Hello friends!  My name is Marci, and I’ve been working with Kate at Essential Apothecary Alchemist for a little over a year now.  I love learning new things, and I try to learn something new every day.  So when Kate approached me about working with her at EAA it was an enthusiastic – YES!  Kate first taught me to make her incense cones, and I’ve progressed to making almost all of her incredible products.  I still have so much to learn about the specific ingredients and what makes them work together in such an intentional and almost magical way.  Working with the natural ingredients in the beautiful and peaceful space of the restored Bee House barn is something I enjoy most and look forward to as a break from my busy life on my own homestead.  Every time we mix and bottle to produce a product, the old barn is filled with heavenly smells and energy.  I have always loved to cook and create, and making the products for EAA has felt like a natural expansion of those loves for me.  Occasionally, I also help with packaging and shipping.

My family was introduced to Rick and Kate through mutual friends not long after they moved into their new home here on the Palouse.  It was clear from the beginning it was the start of a lovely friendship.  We have so many common interests and shared values - it was almost comical in the beginning as we got to know each other and found more and more things we have in common.  Even our husbands could almost be twins!  Our old farmhouse and homestead is not far from theirs, and we believe both homes were built by the same builder over 100 years ago.  It has been inspiring to watch them restore, rejuvenate and create such a magical and gorgeous place for so many to enjoy!  Along with making the products for EAA, I also help out at Kate’s art retreats and workshops.  We have shared many meals together, and a drop in is always welcomed with an invitation to sit, visit and recharge with a cup of tea or a cocktail.  Early in our friendship, my daughter would tease me when I got home from a visit with Kate asking whose therapy session had taken place on this day.  Many of our visits turn into deep conversations as we contemplate and analyze this amazing, complex and sometimes challenging life and world. 

Marci's garden in the peak of summer.

I love to garden and grow things and have always had an affinity for the natural world.  When my daughter was born, I became more interested than ever in natural health and in particular herbal medicine.  I taught her about wildcrafting, and throughout the years we have experimented with many fun projects such as making our own tinctures, salves and herbal mixes.  She has also gardened with me since she was a babe under foot. 

I remember a day fondly, when she was very young, that we spent with friends at a nearby park in the mountains.  Some of the group went on a small hike, including my young daughter.  I stayed behind visiting with other moms.  When the hiking group got back, the mom leading the hike told me how my daughter (about 5 or 6 at the time) had stopped all along the way to point out all of the edible and medicinal plants and their uses, including her favorite wild edible green at the time – stinging nettles!  The mom was so impressed, and I was so proud! 

Nature has given us an amazing bounty, and we live here in one of the most fertile and beautiful places on Earth.  My daughter (now a teenager) and I still love to scavenge our property and nearby hills and mountains for things like wild greens, mushrooms and berries.  It’s so fun to discover new plants every year right under our feet and to grow new and unusual varieties of plants in our garden.  Kate and I also share this love.  And every year we share seeds, veggie starts and knowledge as we learn from each other.

I have enjoyed my time with EAA and building our friendship with the Pooles thus far, and I look forward to many years of creating and growing together!

Much love,

-Marci