Autumn arrives bringing with it an appreciation of what each day has to offer...OCTOBER 2026
I always feel a bit nostalgic when this time of year rolls around. Summer has seemed to hang on for as long as it could, giving us warm humid days, right up until last week.
The leaves have finally started to show color, and begin their final phase for the year, soon to be raked into the compost pile.
It's wonderful to be able to open up the windows to a cool, blustery day, and no longer have the whir of the air conditioners in the backround.
I've been seeing "pumpkin spice" everything since the middle of August, but it didn't feel quite right to indulge just then.
When the Autumn equinox hits it always gives me the urge to go into the attic and rip open the boxes of Halloween decor, that have slowly taken over half the space up there.
(You can never have too many stuffed witches or grinning pumpkins sitting around, as far as I'm concerned).
It's a time that I wish I could stop and hold onto.
The time certainly flies. I feel like we just celebrated Memorial Day, and now were getting ready to turn the clocks back, and throw another duvet on the bed.
October seems to bring with it its own type of magic.
Shorter days, cooler nights, the smell of a fire coming from a neighbors chimney. There are pumpkins on porches and the crunch of leaves under your feet.
It's my favorite type of weather, "sweater weather".
Since I've been working in Lancaster, within the plain community, I've discovered that the "Plain folk", as they refer to themselves, ( primarliy Amish and Mennonite ), chose to live by a seasonal rhythm.
They're daily lives follow the seasons in a very gentle way.
I rarely, if ever hear them complain, and have noticed very few of them seem to hold onto stressful situations. They instead try to see the positive in an otherwise difficult moment.
With all the raging heat and flooding rains we've had over this past Summer, they will mention in conversation how nice it was to have it for the crops, and how its helped with the yield of the corn, and the size of the pumpkins. One of my young clients called very excitedly to tell me of the 13' cornstalks she and her husband were getting ready to harvest, and saying how worth it was to have the hot, rainy weather this past season.
They have a way of being so grateful for what Mother Nature provides them.
When we spoke about the heat, and 100 degree days, it was always followed by how it will make us appreciate the cool weather when it arrives. Keep in mind that most of these folks don't have air conditioning.
They choose to live in the "old ways”. They appreciate every moment of the day and what it has to offer.
I have felt incredibly blessed to have been accepted into their community, and lives.
I've been working with them for several years, and they have taught me so much.
They take each day as it comes, not worrying about the future.
They are quick to help one another in times of struggle. If one family has a bad yeild with their crops, the other families will offer each a bit of their own to replace it.
Suprisingly, they do know quite abit about the politcs of the country and what goes on outside their community. Yet they focus on what they have control over, and nothing else.
They get stressed, just like any other person, but they don't stress over what they personally can't change, and only focus on what they can.
They are compassionate, and sympathetic in so many ways to folks outside their community.
I have seen jars on counters at their shops for donations to help people in disasters around the world.
I've worked with young Amish women who are missionaries over in the Ukraine, trying to help the people who have been through the war, put their lives back together.
They cook for them, cleaning up and rebuilding homes, as well as care for lost children, and pets that became separated from their families.
They ask for nothing in return.
I have consulted with women who have lost children and spouses in buggy accidents, due to impatient drivers trying to pass them, yet they were grateful the driver wasn't injured as well.
They seek pleasure in the small, and simple. Small blessings, simple gifts, and a kind thought.
When I return a phone call, ( most old order Amish now have phones), on a Sunday to go over blood labs, or answer health questions they may have, I never fail to get "Thank you for taking time out of your day off to call me back."
They are nothing, if not the most gracious people you would ever meet.
A bit shy outside their community.
During a consult with a young Amish girl, she told me she wished they weren't looked at like "circus animals" for the way they dress and live their lives. It was a heartbreaking statement.
She was very open, and loved to talk about their way of life, and why they chose to live in the old ways, and not cave into the demands of the modern world.
Doing what I do, I have a deep interest in ancient healing methods, and have been fortunate enough to have stories of their folk healing methods, that have been passed down through the generations, shared with me.
They are fascinated by what I do, and in turn, love to share their healing methods, both herbal and prayer, known as "Braucherei." Some of which their grandmothers and great grandmothers practiced.
Old handwritten journals are pulled out with several generations of different handwriting, in different languages, and talked about. Herbal remedies, directions on best way to smoke pork, or how to put together a special sour dough starter, and one page in particular that caught my eye entitled, "Cure for cancer". It was right next to the page for "Aunt Emma's egg custard".
One story fascinated me, that I want to share...
When a young farmer cut off part of a leg in a combine machine, during a harvest, his grandmother ran out side with a jar of kerosine, and threw it on where the leg was severed. It instantly stopped the bleeding and cauterised the wound.
The young man was taken to the hospital, and the doctor told her that her actions saved her grandson's life. If it hadn't been done, he would have bled to death.
The doctor followed with, "If I shared this information with my collegues, they would think I was insane."
I later spoke with his sister about the situation and how traumatising it must have been for him and their family. She said that there was no blame and that it was just an accident. In her words, "You just have to get on with life and work with what it gives you."
She felt he was very lucky and could have lost his life. They were grateful it was only part of a limb and that he could learn to live with that.
He was back farming two months later.
I have had so many folks in my own community coming to me lately with nervous system issues. Anxiety, stress, sleep problems.
When doing an intake, anxiety seems to be at the top of the list.
When I ask them to elaborate, there are always a laundry list of reasons.
Recently, when working outside the plain community and in passing conversation I will ask folks how their Summer was, but most can't recall what they did, or where the time went? They will dwell on how hot the Summer was and talk about the up and coming cold weather, and how hectic the holidays will be.
The most current stress with folks lately seems to be the state of the world, and feeling out of control.
What I've started to do lately with alot of these folks is share what my Amish clients have taught me.
Why stress over what you can't control or change? Try focusing on only what you can.
Is it really worth your health?
I think the question here is, are we all holding onto what we don't need to?
In a world that has become a place of sensory, and information overload, what can we let go of in order to heal ourselves?
Can we take a lesson from the plain community, and leave all the "stuff" at the door when we come home from a long day?
Can we take a few minutes each day to enjoy the current season, and all it has to offer?
Can we leave all the gossip at the office?
Is it possible to just put down that phone, turn off that ipad or laptop, and sit down to a meal with our families and talk about all the blessings we have forgotten we have?
I always think about the movie, "Ghostbusters", and the character Ray, who was trying to get the point across about the reason for the "slime" under Manhattan, and how it affects behavior.
What was it that he said? "It's every New Yorker's God given right to be miserable". "What if that negativity built up over the years and became that "slime" under the city, and it just kept growing, being fed by the negative emotions?"
Is it possible that's what's been happening to us? That the negative emotions from the stresses we chose to absorb day to day become the "slime" in our bodies that in turn is affecting our nervous systems?
I know its a bit of a silly analogy, but I'm trying to prove a point.
The overwhelm of holding onto what we don't need emotionally can cause the disharmony, dysfunction and disautonomia in ourselves.
Try this, when that tailgaiter is behind you flashing their lights to pass you, instead of being upset, try telling yourself that maybe there's a reason they need to pass. Maybe they just got notice of an emergency and need to get somewhere quickly. Don't get road rage, just give them space and let them pass. Feel the anxiety pass by you.
When you feel pressured about needing to update your old phone or car, try feeling blessed that you have a phone, and a car, and so on.
It's all about how the mind percieves the input you give it.
If your positive, your body will respond positively. If you beat yourself up with negative thoughts, that too will affect the body in the same way.
Thoughts and words have power. There's a reason its called, "spelling" in school.
Words can become spells, thoughts, and intentions. Sounds a little witchy, I know. Rather appropriate for the season, but I'm sure you get the meaning.
If you start out the day dreading it, your mind and body will respond accordingly, and your nervous system will store it away with all the other stresses you can't change.
Try thinking like my Amish friends do.
If you start out with no expectation of what the day will bring and appreciate the moments as they come, well, then you may be surprised at what blessings are around the corner waiting for you?
You may just be missing all the beauty of the day or the season, and what it has to offer.
There's a saying, "Leave your troubles at the door."
Make your homebase your sanctuary. Whatever and wherever that may be. Make it a rule to not carry the burdens of the day with you. Let them go when you enter the doorway.
Find a little joy in each day no matter how difficult it may be. The blessings are there, you just have to pay attention to them.
Don't forget to breathe. Alot of us walk through life holding our breath, and waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Ask yourself this when a challenging situation pops up...Can I personally change it?
Will it do any good for me to dwell on, it if I can't?
Take a deep breath and let it go with good intention. Eventually your nervous system will start to adjust to this new way of thinking , and begin to heal itself. It can take some time to readjust.
Remember, the body has a memory, and if you hated Tuesday mornings for some reason, then you still may have anxiety the day or night before that day. Even if there's no reason too. Your stresses become imprinted in the body, and its natural reaction is to duplicate what it has been doing at the same time each week.
I have worked with folks that have a panic attack at the same time, on the same day each week, and don't know why? There's always a trigger. When we dig a bit and do backround history intake, 9 out of 10 times we find that trigger, and can treat it accordingly.
Find the root cause and you can fix the problem.
For those of you in need of nervous system healing, I'm happy to help in anyway that I can.
The apothecary is loaded with a bounty of herbs, tincture formulas, adaptogens and teas. Not to mention whole food supplements, to help calm the body, as well as regulate and modulate nervous system function, and help you get back to feeling like yourself.
We offer formulation for each individual person, since all chemistries aren't the same.
Our Summer harvest was amazing this year and currently being processed so they can be made into our products.
An exciting update for us is that our product line is now going to be carried at the PA Dutch Market in Kingston, New Jersey. I have teamed up with Paul King and his family to bring in an entire apothecary section to thier stall. Products will available for sale their beginning November 1st.
On a personal note:
Jeff and I have welcomed a new kitten into our home. Introducing... "Potter."
Literally, a year to the day after we lost our beloved Marley, I heard a small, quiet mewing outside my bedroom window, well after midnight. Climbing out of bed and heading outside to find a tiny black and white kitten, hungry, lost and in our bushes.
Needless to say, he seemed to come out of nowhere, and has made himself completely at home here.
Max, Marley's brother, has taken him under his wing (or paw ), and now the two of them are inseparable. Very fast friends.
He is a blessing in our lives.
I've always wondered if you can miss someone so much that they find a way back to you, even if it's in a different form??
Wouldn't that be amazing!?
Shrimp is his favorite treat, just like my Marley use to love.
Hmmm, coincidence?
Have a blessed spooky season!
Don't forget to have some fun.
-Kat
From my herbal:
-Tea to support the central nervous system-
1oz. of Skullcap 1/2 oz. Oat Straw
1oz. of Lemon Balm 3/4 oz. Lemongrass
1/2 oz. Agrimony leaf 1/4 oz. Ginger root
1/2 oz. Catnip
Steep 4-5 Tablespoons in a quart of water, and bring to a light boil for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and let sit for 2 hours. Strain and add stevia leaf or honey to taste.
Drink 2-3 cups per day for best results.
Can be served cold or hot.
-Tincture to calm the nervous system-
2 teaspoons of Lemon Balm ( if there is a normal thyroid ) or Skullcap can be substituted if there is a comprimised thyroid. ( Hyper or Hypothyroidism)
1/2 teaspoon Schizandra Berry
1/2 teaspoon Chamomile flower
1/2 teaspoon Oat Straw
1/2 tablespoon ground Reishi mushroom
2 oz. 100 proof vodka or vegetable glycerine or Apple cider vinegar ( as an alcohol free alternative)
Combine in a mason jar and store in a dark, cool place for 60 days. Strain, and store liquid in a dropper bottle. Take one dropper 2 x daily under tongue or in a splash of water, for best results.
Blessings!
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