(973) 290 ~ 0500
Opening on April 15th, 2013!
May Paul, Leslie, Rich, Jim & all the staff enjoy many years in this wonderful space, which supplied our local area with so much, for so long!
For more info, click on below logo:
N E W !
1388 Route 23 North ... Butler
(973) 283 ~ 8322
Thank you Ameer & Malverne, for meeting with me & taking a nice selection of Body Wraps, Sachets (Lavender, Dream, and Rose & Lavender), Refills & 1 ounce tins of my Lavender Skin Relief for your customers. I am so blessed to be working with these lovely new owners of the former Art of Healthy Living! They are currently offering a tasty Mediterranean Deli, fresh produce, a juice bar, natural & organic foods & vitamins, & have expanded their gluten free section downstairs!
Please visit their store & website, soon = )
HARVEST MOON
22 Marshall Hill Road ... West Milford
(973) 728 ~ 6300
Thanks Sally & John for supporting a local grower & taking on a selection of my products to offer to your folks! For over 15 years, this great couple have been offering an opportunity for their community to help themselves, in their warm & welcoming place. I learn something healthful every time I stop in!
66 Morris Street ... Morristown
Their 100% Organic Salad Bar, Organic Juice Bar, & large Organic Produce sections are missed! I crave their delicious deli delicacies & tasty gluten free & vegan baked goods as I'm driving by!
The Morristown store closed after 40 years of wonderful service in our community.
Thanks Brant, for welcoming me all those years ago, and for carrying my "lavender stuff" after I stopped growing organic plants & produce = )
Their partnerships with local farmers to bring the freshest seasonal veggies, cheeses, meats, honey, eggs, milk etc.. will be truly missed! We will also miss the terrific staff, who were always available with healing knowledge which assisted many in their journeys back to healh! Thank you Leslie, Jim, Luis, & Rafael for always being supportive & smiling!
Chester, NJ
(Much like their store in Morristown, but in a smaller venue, the Health Shoppe in Chester served their local area with their Organic Juice Bar, organic produce section, and wonderful selection of herbs and foods to feed the body & soul! On Saturday, July 14th, I was fortunate to be able to pack the last few items up for the local food pantry. Such a giving spirit, at such a time of change. To take the time to think of others, at a time when most would be thinking about their own next move, confirmed for me why this store was one of my favorites! The Morristown store is now also closed, after 40 years of wonderful service in our community. Folks are already looking for a replacement ~ which is most needed & will be wonderfully received! We are all looking forward to seeing the old Health Shoppe staff in a new health venue with some of their same amazing foods = )
Thank you Marlin & Robin for carrying my products, and to Eva for encouraging them to carry more. Best to all!
THE HEALTH SHOPPES.COM
N E W!
NEW!
23 Diamond Spring Rd. Suite 5 ... Denville
(973) 224 ~ 6773
Thank you Lory for bringing my products into your relaxing healing center!
This day is all about making the care of one's self the very first thought on our list of "Things to Do"!
For, once we do this, we are able to help others more often & more deeply.
Please come to my healing center, and take part in your own healing. My center has many healing opportunities, including Reiki & Maluhia Healing, hypnosis, and Hawaiian Mana Card Readings. One can also become certified in Reiki, so they too can assist others in their healing.
Please stop by this unique healing center soon!
To learn more about all that Lory offers, please click on the picture below.
Pat from the Jefferson Township Museum brought in some of my products to the Museum store in Fall 2011!
This is so exciting to me, as my mother used to work in this same place, when it was the Violet Riker Library! What a beautiful renovation the Jefferson Township Historical Society has accomplished.
The museum has recently reopened after being closed for renovations.
Location:
315 Dover-Milton Rd. ~ Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
Phone: (973) 697 . 0258
To read an article about the Holiday event, please click on link below:
Museum Christmas Weekend
For more info, please visit:
www.jt historical society.org
by clicking on the above link.
N E W!
Thank you Dr. Paul Marston, director of
for bringing in some of my Body Wraps & Eye Pillows for your patients! You have a wonderful facility, which truly emanates wellness through the countless options you & your tremendous staff give your clients to help regain & maintains their health!
is located at
300 Kakeout Road in Kinnelon, NJ
(973) 838 ~ 6252
Please click on their above logo for more info, helpful health articles, and informative blog!
41 E. 20th Street, New York, NY
(212) 673-2272 (CASA)
Click here to go their webpage: www.LaCasaSpa.com
La Casa is now the only place in NYC where you can purchase my products : )
Thanks Gregg & Jane!
273 Pleasant Grove Rd....Long Valley, NJ
(973) 713 ~ 9770
If you're in the area ~ stop by!
You can also sign up for delivery.
Unsure of whether Helen still has anything of mine ... so, please don't go there anticpating to buy something of mine ~~ just leaving this up to support a local grower.
Click on the below colored link to learn more = )
Mini Mac Farm
627 County Route 1 ...Pine Island, NY
(845) 258 ~ 3200
The 1st time I walked into Cindy's place, I knew I was in the right place! I could breathe! I'm usually unable to even walk past a nail or hair salon ~ but this is not your ordinary nail place.
"Mother Earth's Nail Spa is a feel good kind of place. It's not like other nail spas where they rush you in and out. We want to get to know you. We want you to feel special. We know you work hard and need to be nurtured. It makes you a better person, mom and partner. We created the Green With Envy Club so you can afford it all and we can reward you for your loyalty. You've earned it. So, kick back, relax and enjoy Mother Earth."
Special Note:
This is the only store in NY state
which has special ordered & is currently carrying
my Unscented Eye Pillows & Body Wraps!
Click on image below to be taken to her website:
564 Route 23 North ... Pompton Plains
(973) 831 ~ 5804
Steve & Shai opened Nature's Pavilion "to provide you with the finest quality fresh, natural, organic and whole foods, nutritional products, body care products and health information in a fun comfortable clean, safe environment." They have their own line of tinctures, Bio Essence International. Their cold & flu virus formula knocked it right out of me!
Special Note:
This is only one of 2 stores in Jersey
which accepts special orders! One can order Unscented Body Wraps or Eye Pillows, or have a Body Wraps or Eye Pillows created with a unique fragrance of their own, from the botanicals I offer!
To find out about upcoming events, their products, specials, hours & more: click on theit store name below & you will be brought to their website!
Nature's Pavillion
N E W!
112 Willow Avenue … Hoboken
(201) 683 ~ 7766
Thank you Rebeca for contacting me to be a part of your new “Eco~friendly Pregnancy, Parenting & Lifestyle store” which also proffers “Educational offerings and Support Groups”! Best to you in your new location!
Please click below image for details on this new NJ store!
17 Olcott Square ... Bernardsville
(908) 204 ~ 1988
Incredibly wonderful & everchanging!
Please visit her store & if you can't make it in, or, live too far away, please visit her on - line store!
Click above nest & it'll bring you to her lovely site!
249 Ferdon Ave. ... Piermont, NY
(845) 398 ~ 0706
A Gallery of Uncommon Artifacts
for the Inside & Out
Bill & Joe now have over 40 artists under their roof!!
Looking forward to bringing them new products soon!
NEW!
Joe & Bill now have a website: click below!
www.theoutsideinpiermont.com
27 E. Main Street ... Denville
(973) 983 ~ 8100
A fabulous ever-changing inventory ranging from hand-crafted works from local artisans ~ including ~ pottery & jewelry, to consignment clothing and furniture ~ offering all of us a unique opportunity to reuse, renew and recycle.
Owner, Melissa, is constantly involved with our communities, and offers countless ways in which we can share in them!
Please stop in to see how
you can help yourself, while helping others = )
You can also visit her website, by clicking symbol below, to find out about upcoming & ongoing events!
SACRED CIRCLE
Long Branch
(732) 389 ~ 4859
"... lovingly filled with unique, cultural products difficult to come by, along with personal services for the body and soul as well as alternative education."
I walked into this space looking for another & found a truly unique & loving place ~ it was just meant to be! Thanks for the royal treatment which I witnessed you giving to everyone who walked & wandered through your door. Al, Mary, & Lois: thank you!
In Feb 2012, their store burned to the ground, but they are still servicing their clients in different locations. Please click below to enter their website
Their Online Store is now available!!!
www.SacredCircleNewAge.com
145 Union Valley Road
Newfoundland, NJ
Note: Google Maps shows location 7/10ths of a mile off of Route 23 north in West Milford
Phone : (973) 697 ~ 4114
The owner, Maria has an amazing talent ~ she makes pottery! Every year she asks me to participate in her
Annual Holiday Boutique!
which is the weekend before & after Thanksgiving.
She keeps local artists gifts on hand until the week before Christams. She closes for a couple of weeks & re-opens in January ~ until the summer, when she is again closed. Please visit her store soon & support a local artist!
Visit her online by clicking below on her store name in lavender:
Stonehill Pottery Shoppe
30 Moran Street ... Newton
1 block east of Route 206
between Trinity and E. Clinton streets
(973) 579 ~ 1882
Open to the public, & you can also join for a nominal fee & get discounts every time you shop!
The public is offered a 10% discount on Tuesdays.
"SCFC members have been working together for more than thirty years to supply themselves and their neighbors with access to high quality natural and organic foods, including locally-produced foodstuffs. Among other items, SCFC offers locally-grown produce in season, honey, eggs, chicken, and seasonal baked goods. Handmade pottery and textile crafts from local artisans are also for sale. Many of our members and patrons have special dietary needs. Our shelves are stocked with specialty foods free of dairy, gluten, wheat, soy, tree nuts, and other allergens."
I am proud & thankful to be a part of one of my new county's landmarks!
Click on their weblink below to go to their site.
www.SussexCountyFoods.org
192 Main St. ... Butler, NJ
(973) 838 - 0287
This is a great health food store I've been frequenting over the years when I'm going through Butler. Always something new & tasty & always a smile & oodles of knowledge from the staff. I've even gotten some great recipes too! It's family owned & operated for 32 years now!
Please visit Fred, Sierra, Frank, Theresa & Bonnie soon. To learn more about this wonderful gem, click below:
www.TasteOfDawn.com
50 South Fullerton Ave ... Montclair
** at the Montclair Public Library **
(973) 744 ~ 6600 or 0500
The Terra Tea Salon has moved from Church Street ,& they're still very involved in fair trade, local, sustainable & eco!
They're currently carrying some of my Lavender Sachets, Loose Lavender & Rose Buds.
Please stop in for a cup of tea, a snack, to sign up for their co-op, or purchase a fair trade gift for yourself or another!
Visit their webpage by clicking below:
2 E Main St
Brookside, NJ 07926
(973)531 ~ 7692
Thank you to Gina & Maureen for bringing some of my products into your therapy rooms ~ I hope your clients enjoy their relaxation! I look forward to you featuring my products for sale again!
By clicking on their below logo, you can find out about this unique place & all of their special events!
Please note, that if you are using a GPS system ~ you may be brought to the center of Mendham, instead of their address. If you put in Brookside, NJ Post Office you may fare better. The Room Above is in the same building as the post office.
Gifts .. Spa .. Gallery
Elegant .. Relaxing .. Rejuvenating
82 Broadway Denville, NJ
(973) 627 - 3455
www.TheUrbanMuse.com
Thank you Dr. Mark Spratford
for purchasing some of my Body Wraps for your patients! I hope they enjoy them & that I'll be seeing you again soon.
Dr. Mark Spratford's practice is located at
736 Mountain Blvd ... Watchung (908) 754 ~ 6888
Please click on his website below for more info
www.WatchungChiropractic.com
N E W !
Morristown, NJ
(973) 267 ~ 4816
Thank you, Dian for bringing in some Aromatherapy Eye Pillows for your clients!
Dian offers a series of classes, including a 6 month nutritional certification course, biannually.
Dian promotes “self-sufficiency through education”.
Dian & two other staff nutritionists, “offer private nutritional consultations leading to personalized diet & supplement protocols.”
“… we hope to empower others, through education, to make better decisions about maintaining their own health and well being.”
For additional info, please click on image below:
White Oak Center for Natural Health
33 Woodport Rd Sparta, NJ
(973) 729 ~ 1900
"White Oak Center offers a wide range of natural therapies, products & educational workshops to enhance your healthy lifestyle. Our purpose is to help others experience their highest potential through the union of Body, Mind & Spirit.
Illuminate Your Life
'Like the moon
come out from behind the clouds
and shine'
Through the practice of Yoga, Meditation, Positive Thinking, Creative Imagery, Optimal Nutrition along with utilizing Natural Alternative Health Modalities create an exciting, healthy passion for life!"
Thanks Brian for brining in many of my products for awhile. I look forward to bringing them back in for your clients soon!
Visit them online by clicking below:
White Oak Center for Natural Health
Whole Foods Market
905 River Road ... Edgewater
(201) 941 ~ 4000
Whole Foods Market
222 Main Street .... Madison
(973) 822 ~ 8444
Whole Foods Market
471 State Route 35 North ... Middletown
(732) 758 ~ 1688
Whole Foods Market
701 Bloomfield Avenue ... Montclair
(973) 746 ~ 5110
Whole Foods Market
300 Bergen Town Center ... Paramus
(201) 226 ~ 1244
Whole Foods Market
44 Godwin Place ... Ridgewood
(201) 670 ~ 0383
Whole Foods Market
2245 Springfield Ave. ... Union
(908) 688 ~ 1455
Whole Foods Market
235 Prospect St ... West Orange
(973) 669 ~ 3196
Whole Foods Market
110 Bloomingdale Rd. .... White Plains, NY
(914) 288~- 1300
Click on any of the underlined stores above to navigate to that stores' website. Click below to go to the Whole Foods site for store hours, directions, recipes & more.
Whole Foods Market
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PRODUCTS:
SPRING:
POTTED SEEDLINGS
Due to the loss of my greenhouses & a general malfunction in me!, there are sadly no seedlings started or available this year.
2013:I am no longer offering my hardy herb & flower seedlings which have overwintered! I am thankful that so many of these are scattered around NJ in various gardens & still providing so many with so much beauty, relaxation & enjoyment!
For 12 years, I offered plants which were already potted up & ready for sale, & also offered the option of allowing customers to chose which seedlings they want, which could be dug at the time of sale. Customers could also call & have their order waiting.
3.25" square & 4" round pots were $1.50 - $3.00
6" round pots & 1 quart pots ranged from $3.50 ~ $5.00,
& 1 gallon pots were priced between $5.00 and $8.00.
Ready To Dig & Share 2012:
HERBS:
Bugleweed ~ Ajuga reptans ~ flowering groundcover
Chives
Chives ~ corkscrew
Chocolate Mint
Echinacea - Purpurea - Medicinal
Feverfew
Horsetail - Medicinal
Jewelweed
Korean Mint ~ Agastache Rugosa ~ like Anise Hyssop
Lady's Mantle ~ Alchemilla mollis - Medicinal - best dug in spring
Lemon Balm - Melissa officinalis - Medicinal
Mints - Chocolate, Korean/Licorice, & Spearmint - Medicinal
Spearmint
Motherwort - Medicinal
Oregano - Greek - Medicinal
Red Perilla - Shiso - Medicinal
Tansy
FLOWERS:
Ajuga reptans ~ Bugleweed ~ flowering groundcover
Columbine
Euphorbia
Liatris
Lysimachia clethroides - Gooseneck Loosestrife
Plume Poppy - Macleaya Cordata - 8 feet
Sedum - Autumn Joy & Miniatures
Thalictrum ~ rochebrunianum ~ Lavender Mist Meadow Rue - 7 feet - lavender flowers
VEGGIE:
Egyptian Walking ~ Perennial Onion
Horseradish
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SUMMER into FALL:
FRESH PICKED!
My Herbs were sold by the ounce:
$0.50 to $1.00 per ounce.
Flowers were sold by the stem:
$0.25 - $1.50 per stem
Berries: came in clear breathable recycleable containers made from recycled/recyclable plastic: $3.00 wholesale for a 1/2 pint.
My wineberries (think really sweet raspberries if you've never had their extreme pleasure!) typically were ready for harvest mid-late July, and are pickable for approximately 2 - 3 weeks thereafter - mother nature depending!
Flowers 2010:
In the Perennial department: Echinacea, Globe Thistle, Lavender (Buena Vista, Grosso, Lady, Munstead, & Provence), Liatris, Lily - Asiatic, Lysimachia - Gooseneck Loosestrife, Peony, Sedums - Autumn Joy & Stonecrop, Tansy, Verbena, & Yarrow (White).
My Annuals Baby's breath, Poppies, & Verbena.
Veggies '10:
******* Due to poor health, I was not able to plant again this spring. I am working to regain my strength & hope & pray that next year will bring change! Perhaps some day I will grow herb & flower plants for sale again. I miss sharing my gardens & plants with others, and am still blessed to be able to share my harvested & dried herbs which I sew into aromatherapy items, like sachets, eye pillows & body wraps. If I ever re-locate to a place where I can offer this again, I will definitely post here! Thanks for your support & understanding, Anne*******
I sometimes still get calls about my potted plants. I sometimes receive calls asking about my Organic potted herbs, flowers & veggies. I just (May 2012) met a young farmer, Erin who, with a friend, Lisa, is now filling this niche with their Organic, Heirloom and Open-Pollinated plants!
Grown Locally ~ Sustainable, Organic Practices
HEIRLOOM, ORGANIC, OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS
NO PESTICIDES ~ NO GMO SEED
NO SYNTHETIC or PETROLEUM-BASED FERTILIZERS
"Harmony Starts sells seedlings grown from certified organic, heirloom and/or open-pollinated seeds. We use carefully mixed potting soil made with organic compost and organic coconut coir with the addition of slow-release nutrients for an abundant crop."
To find out where to purchase them, what's currently available, and what's growing, please visit click on their logo:
I also continue to get calls asking what organic produce is available ~~ and, since I am no longer growing veggies, I always tell folks about the the Health Shopppe in Morristown which offers a completely organic produce section, AND a juice bar, AND a salad bar. The owners work with many local farmers to bring you the freshest and most local produce, meat, eggs, milk, honey .... Their hot & cold cases also utilize many organic items, while offering many vegan and gluten free options! The Health Shoppe in Chester also has a completely organic produce section! And, the Health Shoppe in Montclair has a delicious fridge with many raw options! I also tell folks about closest Farmers Markets to me ~ including the one in Sparta & in the one in Morristown. Brant Shapiro & The Health Shoppe of Morristown have been the sponsors for several years! It typically opens in June, runs into October. For more detailed info about this farmers market visit: LocalHarvest.org
This website also helps anyone in the US find local growers, u-pick farms, Christmas tree farms, etc., as well as their local Farmers Markets : )
Local Harvest also has an online market ~ which ships. Please also visit our local Farm Market ~ with pick-ups in 3 locations: DigIN on the Farm Online Farmers’ Market
The Online Farmers' Market is now open every Monday & close at 4 pm on Wednesdays.
Thank you Tammy for holding my hand thru the process of listing my products in your online famers market ~ for pickup at 3 locations in Northern Jersey: Triple Creek Nursery in Blairstown; Gristmill Cafe parking area, Andover Boro; and a NEW LOCATION: Best’s Fruit Farm, Route 46 west, Hackettstown. Tammy has brought together an eclectic farm feast for you. Her motto:
"Local food is for everyone."
Following is a link to her on-line market ~ which is constantly changing & offering farm fresh goodness
from soap to nuts : )
and meats, cheese, alpaca fibers, honey, pet edibles, and gift certificates!!
This is a sampling of what I'd offered over the years: Beans - Pole, Carrots (eating & juicing), Chard - Ruby Red Rhubarb, Cucumbers (Boothby's Blonde & Marketmore - & 3 pickling), Greens (Arugula; Mizuna - Early & Kyona; Komatsuna; Lettuce mix; Mesclun mix; Mustard mix; Spinach, Tatsoi......); Kale - Lacinato, Siberian & White; Mustard Greens; Peas - Snap & Snow; Peppers hot & sweet; Squash - traditional zucchinis, patty pan - "scallopini", & buttercup desert squash ~ what a sweet treat that is!; Tomatoes - Grape Cherry, beefsteak, salad, sandwich, & slicing.
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YEAR ROUND:
100% ORGANIC HANDCRAFTED REFILLABLE SACHETS, REFILLS, EYE PILLOWS, BODY WRAPS, POTPOURRIS, & SKINCREAMS!
If you are a local store & would like to carry my products, please contact me!
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
I can also email my Wholesale Brochure to any store which requests it ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
I picked up 7 new incredible organic fabrics from a local NJ designer yesterday (March 1st, 2012) & will be cutting & sewing them this weekend!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
Please call to get yours & to pre-order for the new spring & summer patterns! I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
Six low impact dye fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products.
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey, pictured right, is now available.
ORGANIC REFILLABLE
CATNIP SACHETS:
I use the same 100% unbleached cotton muslin drawstring bag which I use for my laundry & herbal bath sachets, & fill it with my homegrown hand-harvested organic catnip! Tested & hugely approved by oodles of cats over the years! See the refill section below if you need to refill an old toy, want to make one of your own, or would rather enjoy a relaxing pot of tea!
Wholesale price: $2.50
Thank you for supporting a local grower!!!!
ORGANIC REFILLABLE
HERBAL MOTH SACHETS
2 pack !
Pictured left
This delicious 100% Organic Blend of Lavender, Clove, Cinnamon, Mountain Mint, Spearmint & Essential Oil of Pine is available now only in the muslin drawstring 2 pack. Put it in your luggage, auto, linen closet, dresser, or anywhere you want a fresh scent! All ingredients are safe insect repellents! Sachets measure approximately 3" x 5" & weigh approx. .75 oz. each = approx. 1.5 oz. total: Wholesale price: $4.00.
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
ROSEMARY HERBAL MOTH SACHETS
2 pack!
Pictured rightBring a summer garden into your home, auto, closets, office & locker! A wonderful mixture of Rosemary, Tansy & Korean Mint (also called licorice mint for its' anise scent & flavor!) & that extra touch: Organic Rosemary Essential Oil! All ingredients are safe insect repellents. Available now only in natural muslin drawstring sachets (approx. 3"x5" each) as a 2 pack. Each sachets weighs approximately 1.05 oz. each = approx. 2.1 oz. total
Wholesale price: $4.00
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
ROSE & LAVENDER SACHETS
2 pack !
Just like it says: just organic red rose buds & lavender!
Available now only in the 2 pack of drawstring muslin (3" x 5") sachets & weigh approximately
.75 oz. each = approx. 1.5 oz. total
Wholesale price: $4.00
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
LAVENDER SACHETS
These sachets measure 2 1/2" x 5 1/2".
These Lavender sachets are made from 100% cotton. Each season there are more than a dozen different prints, ranging from floral to snowflakes, from which to choose! Stuffed full with over 1/3 cup of Organic lavender flowers!
Wholesale price: $3.50
Now Available:
100% Organic - that means the fabric, the cotton batting & the hemp string, or low impact dyed yarn! In the same 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" size and with the same wonderfully scented relaxing Organic Lavender!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE GREEN, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products.
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured right, is also now available.
Wholesale price: $4.00
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
SPICE SACHETS
These sachets measure 2 1/2" x 5 1/2".
They are available all year - but always sell best in the fall & winter. Many tasteful holiday patterns from which to chose! Each sachet is stuffed with 100% organic: Cinnamon, coriander, clove, orange peel, & star anise! The spicy sweet scent lasts for years to come!
Wholesale price: $3.50
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
DREAM SACHETS:
2 1/2" X 8" 100% cotton sachets also available in over 35 different prints! My 100% Organic Dream Mix includes 3/4's of a cup of: Lavender (Relaxing), Bergamot (Calming), Artemisia (Balancing), Yarrow, (Soothing), & Lemon Balm (Sedating) & 1/4 cup of Flax. Tuck inside pillowcase ~ it may assist you in getting a restful sleep. Can be refilled (pictured on left below) or, essential Oils can be added as scent fades.
Now Available:
100% Organic - that means the fabric, the cotton batting & the hemp string, or low impact dyed cotton yarn! In the same 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" size as the handcrafted lavender sachets for the same price!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices ~
which are SKAL certified:
BERRY BERRY, BLUE, SAGE GREEN and a vibrant RED are now available along with the original natural undyed fabric (see picture of Dream Sachet above) I've been carrying for years.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured right, is also now available!
Wholesale price: $4.00
REFILLABLE ORGANIC
LAVENDER LAUNDRY SACHETS:
Two 3"x5" unbleached cotton muslin drawstring sachets packed with organic Lavender flowers. A natural way to have a lingering hint of gentle antibacterial lavender: Just toss a sachet in the dryer with wet laundry. No residues, artificial perfumes or chemicals. Can be reused at least a dozen times (crush to refresh!) & then, can be refreshed with a few drops of essential oil! Also useful in cars, airducts, drawers, office, closets, storage areas, under pillows, & as a fresh substitute for mothballs. One customer gets a new package of them every year to stuff inside of her husbands jogging sneakers ! They're packaged in a biodegradable cellulose bag that can be tossed in the compost pile!
Wholesale price: $4.00
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SACHET REFILLS:
1.75 oz (approx. 1.5 cups) bags of Organic Lavender!
Wonderful & fragrant! Use to refill my handcrafted fabric sachets or my cotton muslin laundry sachets. No chemicals, pesticides or oils: Just Pure Lavender!
1.75 oz. Wholesale: $4.00
Lavender has been safely used for 1,000's of years, and is typically associated with calmness & peacefulness.
To read a
article titledVITAL SIGNS:
TREATMENTS Calming Agitation in Alzheimer's,
please click the above article title.
2 oz. Dream Mix contains 1/4 cup of flax & 3/4 cup of Lavender, Bergamot, Artemisia, Yarrow & Lemon Balm. This is the same amount which is inside of my Dream Sachets!
2 oz. Wholesale price: $4.00
100% Organic Catnip!
Use to refill my 100% unbleached cotton muslin drawstring cat sachet, to refill an old toy you already have, or, make one of your own!!
.25 oz. Wholesale price: $1.75
**All of these refills come packaged in biodegradable cellulose bags.**
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AROMATHERAPY EVERLASTING EYE PILLOWS :
NEW!
I picked up 7 new fabulous fabrics on March 1st, 2012 from a local fabric designer!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured far right, is also now available!
ALL of my Refillable Eye Pillows & Body Wraps
contain
Organic Flax Seeds.
I have received many inquiries as to "Why such an expensive filler?" Here's the answer: Flaxseed contains 30-40% oil, which aids in its ability to be quickly heated, and to retain that heat for over ½ hour! When heated, its soft seed shell absorbs moisture, & as it cools, releases a moist heat.
The long awaited MINT & DREAM
Refillable Everlasting Eye Pillows are now here!!
MINT
These naturally aromatic herbs may soothe even the harshest of headaches. A different & delicious combination created for refreshing comfort.
Mint may also assist in alleviating nausea & travel sickness.
100% Organic: Flax, Rosemary, & handharvested, gently dried whole Mints (Apple, Chocolate, Licorice, Mountain, & Spearmint) & Lemon Balm.
Be the first to be soothed : )
DREAM contains the same ingredients that are in my dream sachets: 100% Organic: Lavender, Flax, & handharvested, gently dried whole Lemon Balm, Bergamot, Artemisia & Yarrow.
LAVENDER :
"Experience the aromatherapeutic benefits of natural lavender. Its scent may calm frazzled nerves, & relieve insomnia & depression. Pillow may be warmed (in microwave on high for 1 minute; or, wrap in aluminum foil & place in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes) to relax tense, aching eye muscles; or chilled (place bagged, in freezer for at least 1/2 hour)to ease tension headaches. Conforms to the contour of your face, applying light pressure to the acupressure points around your eyes. Contains: 100% Organic Flax (35% oil content provides prolonged moist heat), & Lavender. Inner pouch is 100% unbleached cotton & can be refilled time & again! Cover is 100% undyed organic cotton sateen / cotton / low impact dyed organic cotton / cotton / polyester which can be easily removed for washing. Crush to refresh scent. Bag & freeze for freshness" These are the words on the card that comes with each unique eye pillow which is available in dozens of wonderful patterns, which change with the seasons - each fabric softer than the last! Tag & pillow come in an attractive see-thru package. Pillow measures approximately 3.75" x 8.25". Wholesale price: $11.00
NEW!
I picked up 7 new fabulous fabrics on March 1st, 2012 from a local fabric designer!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured far right, is also now available!
Wholesale price: $11.00
Everlasting Eye Pillow!
Now Available Only as Refillable!!!
Inner pouch has an open end which is folded down & snapped shut.
The snap is made of resin, so is safe for heating.
It can be refilled with my lavender or dream mix refills!
More refills coming soon!
Same price for conventional & organic fabrics!
Everlasting Eye Pillows Only $11.00! (Wholesale)
I've gotten so many inquiries about heating the eye pillows that it is now included on the tags.
The old fashioned way: Set under pet for 15 minutes.
Conventional way: Place in oven after you use it to bake & oven is off & cooling. Or, wrap in aluminum foil & place in 350 - 400 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Don't forget to use those oven mitts!
Microwave method: 30 second intervals on high: all microwaves vary: so, use your discretion & use caution!
NEW HEATING INFO:
Over the 2010 holidays, someone shared their body wrap microwave heating tip:
They place a cup 1/2 filled with warm water into the microwave with the body wrap. They swear by this humidity giving technique.
Thanks Angie!
AROMATHERAPY EYE PILLOWS:
EUCALYPTUS, CLOVE & CINNAMON !
"Experience the aromatherapeutic benefits of Organic Eucalyptus, Clove, & Cinnamon. Naturally aromatic Eucalyptus is said to relieve sinus congestion, to help you to breathe more easily. Clove & Cinnamon may provide one with comfort & calmness. Pillow may be warmed (in microwave on high in ½ minute intervals; or in 350° oven wrapped in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes) to relax tense aching eye muscles; or chilled bag & place in freezer, for at least ½ hr). Conforms to the contour of your face, applying light pressure to the acupressure points around eyes. 100% Organic: Flax (35% oil content provides prolonged moist heat), Eucalyptus, Clove, & Cinnamon. Inner pouch is 100% unbleached cotton & can be refilled time & again! Cover is 100% undyed organic cotton sateen / low impact dyed organic cotton / cotton / polyester which can be easily removed for washing. Crush to refresh scent. Bag & freeze for freshness" These are the words on the card that comes with each unique eye pillow which is available in over a dozen wonderful patterns, which change with the seasons - each fabric softer than the last! Tag & pillow come in an attractive see-thru package. Pillow measures approximately 3.75" x 8.25". Wholesale price: $11.00
NEW!
I picked up 7 new fabulous fabrics on March 1st, 2012 from a local fabric designer!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured right, is also now available!
If you are looking for an unscented eye pillow, please contact me & I can make one with only organic flax, specifically for you, at no additional cost!
Everlasting Eye Pillow!
NEW!
Now Available Only as Refillable!!!
Inner pouch has an open end which is folded down & snapped shut.
The snap is made of resin, so is safe for heating.
It can be refilled with my lavender or dream mix refills!
More refills coming soon!
Same price for conventional & organic fabrics!
Everlasting Eye Pillows Only $11.00! (Wholesale)
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LAVENDER BODY WRAPS!
The top horizontal image in above picture is the insert, which is baffled in 2 places, to keep the ingredients from bunching together on one side, or the other.
The bottom horizonal image is one of covers (paisley!), with an insert inside.
The other vertical images (other than the tag in the center) are top edges of various covers which are representative of some of my current fabric pattern offerings!
FLAX ONLY ~ By Request = )
ALL of my Refillable Eye Pillows & Body Wraps
contain
Organic Flax Seeds.
I have received many inquiries as to "Why such an expensive filler?" Here's the answer: Flaxseed contains 30-40% oil, which aids in its ability to be quickly heated, and to retain that heat for over ½ hour! When heated, its soft seed shell absorbs moisture, & as it cools, releases a moist heat.
Wraps can also be warmed or chilled like the eye pillows (see above). Warmed: Relaxes tense muscles & joints, achy shoulders & neck, tired lower back, crampy abdomen, or sore leg muscles .... You can also use them to warm your bed or your feet!
NEW HEATING INFO:
Over the 2010 holidays, someone shared their body wrap microwave heating tip:
They place a cup 1/2 filled with warm water into the microwave with the body wrap. They swear by this humidity giving technique.
Thanks Angie!
Chilled: For cooling comfort right after you pull that muscle .... or ... use to chill out a hot flash.
Wraps measure approximately 4.25" wide & 24" long. Like the eye pillow, they have a removable, washable cover. They are packaged in an attractive see-thru cellulose bag (Yes! Biodegradable!!) with a fine looking 3 fold card that tents the thrice folded product inside of its snug bag! Can you tell I'm proud of this one?!!! Wholesale price: $16.00
Due to a 16.5% increase in the cost of flax; a 17.5% increase in the cost of lavender; and the rise in shipping/delivery cost (some as much as 50%), I have had to increase the price of my body wraps by 7%. I now offer both conventional and organic fabrics for the same wholesale price of $16.00.
If you are looking for an unscented body wrap, please contact me & I can make one with only organic FLAX, specifically for you, at no additional cost!
NEW!
I picked up 7 new fabulous fabrics on March 1st, 2012 from a local fabric designer!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as the become available!
Six low impact dyed fabric choices:
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC organic knit, pictured center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE organic jersey knit, pictured far right, is also now available!
Wholesale price: $16.00
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ORGANIC POTPOURRI:
Rosemary, Red rose buds & petals, Lavender, Celosia, Globe Amaranths, Holly, Echinacea, Foxtail, Teasel, Yarrow, Tansy, Statice, Anise Hyssop, Bergamot, Artemisia, Chamomile, Red Perilla, Sweet Birch Winter Catkins, & Mountain, Chocolate & Orange Mints are among the possible ingredients! Each small batch which is made has its' own unique look & smell. Scented solely by its' pure botanical aromas with nothing added to enhance its' nature color either! Packaged in a see-through 4" x 9" cellulose bag which stands like a lunch bag would. This mix looks wonderful displayed in a decorative bowl or basket. There's one in my bathroom, living room & bedroom!
{Custom bowls & baskets are made upon request.}
3oz. Wholesale price: $5.00
ORGANIC SIMMERING POTPOURRI:
Contains 100% Organic:
Cinnamon Sticks & Chips, Coriander, Orange Peel,
Clove, & Star Anise.
Place 2-3 heaping tablespoons of my sweet & spicy mix & a couple of cinnamon sticks in a pan or stovetop safe dish. Add 2-3 cups of water & gently simmer on range top or woodstove, adding water as it evaporates. Can be used for several days to bring a wondrous scent & humidity into your home!
3.5 oz. packaged in a biodegradable cellulose bag: Wholesale price: $3.50
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ORGANIC LAVENDER SKINCREAM:
My silky smooth skincream now comes in 1 ounce screw top tins (due to lack of amber glass jars in industry). I made my current batch on Friday, January 25th, 2013!
My simple 100% Organic blend: 1st cold pressed olive oil, beeswax, & essential oil of lavender.
I have personally used this on every inch of my skin over the years, including my lips when I was out of lip balm! It's been so soothing when I've stayed too long in the sun, when I've gotten bitten by mosquitoes, scratched by thorns or kitties, or just when my skin's been white, flaky & dried out! I've used it as a touch of perfume, when I want a fresh floral scent! I've heard some mothers use it to soothe their children with ADD & ADHD. Other mothers have shared their using it on their breast to calm their baby for feeding. I could go on & I'm sure others could also!
1 oz tin: Wholesale price: $4.00
My Lavender Skin Relief is currently available at Grassroots Market in Morristown, Green Life Market in Butler, Restyle Renew in Denville, & The Organic Nest in Bernardsville.
At a green fest on Nov. 21st, 2009, a woman, Tara, was telling me about how lavender essential oil can affect hormone production. I just spent the last hour researching this and was amazed, as always, at how much information there is on the internet on any given subject! Wish I had more time to devote to this ~ but this is what I’d like to share. The skin is our largest organ, and does an incredible job protecting us from many things. It also is very absorbent. Did you know that if you rub a clove of garlic on the bottom of your foot, within 30 minutes, the smell of garlic will be detected on your breathe? Ergo, anything we slather on (and ingest, or breathe in, of course) will be absorbed into us. It will mix into our blood. It will be metabolized in our livers. And because children have immature livers, they’d probably do better with being given less to metabolize. As with anything ~ moderation is key : ) So, the lavender oil in our worlds' body products (including my Lavender Skin Relief), along with petroleum derived perfumes and plastics, and pesticides, and soy products all produce estrogen-like effects, and therefore are likely best in moderation. Just wanted to share with folks. Oh, and that’s just a surface scratcher. There’s tons of info out there on all the other things, which can interfere with all sorts of hormones (over 30!), and the 22 amino acids & and the more than 3,000 known enzymes, which work with these hormones in our bodies to perform millions of functions every hour! Did you know that at least 100,000 different chemical reactions occur in the brain every second? I believe we would be wise to look at the whole picture to gain a complete understanding of our causes & effects. And please, remember,
applied knowledge is power!!
My thanks to Tara for opening another door of learning!
ORGANIC CALENDULA SKINCREAM:
A most amazing discovery of nature. My hands will never be rough again! I have had burns, scratches & blisters melt away in its healing presence! It is gentle enough, that I use it on cats (known for their cleanliness ~ they're constantly licking themselves!) & it has improved their healing time immensely! I have steady customers for this skincream who use it to help relieve shingles, stretch marks, reduce scarring...
I take cups of my fresh organic calendula flowers and pour organic unrefined cold pressed (first press - which retains more nutrients! Did you know that Olive Oil soothes, heals and lubricates the skin without clogging pores? That it has naturally occurring anti-oxidants?) olive oil over it. Each day, I shake it & every few weeks strain off the old calendula & add new. I repeat this process until i have a strongly infused oil. I add pure filtered Beeswax and some organic grapefruit seed extract as a preservative. I offer this in 2 1/4" diameter x 2" high cobalt blue glass jars with black plastic screw on lids. Please note: Since I use fresh flowers, this product can run out as the year winds down. IT is also listed under the Winter: While Supplies Last section. I left it in this section with the other relief products so it would not be neglected! Thanks, Anne
2 oz. jars: Wholesale: $7.50
Now also in 2 oz. screw~top tins: Wholesale: $7.00
*My Calendula Skin Relief is currently out of stock* My Lavender Skin Relief is currently available at Grassroots Market in Morristown, Green Life Market in Butler, Restyle Renew in Denville, & The Organic Nest in Bernardsville.
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YEAR ROUND:
While Supplies Last!
POTPOURRIS, & CALENDULA SKIN RELIEF
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ORGANIC POTPOURRI:
Rosemary, Red rose buds & petals, Lavender, Celosia, Globe Amaranths, Holly, Echinacea, Foxtail, Statice, Tansy, Teasel, Yarrow, Anise Hyssop, Bergamot, Artemisia, Chamomile, Red Perilla, Sweet Birch Winter Catkins, & Mountain, Chocolate & Orange Mints are among the possible ingredients! Each small batch which is made has its' own unique look & smell. Scented solely by its' pure botanical aromas with nothing added to enhance its' nature color either! Packaged in a see-through 4" x 9" cellulose bag which stands like a lunch bag would. This mix looks wonderful displayed in a decorative bowl or basket. There's one in my bathroom, living room & bedroom!
{Custom bowls & baskets are made upon request.}
3oz. Wholesale price: $5.00
ORGANIC SIMMERING POTPOURRI:
Contains 100% Organic:
Cinnamon Sticks & Chips, Coriander, Orange Peel,
Clove, & Star Anise.
Place 2-3 heaping tablespoons of my sweet & spicy mix & a couple of cinnamon sticks in a pan or stovetop safe dish. Add 2-3 cups of water & gently simmer on range top or woodstove, adding water as it evaporates. Can be used for several days to bring a wondrous scent & humidity into your home!
3.5 oz. packaged in a biodegradable cellulose bag: Wholesale price: $3.50
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ORGANIC CALENDULA SKINCREAM:
A most amazing discovery of nature. My hands will never be rough again! I personally have experienced a 3rd degree burn, scratches & blisters melt away in its healing presence, when I have used it! It is gentle enough, that I use it on cats (known for their cleanliness ~ they're constantly licking themselves!) & it has improved their healing time immensely! I have steady customers for this skincream who use it to help relieve shingles, stretch marks, reduce scarring...
I take cups of my fresh organic calendula flowers and pour organic unrefined cold pressed (first press - which retains more nutrients! Did you know that Olive Oil soothes, heals and lubricates the skin without clogging pores? That it has naturally occurring anti-oxidants?) olive oil over it. Each day, I shake it & every few weeks strain off the old calendula & add new. I repeat this process until I have a strongly infused oil. I add pure filtered Beeswax and some organic grapefruit seed extract as a preservative. I offer this in 2 1/4" diameter x 2" high cobalt blue glass jars with black plastic screw on lids. Please note: Since I use fresh flowers, this product can run out as the year winds down. It is also listed under the Year round section with the other skin relief products so it would not be neglected! Thanks, Anne
2 oz. jars: Wholesale: $7.50
Now also in 2 oz. screw~top tins: Wholesale: $7.00
*My Calendula Skin Relief is currently out of stock* My Lavender Skin Relief is currently available at Grassroots Market in Morristown, Green Life Market in Butler, Restyle Renew in Denville, & The Organic Nest in Bernardsville.
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HANDMADE PHOTO CARDS & HONEY INFO!!
Each roll of film I take, I have doubles printed. The best of these doubles, I mount on one of 20 coloured cardstocks. This makes them truly one of a kind! Each photos' focus seemingly pops when it meets its appropriate background! All cards are hand-signed, dated, & placed in see-through jackets with an envelope. Photos measure 3 1/2" x 5" ... Cards measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/4"
All cards: Wholesale price: $1.75
HONEYI used to sell a local mans' honey. He has since moved to upstate NY. I would feel remiss if I were to remove the following wonderful info:
Honey treatment is called apitherapy & includes boosting energy, increasing stamina & strengthening those whose immune systems are weak from stress or illness.
There are so many benefits to honey ... I'll list a few more.
Relieve indigestion.
Disinfectant (inhibine kills germs & prevents infections).
Helps dissolve mucus!
Allergy relief (grains of pollen in honey may have a desensitizing effect)
& hay fever relief (this is where the LOCAL honey is most helpful!!)
Respiratory relief (Mix with 1 tsp of fresh chopped thyme & take orally: soothes inflamed airways).
Relaxing Bath: Use 1 - 2 tbsp. & couple of drops of lavender oil in bathwater.
Honey “can be used in diverse ways from baked goods to a topping for cereal to a glaze for meat to a sweetener for tea. When substituting honey for sugar in a recipe, add one cup honey in place of each cup of sugar called for, and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey added. (Note: because honey has more sweetening power than sugar, a reduced quantity of honey may be appropriate - adjust per your taste). Recipes containing honey need to be beaten longer and more vigorously than sugar recipes, and when baking with honey, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used and lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Honey batter becomes crisp and browns faster than sugar batter. The floral source of the honey should be considered when cooking with honey since honey will impart some of it's flavor (darker, stronger honeys will allow more of a honey taste to come through in your finished product). Honey will provide a firmer, heavier texture.” The quoted text is from Draper's Super Bee Apiaries, Inc. website.
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Feel free to call me:
(973) 827 - 3369
& I'll return the call within 48 hours (typically less than 24!); click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
The response time on this is varying. So, if you're in a hurry: please call!
If you are a local store & would like to carry my products, please contact me!
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
Thanks !
Thanks for viewing my really long webpage & for supporting a local organic grower & eco~handcrafter!
Anne
Last Updated : 5/21/13
**pronounced: day - gah - zhay. A French word meaning carefree, or without boundaries/constraints. I chose this name to represent the essence of my gardens
and
intentions of Dégagé Gardens !
Photo credits: Above of me & my signs: Bob Karp.
Dad with his plane: Jim Giller
Products, flowers & other:
Sandy Morrison, Donna Becker, Donna Reynolds, Margaret Longo, Lori Kuzma, A.F. Menezes, myself & various unknown contributors from the web community at large : ) My apologies for not retaining credit info on earlier photos I obtained on the web
~ that info got lost in my shuffle.
Many thanks to all!
Most Recent News: Special Notes Contact Info Where Available In Memory
Links About Dégagé Gardens Potted Plants Honey Info Press Catalog (NEW!)
Refills Potpourri Quotes Eye Pillows Body Wraps Come By & Buy
Refillable Handcrafted Sachets Eco~Friendly Handcrafted Skin Products
CURRENT MOON
On June 1st, 2011 I decided to make a change.
I switched my electric to be sourced from
"100% wind power". Well, 50% of it comes from a wind farm down in Atlantic City, 49% is sourced from wind farms in PA, and 1% is created by NJ SOLAR!
It costs me approximately only 1% more to support this cleaner technology.
It only took about 2 minutes of my time to reduce my carbon footprint! Will you make those 2 minutes right now ~ for our environment, our air, our water? I know it was the best 2 minutes I spent that day ~ because each day, I get to know that I’m still doing something worthwhile & supportive for everyone. Each time I turn on an appliance, I know I’m still making a difference for everyone’s future, by promoting local energy independence, & advancing our economy by supporting local green jobs! My utility company is the same I’ve had for years, for billing, delivery & service, but my supplier is now 100% green! No cost to switch, no contract.
When you call Community Energy 1.877.321.0465, please mention Dégagé Gardens, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee! You can receive the same rebate on line. Please remember to choose Dégagé Gardens in the How Did You Hear About Us? box in the last line of form, & you'll receive a $50 rebate check & I'll get a $25 referral fee!
www.CommunityEnergyInc.com
Win ~ Win - Win!
The first win is for the environment! All you need is your current bill in hand.
Thanks for caring & making all your extra efforts!
To learn more about the wind & solar energy from the company I'm utilizing, click on the below picture to bring you to their website.
I have recently added this symbol to my tags:
Join 1.2 million Americans, and sign the petition to say that you want the US to become the 64th nation to require GM labeling!
To find out why 95% of consumers believe GE foods should be labeled & why 92% of Americans want the federal government to require mandatory labeling of GE foods, please watch a 3 minute video, created by "Just Label It.org".
Where are the other 91% of Americans who are saying they want labeling ?
Please click below now, if you have not already signed.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke
Irish political philosopher 1700's
Monsanto told us DDT was safe.
Monsanto told us PCBs were safe.
Monsanto told us Agent Orange was safe.
DDT, PCB’s & Agent Orange are all carcinogens, and are unsafe, and should not be consumed.
August 2012, the US began a massive cleanup of Agent Orange in Vietnam, 50 years after its use as a defoliant. It is responsible for nearly a half million deaths, and another half million children being born with birth defects. There is a higher incidence of birth defects (some families have 6 of 6 kids with birth defects, and on-going medical needs in those children who have survived) in areas where this chemical warfare was used.
In January 2012, West Virginians near a Monsanto chemical plant filed a class action lawsuit against Monsanto. This plant has produced 2,4,5-T (a chemical which comprises about half of Agent Orange) for decades, and continues to pollute their town. They suffer from the effects of exposure, and have a much higher incidence of cancer.
At the very same time, the Dow Chemical Company is seeking government deregulation of a new genetically-modified (GM) variety of corn resistant to 2,4-D (one half of Agent Orange). Dioxins are known/proven carcinogens.
This means, of course, that the company will need to spray 2,4-D on the crops in order for them to grow, which would require the EPA to lift its ban on the chemical.
So, 50 years after we sprayed Agent Orange, it still lingers, and enters the food supply (thru fish and animals).
Why in the world would we want to start spraying it again ?
Monsanto told us GMO’s are safe.
They have been creating hazardous GMO foods since 1996.
Entire countries have banned GMO’s.
63 nations require labeling of the foods, which contain GMO’s.
This year, 2013, India will begin to require labeling.
Have you signed the petition in the United States to finally label our food?
Did you know that over 30,000 products in our super markets contain GMO’s ?
Did you know that Aspartame is a carcinogenic GMO which is in 6,000 products in the US?
A conservative estimate concludes that 75+ % of American foods and body products contain genetically modified organisms.
Did you know that 96% Soy, 86% of Corn, 75 % of Canola, and 76% of Cotton/Cottonseed grown in the US are GMO?
Since the introduction of GMO crops in 1996, one farmer every 30 seconds has committed suicide. One in five choose to drink the very chemicals, which they were forced to buy, and which bankrupted their families.
Did you know?:
· “The world’s first lifetime feeding study discovered that rats fed a diet containing 11 percent GE corn developed massive breast tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious health problems in the 13th month of life.
· To put this into human perspective, if the average lifespan of a person is 80 years, these health problems would start rearing their ugly head somewhere during the 43rd year of life, provided your diet contained just over 10 percent GE foods and you began eating them in early childhood
· According to a report released by the Environmental Working Group, Americans are eating their weight and more in genetically engineered food every year—an average of 193 pounds of GE foods annually
David vs Monsanto
The above link also contains a one hour movie which is available to watch for free until November 11th, 2012. It is a documentary of a Canadian farmer who fought Monsanto & won!
Please, remember to click below & sign this petition NOW!
Let’s help America become one of the last nations to require labeling!
If you are a local store & would like to carry my products, please contact me!
New phone number is:
(973) 827 - 3369
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
I can also email the new catalog to anyone who wishes ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
Any questions please contact me:
anne@degagegardens.com Calling me is typically the quicker response time!!
Please note: my new phone number is:
(973) 827 - 3369
Thanks!
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They're Here!
100% Organic Lavender Sachets
100% Organic Dream Sachets
& NOW
100% Organic Rose & Lavender Sachets
From top to bottom:
A vibrant RED, SAGE, BLUE, and BERRY BERRY.
The original natural undyed cotton sateen fabric I've been carrying for years is sandwiched in between!
They are SKAL certified.
The lighter LILAC knit, pictured above center, is now available for all products!
The DEEP PURPLE jersey knit, pictured right, is now available!
I picked up 7 new fabulous fabrics on March 1st, 2012 from a local fabric designer!
Below are images of these gorgeous organic fabrics!
I'm looking forward to buying from their new selections as they become available!
The dream and lavender sachets also contain organic batting to keep the ingredients in & an organic hemp or low impact dyed cotton yarn to tie it shut! All ingredients remain organic!
New Refillable Everlasting
Wholesale
Sachets: $ 4.00
Eye Pillows: $11.00
Wholesale Body Wraps: $16.00
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My Favorite Links:
Click logo below to view a 2.5 minute video titled "Is Your Water at Risk from Fracking?", which helps explain why it's SO important for us to stand up & ban fracking NOW! (This video title is also available on youtube) This non-profit website also has plenty of fact sheets, research, reports, tools, resources, & 59 other videos to view, and lots opportunities for you to take action & take part in protecting our water & food NOW!
The following organization aids us in lessening the load on our landfills by finding someone in your own town, or a neighboring town to give something you can no longer use, another life / home:
The new location of
at 274 South Salem Street, near the Kmart Plaza on Route 10 in Randolph which opened on May 2nd, 2012 & it is spacious, clean & very well lit!
Click on image above to find if there's one near you! A marvelous opportunity to either donate your new or usable furniture, appliances, or building materials/flooring ~ or pick up that new or gently used fixture, rug, or thing~a~ma~jig at a nice discount.
"While every ReStore outlet is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances." Did you know that the movie "Evan Almighty" donated the materials from their ark building to one ?! (among many other eco~conscious things) Go Tom Shadyac !
To find a place to recycle plastics & .....
Click below = )
“Preserve products are available at thousands of retail locations in the US and Canada, including Target stores, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods Market.”
NOTE: The used toothbrushes, tongue cleaners & razors which you can mail back in their postage paid envelopes are ground down into plastic lumber which is "used for park benches, decks and other useful products."
I met Jen Dowd at a Green Event a couple of years back, and was heartened by her enthusiasm for all things green!
“Our vision is for global learning communities. Our mission is to create the structures needed for the critical mass to shift towards sustainability through an alternative Free and Independent School System. Greener Oranges provides sustainability site coordination and management for communities and schools to work together towards financial solutions, increased student access to authentic learning opportunities, and thriving local systems.”
If you are looking for a Farm Market, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), farm, co-op, restaurant which is local to you in USA, please use this great resource:
Every year gardeners ask themselves why they planted so many cucumber or squash plants?! Now we know the reason! Instead of scrambling to find homes for your excess tomatoes & other perishable produce, or trying to foist another zucchini on a neighbor, we can all donate it to our local food pantries! In 2012, I became aware of this great site:
When I put in my zip code, I found that there are 5 food pantries within 10 miles of my home. There are an additional 15 pantries in the next 10 miles from me! There are 35 food pantries listed within 25 miles of my home! So, no matter which way I’m driving that day, I’m sure to pass one along the way! If you know of a local food pantry by you that is not listed, please assist in getting the word out to them, and help get them listed, so their clients will be able to share in all of our ample harvests! Click their below logo to find your local pantries now. Thanks!
If you don’t have a garden, & still wish to contribute to a local food pantry, please utilize their site to locate a local food pantry.
If you wish to contribute to a local food pantry & get exercise too, please read the following!
On Saturday, I met one of the founders of a wonderful local charity, which hosts bike rides for hunger! Proceeds go toward helping the hungry of New Jersey (food banks) and building clean water sources globally. Please join them for northern New Jersey’s largest charity bike event on Saturday, May 5th in Kinnelon! For more details about this event, future rides, or about this organization, please click on their logo below:
The tastiest place I’ve ever eaten is
EVERYTHING is ORGANIC!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every meal & marvelous smoothie I’ve had! Friends who don't typically eat these types of foods, are always game for going back again!
"Our rotating menu is lovingly built out of fresh, organic and local ingredients from the plant kingdom. Expect something delightfully different on each visit.
Selections change based on availability of ingredients, season, and inspiration.
We use no animal products or dairy, and most of our menu is gluten-free. If you have any food sensitivities, your server can help guide you to some dishes that might be appropriate for you."
Karma Road
11 Main Street
New Paltz, NY
Phone 845-255-1099
Dr. Ali was personally instrumental in assisting me in regaining my health about 5 years ago, and I highly recommend him & his staff to everyone who is in need of a great doctor who will assist you in your journey back to health! How fortunate we all are to have someone so learned & compassion so close to home! Please click on his above picture to connect to new patient information. He has office hours in Denville, NJ & in NYC.
Please sign up for his daily newsletter, which is always useful, insigntful, & encouraging! Please click on the bolded virtual library, to browse through his online library of healthful videos, and sign up for his newsletter to get a daily video from the collection.
Dr Ali's incredible spirit is apparent in all he does, including his customary farewell which he uses at the end of each of his radio broadcasts, and his on-line videos, after encouraging all of us to freely share his free information which he has compiled over the years from decades of experience: "Until we meet again, may you be gracious, grateful, & generous in your spirit."
Majid Ali's Aging Healthfully Virtual Library
I was so very fortunate to be placed next to a local woman at a recent Sparta Farmers Market. She was so delightful!
Her exuberance & joie de vie are infectious, her organic perfumes ~ devine!
"Artisan perfumer Tara Krause is a fourth generation artist alchemist passionate about botanicals and herbs since childhood forest gathering and exploring the gardens and parquet floors of the Versailles. The Organic Perfumer is the only New Jersey local farm natural perfumery. We are 45 miles out of Manhattan in rural Sussex County's Highlands Mountains. We create organic, wild-crafted and ethically farmed botanical artisan perfumes and luxury beauty products in the grand tradition of the 17th and 18th century royal perfumers to the court of Versailles."
“Located in Northwest New Jersey Everlasting Garden has been growing quality fresh cut flowers and herbs for over twenty-five years. As a third generation grower, we take pride in our premium greenhouse and field grown flowers and herbs. Our field crops especially our herbs are grown without chemicals.
Our cuts may be purchased farm direct or at the Montclair Farmers Market, the Sparta Farmers Market and The Farmers Market at the Fair Grounds (Frankford Township).
Dried wreaths and flowers are available year round.
Throughout the year floral arrangements for special occasions are designed right here on our farm.” For more info about this wonderful resource for weddings, special occassions, & a special treat just for you, please click on the beautiful bouquet below!
SaveNJStateParks.org
"Protection of New Jersey State Parks from gas and logging industry plans of environmental destruction."
Find out about an upcoming meeting & keep abreast of what's going on in our state parks. After visiting their site by clicking on colored website link above, please arrow back to view the incredible photos of last years destruction. Please click coloured link below:
Save Parks Flyer
Thanks Mike for wonderful flyer, pictures, updates, & all efforts on this!!
NJ is fortunate to have you!
Let's be as gentle as we can on Mother Earth while supporting our own economy!
A like-minded friend is now in her 5th year of her herbal business!
Donna is an experienced herbalist & an herbal educator, who has years of studying behind her & who constantly is learning more about natural healing! She is currently offering a variety of classes & giving herb walks, & is working on her book-in-progress, Tree Spirit Medicine: Re-establishing Our Sacred Connection. She will be offering a hands-on apprentice program in Hackettstown area this summer & fall!
"Willow Moon Herbals is a woman-owned enterprise dedicated to maintaining wellness, health and healing. Our approach is rooted in the Wise Woman Tradition: attaining wholeness through supportive compassion, the use of basic, simple ritual, and the gracious assistance of our common, green plant herbal allies."
Donna, the owner of Willow Moon Herbals, has a sister who now has this website ..... well she did .... & I'm waiting for an answer from her about whether there's a new link ... or if she's moved on to something else ?! So, I'll leave faux~link, in hopes she'll have something for me soon on this! Apologies for non~link!
UResurrected.com
"Flex, Relax and Breathe. Sharing knowledge of Stretch, Massage and ways to improve the health and well being of yourself and your loved ones! "
I wish you the best, Margaret : )
eco Mo
townI met Abby at a Slow Food event & am delighted by her blog : )
"ecoMotown is a blog that highlights all of the green activities and businesses in the Greater Morristown, NJ area. We’ll provide tips on great restaurants, stores and more that are making sustainable choices. We’ll also let you know about events or things to do in the area that promote an eco-friendly lifestyle. Join us in Morristown’s next revolution; the green one!"
I have been a fan & supporter of Fedco for many years. Their seed has always been very reliable, and I've always gotten more seed for less money from them. This may be due to the fact that they still offer generic 1 color seed packages, and still buy their seeds from alot of the smaller farmers. They are "your source for cold-hardy selections especially adapted to our demanding Northeast climate. Each year we observe hundreds of varieties, selecting only the best for inclusion in our catalogs. Through our product lines and cultural hints, we encourage sustainable growing methods. We offer a large selection of certified organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties. We buy products from all over the world."
And, here's a local (Hardwick, NJ) place which has utilized seeds from Fedco!
In May 2012, I met a young farmer, Erin who, with a friend, Lisa, were growing Herb, Flower, & Veggie seedlings ~ including some great greens ~ & they were
Grown Locally with
Sustainable, Organic Practices
HEIRLOOM
ORGANIC
OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS
NO GMO SEED
NO PESTICIDES
NO SYNTHETIC
or
PETROLEUM-BASED FERTILIZERS
"Harmony Starts sells seedlings grown from certified organic, heirloom and/or open-pollinated seeds. We use carefully mixed potting soil made with organic compost and organic coconut coir with the addition of slow-release nutrients for an abundant crop."
** May 21, 2013 ~ just spoke with Erin & she was not able to locate a space to grow her organic seedlings this year. She is currently working with the non~profit, Genesis Farm in Blairstown ~ which has a lovely CSG (Community Supported Garden = an opportunity to dig in the dirt & participate in growing your food!)
Erin is offering Heirloom tomato seedlings only this year, at this venue. She is hoping to return to growing her organic seedlings in 2014. So, if you're looking for Heirloom tomato seedlings, or if know of a space which she can utilize ~ please contact her thru her website, by clicking on her Harmony Starts logo above!
A few months back, the FDA Deleted 1 Million Signatures for GMO Labeling Campaign. Apparently, all signatures which appeared the same ~ i.e. from signing forms on line which were pre-written ~ were deleted. I am therefore advising petition signers who signed & sent without adding their 2 cents, to personalize their petitions & resend! For the last year, I've been simplifying the petitions I've been signing. I've also been adding a please & thank you. I've been doing these simple alterations, hoping that the petition may have a better chance of being read by our politicians, & taken more to heart. A spark if you will = )
If you need to sign this petition, or if you believe you were one of the deleted signatures, click below!
Join 1.2 million Americans, and sign the petition to say that you want the US to become the 51st nation to require GM labeling! Click below to go to petition.
Please click below for a short informative video which begins to explain why I & many others just say "no to GMO's"!
RIGGED RESEARCH from NO GMO on Vimeo.
Thinking about getting pregnant, already pregnant, or do you already have an infant, or a child/children of any age?
Click below for a concise 2 minute video titled Don’t Experiment with Your Baby to introduce you to thinking about GMO's, for your health & theirs.
Another 2 minute short from Jeffrey Smith titled “Double Dipping Danger”
DOUBLE DIPPING DANGER from NO GMO on Vimeo.
Please click below to see a more detailed explanation of GMO's, and how they have effected us, and may effect us & our environment:
Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods from Jeffrey Smith on Vimeo.
Tired of watching videos?!
Click below to view Jeffrey Smith’s
10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs
Here's a resource to help you understand a little more about GMO's & a downloadable shopping guide, & shopping tips, to help you avoid hidden GM ingredients in your food. You can bring it with when you're shopping & you can bring along an extra one or ... 25 ... to share with others = )
Non-GMO Shopping Guide & Tips
Following is a link to a MUST SEE short 3 minute video from
"JustLabelIt.org"
And, please note Washington voters turned in their signatures to the state legislature on January 4, 2013. The legislature has the option to adopt I-522 during the next scheduled session, if they do not it will go to a vote of the people on the November 2013 ballot. May Washington be the 1st of many states, to push for what is rightfully ours ~ clean, safe food ... well, we're starting with the right to know what's unsafe in our foods, 1st! 15 countries have either banned the growing or sale of GM's, &/or have facilitated labeling of products with GM ingredients (in America ~ this would amount to an estimated 80% of products having to be labeled!). 64 countries require labeling of GM ingredients!
Bravo to California for being the ONLY state in the US which has successfully banned GM crops in 3 of their counties!!
California, Colorado, Connecticutt, Florida, Oregon, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvanis, Rhode Island, & Virginia all have legislature presented, or are actively persuing it. There are also active campaigns on the ground in the following states: Idaho, Ohio, Michigan, Utah & the city of Phoenix, in Arizona.
Please learn more about your local initiatives & get involved! Even providing a signature, which only takes a minute can really help!
StateInitiatives
And here's a way WE CAN do something ~ we can add our voices!!
Breaking: Obama Promised to Label GMOs from Food Democracy Now! on Vimeo.
The Plaid Piper Farm
"Located in Wykertown New Jersey (in scenic Sussex County ), Plaid Piper Farm is a beautiful example of responsible farm management on a sustainable and environmentally sound small family farm. Healthy, contented pigs, chickens, turkeys and cattle graze on 100 acres of natural pasture. No growth hormones or antibiotics are used. Our animals enjoy fresh air, sunshine, lush green grass, fresh water. Our farm has been in the family for over 200 years. We sell grass finished beef, pastured pork, turkeys, chicken and eggs. In 2010 we will also offer lamb. "
56 Degree Wines
Chris Cree offers a fine selection of organic & biodynamic wines!
Jodie Bross is following her organic heart & is offering more & more organic choices at their garden center ~ including my organic handcrafted products! Please visit her website for upcoming events & informative classes!
Robin is a local herbalist & teacher. One of her weed walks brought her to my gardens in Rockaway! Please click on her above logo to visit her website & learn more about her.
GreenPeople.org
Click website above to go directly to my listing at Green People!
Click on the
symbol at the top right hand corner of the screen to tune in! : )
a web portal with 10 types of search
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Incredibly
Inspirational
Quotes:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
~ Mahatma Gandhi
"Judge nothing, you will be happy.
Forgive everything, you will be happier.
Love everything, you will be happiest."
~ Sri Chinmoy
"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself."
~ Abraham Maslow
"The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm,
but because of those who look at it without doing anything."
~ Albert Einstein
“When the power of love
overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.”
~ Jimi Hendrix
"When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that in itself is a choice."
~ William James
"Between stimulus and response,
there is a space.
In that space lies our
freedom and power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and freedom."
~ Viktor Frankl (1905 - 1997)
"Life is an echo.
What you send out
comes back."
~ Chinese Proverb
“When we show our respect for other living things,
they respond with respect for us.”
~ Arapaho Proverb
"Things that matter most, must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
~ Goethe
"Know the love is out there. All around us ~ it just takes a second to open our minds and our hearts and our eyes and it will fill you up and sustain us all."
~ Tom Rowan
“I've learned that
whenever I decide something
with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.”
~ Maya Angelou
"If you have not clearly stated your expectations in the beginning,
how can you expect your expectations to be met later?"
~ Vanessa Green
"3 questions I ask myself each day:
How can I grow?
How can I give?
What can I celebrate?"
~ Michael Beckwith
“Everything on the earth has a purpose,
every disease an herb to cure it,
and every person a mission."
~ Mourning Dove Salish
"Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality."
~ Viktor Frankl (1905 - 1997)
"Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately."
~ Elie Weisel
December 10, 1986
Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Oslo
"The greatest happiness
is tranquility of the mind."
~ Tibetan Wisdom
"If someone does not smile at you, be generous and offer your own smile.
Nobody needs a smile more
than the one who cannot smile to others."
~ Dalai Lama
"May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly
where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that
you have received,
And pass on the love that
has been given to you.
May you be content knowing
you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones
And allow your soul the freedom
to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us."
~ Saint Thérèse
"The Little Flower"
"All spirituality is about
relieving suffering."
~ Buddha
“The real voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust
"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."
~ William James
"Confidence is
directness & openness
in dealing with
the facts of life.”
A quote posted outside of a church on Henry St. in Brooklyn, NY
5/15/2002
"Give it all you got today, follow your heart go out and play, you might never find what you seek, so before you're old and weak, give it all you got today.”
~ Beres Hammond
“Tell me and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I may not remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
~ Native American or Chinese Proverb
"You may never know what results came of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result."
~ Mahatma Gandhi
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead
"Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must ~ at that moment ~ become the center of the universe… And action is the only remedy to indifference, the most insidious danger of all."
~ Elie Weisel
Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1986
"It's never too late to be
what you might have been."
~ George Eliot
"Doing what you like is freedom.
Liking what you do is happiness."
~ Frank Tyger
American Editorial Cartoonist
(1929-2011)
"Make you the world a bit better
or more beautiful
because you have lived in it."
~ Edward W. Bok
"We do the best we can
with what we know,
and when we know better,
we do better."
~ Maya Angelou
"Teach us love, compassion, honor
That we may heal the earth
And heal each other."
~ Ojibway Prayer
"Man is not on the earth solely for his own happiness.
He is there to realize great things for humanity."
~ Vincent Van Gogh
"The rhythm of the rain draws me into mothers nature's safe hands, where she teaches me how to dance in step with her."
~ Debbie Foster
Organic Nest
Bernardsville, NJ
"One begins to recognize that Nature, Goodness, and God are words for the same glue that holds the creation together."
~ Dr Majid Ali
"For attractive lips,
speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes,
seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure,
share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair,
let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise,
walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, more than things,
have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.
Remember, if you ever need a
helping hand, you will find
one at the end of each
of your arms.
As you grow older, you will
discover that you have two
hands, one for helping your
-self and the other for
helping others."
~ Audrey Hepburn
In Memory
June 10, 2011
Apparently my oldest kitty did not agree to the bargain I’d made with her last summer ~ when I said she had to wait 2 years before passing ~ because that seems to be the separating number these past few years, between losses.
I met Genda Lynn over 15 years ago & fell for her immediately ~ much to the chagrin of ChiChu who’d already been with me for 6 years. But Chi & I’d recently moved & she no longer had my brother & his friends around to keep her company & open the door for her every 2.5 seconds. You cat lovers know exactly what I’m talking about!
So Genda aka No Kidding (the Japanese translation I read in subtitles at the bottom of some foreign movie, years after she’d gotten her name ~ sounds more like 'kidding' when you listen to the online translation) endured the wrath of ChiChu ~ including a literal physical slap in the face most every morning & every night in bed. Chi sure made sure that Genda & I never forgot that huge misstep!
Genda was the greatest of hunters, and the sweetest ~ as she never felt compelled to bring me home any of her treasures! I remember the 1st time I saw her with a kill. I looked out the old apartment window in Bloomfield (almost equidistant between exits 148 & 149 on the north bound side of the parkway ~ a decade in Essex & in all 3 places I lived, I really could give an answer to that age old out-of-state question “what exit?”; which was also the name we gave to a regional ultimate tournament our team sponsored back then!). Genda looked up & saw me at the window, with a look almost saying “you’re not seeing this … please don’t think less of me”, and remained statue still, with bird in mouth, until I moved from that window. And 14 years later, I never saw a conquered creature again. But she was the garbage pail of our home in Rockaway for over a decade, & would trundle away anything deceased to ‘properly’ dispose of it. We wouldn’t want anything to go to waste!
And, she also had so many adventures & was always exploring ~ gaining her the nickname MaGellen. A poor slang of 'my-gen-lynn' ~ one of her many shortened nicknames, with a nod to the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. Even a cataract wouldn’t stop her. And, after she sustained an eye injury last year, which gave her a competive edge for any Marty Feldman look alike contest ~ she continued to feel & hear her away around indoors & out. Just yesterday she sought out the shade in the thicket between my neighbors place & mine ~ a great hiding spot which took me an hour to find her last year before she went blind. A true inspiration on days when one might feel challenged by the events at hand.
But she always came when you called ~~ well, she may have dawdled now & then ... & gotten locked in a ‘neighbors’ shed a block .. or two over .. or unable ~ because she was being treed by a coyote or stuck atop the garage of an older neighbor, who never took to the 2 cats 'trespassing' while cutting through to greener pastures!
So strange that she is so still now. I’m almost partial to the thought that she might just show back up again. Such a gentle little girl who will be so very much missed ~ until we meet again, Genda Lynn & I fall for you .. all over again = )
In honor of my father, who passed away on July 10, 2010.
Each time I was asked if flowers, or …… should be sent to my mom, I responded that I thought my dad would've preferred that everyone just do something nice in his honor. A random act of kindness, if you will. Of course, whatever level this comes on, was (& is still) up to you, the giver: helping someone struggling with their packages or any task, sending a donation, volunteering time in a place which reminds you of him (or, of someone you are missing), calling/writing/visiting someone who may be lonely, extending some extra patience, stepping back a moment with compassion, taking the time to take care of yourself ~ so that you may be of more help to another in the future, sending that “thinking of you” card to someone well after a loss they’ve had ……
A year has passed now ~ and I think of all those who he touched, & who touched him, & am reminded of his many kindnesses. I look forward to another year of honoring him with more acts of kindness!
When I went to look for the farewell to him that I was working on in July 2011, I found this :
“I wish I could just take his place for a couple of days & make a whole bunch of progress & he could come back to a better body” I wrote that sentence on August 22, 2009.
What are the chances that I’d find this exactly 1 year later ?
Since a year ago 'today', he managed to get back his appetite, leave the hospital, move to a nursing home & regain the 30 plus pounds that he’d lost from the overdose of chemo they’d given him. He was home a month later & back to his old self ~ going out on his walks & enjoying his favorite foods & friends. Fast-forward 6 months and his appetite was again eluding him, and he shrank before me. 2 weeks after leaving home, he lay in bed, still hoping that maybe tomorrow he’d be strong enough to get out of bed, still thinking that he was going to have a repeat performance of last years weight gain & return to life. A day later and he lay silent, an eye opening: his only real movement. Very early the following morning, he passed away quietly: July 10th. My heart is still so very heavy from his loss. A dull ache in the center of my chest sucks the air from my lungs at certain moments, while tears over-fill my eyes, my jaw tightens, and throat tenses. I cling to all those countless moments we shared when he was his former self ~ able to do all he wanted, desired. I feel so blessed to have known him; so thankful for all that he taught me, shared with me, gave & took from me. His friends have been so very supportive, and I pray that I will be as surrounded by love when my time comes. Like attracts like, so I guess I gotta start being more of a source of delight.
A dream I had of my dad, a week after he died, speaks volumes.
He was teaching me this incredibly silly game he’d just invented. Mind you, my father created countless silly nonsense words that his kids & grandkids & their friends still use = )
His last nickname that he created for me was Drag-along-Musko, which he bestowed on me when I was lagging behind as were walking back to the car after walking the Brooklyn Bridge & promenade with my brother, Jim. I’d been distracted by a quote outside of a church on Henry St.:
"Confidence is
directness & openness
in dealing with
the facts of life.”
A real keeper ~ just like my dad = )
So, he was teaching me this incredibly silly game, and we both began to laugh & I started to say, “I miss …”, and realized that he was saying the same thing: “your laughter” we said in unison.
May his generous and fun spirit guide us to many wonderful things!
In honor of my father who was born in 1927, went for his 1st ride in the 1930’s, bought his 1st plane in the 1940’s & loved to take us all flying with him, I share with you laughter ~ taken & re-worked from ahajokes.com:
“In the early 1930's, a farmer and his farm hand went to a fair. The farmer was fascinated by the airplanes and asked a pilot how much a ride would cost.
"$10 for 3 minutes," replied the pilot.
"That's too much," said the farmer.
The pilot thought for a second and then said,
"I'll make you a deal.
If you both sit & ride without uttering a sound, the ride will be free. But if you make a sound while you're in my plane, you'll have to pay $10."
The farmer looked at his partner, who nodded in agreement, and they went for a WILD ride. After they landed, the pilot said to the farmer, "I want to congratulate you for not making a sound. You are a brave man."
"Maybe so," said the farmer,
"But I gotta tell ya, I almost screamed when my farm hand fell out."
August 22, 2010
On Memorial day '08, a doe jumped into my main garden and had her fawn.
It was delightful to watch the two of them for the next few weeks ~ it was a grand distraction, watching this new fragile life grow in strength and vitality. The mother was so cautious, and would graze for upwards of a half hour around the gardens, to make sure that it was safe to call out to her young one while effortlessly clearing the fence to enter the garden. (How blessed I was all those years by all the deer leaving those gardens alone! Perhaps they knew how groundhog challenged I already was!) Pure joy to watch the little one bound about the garden when its mother would arrive to care for it. The fawn would run circles around the original central 40x40 garden.
In the interim, my oldest feline, ChiChu, was fighting like heck to get to her 18th birthday, but finally gave up ~ June 18, 2008. She is mighty missed, and the other cats honored the spaces she used to occupy for quite some time. Happy heavenly hunting, honey! Amazing to experience these two widely different events in the span of one month.
On Friday, April 28th, 2006 two of the greatest people I've ever had the blessing of knowing, were taken in an accident. When I heard the news, it was like all of the air had been sucked out my lungs, while all of the strength flowed out of my legs. To imagine not seeing them on all the holidays, and not joining them on vacation, and no longer having that family home where I'd sought & received comfort for over 2 decades... it seemed entirely impossible.
Those who knew Veronica & Mike were asked (in lieu of flowers) to send a giving donation to Heifer International - an organization which they both actively supported over the years. In honor of their memories, I continue to display this link. Even if you never met them, you can still give ~ to honor your own missed loved one, or just to help another in a unique way!!
Click on the logo below to connect to their site:
Or call:
1 - 800 - 422 - 0474.
It's a wonderful opportunity to help someone less fortunate to help themselves & others around them for years to come!
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NEW phone number is:
(973) 827 - 3369
Most calls are returned within 24 hours!
Mailing Address:
35 Skyview Dr.
Franklin, NJ 07416
Email:
Please note: Most e-mails are returned within 48 hours!
NEW BROCHURE IS HERE!
New pictures & revised catalog are now available!!
It is a Word 2000 document.
Click on the bolded coloured link below to view:
LATEST CATALOG
I can also email the new catalog to anyone who wishes ~ click here on anne@degagegardens.com to e me, or send one yourself to anne@degagegardens.com.
Thanks !
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