Ramblin' Rose Hat Co.

This past August, after years of waiting for the right moment, I was able to fulfill a wish of having a hat made just for me. The idea of doing something like this was planted by my local friend Geninne, who when I shared how my current hat doesn't stay on my head if there is wind, said that if I were to have a hat custom made that would not happen. She then told me about the local hat maker Sam of Ramblin' Rose. I had heard of Sam via the small maker community we have here in Santa Fe, but hadn't explored her work. Once I did, it was clear that this would be the way to go, however the timing wasn't quite right.

Then, in August two things happened collided:

1. It was my birthday month and Greg asked me what I wanted.
2. I received Sam's "first to know, custom hat spots" email, stating that she was now open for new bookings.

The synergy between 1 & 2 was quite auspicious, thus I moved forward with my wish.

First step to kick off the process was making an appointment at her super cute workshop on upper canyon, to nail down measurements and design.

The process can take anywhere between 6-8 months, depending on supply chains, etc., thus, I've been practicing patience, knowing that it likely wont be ready until mid January if I'm lucky.

SHIFTING, thinking circular

Supporting Sam is a step in empowering and investing in a small, local business. Former investment banker Catherine Austin Fitts shares how the most important investment we can make is in our community. This requires a paradigm shift, instead of making purchases in anything having to do with the conglomerates, that invest our money in global companies who do not have the best interest in human beings, the animal kingdom nor Mother Earth.

Since "sen sir ship" has become a thing now, where we are not allowed to speak our minds and our freedom of speech is being threatened, I will begin to use code, like the ancient alchemists who had to hide their work and develop symbols to communicate under the guise of the dark lords.

Supporting and placing our money into specific investment companies (V), is undermining all of us. It' super important to step outside of that box and think in a circular format.

INDIE!

I am also supporting an indie, female maker and the slow fashion movement. Instead of purchasing a less expensive hat, investing in a handmade item that is made for me, by the hands of a local maker is part of the new economy which we all can be part of manifesting.

There's a phrase going around that states fashion is the second most polluting industry after oil, guess what, that's not completely true, another example of why its so important to do thorough research on things before just taking someones (a conglomerate or an organizations point of view, especially when an organization is funded by a creepy computer company.) Getting back to fashion, the most important aspects to keep in mind when making purchases is the follow,  inspired by a list on EcoCult:

• Consume less new, conventional fashion.
• Buy secondhand instead of new whenever possible
• When you have to buy new, buy it from an indie maker, or if its a bigger company choose a more sustainable label that has measured its emissions for the company or per product and is striving to reduce and offset its footprint.
• Support political action to limit global carbon emissions from every source. However, be mindful, once again everything is not what it seems Part of the dynamic here on planet Earth is that duality is everything.

If we each make the effort of spending our time, energy and money in a mindful way, we will be part of the big shift into a circular, holistic based system that holds the micro along with the macro in our collective heart.

New Mexico Plant Feature: Osha Root

Keeping in the vein of last weeks post, I thought I'd share a bit about a local root that I have been cultivating a relationship with. It's called oshá root, Ligusticum porteri, a perennial herb that grows at high elevations in rich, moist soils. Common names include: Porter's Lovage, Wild Lovage, Indian Parsley, Mountain Carrot, Empress of the Dark Forest, Colorado Cough Root, Chuchupate, "Indian Parsley", mountain ginseng, and Bear Medicine. 1.

I had avoided it for years because it is threatened due to over harvesting. Here in northern New Mexico osha is native and is fairly easy to find at the Santa Fe farmers market by growers who are respectful of the plant. Osha has a co-dependent relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi, which is the main reason the plant won't grow outside of its native habitat.

In January I contacted the respiratory infection that was going around, besides my usual regime of eating lots of garlic & ginger, taking baths with essential oils and salts, fasting, consuming specific herbs and tinctures, I picked up some osha cough syrup—that's when the love (lovage) affair began and has been building ever since. I've heard osha referred to as the ginseng of New Mexico.

"Osha root contains anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties and therefore supports health or healing for respiratory conditions (coughs, colds, tonsillitis, flu, and other types of viral infections). Its antiviral properties are well recognized today, and as an alternative medicine, it's often prescribed at the first signals of the common cold or flu. Osha can also be taken when traveling to higher altitudes or for long-distance hiking to promote easy breathing.

A decoction (essentially a long, slow simmer) will extract the medicinal properties of the root into a flavorful, dark tea, which can be sipped purely, or mixed into any variety of tea-lattes or broths.

To make a decoction, simply add a handful of dried root to several cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and allow to reduce for at least thirty minutes - though five to six hours is preferable as the longer the roots simmer, the stronger, and more beneficial the decoction.

When finished, the water will be a translucent, grey-brown tint, reflective of the root's color, and rich in beneficial plant-properties."2.

Osha tastes and smells warm, earthy and wonderful—the rather strong fragrance contains creamy, syrup-like anise, tonka and pepper notes. I have an essential oil of lovage that I plan to revisit, especially for my New Mexico pure fume series.

The indigenous people consider the root sacred and used it for respiratory conditions and as an incense or strung for purifying the air.

1. Taos Herb
2. The Alchemists Kitchen