Neem Oil

An interesting thing happened in the Heartsease shop a few days past- a couple came in because they were curious about the "deet-free, neem-based mosquito repellant" that I had posted on my chalkboard outside. As it turns out, they were back in Winnipeg for the summer from their posts in west Africa where they are involved in the production of neem oil. We shared our love for this amazing tree, its fruit and oil.

I import my neem oil from India where it is used extensively: in massaging new borns, in hair oil, in skin tonic- an all purpose oil that is used daily. It is thought to be an effective insect repellent, to offer some relief to psoriasis and eczema, to nourish healthy hair.

It is a dark amber/brown carrier oil that solidifies in cooler temperatures. I am not fond of the scent of this oil- it is quite strong- but it is also very earthy and healthy smelling. Most carrier oils that I use have little or no scent. In my neem products I add essential oils that not only make it more pleasant-smelling but also add to its efficacy.

What is an interesting co-incidence is that when we bought our property in Baja some years ago, we planted a neem tree- hardly more than a stick that we stuck into the ground. We knew nothing about this tree but had seen one in the yard of a local organic farmer and admired it for its lush greenness and shade-giving qualities. We were in a drought in Todos Santos at the time and were afraid the tree would die. We watered it well and hoped for the best. Our caretaker- really our dear friend, Adrian- diligently waters when we are back in Canada and kept up the care. Bless their hearts, one year when water was a problem, he and his mother watered all our trees by carrying water, litre by litre to our site. Now our neem is huge, providing shade and privacy. We tie a hammock to it that spans to a near-by palm tree. We sit beside it in the morning with our coffee, catching the first warmth of the sun after a cool desert night. We have our sundowners in its shade while we watch the sun slip into the Pacific. Our dogs have marked it as their favourite spot and our cat scampers up its limbs. We all love it.

In Mexico, the organic farmers make an infusion with the berries from the neem and spray their crops to protect against insects. One couple that we met at the organic market make a tea from the leaves and swear that by drinking this elixir every day, they are protecting their bodies from all kinds of things and prolonging their lives- who knows?

As for me, I am happy to be enveloped in its canopy and use the oil to make products- soap, neem cream, hair oil, and bug repellent - all great sellers.

Salud to the neem tree!

The house I love and live in for most of the year is pink, a quiet, gentle pink. We live in the upper two stories and my business, Heartsease, has the main floor. The house is situated on a corner of an almost inner city neighbourhood, Wolseley, across the river from affluent River Heights, in Winnipeg. It is a neighbourhood that has always been known for its socialist values- famous for Nellie McClung, the woman behind getting the vote for women.

It was built in 1907 for John and Florence Livesay, both journalists, progressives, left-leaning activists and she, also a poet- and here they had a child, Dorothy, who was to become a well-known poet. She is my favourite woman poet and I have every one of her publications. I also had the pleasure of sharing a public reading with her. She was gracious, honest, and generous in sharing the podium with amateurs- also somewhat bawdy and very entertaining!

Between Dorothy's time and my time in the pink house it has seen any changes. It was converted to a duplex years ago and I get many people into the shop who fondly remember living here. Before that it was a boarding house for prostitutes- a safe haven after working hours- I think all of the Livesay's would have loved that!

I don't know when the house became pink but that is what caught my eye many years ago. I always loved the area and I always was drawn to this house. When it came on the market a few years ago it was a disaster but my beloved indulged me to have a look at it and he was as smitten as I. We tiptoed through, not wanting to touch anything- it was so gross- and we knew it was for us to save it and give it a new life.

So here we are.

We live, we love, we create, we celebrate the Livesay's- thank you for this magnifisent house- we are so proud and happy to be here!