See You Soon for Lunch, Kathleen!

Lady Catherine and Her Lady-in-Waiting at the National Herb Society Conference

The herb world is going to be a bit different on Monday morning, Kathleen Gips from the Village Herb Shop is retiring.  The weather gods are not cooperating and Bonnie and I will not be at her retirement class with Lady Catherine tomorrow.  We are with you in herbal spirit, Kathleen.  We know you will have a great day!

This would probably not have gotten much news, but I want you to know that Kathleen has inspired many people, young (her grandsons) and old, over the years with her herbal knowledge.  I joke with Kathleen that I stalked her for a long time before we actually met.  I first saw her name and mail order business in a copy of The Herb Companion in the 1990's.  The Herbal Husband and I drove by her home hoping that she had an herb shop when we went to Chagrin Falls for an antique show.  You almost had some unexpected company, Kathleen!

She started a mail order company called Pine Creek Herbs and sold her jellies, vinegars and potpourris from her house and she has been in three retail spaces since then.   She has written a book on Herbal Vinegars and two books on the Language of Flowers.  She has written dozens of articles, done local TV programs and had many recipes and articles published in cookbooks and herb books.

And even though she will not be in the shop every day, Kathleen will continue with the quarterly tea events at VHS.  The other good news in all of this is that Chagrin Falls is keeping the Village Herb Shop.  The new owner is Lee Ann Halley and hopefully Bonnie and I will be continuing our herbal education with Lee Ann.  We wish all of the best to Lee Ann and The Village Herb Shop of Chagrin Falls!

So dear Kathleen, I do know that we will have lunch and maybe some herbal adventures in the not too distant future.  Enjoy those river cruises in Europe or wherever in the world you may go.  Enjoy your family and herb groups and teaching when you can and know that your herbal knowledge has educated lots of people in a meaningful way!  I also realized that a bunch of herbal products I use every day are because you taught me how to make them!  Here's to a special herb lady that has been in our lives for 20 plus years!  Bonnie and I look forward to having lunch at Rick's Cafe with you very soon!

This afternoon The Herbal Husband and I had Violet and Lavender Tea and Gingerbread Scones in your honor, Kathleen!  I found Devon Cream at the grocery store for The Herbal Husband!  He was in heaven!  His words not mine, "These are too good.  We can only have these every six months!"  He'll be begging for them again soon!

Gingerbread Scone with Rose Geranium Jelly and Violet and Lavender Tea!

Here's to You, Kathleen!

I have been working diligently on a post for Mother Earth Living about herbal teas.  Now that I have that done, I'll get back to blogging.  The weather is cold and snowy, but it is January.  Talk to you later.