There’s some lingering snow but so what! We’ve done some reorganizing at the shop recently and things are feeling fresh and ready for whenever those 60 degree days come knocking. We’ve got a lot of special things going on this month: pop ups from local makers and vendors every Saturday in the shop, a new in-house composting program and a wine bottle recycling program in partnership with our friends over at Saffi Foods.
With longer days and more sun, it feels like everything in my life is spinning forward at a rapid pace towards more excitement, more things to do and more fun! I’ve been slowly tucking reminders of winter away but trying to engage with the practices that kept me feeling grounded during the colder months. During peak winter isolation, I clung to my ritual bath routines ever so tightly. I loved drawing a hot bath, lighting a candle and dumping epsom salts into the running water to soothe my mind and body. Yesterday when I was puttering around the store, I wandered past a product that I often overlook: bulk lavender flowers. I had a sudden vision of my bath time ritual revitalized with a small lavender sachet to accompany me in the tub. Lavender is such an amazing flower that has anti-inflammatory and skin toning properties as well as a calming aura to quiet the busy mind. I reveled at the tiny reminder to slow down and enjoy sitting with myself again as I have done many times to appreciate myself and my connection to the world around me.
Although Earth Day doesn’t come until April 22nd, the whole month has been designated for appreciating Earth and our connection to it. My favorite Earth Days have been a wet rainy day stomping around the Aldo Leopold Center on a class field trip and a day spent with my best friend appreciating the ducks at Tenney Park. A moment of celebration for the Earth can be big or small and can happen whenever my perception wanders away from being in my daily routines and into a sense of wholeness with where I am. I am looking forward to more days in the sun, more hikes with my friends and that first seasonal jump into a lake! I am also looking forward to seeing more faces in the shop and spending time thinking and rethinking my connection to the Earth as we all shift into Spring in Wisconsin. If you’d like a floral experience to get in touch with Spring time merriment, join us on April 23rd for a potpourri workshop with Down to Earth Goods at the shop from 11am to 3pm. With Love, Hanna