Writing about the weekend last weekend with natasha kyssa of simplyraw in canada
The kids are in bed and it's quiet now so I thought it would be a good time to write a little bit.
So I wanted to write about the wonderful weekend that we had Natasha here. Wow! Can't believe it was a week ago now!
Natasha Kyssa is a glowing and healthy woman I met about 4 years ago at a class we both attended. I remember when I first met her, I thought she was so radiant that I totally wanted to know what she was doing because whatever it was, it had to be good! We've kept in touch a little here and there over the years. I was going to attend her SimplyRaw Festival a year ago but it just didn't work out for me at that time. I was totally bummed because I know it was great fun and I'm looking forward to when she has one again. I'm hoping to have my act together more so I'm fully prepared for doing these shows. (But probably I'll be winging it!) :-)
Natasha bought several of our hemp nut milk bags to have at the festival and I'm super grateful for her support of what we're doing here at VT Fiddle Heads. She didn't do a festival this past spring/summer because she was putting out a BOOK! OMG! How freakin cool is that?! I was so excited to see it! It's absolutely beautiful - done so well with the 2 color printing inside and the full cover glossy cover (can you tell I've been into the whole corporate marketing thing? I was/am the marcom girl... LOL) You can totally check out the book via her facebook page.The name of her book is The SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Manual and I'm so ordering some for my store and website! It's such a good book - user-friendly is the term we're all using here!
So she said that she wanted to come to VT as a part of her book tour and would I mind helping her by doing a casual potluck and/or meet at a book store or health food store that might want to have her book. She wanted to be in Burlington so the natural place that I thought might be eager to carry her book was Healthy Living. I contacted them and they asked for a copy so I sent them one. (I bought a few copies just to have after Natasha graciously gave me one. I just wanted to have them around, ya know?) Turns out they dug the book and wanted to carry it! YIPPEEEE! So they made a date to have her there and told me it was all set.
The book signing at Healthy Living was scheduled for a Saturday and then there was her request for a potluck. I haven't done a potluck since about February or March and yet I knew of this wonderful couple named Joshua and Carrie-Anne who have been putting them on for a few months right in Burlington! They've sort of teamed up with another woman named Geniel who also does raw food and who *also* is in Burlington! (Can't believe VT is getting more raw-conscious!) :-) I had been hoping to get to one of Joshua's potlucks since he started them and we'd been in contact here and there for a few months. I wrote to him one day saying that Natasha was coming and would he mind doing a potluck for her since she was going to be in Burlington. He asked Geniel about it and she said YES! This was so wonderful that the dates worked out and the timing worked out. Natasha sent us some posters and I posted them up around various towns with my kids - it made for a fun few hours. We felt like we were a in a band or something... :-) We also posted up the Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes posters up that same day.
Saturday came and I arrived at Healthy Living to see where this book signing was going to happen. I thought they were going to put her in the middle of the store, kinda where the books are. NOPE! They put her right by the front door! Not what I was expecting but so totally awesome! Here's a photo from Natasha's FB page (I hope she doesn't mind! FULL Photo props to her husband for taking these pictures. They were just too nice.) There was raw food woman in the middle of barbeque stuff for sale! I loved that endorsement of health right there, smack dab in the middle!
It was great to see her again - she looked as wonderful and healthy as she did 4 years ago! We totally chatted. My friend Joyce was there too and we all chatted for quite a while. (Thanks for the patience of Healthy Living, our husbands and my kids for the 2+ hour chat at the front of the store!) Natasha had little samples of raw carrot cake (which was a recipe from her book) and you know it's good because my kids were asking for seconds!
So if that wasn't cool enough, the next day was Sunday and the day for the potluck! I brought some of my RAWsome chili with the sour "creme" and brought it with me. The potluck at Geniel's house was absolutely wonderful. It was a great, relaxing setting to meet and chat with people about anything. The food looked incredible too and I was gifted by Fern and her hubbie some of their delicious fennel pesto! Joyce also made a gorgeous raspberry lemon pie (you can totally see it right there on her blog.) Everyone's food was gorgeous looking and I'm sure delicious tasting. I so wish I was hungry that day! Anyway, I got caught up a little bit with Natasha on the past 4 years and we totally agreed it would be hella fun to take a little road trip together (with PATTI -- another woman we met at our class.)
It was a lovely social occasion for sure, all the way around. GREAT to meet Geniel finally - great to see Joshua and Carrie-Anne - great to see everyone faces there at the potluck!
I also found out that night that Natasha was at other book signings at book stores in Burlington! Way to go, Natasha! That's very cool! I'm super pleased to know you and wish you many many blessings. You are very down to earth and you are doing good good things. Keep up the great work!