April 15, 2026

Well, as you read this note, I am in California at a business conference learning how to run a real business and networking with others who are already doing so. I've met so many neat and wonderful people!

Traveling sounds fun in theory.

And sometimes it really is, even for me, a true homebody.

But if I’m being honest, whenever I travel, I feel SUPER anxious days before I ever zip the suitcase. Part of it is the usual what-to-pack stress. How many outfits? Which shoes? Do I really need that extra sweater? But underneath all that everyday indecision, there’s something deeper going on for me now.

Ever since I got COVID on a different business trip in 2022, I have never looked at travel the same way again.

That experience changed me.

I was away from home, away from my own bed, away from my kitchen, away from my herbs, away from everything familiar—and I got very, very sick and VERY, very fast. I remember feeling scared in a way that is hard to put into words.

There is something about being sick while traveling (especially all alone) that makes everything feel ten times harder. You’re not home, first of all. And you may be alone like I was. You’re not safe in your usual rhythms. You don’t have what you need. You’re trying to think clearly when you don’t feel well, and it's a terrible feeling.

I honestly didn't know how (or IF) I was going to make it home. I literally wheezed and coughed and couldn’t breathe well. I could hardly walk I felt so weak.

When I finally did get back home and saw Joe standing there to pick me up at the airport, I actually cried real tears. Tears of relief, gratitude, and sheer exhaustion. I was so thankful for him and that I made it home.

But what I learned from that trip has stayed with me ever since: being prepared is not optional.

Health preparedness is vital.

Thankfully, when I quickly realized I was sick, my husband called a local health store for me near my hotel, and I gave him a list of the herbs and remedies I needed as quickly as I could. By the grace of God, that store had a few of my choices and was able to deliver them, and I started my herbal protocol for my symptoms right away. I still think about how merciful that was. What a gift. What a provision.

Because what if I had not been in such a large city?

Worse, what if I didn't know the best thing to do? What if a hospital was my only option? I can NOT imagine......

What if I had been somewhere smaller, or somewhere that didn’t have a good health store? What if I had no access to the plants and preparations that I trust? I do not even want to think about how differently that trip could have gone.

That experience deepened something in me I had already believed for a long time: we need to know how to care for ourselves and our families with the plants God has given us.

Not in a panicked way and not in a fearful way. But in a wise, thoughtful and prepared way.

Herbs are not a trendy extra for me. They are not just a charming hobby. They are practical tools. They are part of good stewardship. They are part of being ready when life goes sideways.

These days, I never travel without my "just-in-case" herbs.

And yes, I still wrestle with the packing indecision. I still stand there wondering what to bring and whether I’m overdoing it. But when it comes to my herbal remedies, I don't debate it anymore.

Those come with me.

Because when you have lived through the fear of needing help, and not knowing if you will even make it through, you learn very quickly that preparedness is a form of peace.

Medicinal herbs are a gift I thank God for with my whole heart.

NOTE: You might be wondering, “Why not just go to a drugstore and get pain, cough, fever etc. relieving drugs?"

If you’re new to me, then you may not know my health history, but nearly 15 years ago I drew a hard line in the sand, and I have refused to take medications or over-the-counter drugs of any kind. They messed up my health terribly up to that point, and now at age 62 I’m healthier than I was in my late thirties. Those fake concoctions riddled with side effects are not going into my body.

I am not saying that this should be the way for us all. We all have different bodies, different ailments, and different thought processes. I do not judge. Ever. I'm just doing me.....

Call me stubborn, but I know how herbs have healed me and changed my life and health. I won’t deviate unless it becomes absolutely necessary. You can read more about me and my journey on my website.

For the record....here's the difference between medicinal herbs and random OTC medications in an illness situation like I experienced:

🌿 Medicinal herbs are real and natural. The chemical constituents in plants bring almost immediate relief in many cases. As opposed to OTC meds that mask symptoms but don't jump start the healing process and do nothing else except be harder for your body to deal with.

🌿 Herbal preparations done right contribute to supporting true healing in the body. If I had only "masked symptoms" I know I wouldn't have made it home. Instead, I gave my body the gift of several hours of helping herbs (and chicken soup from room service) and rest.

• My immune system was incredibly supported
• My respiratory system was incredibly supported
• My thinking and brain was incredibly supported
• The bit of rest I got was real, true restorative rest between bouts of coughing and wheezing
• My fever was gone when I woke up in the morning, although it came back the next day as I arrived home, just in time

Curious About My Travel Herbs? Here They Are​

I went ahead and turned this into an actual post on my website because it was beginning to get VERY long!

​You can read more about my Travel Herbs HERE.​

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Encouragement and Inspiration

We here these pat sayings ALL the time in our modern culture:

"Follow your heart....."

"Do what feels right to you....."

"Live your own truth...."

We see these kinds of suggestions everywhere from social media to common messages in T.V. shows, to what teachers are teaching now in schools, and more. They're everywhere.

And you know what?

They don't sound terrible, do they? I mean, that if we can do whatever we want to do, whatever sounds "good," and "right," well that really takes pressure off us.

Or does it?

Because if you've lived as long as I have, then you've probably discovered that your heart can give you some faulty advice, and that what "feels" right may not be right at all, or maybe, like me, you wonder about the "truth from within."

That's because our real truth should come from Jesus. That's where joy and peace actually come from and it's why we need to stop leaning on our own understandings.

To be honest....we don't know anything.

We don't know what's coming or when, and we don't know why people do the things they do.

But what we can count on is that God does. Even though He allows us free will and free choice (and we will mess up), we can count on the fact that every single thing He creates and does is for GOOD somehow, some way. We need to give up control in order to embrace that and to feel the peace of it.

If there is a decision you're trying to make or if you are feeling stress, worry, or fear over something; or maybe a sadness that's grieving you, are you handing it over to God? Or are you trying to power through on your own?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." ---Proverbs 3:5

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🌼 Natural, Beautiful Skincare

I've been getting loads of questions about natural skincare lately. These do tend to come up with season changes because the ways we take care of our skin change too. And the BEST things we can put on our skin are plants (in my opinion).

Want to save $58 on my Natural Skincare Specialty Course? You can get it for just $19 for a short time!

This is a course that's included inside the Confident Herbalist Tribe, our herbal community and massive resource library of courses and textbooks. The only way you can usually get the Skincare course is inside the CHT.

For a short time, you have a choice:

Get it on a GREAT flash sale for just $19 ($58 OFF the normal price), or join us in the Confident Herbalist Tribe (and you can start for just $1) so you can transform your skin!

No, that's not a typo. A dollar will get you inside the Tribe, so you can see how rich and valuable it is....and why those serious about learning herbalism join us here, make great friends, and find the support they need and love as we learn herbalism together. You're never alone in the CHT!

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or....

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Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Are pests starting to rear their ugly heads in your garden? They're beginning early in mine! You may enjoy this FREE resource on essential oils that repel bugs.​

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