A Sampling of Talks and Workshop Topics

• ‘How to Keep your Green Thumbs in the Pink'
  Natural Hand Care, Herbal Treatments and Simple Techniques For Nurturing Healthy Hands and Nails
  
  This talk is for you whether you are a rightie, a leftie or an ambi-dexti! You will learn the health secrets hiding in your hands and fingernails. What are the best vitamins for nails, skin, bones and joints? What can you do for common fingernail problems? How to give yourself the best manicure, and what mistakes to avoid when you visit nail salons. Discover natural skin care remedies you can grow in your garden and botanical treatments for hard-working and aging hands. Plus, exercises for your joints: fingers, thumbs, wrists and elbows. Know you will find this talk ‘handy’.

• 'Travel Well: An Herbal First Aid Kit for Travelers.'
  Learn about time-proven natural remedies to pack for your trip, including arnica, bitters, echinacea, ginger, mint and ume-boshi plum. Learn how these work....and when to use them. 

• 'The Herb Traveler on African Safari': plants, animals, people and more...
  Do you harbor a wanderlust for travel or savor learning of journeys and voyages?  This first in a Series of 'Herb Traveler' travelogues promises an expedition with a difference.  We will gain insights into the ethno-botanical uses of a country's varied gardens and delve into how plants are used for food, clothing, shelter and medicine.

• 'Herbal Medicine 101'
  Everything you wanted to know about herbal medicines but were not sure who to ask.
  With so much information on the net, in magazines, and word of mouth,
  what are the real strengths and concerns of using herbal remedies?

• 'Herbs for Romance'
  What did Anthony and Cleopatra know about herbs that we don’t...yet?
  What draws us to another?
  Norma keeps audiences entertained and enthralled with a look at this engaging topic. You'll learn how to set the mood for romance; which herbs can stimulate our senses...and much more. 

• 'Henna (Lawsonia inermis) -- a most auspicious herb'
  What do Cleopatra and Lucille Ball have in common?
  
  You will be amazed when you find out all the qualities residing in this one bush!  Henna, an ancient, hedge-like shrub, has played a role in the traditions of civilization, health, and body decoration for more than 5,000 years.  It is acclaimed as a dye plant, a cosmetic, a medicine, and an amulet associated with luck and prosperity.  Unlocking the ancient history and herbal secrets of henna: hair and beard highlights, nail conditioning, body decoration, and natural medicine.

• 'Herb Gardening'
   Answers to the Four Most Commonly Asked Questions about Growing Herbs:
  We will cover this popular topic in-depth and answer the questions you've been wondering about:
  What to grow?
  Where to grow them?
  Why this herb or that? We will consider aroma and taste. How to make sure you are choosing the best plants for you.
  When is the best time?

• 'Backyard Remedies for Gardeners'
  We tend the earth, let's plant some remedies for ourselves!
  
  Mother Nature is not always kind to the tenders of her landscape. At times, ‘green thumbers’ suffer from endeavors in their own flowerbeds.  Gardeners maladies can include: backaches, bruises, sore muscles and joints, insect bites, blisters, dirty nails, poison ivy and poison oak, splinters, sun burn and rashes, to name but a few.
  
  Now, here’s the good news. There are effective natural remedies for what ails you right under your toes.
  And, if anyone deserves to benefit from plant medicines, you do!

• 'Magical Herbs for Halloween' (All Hallows Eve)
   (A ‘hands-on’ family fun workshop to foster creativity, imagination, and ‘good magic.’) 
  
  This workshop is for wizards and muggles of all ages and generations.  We will explore the origins of the special Celtic festival that celebrates the oncoming of winter and the enchanting dark half of the year. We will learn about the historical properties of some magical herbs and prepare our own ‘Conjure’ bags for good fortune on Halloween Eve.
  
  Note: The origins of All Hallows Eve or "Samhain" (pronounced ‘sow’en) take us back in time to around 27 BCE. The Celtic peoples believed in magic, unseen spirits, and the benefits of protective rituals to ensure prosperity and health. It is believed that the roots of herb magic are in the individual plant energies. As long as you have good intentions, you may find benefit from these herbs with special charms. Come with an open and inquiring mind!